Incorporating Active Learning In An Engineering Materials Science Course

This paper shares the experiences the author has had over the last several years incorporating active learning in the classroom and laboratory. Examined are ways to engage and motivate the students to take an active role in their learning which includes direct instruction, cooperative learning, hands-on “exploratory” classroom and laboratory experiences, reading logs, etc. The author submits that in most classes, some degree of direct instruction is necessary to “actively” engage the student’s minds, particularly in introducing new material, but also insists that studentbased class activities are essential to reinforce and “connect” this knowledge. Materials science naturally lends itself to a variety of interesting and exciting activities that allow the student to interactively learn about the world of engineering materials. Some of these activities are discussed in their application to atomic structure, diffusion, strengthening mechanisms, failure mechanisms, and ferrous and nonferrous materials.