2023-09-14, 09:20– (Asia/Tokyo), 4F Large Conference Room
This paper studies the effectiveness of Active-Collaborative Learning (ACL) in a pragmatic-based engineering module offered by the School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) in Singapore Polytechnic (SP). Being pragmatic is one of the essential components of Computer Aided Machining (CAM), a skillset that was addressed in one of the advanced modules in the second year of MAE studies. In essence, developing mastery in CAM requires students to attain the highest competency in the Bloom Taxonomy within the 15 weeks of study, which was often challenging. There have been few studies about the pedagogy in pragmatic-based modules as of this writing, which prompted the author to conduct research in order to develop a more comprehensive instruction method and find common ground with lecturers who teach modules of a similar nature. The implementation of ACL provided a two-way learning approach in the classroom setting, allowing for greater interactivity and knowledge exchange among students and lecturers. The two primary activities that facilitated ACL implementation were the pre-class preparation and the in-class activity. The pre-class preparation entails that students should first complete the assigned tasks before attending the subsequent lesson. Knowledge-exchange-based activities were then incorporated into the in-class activity, making it more participatory and, as a result, attaining the ACL objectives. Quiz components were considered to determine the effectiveness of this approach, with a total number of 208 entries comprised of the control group (n=103) and the experimental group (n=105). The findings indicated that ACL was effective for students enrolled in pragmatic-based modules, such as CAM. Quiz results revealed a positive correlation between the students went through ACL setup and the quiz scores. The statistical evidence that ACL was effective was supported by the fact that students who participated in ACL had higher mean quiz scores than those in control group, along with a high t-value and low Cohen's ds value. Following the conclusion of the learning of one major skill, a student perception survey was included. The survey's feedback scores showed that students were getting better at understanding and applying their acquired knowledge of CAM. In short, the higher degree of interactivity and knowledge exchange in ACL has produced a productive learning environment where the students are better able to comprehend and integrate the concept and subsequently complete the assignments.
This paper discusses about the effectiveness of Active-Collaborative Learning (ACL) in a pragmatic-based second-year advanced engineering module offered by the School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) in Singapore Polytechnic (SP). Being pragmatic entails requiring pupils to approach circumstances logically and to focus more on actual events than abstract ideas. For instance, mastering Computer Aided Machining (CAM), an advanced and pragmatic skill set, demands students to attain the highest competency in Bloom's Taxonomy. As such, the author incorporates ACL, a two-way learning approach to lessen the strain on students' learning and make the lessons more engaging.
Pragmatic-based Module, Computer Aided Machining (CAM), Mechanical Engineering, Active-Collaborative Learning, Interactive Pedagogy
Henry Kwong is a lecturer in the School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Singapore Polytechnic. Prior to joining as a lecturer, he has served in the same department as a Research Engineer, where his focus is on Mechanical Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Machining (CAM). Henry has a great passion in teaching and pedagogy and his education research interest is on Active Learning, Active-Collaborative Learning and Pragmatism Pedagogy.