2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This evidence-based practice paper will assess the impact of an authentic learning assignment on student learning levels as compared to typical assessments of understanding (quizzes) in a fluid mechanics course.

Fluid Mechanics and other upper-level engineering courses rely upon a student’s prior knowledge of basic engineering principles and abstract understanding of mathematical concepts to comfortably approach new problems in this field. It is one of the first courses in which more abstract concepts are given physical and applicable meaning. As such, this course is a critical opportunity to teach higher order engineering skills, such as problem definition, problem simplification, modeling, and solution analysis. These skills are required to solve ill-structured or open-ended engineering problems, which are the majority of problems an engineer will face during their career. Yet, the vast majority of problems students are assigned are well-structured or close-ended problems. There is a need to scaffold student learning from simple, well-posed textbook problems to more open-ended problems requiring higher levels of critical thinking. One possible strategy is to use authentic learning assignments in upper-level lecture-based engineering courses.

Employing Bloom's taxonomy as a framework for evaluating the cognitive engagement levels, our analysis of student reflections sheds light on a significant increase in higher-order cognitive skills manifested during the completion of the Design Your Own Problem (DYOP) as opposed to the conventional quiz assignments. This heightened cognitive engagement is marked by an increased emphasis on analysis, evaluation, and creativity, signifying a significant shift towards more sophisticated problem-solving strategies among students. Notably, this trend remains consistent across diverse student cohorts, irrespective of gender, racial or ethnic background, or prior experience in internship or Co-Op programs. These findings underscore the inclusive nature of the DYOP framework, demonstrating its capacity to facilitate equitable learning experiences for all engineering students, regardless of their individual backgrounds or prior academic achievements.

Furthermore, the study elucidates the adaptable nature of the DYOP approach, as it accommodates students with varying levels of proficiency, ranging from those who demonstrate exemplary performance in traditional quizzes to those who require additional revisions and support. Notably, the analysis reveals that students with prior Co-Op experiences, although able to draw from their real-world exposure, did not necessarily exhibit a substantial advantage in terms of the heightened cognitive engagement observed during the DYOP. Similarly, the study highlights the potential of the DYOP to serve as a valuable revisiting tool, enabling students to consolidate their understanding of the course material and bridge any existing gaps in their comprehension, regardless of their initial performance levels. These findings highlight the transformative potential of the DYOP framework in nurturing comprehensive and inclusive learning experiences, all while introducing minimal disruptions to the conventional pace of lecture-style engineering courses.