COMPUTER-BASED LEARNING SOFTWARE FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Abstract

The rapidly evolving technological knowledge required by engineers imposes important challenges on how to best prepare the engineering workforce of the future. Novice engineers are faced with formulating creative solutions to problems they have never seen before; they did not really learn to solve "real world messy problems". Problem-solving in engineering requires the use of disciplinary-based heuristics that are not immediately apparent to novices in the field. The aim of this study is to evaluate and expand engineering education using cognitive apprenticeship as an instructional framework. Cognitive apprenticeship outlines pedagogical strategies that makes visible experts` problem solving heuristics to support novices in becoming more proficient. This work will provide an overview of a computer-based learning environment in a classroom with third- and fourth-year undergraduate students. First, we discuss the implementation of cognitive apprenticeship in the classroom and evaluate the learning outcomes of students with individual differences in learning styles. Second, we apply cognitive apprenticeship principles to guide the design of a Civil Engineering tutor, a computer-based learning environment that serves as a cognitive tool outside the classroom. The design of the software is driven by a cognitive task analysis of several knowledge areas that mediates competency in calculating the snow loads on buildings. This teaching tool includes the main assumptions of the cognitive apprenticeship approach and also defines instructional methods for enhancing learning. We analyze user satisfaction towards the different features of the software and derive some implications for future innovative educational tools.