Theories of Development and Engineering Thinking
ENE50500
Credit Hours:
3Learning Objective:
1. Summarize and critique theories of learning and development. 2. Propose connections between theories of learning and development and engineering thinking. 3. Apply theories of learning and development to the construction of engineering learning environments. 4. Generate engineering education research questions that are aligned with respective theories of learning and development. 5. Remember the main points of historically important theories of learning and development. 6. Consider how different theories of learning and development might be used as frameworks for your individual research projects (e.g. your dissertation research).Description:
This course is a foundational course in engineering education research. It will delve into the learning theorists and classical research that has shaped the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering education. Students will read original work of the theorists and classical and contemporary research studies that have shaped current ideas about engineering learning and thinking. The focus of the course will be to develop theoretical frameworks related to engineering thinking and to answering the questions: (1) How does learning occur? (2) Which factors influence learning? (3) What is the role of memory? (4) How does transfer occur? (5) How should instruction occur to facilitate learning? It is helpful for students to have engaged in prior reading-and writing- intensive courses that required them to synthesize large amounts of information. For this reason, it is recommended that students are enrolled currently in a graduate program at Purdue University.