Year: 2020
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: UnLecture: A Novel Active Learning Based Pedagogical Strategy for Engineering CoursesAbstract: This paper presents a novel pedagogical strategy, called UnLecture, which is basedon active learning and peer instruction. An UnLecture is a participant-driven discussion aimed atbringing real-world industry experiences to classroom. Co-operative education (co-op) is amandatory requirement for students enrolled in the engineering programs at the University of________ (U___). The primary objective of UnLecture technique is to create a participatoryenvironment that allows students to share their experiences from co-op, internship, and otherindustry-based projects, and to reflect on the connection between classroom learning andengineering practice. This technique was first piloted in a senior/graduate level course, EECE 6XXX –Advanced Microsystem Design, in Spring 2013. This course is focused on advanced skills formicrocontroller-based embedded systems. The pilot UnLecture session was based on an open-ended theme: the discipline of embedded systems and technology shift. It was observed thestudents put forth diverse perspectives based on their experiences from cooperative educationand that it is important to utilize student experiences to enable peer instruction. Based on thepreliminary results, the technique was formally modeled and deployed in an undergraduatesoftware engineering course during Summer 2013. Each UnLecture session is based on a theme directly related to one of the course topics.Typically, an UnLecture session on a topic is scheduled after that topic has been covered in anin-class lecture. A rubric is provided to students a few days prior to the session. The rubric is thecentral element facilitating the components of this technique. It is a set of carefully designedquestions that are categorized into three sections: Retrospection, Examination, and Reflection. Before the session, students retrospect their past co-op/internship assignments, recollect details that are related to the session theme, and document some fine points based on the questions in the rubric. During the session, students share their retrospective thoughts, and learn from fellow students’ cooperative education experiences. They also examine practices that were realized in various course projects and assignments, and analyze the differences and similarities between their experiences in industry and their learning experience from the course. After the session, the students combine their perspectives from both retrospection and examination to reflect on how they will perform differently in their next co-op rotation or work assignment. Five UnLecture sessions were designed and executed as a part of EECE 3XXX– SoftwareEngineering. While the results from these five sessions are elaborated in a separate paper, thispaper will mainly describe the structure and methods of the technique, and results from the pilotsession. It will also address how this technique can be applied to other electrical and computerengineering courses, specifically, courses in the embedded systems curriculum at U___.
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--23233
Authors: Vignesh Subbian, Carla Purdy, Fred Beyette
Institution: University of Cincinnati
Language: English
Topic: Innovative Teaching Methods
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2602760593