Evaluation of teaching approach and student learning in a multidisciplinary sustainable engineering course

dc.contributor.author Sharma, B.
dc.contributor.author Steward, Brian
dc.contributor.author Ong, Say
dc.contributor.author Miguez, F.E.
dc.contributor.department Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CALS)
dc.contributor.department Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
dc.date.accessioned 2024-09-11T19:24:34Z
dc.date.available 2024-09-11T19:24:34Z
dc.date.issued 2016-12-18
dc.description.abstract Teaching sustainability concepts to multidisciplinary classes of engineering students is challenging due to their diverse background and discipline-specific skill set and the interdisciplinary nature of the sustainability issues at stake. The present study was conducted to understand the challenges and identify opportunities for improving teaching and learning of sustainability in higher education institutions. The case study used for data collection was the Sustainable Engineering and International Development course taught at Iowa State University since 2005. We assessed the students' course content knowledge before and after the course and their perceptions about the overall course, content, and instruction methods. A mixed methods approach consisting of qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (survey and pre- and post-assessment) techniques was used for the study. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, explanatory analysis, and multinomial logistic regression. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the qualitative data. The difficulty level of the pre- and post-assessment was low. Application-based questions could be included in the assessment to test beyond the levels of mere comprehension and memorization. Student perceptions about module usefulness exhibited year-to-year variation, which was attributed to the diversity of students enrolled in the course each year. Barriers to learning in a multidisciplinary engineering course included student difficulties working in multidisciplinary teams, course organization, and limited student engagement in projects. The assessment techniques were complementary, aiding in the identification of strategies to improve teaching and learning in multidisciplinary engineering environment.
dc.description.comments This is a manuscript of the article Published as Sharma, Bhavna, B. Steward, S. K. Ong, and F. E. Miguez. "Evaluation of teaching approach and student learning in a multidisciplinary sustainable engineering course." Journal of cleaner production 142 (2017): 4032-4040. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.10.046.
dc.identifier.uri https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/Dw88mJVw
dc.language.iso en
dc.publisher Elsevier
dc.rights This manuscript is made available under the Elsevier user license https://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/
dc.source.uri https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.10.046 *
dc.subject.disciplines DegreeDisciplines::Education::Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
dc.subject.disciplines DegreeDisciplines::Physical Sciences and Mathematics::Environmental Sciences::Sustainability
dc.subject.disciplines DegreeDisciplines::Education::Student Counseling and Personnel Services::Higher Education and Teaching
dc.subject.keywords Multidisciplinary
dc.subject.keywords Sustainability
dc.subject.keywords Assessment
dc.subject.keywords Engineering
dc.subject.keywords Student learning
dc.subject.keywords Teaching approach
dc.title Evaluation of teaching approach and student learning in a multidisciplinary sustainable engineering course
dc.type article
dspace.entity.type Publication
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