A CASE STUDY ON BLENDED LEARNING IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

This paper explores a case study of implementing blended learning in a third-year engineering course. In “Mechanical and Thermal Energy Conversion Processes”, blended learning was implemented by flipping the classroom (i.e. reversing the roles of lectures and homework) for selected units of the course. While flipping an entire course can be a significant undertaking, it can be much easier to take a blended approach and only flip lectures on selected topics. Many studies on flipped classroom learning have focused on the production of online lectures and active learning methods; often these case studies have overlooked the mechanisms to bring homework into the classroom. In this case study, homework was adapted into a variety of in-class activities, composed of hands-on learning, problem solving, and classroom discussions. In addition, a variety of classroom space types were used to conduct these activities. In this paper, the successes, challenges, and lessons learned for each type of activity and classroom space are discussed. Strategies for student engagement and acceptance of blended learning are also discussed.