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Student Perspectives on Using Hands-on Discovery Activities in a Critical Systems Thinking Course

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Conference

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Tampa, Florida

Publication Date

June 15, 2019

Start Date

June 15, 2019

End Date

June 19, 2019

Conference Session

Hands-On Activities and Student Learning in Aerospace Engineering - I - Student Papers

Tagged Division

Aerospace

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

13

DOI

10.18260/1-2--33299

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/33299

Download Count

470

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Paper Authors

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Yilin Feng Purdue University-Main Campus, West Lafayette Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-8843-8987

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Yilin Feng is a doctoral student at the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University. She received her master and bachelor degree in Aeronautic engineering at Beihang University. Her research interest is in airport sustainability and management. She won the first place at the ACRP University Design Competition in 2018.

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biography

Lorraine E. Holtaway Purdue Polytechnic Institute

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Lorraine E. Holtaway is a Ph.D. student in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University with Dr. Mary E. Johnson.

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Mary E. Johnson Ph.D. Purdue Polytechnic Institute Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-6572-0979

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Mary E. Johnson earned her BS, MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington. After 5 years in aerospace manufacturing, Dr. Johnson joined the Automation & Robotics Research Institute in Fort Worth and was program manager for applied research programs. Fourteen years later, she was an Industrial Engineering assistant professor at Texas A&M - Commerce before joining the Aviation Technology department at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 2007 as an Associate Professor. She is a Co-PI on the FAA Center of Excellence for general aviation research known as PEGASAS and leads engineering efforts in the Air Transport Institute for Environmental Sustainability. Her research interests are aviation sustainability, weather information for GA pilots, data driven process improvement, and engine emissions.

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Sarah Ryann Congdon Purdue Polytechnic Institute

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Sarah Ryann Congdon is a lecturer at Purdue University's School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. She earned her B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering Technology and her M.S. in Aviation and Aerospace Management from Purdue University. She has taught Advanced Avionics and Electronics, Fixed and Rotary Wing Assemblies, Aircraft Electronics, and Basic Aircraft Science in the ABET-ETAC accredited engineering technology program. She holds an FAA Airframe & Powerplant certificate.

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Abstract

Student Led Paper

Student Perspectives on Using Hands-on Discovery Activities in a Critical Systems Thinking Course

At a large Midwestern university, students in an engineering technology program may choose to take a graduate course on Critical Systems Thinking (CST). This course explores the application of critical systems thinking to complex problems in aviation and aerospace industries. The course materials use systems theory textbooks and case studies that explore the practical applications of critical systems thinking for aviation and aerospace industries and for other complex socio-technical issues. Two course objectives are to understand how to frame complex issues in terms of systems thinking methodologies, and to evaluate options and alternative solutions to complex problems. As an important component of student learning, hands-on discovery activities are used to illustrate CST principles and models which allows students to experience the behavior of systems and to better understand CST. The hands-on discovery activities are at first led by the instructor; however, the students form teams and then lead the learning experience for the class as the semester progresses. Getting to lead a game, or being assigned to do so, engages the students on an entirely different level as opposed to being a participant. The student team leaders are now peer-teachers that must be able to lead the activities and probe the students for understanding of the models and system behavior demonstrated in the activities. This paper presents a roadmap for using hands-on discovery activities that may better engage students of the current generation. The paper presents the learning objectives, discusses some of the successful activities, and student perspectives on leading and learning. The paper will also provide lessons learned on how to implement these activities in the classroom.

Feng, Y., & Holtaway, L. E., & Johnson, M. E., & Congdon, S. R. (2019, June), Student Perspectives on Using Hands-on Discovery Activities in a Critical Systems Thinking Course Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--33299

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2019 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015