Active learning application in engineering education: effect on student performance using repeated measures experimental design

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to present the methodology and the results of active learning application in an Engineering Education institution in Brazil, using repeated measures experimental design. It involved taking course samples from 7 engineering programs, providing 6 classes, 202 participant students and 296 class-hours. The design had a strict implementation plan where each course content was taught in two subsequent stages using traditional and active learning approaches respectively. Similar grade assessments were applied to both stages. The classes were observed using a classroom observation protocol, to check for the profile change from passive to active in-class behaviours. The consolidated results demonstrated that student performance in the second assessment was 14% better, after the application of active learning techniques (~40% of the grades standard deviation). The article aims to contribute to current research and inform future studies about the effectiveness of active learning methods in Engineering Education.

KEYWORDS:

• Active learning
• engineering education
• engineering
• classroom observation protocols
• repeated measures design

Acknowledgements

The authors are also grateful to the editor and the anonymous reviewers, whose valuable comments on an earlier version of this paper helped to improve this work significantly.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors of the present article thank CNPq, CAPES, and FAPEMIG for the financial support granted to various projects that supported the development of this work.

Notes on contributors

Leovani Marcial Guimarães

Leovani Marcial Guimarães is an Associate Professor in Operations Management disciplines (Quality Management, Production Systems and Control, Logistics and BPM) at the National Institute of Telecommunications (INATEL) – Brazil since 2003. He is also a PhD student, researcher and member of LogTranS – Center for Logistics, Transportation, and Sustainability at Federal University of Itajuba (UNIFEI), with interest in Operations Management and Engineering Education. He received his Master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Campinas – SP – Brazil in 2003.

Renato da Silva Lima

Renato da Silva Lima is Full Professor in Logistics and Transportation at the Federal University of Itajuba, Brazil since 2003, where he leads the research in the LogTranS – Center for Logistics, Transportation and Sustainability with interest in Freight Transportation Modelling/Simulation and Reverse Logistics. He is also fellowship at Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) since 2007. He received his PhD in Transportation Engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2003, and was Visiting Scholar at University of Minho, Portugal, in 2006 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the USA, in 2018.