| In recent years, social and demographic forces, pressure from business and industry, shifting funding priorities among federal agencies, and a major overhaul of the engineering accreditation criteria have contributed to dramatic changes in engineering education. Faculty members at the Pennsylvania State University have made several fundamental changes in the way they teach engineering. The General Electric Fund provided support to transform basic engineering courses at Penn State. One of the revised courses, Engineering Mechanics (EMCH) 12, a second-year class on dynamics, was infused with hands-on, experimental, computer-based activities. The new course, called Interactive Dynamics, provided students with opportunities to apply theoretical information on dynamics principles to complex, unstructured problems. Students worked on problem-based activities in groups, modeling teamwork and technological workplace practices.;This study examined the effects of Interactive Dynamics on two key outcomes: subject matter learning and teamwork skills development, using a pretest/posttest, non-equivalent control group, quasi-experimental design. The Interactive Dynamics sample consisted of 43 students; the comparison sample included 72 students enrolled in traditionally-taught lecture classes in dynamics. The design controlled for students' background characteristics including gender, parents' education, highest degree expected, semester standing, and grades in prerequisite courses. This investigation measured the effects of the course and four instructional practices---collaborative learning, instructor interaction and feedback, classroom climate, and clarity of assignments and organization---on subject matter learning and teamwork skills development.;While students in Interactive Dynamics performed comparably to the comparison group in subject matter learning as measured by the posttest and the final examination, Interactive Dynamics students reported significantly higher teamwork skills as a result of taking the class (effect size d = 1.1). The instructional practices of Collaborative Learning and Instructor Interaction and Feedback were significantly and positively associated with the development of teamwork skills. While Interactive Dynamics activities were not associated with increased subject matter learning as measured by traditional tests, the additional time spent on activities did not interfere with subject matter learning; Interactive Dynamics students performed similarly to students in the traditional classes. Interactive Dynamics students, however, developed valuable workplace skills while learning dynamics. |
