Design of an open-lab activity for engineering students: A case study

Project- or discovery-based learning activities promote curiosity, enjoyment, and interest deriving from the stimulating context in which students operate. Providing a concrete contextualization of laboratory activities could improve student motivation and learning outcomes. In this contribution, a case study related to a workshop on laboratory activities proposed for Engineering Master students is presented, and designed with the aim of developing practical competencies, increasing problem-solving skills, and providing design abilities. Using the facilities available in the Measurements and Control Laboratory, the students, starting from concept knowledge acquired in basic subjects, such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Electronics, design and implement their experiments, gaining a deeper understanding of core disciplinary concepts while strengthening soft and teamwork skills. The challenges and possibilities of these self-directed thinking and learning laboratory activities are also discussed.

[1]  Dominique Persano Adorno,et al.  Inquiry-based environments for bio-signal processing training in engineering education , 2021, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education.

[2]  Sijung Hu,et al.  A Study on the Effect of Contact Pressure during Physical Activity on Photoplethysmographic Heart Rate Measurements , 2020, Sensors.

[3]  Leonardo Bellomonte,et al.  Active learning in a real‐world bioengineering problem: A pilot‐study on ophthalmologic data processing , 2019, Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ..

[4]  Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz,et al.  An approach to STFT and CWT learning through music hands‐on labs , 2018, Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ..

[5]  K. Wac,et al.  Acute mental stress and surgical performance , 2018, BJS open.

[6]  Cinna Soltanpur,et al.  A review on wearable photoplethysmography sensors and their potential future applications in health care , 2018, International journal of biosensors & bioelectronics.

[7]  Guo Luo,et al.  A MATLAB-based biomedical signal de-noising applied to digital signal processing course for third-year students , 2018, The International Journal of Electrical Engineering & Education.

[8]  Dawn Ferry,et al.  Improving Biomedical Engineering Education Through Continuity in Adaptive, Experiential, and Interdisciplinary Learning Environments. , 2018, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[9]  Aldo Quattrone,et al.  Comparison between Electrocardiographic and Earlobe Pulse Photoplethysmographic Detection for Evaluating Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Subjects in Short- and Long-Term Recordings , 2018, Sensors.

[10]  C. Fazio,et al.  Long term stability of learning outcomes in undergraduates after an open-inquiry instruction on thermal science , 2018 .

[11]  Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz,et al.  A Multidisciplinary Industrial Robot Approach for Teaching Mechatronics-Related Courses , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Education.

[12]  Konstantinos Georgiou,et al.  Surgeons' and surgical trainees' acute stress in real operations or simulation: A systematic review. , 2017, The surgeon : journal of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Ireland.

[13]  Alisa Morss Clyne,et al.  Problem-Based Learning in Biomechanics: Advantages, Challenges, and Implementation Strategies. , 2016, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[14]  Alan W Eberhardt,et al.  Team-Based Development of Medical Devices: An Engineering-Business Collaborative. , 2016, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[15]  Jesús Lázaro,et al.  Inclusion of Respiratory Frequency Information in Heart Rate Variability Analysis for Stress Assessment , 2016, IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics.

[16]  George Tolomiczenko,et al.  Linking Engineering and Medical Training: A USC program seeks to introduce medical and engineering students to medical device development. , 2015, IEEE Pulse.

[17]  Lyn D. English,et al.  STEM learning through engineering design: fourth-grade students’ investigations in aerospace , 2015 .

[18]  Claudio Fazio,et al.  Elucidating the electron transport in semiconductors via Monte Carlo simulations: an inquiry-driven learning path for engineering undergraduates , 2015 .

[19]  Yajun Wei,et al.  A guided enquiry approach to introduce basic concepts concerning magnetic hysteresis to minimize student misconceptions , 2014 .

[20]  Claudio Fazio,et al.  Open-inquiry driven overcoming of epistemological difficulties in engineering undergraduates: A case study in the context of thermal science , 2014 .

[21]  Daniel K. Capps,et al.  Inquiry-Based Instruction and Teaching About Nature of Science: Are They Happening? , 2013 .

[22]  L. Tarassenko,et al.  Photoplethysmographic derivation of respiratory rate: a review of relevant physiology , 2012, Journal of medical engineering & technology.

[23]  Karen Cummings,et al.  Positive Attitudinal Shifts with the Physics by Inquiry Curriculum across Multiple Implementations. , 2012 .

[24]  Hyeonjin Kim,et al.  Developing situated knowledge about teaching with technology via Web-enhanced Case-based activity , 2011, Comput. Educ..

[25]  May Lin Wee,et al.  Investigating the Effect of 3D Simulation Based Learning on the Motivation and Performance of Engineering Students , 2010 .

[26]  Troy D. Sadler,et al.  Learning Science through Research Apprenticeships: A Critical Review of the Literature. , 2009 .

[27]  Randy L. Bell,et al.  The many levels of inquiry , 2008 .

[28]  L. Tibell,et al.  Benefiting from an open-ended experiment? A comparison of attitudes to, and outcomes of, an expository versus an open-inquiry version of the same experiment , 2003 .

[29]  H. Kamps.  Pitch Perfect , 2020 .

[30]  Haje Jan Kamps,et al.  Pitch Deck Design , 2020 .

[31]  J. Berry,et al.  Acceleration of Clinical Innovation: a Collaboration Between Biomedical Engineering, Nursing, and Honors Undergraduates. , 2019, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[32]  Brigitte Moench,et al.  Engineering Design A Systematic Approach , 2016 .

[33]  Sanjeev Kumar,et al.  Engineers Learn “Soft Skills the Hard Way”: Planting a Seed of Leadership in Engineering Classes , 2007 .

[34]  Lawrence B. Flick,et al.  Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science , 2004 .

[35]  J. Dixon,et al.  Engineering Design , 2019, Springer Handbook of Mechanical Engineering.