Thermodynamics Course Research Articles

Effectiveness of Thermodynamics Textbooks Assisted by Heyzine Flipbook to Improve Students' Generic Science, Critical Thinking and Conceptual Understanding

Thermodynamics as a science studie something concrete and can be proven mathematically using scientific equations that have been proven to be true, so it is not uncommon for students to think that it is difficult to understand. This is because a high level of understanding is needed to understand the concepts of thermodynamics. The aim of this research is to develop a thermodynamics textbook assisted by Heyzine flipbook which is effective in improving students’ generic science, critical thinking and conceptual understanding. This research is a development researchs (Research and Development) which uses the Thiagarajan 4D development model. The subjects in this study were 26 students of the Physics Education study program at Mataram University who took the thermodynamics course. The data in this study is in the form of product effectiveness data obtained through pre-tests and post-tests given to research subjects. The improvement in students' abilities calculated using the n-gain formula. There was an increase in student abilities after being taught with the thermodynamics textbook assisted by Heyzine flipbook according to the n-gain value of 53.31 with moderate criteria. Heyzine flipbook-assisted thermodynamics textbook is proven effective in improving students' generic science, critical thinking and conceptual understanding.

Exploring Sustainability Instruction Methods in Engineering Thermodynamics Courses: Insights from Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

It is important that engineers are educated to consider sustainability in their work. Thermodynamics is a fundamental course required in several engineering majors that has a natural connection to sustainability topics (e.g., energy and limits on efficiency). This work examined how sustainability was included in university-level engineering thermodynamics courses, based on 18 peer-reviewed papers that described Scholarship of Teaching and Learning studies. This review found that environmental issues were included in 15 courses, social issues in 9 courses, and economic issues in 5. There were 11 papers that included topics related to one or more of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with 8 of the 17 SDGs represented by one or more papers. The learning outcomes from the courses provided many examples of cognitive outcomes at all six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. In contrast, affective domain outcomes were generally not explicit. Methods of integrating sustainability topics included mathematical examples, labs, projects, service-learning, application-based learning, simulation tools, and book reviews. These examples should inspire instructors to foster sociotechnical mindsets toward engineering, which are a key to educating engineers who value sustainability and who will advocate for its importance in engineering.

Introducing process simulation as an alternative to laboratory session in undergraduate chemical engineering thermodynamics course: A case study from Sunway University Malaysia

This study demonstrates the successful integration of process simulation using CHEMCAD into Sunway University's Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics curriculum, replacing the traditional lab sessions. This approach has two main benefits, i.e., it provides early exposure to process simulation software, bridging theory and practice, and it supports new chemical engineering programs where labs may not be fully operational. Aligned with Sunway University's commitment to innovative educational approaches, the impact of this integration on the students’ learning experiences is evident through feedback collected from a comprehensive survey conducted with a group of seven students enrolled in Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics in April 2023. The survey's three sections gathered the students’ perceptions, enjoyed aspects, challenges faced, and suggestions. Findings highlight the students’ positive views on the integration, enhancing comprehension of thermodynamics concepts and real-world applications. They also recognized the value of hands-on simulation experience for essential process simulation skills. The students appreciated the practical relevance in highlighting thermodynamics’ real-world importance. Challenges related to software access and technical issues were addressed, with planned improvements. The students expressed interest in deeper learning, including complex simulations, graphical representation use, and external resource access. While many found the integration effective, suggestions for more hands-on engagement and research resource access were noted.

Hands-on engineering design in an undergraduate thermodynamics learning context

Hands-on engineering design is a critical element of quality engineering education commonly featured in the first and last year of undergraduate programs. Technical science and engineering coursework dominate the sophomore and junior year, often with fewer hands-on design experiences. We sought to mitigate this by integrating a hands-on engineering design project into a second-year thermodynamics-focused course for mechanical engineering students. We iterated on a heat-to-work device design project developed by Shepard and Hoxie to make it more open-ended, and to introduce a ‘who’ and a ‘why’ into the project by having students design devices to help hypothetical users accomplish tasks. We analyzed student reflections about the project using an inductive thematic approach. Our results indicate that the project was challenging; students consistently described experiencing failures. Most students were eventually able to succeed in the project using a combination of design iteration, risk-taking, and adaptation. They articulated growth in engineering design capabilities (including the valuation of simplicity in designs, brainstorming, applied learning, and time management), and increases in confidence (including takeaways about the importance of self-trust and intuition). In this paper, we present the revised project design and findings from its implementation using student and instructor reflections, and suggestions about how it could be implemented in thermodynamics courses for other mechanical engineering programs.

Integration of Energy Conservation Principles Across Mechanical Engineering Curriculum: A Work-in-Progress Project

The conservation of energy, mass, and momentum stands as fundamental laws in physics, resonating deeply within engineering education. This ongoing project, now in its third year of implementation, aims to seamlessly integrate energy conservation principles across the mechanical engineering undergraduate curriculum. Across various courses, including dynamics, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics, students delve into the diverse forms of mechanical energy. From kinetic and potential energy in dynamics to fluid flow energies and thermodynamic principles in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics courses respectively, the overarching principle remains: energy is neither created nor destroyed but instead transfers between different forms, maintaining a constant total within a fixed domain. The project emphasizes the energy balance equation introduced in the first Thermodynamics course, laying the groundwork for subsequent exploration. Students are guided through the transition from the first law of thermodynamics to Bernoulli's equation in Fluid Mechanics, bridging theoretical concepts with practical applications. This integration continues into Heat Transfer and elective courses such as Industrial Hydraulics and Aerodynamics. To assess student comprehension, direct and indirect assessments are conducted, measuring understanding through principle and practical examples. Feedback and questionnaire responses indicate enhanced understanding of energy conservation principles through the synchronization of energy balance concepts across multiple courses. This presentation showcases the evolution of our work-in-progress project, initially presented at the 2022 and 2023 WVAS meetings. By fostering a holistic understanding of energy conservation principles, our aim is to empower students with a comprehensive foundation to tackle real-world engineering challenges.

Energy Box Simulator

This research is focused on making the trainer kit in the form of a device for measuring and calculating energy with an interactive practicum mode that is fun for students as part of the Thermodynamics course. This device will be equipped with a timer for measuring time, electrical mass measurement and a length calculator for measuring kinetic energy and potential energy using data on mass, velocity and height of an object. The data obtained from the measurement results will then be compared with the results of calculations on an application-based simulator in the visual basic .exe program.

Physical chemistry students’ learning profiles and their relation to study-related burnout and perceptions of peer and self-assessment

We explored chemical engineering students’ approaches to learning, study-related burnout, and perceptions of peer and self-assessment in a challenging physical chemistry thermodynamics course. Cluster analysis revealed three learning profiles based on students’ approaches to learning: students who scored high in both organised studying and the deep approach to learning, students who scored high in the unreflective approach to learning, and students who scored high in all three approaches. According to our findings, students who employed deep learning strategies and managed their time carefully experience the least study-related burnout. These students also felt more efficacious when participating in assessment and had fever negative experiences of both peer and self-assessment. Consequently, physical chemistry educators should adopt practices that facilitate a deeper approach to learning, including paying careful attention to course workload and utilising teaching methodologies that can foster the deep approach like peer and self-assessment.

The utility of mechanical objects: Aiding students' learning of abstract and difficult engineering concepts

AbstractBackgroundUndergraduate students consistently struggle with mastering concepts related to thermodynamics. Prior work has shown that haptic technology and intensive hands‐on workshops help improve learning outcomes relative to traditional lecture‐based thermodynamics instruction. The current study takes a more feasible approach to improving thermal understanding by incorporating simple mechanical objects into individual problem‐solving exercises.Purpose/HypothesesThis study tests the impact of simple mechanical objects on learning outcomes (specifically, problem‐solving performance and conceptual understanding) for third‐year undergraduate engineering students in a thermodynamics course across a semester.Design/MethodDuring the semester, 119 engineering students in two sections of an undergraduate thermodynamics course completed three 15‐min, self‐guided problem‐solving tasks, one section without and the other with a simple and relevant physical object. Performance on the tasks and improvements in thermodynamics comprehension (measured via Thermal and Transport Concept Inventory scores) were compared between the two sections.ResultsStudents who had a simple, relevant object available to solve three thermodynamics problems consistently outperformed their counterparts without objects, although only to statistical significance when examining the simple effects for the third problem. At the end of the semester, students who had completed the tasks with the objects displayed significantly greater improvements in thermodynamics comprehension than their peers without the relevant object. Higher mechanical aptitude facilitated the beneficial effect of object availability on comprehension improvements.ConclusionFindings suggest that the incorporation of simple mechanical objects into active learning exercises in thermodynamics curricula could facilitate student learning in thermodynamics and potentially other abstract domains.

Development of Thermodynamics Learning With Empirical Approach and Portfolio Assessment Techniques

Students face numerous challenges in comprehending thermodynamics concepts and principles. The empirical approach and portfolio assessment technique were used to encourage educators to determine good teaching strategies and motivate students. The purpose of carrying out this research was to develop thermodynamics teaching materials with an empirical approach and portfolio assessment techniques. This research uses a mix method, namely qualitative and quantitative with development research using the Borg and Gall models. This research was conducted on students majoring in Physics Education. Based on the validation results of material experts 91.9% and media expert validation 80.9% that this teaching material is feasible to use. The results of the one-party t-test were given treatment in the learning process, namely an empirical approach with a portfolio assessment technique. Then given a posttest or final test as evaluation material. The data obtained was then processed to test descriptive research data, data normality, hypothesis testing and N-Gain testing with the help of SPSS 22.0 for windows. With an average result 47.25 of pretest and 81.25 of posttest. The N-Gain results are in the medium and high categories and the average result is 0.64 which shows an increase in student results in thermodynamics courses. Students can get information through direct experience, making what they learn more tangible and learning more meaningful and exciting since it helps them to think critically.

Revisiting the Clausius/Clapeyron Equation and the Cause of Linearity

In general, for an organic compound a plot of the log vapor pressure versus inverse temperature is linear over a wide temperature range. This however can lead to a point of confusion in an undergraduate thermodynamics course. This linear behavior is typically explained using the Clausius/Clapeyron equation. That is, starting with the Clapeyron equation one first assumes (1) that the change in compressibility upon vaporization is approximately 1, or equivalently that the vapor phase may be treated as an ideal gas where the molar volume of the vapor is much greater than that of the liquid, which may be assumed negligible. And second (2), that the enthalpy of vaporization is constant. While the resulting linear behavior is captured, the underlying assumptions are not applicable over the wide range of temperatures of interest. Here we discuss the shortcomings of the conventional explanation of the Clausius/Clapeyron equation. We further demonstrate that a simple solution is to instead assume that the enthalpy of vaporization relative to the change in compressibility upon vaporization is constant. We provide a series of examples and MATLAB code that can be used in an undergraduate thermodynamics course.

Ten steps to entropy

A summary of the many arguments and steps underlying the concept of entropy typical of those invoked in an undergraduate classical thermodynamics course is offered. The intent is a compact retrospective treatment appropriate for classroom presentation and discussion after students have encountered the various formal derivations and arguments.

Measurement of Work and Power in a Coffee-Mug Stirling Engine as a First-Year Physics Laboratory

This paper describes an experimental setup using a coffee mug, a low delta-temperature model Stirling engine, and a gas pressure sensor. The experiment is targeted toward first-year calculus-based physics labs and was designed to be implemented at low cost (approximately $120 for engine and pressure sensor) and minimal modification to off-the-shelf components for an instructor. The gas pressure sensor we used plugs directly into a USB port, and no data acquisition hub was required. Software to operate the sensor is available from the manufacturer at no additional cost. A sample student procedure handout is provided in Appendix B. Modifications for use in high school physics, algebra-based college physics, and upper-division thermodynamics courses are presented in Appendix A. Two simple modifications to the Stirling engine are required: (1) drilling a hole in the top plate of the Stirling engine and gluing a Luer lock fitting over the hole; and (2) 3D printing a spool that is then hot glued to the driveshaft of the Stirling engine. A more advanced experiment can be performed by 3D printing two gears and using a rotary motion sensor to track the phase of the system. A video demonstration of these modifications is provided. Student calculations of work done by the engine show good correlation with predicted theoretical calculations. Students also rated the experimental procedure highly for both interest and understanding.

Synchronizing Teaching Resources of Energy Conservation Principle in Mechanical Engineering Courses- Year 2 Updates

The conservation of energy, mass, and momentum are three governing laws of physics that are regularly uttered in teaching engineering courses. Mechanical energies in the form of kinetic and potential forms are the most common forms of energy in dynamics. Fluid flow energies relating to pressure, velocity, elevation, fluid friction, pump, and turbine are covered in fluid dynamics. In thermodynamics course, the first law deals with heat energy and work that can alter internal energy in a system. In all these courses, the conservation of energy states that the amount of energy remains constant, that means that energy is neither created nor destroyed but transferable from one form to another, keeping the total energy same within a fixed domain. Students are initially exposed to energy balance equation in their first Thermodynamics course. In this course, emphasis is placed upon those parameters of specific interest related to energy to this subject. We attempted to tie the concepts of the energy balance equation through 1st Law in thermodynamics to those emphasized in Fluid Mechanics. This was accomplished by taking the students from the starting point of the thermodynamics’ first law for Energy Balance equation to the finished Fluid Mechanics’ Bernoulli’s equation. In the following semester, students were again taken through the process of converting the 1st Law of thermodynamics to Bernoulli’s equation of fluid mechanics. Direct and indirect assessments were then conducted to measure students’ understanding on the energy and its conservation. Through a series of questionnaire and their feedback, Students were found to be more knowledgeable in the conservation of energy through the synchronization of energy balance concepts in these two courses. This presentation is a part of work-in-progress project that we first presented at 2022 WVAS meeting.

MATLAB applications for teaching Applied Thermodynamics: Thermodynamic cycles

AbstractThe main objective of this study is to describe the teaching experience in an applied thermodynamics course, using MATLAB applications developed with MATLAB® App Designer. This course is compulsory for students in their sophomore year of the BSc in Chemical Engineering. MATLAB applications are developed to serve as tools for the teaching of thermodynamic cycles: steam and gas power, and vapor‐compression refrigeration cycles. The computer applications are case‐based problem generators, that is, based on chosen groups of initial variables, which values are randomly selected each time the MATLAB applications are run. Solutions of the cycle problems, which include thermodynamic cycles plotted in p–h, T–s, and p–v diagrams, and thermodynamic properties of each state of the cycle, are shown when students want to check their calculations. Moreover, the applications allow exporting initial data and solutions to an MS Excel file. The usability and learning experience of the applications were evaluated through anonymous surveys to students and the feedback of the academic staff involved in the course. The main problem, that the students referred, to was the utilization of the MATLAB applications that they considered it was not straightforward. The students believed that the utilization of these computer applications represented a significant improvement in teaching (70%) and expressed their interest in having similar materials in other degree courses (75%). After implementing the computer applications, the academic results showed an increase of ca. 16% in the pass rate.

Effectiveness of Contextual Learning Using the Guided Inquiry Approach to Improve Students' Scientific Literacy Ability

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of contextual learning using guided inquiry to increase prospective physics teachers' scientific literacy skills. This study used the One Group Pretest-Postest design. Students in the physics education undergraduate program at Universitas Negeri Surabaya who took thermodynamics courses were the research subjects. The results showed that students' scientific literacy abilities before participating in the learning were already in a reasonably good category, and these students scientific literacy abilities experienced an increase after participating in contextual learning with a guided inquiry approach. The evaluation results of the n-gain test based on the pretest and posttest scores obtained an n-gain score of 0.64 or 64%. Accordingly, it can be concluded that contextual learning combined with the guided inquiry approach can effectively increase prospective teacher students' scientific literacy skills based on the evaluation results of the n-gain test

Using Proactive Just-in-Time Instruction to Improve Student Performance in an Inverted Classroom

Previously the authored showed improvement in student performance in a chemical engineering thermodynamics course using the inverted classroom when compared to the traditional lecture style course. With the addition of just-in-time learning techniques to the inverted classroom, even greater enhancement to student learning and their exam grades were observed. While the inverted classroom tended to help students in the lower third of the class more, the addition of just-in-time learning provided equal exam grade enhancements across all levels of students.

Adoption of Experiential Learning Approach for Validation of Perpetual Motion Machine of First Kind Concept in Engineering Thermodynamics

Educationalists among the globe are innovating and experimenting innovative teaching practices to the students to trigger students involvement, grasp of the concepts and performance. Engaging students in practical and challenging activities is one of the way to engage students in the learning process. The learning through inference drawn from these activities and experience is referred as an experiential learning. Experiential learning has evolved as a superior teaching-learning methodology over conventional classroom teaching. Autonomy in learning to the students and triggering creative thinking in students are the key aspects of experiential learning methodology. Educationalists have adopted experiential learning to science and technology, medical, management and engineering disciplines and is being more popular day by day. This article presents experiential learning model applied to engineering thermodynamics course (subject) for validation of basic thermodynamic concepts. Student validated working of a machine without any work input by reproducing the machine claimed in the videos uploaded on video sharing platforms. Flexible learning system helped students to have proper understanding of basic concepts, laws of thermodynamics and understanding and to improve academic performance. The activity conducted resulted in the improvement in the overall CO attainment by 14.12% along with improvement in the average marks of the students for UT1, UT2 and ESE assessment collectively by more than 55%. Keywords— Experiential learning; learning by doing; engineering thermodynamics; flexible learning framework.

Multiple representations (MR) based instructional approach in support of physics identity and physics teachers' identity development: Design considerations

In this paper, we describe the intervention and the context of implementation of a multiple representations (MR)-based instructional approach as a classroom practice in an first-year thermodynamics course for preservice physics teachers at an Indonesian university. We argue that the implementation of this approach will contribute to the enhancement of students’ conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. By enhancing those two aspects, we intend to contribute to their development of physics identity and physics teacher identity. We illustrate how this MR approach is applied in the classroom and describe how the relationship between the aspects of this approach interacts with physics identity and physics teacher identity. During lessons the teacher used real-life examples and students were encouraged to use different representations when they solved problems in small groups. The students realized that learning physics could involve many representations and might increase their interest to physics. However, we found some situations that did not match our expectations. For instance, most of the students were more interested when the problems were in the form of mathematical representation. In addition, we found that some students were inactive in the class. Therefore, it is necessary to think as educators about how to provide a positive learning experience to stimulate the development of student's identity. This work exemplifies how physics educators can stimulate physics and physics teacher identity formation in their physics courses as a preparation for future physics teachers.

Effect of Project-Based Learning and Science Literacy Ability on Critical Thinking Skills in Virtual Learning of the Thermodynamics Course

Research aims to find the effect of project-based Learning and scientific literacy skills on students' critical thinking skills 20 students in virtual learning of the Thermodynamics class at the Physics Education Study Program. The research design used the three-variable regression technique, which consists of two independent variables, namely project-based Learning (X1), the scientific literacy ability (X2), and the dependent variable, namely critical thinking skills (Y). Data collection techniques include observation sheets, questionnaires with a Likert scale, and evaluation of critical thinking skills. The results of the data analysis show that there is no partial effect of project-based learning on students' critical thinking skills, and the scientific literacy ability variable partially affects the critical thinking skills variable. Project-based Learning and scientific literacy skills significantly affect critical thinking skills. This research implies that there is evidence that Thermodynamics learning is not enough to apply project-based learning but must be equipped with literacy learning because, with a combination of these two things, students' critical thinking skills can increase significantly.

How do students respond to the use of the Sevima Edlink Application in learning at the university?

This study aims to analyze student responses to online learning using the Sevima edlink application. The research includes a type of descriptive research with a quantitative approach. The research will be carried out in the 2021/2022 academic year. The study population was IKIP Muhammadiyah Maumere students, and the sample was 3rd and 5th-semester Physics Education Students, totaling 20 people. Sampling using a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected using a questionnaire specified in the Google Form form. Questionnaires were distributed to physics education students who took thermodynamics online courses in semesters 3 and 5. Data analysis using percentage technique. The results showed that 80.81% of students responded positively to using the Sevima Edlink application in thermodynamics lectures. From the analysis results, it can be concluded that the average student responds positively to taking online lectures on thermodynamics courses using the Sevima edlink application.