The Impact of Blended Design-Based Learning for Multidisciplinary Cornerstone Design on Students’ Motivation in Engineering

Abstract

This paper describes our attempt to implement and examine an innovative approach in the First Year Cornerstone Engineering Design Project Course (ENGG1100) offered at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The integration of blended learning and design-based learning approaches creates a more accessible environment in terms of online resources, interaction with instructors and collaborations in the makerspace. The significance of this study is positioned to inform engineering educators of a potential avenue to formulate a scalable yet hands-on and multi-disciplinary design experience in the first-year engineering curriculum. Quantitative and qualitative results were collected and analyzed from two consecutive terms Fall 2018 (N = 59) and Spring 2019 (N = 34), which examined the changes in students' motivation in engineering and elicited their perceptions towards the course. Pre/post comparisons from the survey shows an increase of students' interest towards engineering and their perceived competence after taking the course, but indicated no significance in students feeling less pressured in studying engineering. Five positive themes and two negative themes emerged from analysing responses in the focus group interviews. Many students appreciated the involvement in an open-ended, multidisciplinary design project, recognized the advantages of blended modules, and valued the proximity with instructors. However, some expressed concerns when adapting to the online learning platform and encountered complications arose from working in teams. Work is ongoing to explore ways to expand the breath of engineering disciplines which students can be exposed to in this cornerstone experience, at the same time offering to more first year students by scaling up the class size without losing sight of the authenticity and enthusiasm of the design project.