Combining In-class Design Problems and EFFECTs to Stimulate Critical Thinking Skills

Nathan Huynh; Juan M Caicedo; Charles E. Pierce; Jason W Gantt

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Conference: 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Publication Date: June 23, 2013
Start Date: June 23, 2013
End Date: June 26, 2013
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Activities and Assessment for “Awkward ABET Outcomes”
Tagged Division: Civil Engineering
Page Count: 14
Page Numbers: 23.303.1 - 23.303.14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--19317
Permanent URL: https://sftp.asee.org/19317
Download Count: 524

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Dr. Caicedo is currently an associate professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Carolina. He obtained his doctorate degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2003. Dr. Caicedo’s research interests include engineering education, numerical and experimental research in the areas of structural dynamics, model updating, structural health monitoring, earthquake engineering and structural control. Dr. Caicedo is member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation, the Society of Experimental Mechanics and the American Society of Engineering Educators.

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Charles E. Pierce University of South Carolina

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Jason W Gantt University of South Carolina

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Abstract

Combining In-class Design Problems and EFFECTs to Stimulate Critical Thinking SkillsAbstractThis study investigates the effectiveness of using in-class design problems that are combinedwith key elements from the Environments For Fostering Effective Critical Thinking (EFFECTs)pedagogical approach to stimulate and improve critical thinking skills of civil engineeringstudents. The study is carried out in an undergraduate Transportation Engineering course. Inthis course, the instructor schedules an in-class design problem (ICDP) at the conclusion of eachof the seven chapters/topics where students work in groups to solve the design problems. EachICDP is challenging and requires students to use most, if not all, of the concepts discussed inclass to solve. It is aimed to reinforce the concepts students learned in class and in doing thehomework.In this study, we explore how to use the ICDP to not only help students learn the class material,but also improve their critical thinking skills. To accomplish this, we use some key elementsfrom the EFFECTs pedagogy to get students to think and guesstimate an answer to a designproblem and to reflect on how the learned material helped them answer the design problem. Thespecific structure of the class is as follows. During the first lecture of each of the seven topics,the instructor provides a driving question that requires students to make an educated guess of theanswer to a design problem and to list the parameters they considered in estimating theiranswers. For example, one of the driving questions is “estimate the theoretical stopping distanceof a Honda civic with and without antilock brakes from 60 mi/hr on good, dry, level pavement.”The students are given time to answer the question on their own and then additional time todiscuss the answer with classmates. Each student records his/her answer as well as the group’sanswer. This is followed by lectures and homework in a series of subsequent classes. In thehomework, students are asked how the topics covered in class helped them answer the drivingquestion. Finally, the driving question is provided in the form of an ICDP. In solving the ICDP,students discuss the problem among themselves within the group and across groups. While theydo this, the instructor provides assistance as needed. At the end of the ICDP, students are askedto state how their final answers have changed from their initial answers and why, as a mean ofencouraging metacognition. Students’ responses to the homework and ICDP questions areassessed to determine the effectiveness of this approach to improve critical thinking skills.Those results are reported in this paper.

Citation
Format

Huynh, N., & Caicedo, J. M., & Pierce, C. E., & Gantt, J. W. (2013, June), Combining In-class Design Problems and EFFECTs to Stimulate Critical Thinking Skills Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--19317

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -                     Combining In-class Design Problems and EFFECTs to                            Stimulate Critical Thinking SkillsAbstractThis study investigates the effectiveness of using in-class design problems that are combinedwith key elements from the Environments For Fostering Effective Critical Thinking (EFFECTs)pedagogical approach to stimulate and improve critical thinking skills of civil engineeringstudents. The study is carried out in an undergraduate Transportation Engineering course. Inthis course, the instructor schedules an in-class design problem (ICDP) at the conclusion of eachof the seven chapters/topics where students work in groups to solve the design problems. EachICDP is challenging and requires students to use most, if not all, of the concepts discussed inclass to solve. It is aimed to reinforce the concepts students learned in class and in doing thehomework.In this study, we explore how to use the ICDP to not only help students learn the class material,but also improve their critical thinking skills. To accomplish this, we use some key elementsfrom the EFFECTs pedagogy to get students to think and guesstimate an answer to a designproblem and to reflect on how the learned material helped them answer the design problem. Thespecific structure of the class is as follows. During the first lecture of each of the seven topics,the instructor provides a driving question that requires students to make an educated guess of theanswer to a design problem and to list the parameters they considered in estimating theiranswers. For example, one of the driving questions is “estimate the theoretical stopping distanceof a Honda civic with and without antilock brakes from 60 mi/hr on good, dry, level pavement.”The students are given time to answer the question on their own and then additional time todiscuss the answer with classmates. Each student records his/her answer as well as the group’sanswer. This is followed by lectures and homework in a series of subsequent classes. In thehomework, students are asked how the topics covered in class helped them answer the drivingquestion. Finally, the driving question is provided in the form of an ICDP. In solving the ICDP,students discuss the problem among themselves within the group and across groups. While theydo this, the instructor provides assistance as needed. At the end of the ICDP, students are askedto state how their final answers have changed from their initial answers and why, as a mean ofencouraging metacognition. Students’ responses to the homework and ICDP questions areassessed to determine the effectiveness of this approach to improve critical thinking skills.Those results are reported in this paper.
AU  - Nathan Huynh
AU  - Juan M Caicedo
AU  - Charles E. Pierce
AU  - Jason W Gantt
CY  - Atlanta, Georgia
DA  - 2013/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Combining In-class Design Problems and EFFECTs to Stimulate Critical Thinking Skills 
UR  - https://sftp.asee.org/19317
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--19317
ER  -