Bulletin of the American Physical Society
67th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics
Volume 59, Number 20
Sunday–Tuesday, November 23–25, 2014; San Francisco, California
Session M33: Fluids Education II |
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Chair: David Majerich, Georgia Institute of Technology Room: 2022 |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:00AM - 8:13AM |
M33.00001: Teaching Technical Competencies for Fluid Mechanics Research Randall Tagg We are developing an ``on demand'' framework for students to learn techniques used in fluid mechanics research. The site for this work is a university-grade laboratory situated next to Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. Undergraduate university students work with K-12 students on research and technical innovation projects. Both groups need customized training as their projects proceed. A modular approach allows particular competencies such as pump selection, construction of flow piping and channels, flow visualization, and specific flow measurement methods to be acquired through focused lessons. These lessons can be learned in either a stand-alone fashion or assembled into units for formal courses. A research example was a student project on diffusion of infectious material in micro-gravity in the event of an intestinal puncture wound. A curriculum example is a 9-week quarter of high-school instruction on instrumentation that uses small-scale water treatment systems as a case study. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:13AM - 8:26AM |
M33.00002: Applying the results of education research to help students learn more: peer instruction and clicker questions in upper-division courses Rachel E. Pepper, Stephanie V. Chasteen, Steven J. Pollock, Katherine K. Perkins The physics faculty at the University of Colorado have transformed four upper-division courses: Classical Mechanics/Math Methods, Electricity and Magnetism (E{\&}M) I and II, and Quantum Mechanics. We discuss these transformations as a model for other upper-division courses, such as fluid mechanics, focusing on one of the changes made in the transformation effort: the addition of peer instruction (``clicker questions'') to lecture. The goals of our course transformation were to improve student learning and to develop materials and approaches that other faculty could easily adopt or adapt. In this talk, we review the evidence for effectiveness of peer instruction, discuss our implementation, and present evidence of improved student learning in our transformed upper division courses. Tips for effective use of peer instruction and banks of clicker questions available for fluid mechanics will also be discussed. Our curriculum materials are free and available at http://per.colorado.edu/sei. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:26AM - 8:39AM |
M33.00003: ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:39AM - 8:52AM |
M33.00004: Inside Out: Active learning in fluid dynamics in and out of the classroom Nigel Kaye, Lisa Benson, Ben Sill Active learning can be broadly defined as any activity that engages students beyond just listening. But is it worth the effort, when we can just lecture and tell students all they need to know? Learning theories posit that students remember far more of what they say and do than of what they hear and see. The benefits of active learning include increased attendance (because class is now something different and attending is more worthwhile) and deeper understanding of concepts (because students get to practice answering and generating questions). A recent meta-analysis of research on active learning has summarized evidence of real outcomes of active learning. Research is showing that students' performance on exams are higher and that they fail at lower rates in classes that involve active learning compared to traditional lecturing. Other studies have shown evidence of improved performance in follow-on classes, showing that the improved learning lasts. There are some topics and concepts that are best taught (or at least introduced) through lecturing, but even lecturing can be broken up by short activities that engage students so they learn more effectively. In this presentation, we will review the findings of the meta study and provide examples of active learning both inside and outside the classroom that demonstrate simple ways of introducing this approach in fluid dynamics classes. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:52AM - 9:05AM |
M33.00005: Flippin' Fluid Mechanics -- Quasi-experimental Pre-test and Post-test Comparison Using Two Groups D.R. Webster, D.M. Majerich, J. Luo A flipped classroom approach has been implemented in an undergraduate fluid mechanics course. Students watch short on-line videos before class, participate in active in-class problem solving (in dyads), and complete individualized on-line quizzes weekly. In-class activities are designed to achieve a trifecta of: 1. developing problem solving skills, 2. learning subject content, and 3. developing inquiry skills. The instructor and assistants provide critical ``just-in-time tutoring'' during the in-class problem solving sessions. Comparisons are made with a simultaneous section offered in a traditional mode by a different instructor. Regression analysis was used to control for differences among students and to quantify the effect of the flipped fluid mechanics course. The dependent variable was the students' combined final examination and post-concept inventory scores and the independent variables were pre-concept inventory score, gender, major, course section, and (incoming) GPA. The R-square equaled 0.45 indicating that the included variables explain 45{\%} of the variation in the dependent variable. The regression results indicated that if the student took the flipped fluid mechanics course, the dependent variable (i.e., combined final exam and post-concept inventory scores) was raised by 7.25 points. Interestingly, the comparison group reported significantly more often that their course emphasized memorization than did the flipped classroom group. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 9:05AM - 9:18AM |
M33.00006: Short storybooks to build conceptual understanding Evan Variano To help students build intuitive or conceptual understanding of key fluids concepts, I present short stories written in the style of childrens' books. The goal is to provide analogies with a strong visual component, in a format that allows students to return for a quick review. The content, philosophy, and initial student feedback will be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 9:18AM - 9:31AM |
M33.00007: A Comparison of the Development and Delivery of Two Short-Term Study-Abroad Thermal Sciences Courses Frank Jacobitz Short-term study-abroad engineering courses provide an opportunity to increase the international awareness and global competency of engineering students. Two different approaches have been taken in the past years in the development and delivery of two three-week long thermal sciences courses. A senior-level elective Topics in Fluid Mechanics course was taught twice in Marseille (France) in January 2010 and 2013. A sophomore-level Introduction to Thermal Sciences course was offered in London (United Kingdom) in July 2014. Both courses were developed due to a strong student desire for engineering study-abroad courses and an effort by the home institution to internationalize its curriculum. The common goals of the two courses are an effective teaching of their respective technical content combined with a meaningful international experience. The two courses differed in their respective settings: Topics in Fluid Mechanics was taught at Aix-Marseille University and included strong interactions with local faculty and students. Introduction to Thermal Sciences, however, was taught in a cluster of seven courses offered by the home institution in London. The courses were assessed using surveys, student reflection papers, course evaluations, and instructor observations. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 9:31AM - 9:44AM |
M33.00008: How to get students to love (or not hate) MATLAB and programming Shanon Reckinger, Scott Reckinger An effective programming course geared toward engineering students requires the utilization of modern teaching philosophies. A newly designed course that focuses on programming in MATLAB involves flipping the classroom and integrating various active teaching techniques. Vital aspects of the new course design include: lengthening in-class contact hours, Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) method worksheets (self-guided instruction), student created video content posted on YouTube, clicker questions (used in class to practice reading and debugging code), programming exams that don't require computers, integrating oral exams into the classroom, fostering an environment for formal and informal peer learning, and designing in a broader theme to tie together assignments. However, possibly the most important piece to this programming course puzzle: the instructor needs to be able to find programming mistakes very fast and then lead individuals and groups through the steps to find their mistakes themselves. The effectiveness of the new course design is demonstrated through pre- and post- concept exam results and student evaluation feedback. Students reported that the course was challenging and required a lot of effort, but left largely positive feedback. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 9:44AM - 9:57AM |
M33.00009: An integrated introduction to the mechanics of solids and fluids: Continuum mechanics as the first mechanics course Jenn Stroud Rossmann, Clive Dym, Lori Bassman We have developed an introduction to continuum mechanics for sophomore students without any prior knowledge of mechanics. The essence of continuum mechanics, the internal response of materials to external loading, is often obscured by the complex mathematics of its formulation. By building gradually from one- to two- and three-dimensional formulations, we are able to make the essence of the subject more accessible to undergraduates. From this gradual development of ideas, with many illustrative real-world case studies, students develop both physical intuition for how solids and fluids behave, and the mathematical techniques needed to begin to describe this behavior. At the same time they gain a unique appreciation for the connections between solid and fluid mechanics. It is particularly valuable for students interested in biological applications to appreciate the behavior of engineering materials as a spectrum with Hookean solids at one extreme, and Newtonian fluids at another, with many complex behaviors in between..This approach demonstrates the connections between solid and fluid mechanics, as well as the larger mathematical issues shared by both fields, to students who have not yet taken courses in fluid mechanics and/or strength of materials. The context and foundation provided by this educational strategy are available to students as they continue to study either solid or fluid mechanics, or specialize in the connections themselves by returning to a deeper study of the overarching field of continuum mechanics. [Preview Abstract] |
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