Learning More From Class Time : Technology Enhancement In The Classroom

The traditional classroom lectures in engineering do not permit professors or students to keep pace with technological changes within rapidly changing disciplines. By using technology, the classroom lecture can be modified so that class time becomes a laboratory of learning and reinforcement through iteration and application. This approach is also very timely since it directly develops the engineering attributes set forth in ABET 2000 Criterion 3. Traditional teaching methods have relied on the Capstone Design classes to fulfill the tasks of tying four years of learning together, as well as to fulfill the ABET 2000 Criterion 3. The methods described herein permit effective implementation of the ABET guidelines across many classes using technology as the leveraging tool. This paper discusses how this methodology was developed for two senior-level classes: Vibration and Flutter (required core class) and Flow Diagnostics (an elective class). The paper describes in further detail the classroom experiences, examples of the implementation, and the results of the assessment. Positive and negative factors from teacher and student viewpoints are also discussed, including the Hawthorne effect and how students with different learning styles behave with respect to the new methodology introduced in these classes. While the two classes discussed herein are Aerospace Engineering classes, the techniques are applicable across any engineering discipline.