Work in progress-employing a learning model on a traditional engineering course

This paper explores the development of a general learning model that uses as a test bed a course on the introduction to digital logic. The learning model is based on techniques validated by researchers Richard Felder, Eric Mazur, John Bransford, and Shelia Tobias. The learning model features a weekly learning session, structured collaborative laboratory sessions, and challenge projects. A comparative research study is being conducted at Vanderbilt University School of Engineering (VUSE). The study contrasts the traditional instructional with the learning model. The traditionally instructed sections will primarily receive lecture-based instruction. Surveys from students, instructors, and teaching assistants will be used as a means of monitoring the effectiveness of the instructional method used. The study will evaluate the students' performance, attitude toward their instruction, retention, success rate, failure rate, and confidence levels of students in both the traditionally taught sections and the modified instruction sections. Through this study, strategies will be developed an effective model for instruction studying laboratory-based engineering courses. Preliminary results for the study conducted in the Spring 2004 will be presented.