ERIC Number: ED616374
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
How Drawing Prompts Can Increase Cognitive Engagement in an Active Learning Engineering Course
Wu, Sally P. W.; Van Veen, Barry; Rau, Martina A.
Grantee Submission
Background: Recent engineering education research has found improved learning outcomes when instructors engage students actively (e.g., through practice problems) rather than passively (e.g., in lectures). As more instructors shift toward active learning, research needs to identify how different types of activities affect students' cognitive engagement with concepts in the classroom. In this study, we investigate the effects of prompting novice students to draw when solving problems, a professional practice of engineers. Purpose: We investigate whether implementing instructional prompts to draw in an active learning classroom (a) increases students' use and value of drawing as a problem-solving strategy and (b) enhances students' problem-solving performance. Method: We compared survey data and exam scores collected in one undergraduate class that received prompts to draw in video lectures and in-class problems (drawing condition) and one class that received no drawing prompts (control condition). Results: After drawing prompts were implemented, students' use and value of drawing increased, and these effects persisted to the end of the semester. Students were more likely to draw when provided drawing prompts. Furthermore, students who received prompts outperformed students who did not on exam questions that target conceptual understanding. Conclusions: Our findings reveal how implementing drawing prompts in an active learning classroom may help students engage in drawing and solve problems conceptually. This study contributes to our understanding of what types of active learning activities can improve instructional practices in engineering education. Particularly, we show how prompts that foster authentic engineering practices can increase cognitive engagement in introductory-level engineering courses. [This is the online version of an article published in "Journal of Engineering Education." For the final published version of this article, see EJ1272945?.]
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE); Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: DUE1611782; R305B150003; 1933078
Data File: URL: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/page/journal/21689830/homepage/forauthors.html
Author Affiliations: N/A