Developing a Framework for Blended Design-Based Learning in a First-Year Multidisciplinary Design Course

Jac Ka Lok Leung,Samuel Kai Wah Chu,Shen Qiao,Ting-Chuen Pong,Davy Tsz Kit Ng

doi:10.1109/te.2021.3112852

Abstract

Contribution: While design project courses offer first-year students a practical introduction to engineering, a portion of class time is usually spent on lecturing foundational knowledge instead of practicing engineering design. This article presents a blended design-based learning (bDBL) approach that makes class time more efficient and explores the changes in students’ design competencies and intrinsic motivations. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background: Current approaches to cornerstone courses face challenges, such as heavy faculty involvement and heterogeneity of design projects. bDBL draws on the self-directedness of blended learning and the open-ended nature of design-based learning which may be a worthwhile instructional approach for cornerstone courses. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Intended Outcomes: bDBL was applied in a cornerstone course that intended to let students understand what engineers do and motivate them in the field. Students’ design competencies and intrinsic motivations were examined through pre- and post-self-reported surveys. Focus group interviews were conducted to elicit students’ views on bDBL. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Application Design: Online self-paced learning modules were created to deliver knowledge-based content. Students transfer what they learned from the online modules through launch-level demos. Then, students spend most of the class time working on team design projects to learn through mistakes and receive first-hand feedback from peers and instructors. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings: From Fall 2018 to Spring 2020, 201 first-year students experienced bDBL. Quantitative results demonstrated increases in students’ design competencies and intrinsic motivations. Four themes representing both positive and negative views of bDBL were elicited. A conceptual framework that connects the theoretical foundation, design elements, examined effects, and students’ perceptions, is proposed.

Highlights

F IRST-YEAR design-rich courses and programmes are common in many engineering curricula (e.g., [1]–[6]) and are primarily referred to as first-year engineering (FYE) design or cornerstone design [7]
Current approaches to cornerstone courses face challenges, such as heavy faculty involvement and heterogeneity of design projects. blended design-based learning (bDBL) draws on the self-directedness of blended learning and the open-ended nature of design-based learning which may be a worthwhile instructional approach for cornerstone courses
Intended Outcomes: bDBL was applied in a cornerstone course that intended to let students understand what engineers do and motivate them in the field

Summary

Introduction

F IRST-YEAR design-rich courses and programmes are common in many engineering curricula (e.g., [1]–[6]) and are primarily referred to as first-year engineering (FYE) design or cornerstone design [7]. Cornerstone design courses focus on a range of conceptual understandings and presentations rather than on an in-depth mastery of a specific topic or domain. These approaches are often grounded in studentcentered instruction (SCI), with students empowered to influence “the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning. BDBL draws on the self-directedness of blended learning and the open-ended nature of design-based learning which may be a worthwhile instructional approach for cornerstone courses. Application Design: Online self-paced learning modules were created to deliver knowledge-based content. Students transfer what they learned from the online modules through launch-level demos. Students spend most of the class time working on team design projects to learn through mistakes and receive first-hand feedback from peers and instructors

Methods

Results

Conclusion