Comparing Student Experiences And Growth In A Cooperative, Hands On, Active, Problem Based Learning Environment To An Active, Problem Based Environment.

Two questions that frequently come up when developing a teaching method that tries to combine best practices from multiple pedagogies are: Is this better than how we normally teach? And which pedagogy is giving the most benefit. In the spring semester of 2006 we had a large enough junior class to separate our required Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer course, ChE 332, into two sections. One section was taught using a novel pedagogy that combines Cooperative, Hands-on, Active, and Problem based learning (CHAPL). The other was taught initially in a manner that attempted to simply remove the hands-on component of the pedagogy. In response to student feedback, this was shifted to an intergroup collaborative environment with each group providing hands-on demonstrations for the rest of the class. As shown by a focus group study, survey, and end-of-semester written course evaluations, the students in the CHAPL section showed greater enthusiasm for the course. Sections of the students reports from projects in the class were also analyzed using a critical thinking rubric (CTR) developed by the Washington State University (WSU) Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT). The CTR assesses four categories (problem identification, solution method, assumption quality and solution quality) on a 6 point scale. The students in the CHAPL section appear to show more growth in critical thinking than those in the other section.