ABSTRACT
Demonstrations can be very effective at enhancing student learning and represent a mechanism for embedding laboratory experiences within a classroom setting. A key component to an effective demonstration is active student engagement throughout the entire process, leading to a guided laboratory experience in a lecture setting. Students are involved in discussing the purpose of the demo; predicting what will happen during the demo; discussing who developed theories to help us understand what happens; and comparing observations to predictions, as opposed to simply passively watching a demonstration. Demonstrations can occur at three different stages of a course topic: as an introduction, as a wrap-up and an aid used throughout the class discussion of a topic. Depending on when they occur, different types of learning outcomes are achieved. This paper presents a model for infusing demonstrations into an engineering science class and the use of this model. Assessment includes components from both faculty and students, as well as from a faculty development professional who is an instructor in a different discipline.
MULTIMEDIA
- Figure 3. Movie of Jumper: Dancer
- Figure 3. Movie of Jumper: Athlete
- Figure 8. Demonstration of Free-Vibration Response and Coordinate System Selection
- Figure 9. Repetition of Demonstration after Initial Class Discussion
- Slow excitation frequency (below resonance)
- Resonant frequency
- Fast excitation frequency (above resonance)
- Figure 10. Forced Harmonic Response of SDOF System
- First mode excitation response
- Second mode excitation response
- Vibration isolation
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James R. (“Jim”) Morgan
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
Luciana R. Barroso
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
Nancy Simpson
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX