Pedagogies of Engagement: Classroom-Based Practices

TLDR

Student involvement has long been promoted as essential for meaningful learning, and engineering educators have adopted diverse strategies such as active, cooperative, service, inquiry, and problem‑based learning to enhance undergraduate engagement. The study examines classroom‑based engagement pedagogies—especially cooperative and problem‑based learning—and outlines future research to further enhance student involvement. The authors review the history, theory, evidence, and practical strategies for redesigning engineering courses to increase student engagement.

Abstract

Educators, researchers, and policy makers have advocated student involvement for some time as an essential aspect of meaningful learning. In the past twenty years engineering educators have implemented several means of better engaging their undergraduate students, including active and cooperative learning, learning communities, service learning, cooperative education, inquiry and problem-based learning, and team projects. This paper focuses on classroom-based pedagogies of engagement, particularly cooperative and problem-based learning. It includes a brief history, theoretical roots, research support, summary of practices, and suggestions for redesigning engineering classes and programs to include more student engagement. The paper also lays out the research ahead for advancing pedagogies aimed at more fully enhancing students' involvement in their learning.