Do low-tech active-learning exercises influence biomechanics student’s epistemology of learning?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Some students have negative perceptions of group work common in several active learning (AL) pedagogies. This study documented the potential change in student beliefs (epistemology) of learning biomechanical concepts over an introductory biomechanics course implementing low-tech AL exercises. Fifty-eight students in two biomechanics courses agreed to participate and completed a pre- and post-test consisting of the Biomechanics Concept Inventory (BCI3) version 3 and additional questions on their perceptions about group work and the nature of learning in biomechanics. Low-tech AL exercises resulted in a large (d > 0.8) mean improvement in student learning compared previous data on lecture alone. This improvement in learning of biomechanical concepts with AL may be unrelated to student perceptions of working with other students, the nature of biomechanical knowledge or learning. There was inconsistent evidence that student perceptions can be changed over a biomechanics course implementing low-tech AL exercises, with significant reductions in positive attitudes on one question and no difference on another from pre- to post-test. While the majority of students had positive perceptions about working with other students, some had negative perceptions, and how these perceptions changed over the term was not systematic with addition of low-tech AL exercises.