Undergraduate Engineering Education and the Game-Based Learning Methods to Promote a Culture of Laboratory Safety

Abstract

This full paper supports areas in the innovative practice category about engineering education and how it has been challenged with integrating labs and experimental practices for student-learning in a traditional setting. The study was created to integrate gamification in the classroom and lab environments for experimental learning with regard to policy that supports safety instructional training within engineering education. Our objective was to identify an approach to promote engineering policies using app development techniques for gamifying lab and classroom practices. This approach also promoted awareness among participants in order to ensure a safety culture designed for learning methods. The gamification techniques were deployed to support engineering courses based on tools involving instructional expectations, policies and procedures. The safety instructional policy was encouraged in student learning by implementing an interactive learning process that identifies specific instructional tools for classroom and lab assessment. This concept of gamification was introduced to engineering practices in order to integrate set policies and course procedures for interactive learning within approach for building a mindset in an educational environment. The gamification concept was used to promote a safety culture and has improved the quality of learning by engaging students in meaningful practices. The concept has also reinforced safety standards for undergraduate engineering students in course and lab instructions. The course and lab instructions were implemented for the purpose of managing and promoting awareness among participants as a systematic approach to foster safe practices in engineering education. Overall, gamification has engaged undergraduate engineering students both inside and outside the educational environment. The undergraduate engineering students would often overlook, ignore or misinterpret the safety practices due to the lack of awareness and safety importance. The gamified approach has identified common malpractices concerning safety instructional policy and guidelines for classroom and lab operation. Gamification of safety instructional policy has created self-awareness to undergraduate engineering students and the influence of safety training procedures was mapped to student-learning outcomes. This technique has had an impact on students, faculty, staff and other support personnel in interacting with classroom and lab equipment through the understanding of operational guidelines and procedures that support engineering education.