Application of experiential learning to improve student engagement and experience in a mechanical engineering course

ABSTRACT

This paper introduced how a mechanical engineering course was redesigned by applying experiential learning theory to improve student engagement and learning experience. Design of machine elements has been considered by students to be a difficult course. Traditional teaching methods tend not to be effective in engaging students. Experiential learning is a philosophy of learning by doing. In applying an experiential learning approach to the course, the design project and workshop activities were restructured in such a way that students were engaged in direct experience and focused reflection to construct knowledge. By exploring a physical gearbox model, working on subtasks for the design project, having group discussions, raising questions, getting feedback, and moving forward for next subtasks, students experienced the learning cycles of ‘DO, OBSERVE, THINK, and PLAN’ many times. Course survey results showed that application of experiential learning helped to improve student engagement and learning experience significantly.

KEYWORDS:

• Engineering education
• experiential learning
• machine design
• machine elements
• project-based learning

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Professor Geoff Tansley from Griffith School of Engineering for his support and contribution to this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Huaizhong Li is a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Griffith University, Australia. He obtained a BE degree from Tsinghua University, ME from Xi’an Jiaotong University, and PhD from the National University of Singapore. Before joining Griffith University in 2014, he worked as a Senior Research Engineer at Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Associate Principal Engineer at Vestas, and Lecturer at UNSW Australia. His research interests include advanced manufacturing technologies, machine dynamics, vibration control, and mechatronics. He has published over 70 refereed technical articles in international journals and conference proceedings.

Professor Andreas Öchsner is Full Professor in the School of Engineering at Griffith University and Head of the Mechanical Engineering Program and Discipline. His research interests are related to experimental and computational mechanics, cellular metals and thin structures and interphases. His editorial work comprises appointments as Editor-in-chief of the international journal Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics (Springer) and Editor-in-chief of the Springer book series on Advanced Structured Materials. His research activities were recognised in 2010 by the award of a higher doctorate degree (DSc) by the University of Newcastle, Australia.

Dr Wayne Hall holds a BEng (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sunderland and a PhD from the University of Warwick (U.K.). Before taking up his current position as a Senior Lecturer at Griffith University (Australia), he worked at Deakin University (Australia) and the University of Plymouth (U.K.). His research interests lie in fibre-reinforced polymer composites and engineering education, particularly Project Based Learning (PBL).

ORCID

Huaizhong Li http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5617-702X