Alternatives to Textbook Homework Assignments

Ever since the solution manuals have become available in digital format, they have become widely available, despite instructors’ attempts to keep them away from students. Now it is common for students to consult the solution manual or internet resources when completing their homework assignments. As a result, there has been a steady decline in students’ ability to set up and solve problems, especially when there is no access to the solution. To improve students’ ability to solve engineering problems independently, the authors have attempted several schemes when teaching thermal science courses. These efforts included developing and assigning their own homework problems, increasing the frequency of quizzes and exams, using classroom electronic response devices, assigning group and individual projects, using the flipped classroom concept, and offering mandatory recitation periods. This paper briefly describes the teaching and learning schemes attempted, the advantages and disadvantages of each scheme, and the effectiveness of each scheme. The most promising scheme has been unique homework problems, and this is supported by comparing exam grades when homework problems were assigned from the textbook.