A Plan to Diffuse Mobile Hands-On Teaching and Learning in Puerto Rico

Decades of engineering education research have resulted in excellent progress, innovation and understanding of the teaching and learning process; however, diffusion of these developments into the engineering classroom is a challenge that has yet to be resolved at a systemic level. As a result, the majority of the engineering faculty in Puerto Rico and the USA still use the traditional model of teaching and learning that is based on the simple transfer of knowledge from teacher to student. Many of the educational innovations that have been researched are founded on constructivist methodologies. These are based on the widely accepted principle that students construct their own versions of reality rather than simply absorbing versions presented by their teachers. Constructivist methodologies provide students with the opportunity to explore new concepts. It recognizes that conflicts will emerge between the new material and the prior experience that each student brings into the classroom. Assistance is provided to help students overcome these conflicts to help them succeed in creating the new knowledge. Knowledge transfer from the teacher to the student (traditional method) can be very effective if the instructor times it correctly to resolve these conflicts. This paper discusses the plans to begin a systemic spread of constructivist methodologies in all the engineering schools in Puerto Rico. This initial effort specifically addresses courses in electrical circuits and electronic instrumentation. The Analog Discovery Board, essentially a circuits laboratory that fits in the palm of one’s hand, will be used as the medium to explore the course concepts. The primary means for diffusion will consist of two NSF-funded faculty workshops in Puerto Rico designed and led by two of the authors who have ample experience with the device and with these methodologies, including its successful application in distance learning. NSF has provided funding for two years, from October 2014 to September 2016, to allow the researchers to obtain initial data on diffusion rates and to perform additional assessment to determine effectiveness and the satisfaction level of faculty and students.