Transcript Komerath, N.M., Smith, M.J., EXTROVERT: Experience with Cross-Disciplinary Learning. Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC, June 2011.

EXTROVERT:
LearningExperience
To Innovate Across
Disciplines
EXTROVERT:
with
Cross-
Disciplinary Learning
Narayanan Komerath, Marilyn Smith, Brian German
Georgia Institute of Technology
Erian Armanios, U. Texas, Arlington
Dolores Krausche, Florida Center for Engineering Education
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Project Objectives:
• Build resources for problem-solving across disciplines to develop new concepts.
• Acquire experience on how engineers perform in such learning.
Approach:
Enable learners to gain confidence with the process of solving problems,
-starting with their own preferred learning styles.
Ideas being implemented include:
•Design-centered portal to aerospace engineering
•Vertical streams of technical content
•Case Studies
•Library of solved problems
•Integrative concept modules
• Module-based assessment to measure learning in time to improve it.
X: for cross-discipline / horizontal integration
Tr: Transfer
Vert: Vertical integration
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
How
• EXTROVERT builds on 12 year experience of the Aerospace Digital Library
collection of resources, expanding and refining the resources.
• Intuitive gateway to AE based on conceptual design of flight vehicle systems,
suited to learners at all levels.
• Allow any user to go up to the perspective of the general public, and down to
level of detail needed for R&D.
• Detailed sequential course notes, linked across disciplines.
• Worked Examples, Concept Development examples, Case Studies
• Continuous, modular learning assessment, focused on learning.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
•EXTROVERT is a cross-disciplinary problem solving resource.
•Built on an aerospace engineering core, the resource aims to facilitate innovation
•Emphasis is on providing a sound footing in the learners’ core discipline
•Uses examples and links from advanced concepts and case studies to venture into other disciplines.
Specific conclusions:
1.A portal to the major discipline set in conceptual design enables learners starting at a high school level
to obtain a quick and useful perspective, as well as entry to in-depth resources.
2.Concept essays and concept modules provide succinct introductions to vertical knowledge streams.
3.A library of worked examples enables practice and developing depth.
4.Case studies and “real world” applications provide perspective and in-depth engineering analysis
experience to motivate learners and .stimulate depth in thinking processes.
5.Advanced concept explorations help learners build “common sense” estimation skills based on
laws of science. Experience with systematically reducing uncertainty and identifying areas requiring more
knowledge, while refining concepts.
6. Current preferences of undergraduate student learning practices, placing the course notes and
textbooks at the top of their preferences, followed by old tests and worked examples.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Evolution Of The EXTROVERT Idea
•Iterative learning experiments 1994
•Design-centered introduction to aerospace engineering, 1997
•“Aerospace Digital Library” website in sustained operation since 1998
•Catering to multiple learning styles, 2002
•Concept development exercises, 2002
• Course experiments with breadth and depth using the Aerospace Digital Library
• Student team experience with cross-disciplinary projects
• Boeing Welliver experience, 2004: reinforced need for depth
•Case studies, 2009
NASA Innovation RFP: reviewers saw the merit in the argument that real
depth AND breadth are needed to do engineering innovation
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Design-Centered Portal to the Home Discipline
Design Centered Introduction To Aerospace Engineering
(Taught to freshmen since 1998)
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Designing a Flight Vehicle: Road Map
Force Balance During Flight
Earth's Atmosphere
Aerodynamics
Propulsion
Performance
Stability and control
Structures and Materials
High Speed Flight
Space Flight
First airplane design and overview of disciplines in first 10 weeks in college.
Next 5 weeks to refine design, learn about space missions.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Vertical streams of content integrated from notes used in
courses across all levels of specific disciplines, available on the
Internet.
Example: Fluid dynamics/Aerodynamics
Level
Title
Freshman
Introduction to Aerospace Engineering
Sophomore/Junior
Low Speed Aerodynamics
Junior
Thermodynamics
Junior
Gas Dynamics
Junior/Senior
High Speed Aerodynamics
Graduate 1
Transonic and Hypersonic Aerodynamics
Graduate 2
High Temperature and Non-equilibrium Gas dynamics
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Concept essays and concept modules provide succinct junctions between knowledge streams.
CE Examples
•Antenna Design
•Fluid dynamic Drag
•Aerodynamic Lift
•Brayton Cycle Engine
• Vortex Flows
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
McMahon Solutions Library
Library of solved example problems and applications to guide learners.
Built from the core of solutions published by permission from the estate of
Georgia Tech’s Professor Emeritus Howard McMahon.
Enables learners to navigate worked examples at a wide variety of skill levels in
these core areas.
Caters to learners who must see examples before learning the “theory”.
Enables greater depth in courses.
Resource for new graduate students and PhD exam candidates.
Usage by industry visitors.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Case Study: SR 71 Performance Prediction in AE3310 class)
Case studies and “real world” applications provide
perspective and in-depth engineering analysis
experience to motivate learners and .stimulate depth
in thinking processes.
“The wisdom (?) of crowds !!!”
Presented at the
2010 ASEE Annual Conference & Exhibition
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Advanced concept explorations help learners build “common sense” estimation skills based on
the laws of science, and experience with the process of systematically reducing uncertainty and
identifying areas requiring more knowledge while refining concepts.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Cross-disciplinary Project Examples
•Liquid hydrogen supersonic transport concept development, including demographics, economics,
carbon market issues.
•Space Power Grid approach to Space Solar Power, synergizing renewable energy,
communications, lighter-than-air platforms, radar technologies, orbital mechanics, economics and
public policy.
•Micro Renewable Energy Systems courses and testbeds.
•Retail Power Beaming
•Microgravity flight tests.
•Force-field Tailoring of objects in reduced gravity.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
SUCCESSES – AND ISSUES ENCOUNTERED
Target is depth of understanding and breadth of capabilities: encounters stiff
resistance from “experienced” students who “know” what should be taught.
- freshmen complained about intense calculations and learning in 1st 6 weeks of
conceptual design assignment (short-range airliner), but then repeated those
calculations in 1 week (LH2 fuelled short-range airliner) and then did the
essential parts of the design as one of six questions on a 3-hour final.
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Seniors (who missed the above approach) had a good deal of trouble with the
small conceptual design part preceding supersonic airplane drag calculation.
Concept of developing a “figure of merit” for a given design from the ideal, was
missed by most.
Graduate students in aerodynamics were in deep trouble as the availability of
“assumed” undergraduate knowledge and examples made “thought” questions
fair game on closed book tests; several then did extremely well on take-home
open-ended, integrative “final exam”. Some still did not “get” the idea of
delivering well-thought-out quantitative answers, not just “suggestions”.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
•Current preferences of undergraduate student learning practices, place
course notes and textbooks at the top of their preferences, followed by
old tests and worked examples.
•Students have a tough time learning to make order-of-magnitude
estimates and placing bounds on answers.
•Surveys as knowledge-integrators
•Surveys as motivators of innovation
•Resources allow instructors to pose more challenging assignments, and
force students to “raise their game”.
•Grading out of 120 allow top students to pull out ahead
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
CONCLUSIONS
1. A portal to the major discipline set in conceptual design enables learners starting
at a high school level to obtain a quick and useful perspective, as well as entry to
in-depth resources.
2. Vertical streams of content are integrated from notes used in courses across all
levels of specific disciplines.
3. Concept essays and concept modules provide succinct introductions to the
detailed vertical streams of content.
4. A library of worked examples caters to learners who start with that as their mode
of initial learning, and to those who use these solved problems as formative
assessment of course modules.
5. Case studies and “real world” applications provide perspective and in-depth
engineering analysis experience to motivate learners and .stimulate depth in
thinking processes.
6. Advanced concept explorations help learners build “common sense” estimation
skills based on the laws of science, and experience with the process of
systematically reducing uncertainty and identifying areas requiring more knowledge
while refining concepts.
7. Present-day learners place course notes and textbooks at the top of their
preferences, followed by old tests and worked examples.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work is funded under the NASA Innovation in Aerospace
Instruction” Initiative. Mr. Tony Springer is the Technical Monitor.
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
Question: What types of resources are you likely to eventually use, when you are
trying to learn a subject?
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
DISCUSSION
Relation of Student Educational Outcomes to ABET
EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines
How Learners Interact with the Resources
Three types of interactions are implemented at present.
1. The condensed course material is placed on the web resources and
presented in class.
2. Learners are guided by the instructor (in classes) or navigate the
web portal (as independent learners) to the Solved Problems library
as part of their formative assessment or preparation for tests.
3. Surveys provided through the web-based anonymous survey site,
tied to individual modules of subjects, induce learners to think deeply
about the material in each module. In the long term, we expect that
professionals will do this on their own in an iterative manner. In the
short term, the instructor might point out that while survey participation
is entirely voluntary, there is no law prohibiting the use of questions on
the survey in tests.