Pedagogical Transformation in Heat and Mass Transfer Laboratory Course of Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Program

Abstract

The heat and mass transfer is an important application-oriented course taught for working in the mechanical engineering arena and the other allied courses like automobile engineering and chemical engineering. The pedagogy for thermal engineering courses like heat transfer has undergone changes over the years through novel ways of industry participation, discussion of application-driven issues, facilitation of problem-solving skills, performance of analysis/design of thermal systems, and the use of computational tools. Albeit to these initiatives, the process has complicated due to the urgent need to update the course material with new technology issues and reduction in credit hours available to the thermal courses [1].

A segment of the students have an apprehension to this course owing the prerequisite of calculus knowledge and analytical skills as evidenced in thermal courses. In view of this, the heat and mass transfer course needs implementation of certain pedagogical tools to facilitate active learning by the student community. The implementation of course delivery based on Bloom’s taxonomy has improved the modus operandi of delivery of this lab course. The categorization of the experiments as demonstration, exercise, structured enquiry, and open-ended enquiry has given ample opportunity for the faculty to address the ABET 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3g, and 3k criterion to a greater extent.

Annexure

Table 2 Course syllabus: teacher-centric approach

Table 3 Course syllabus: student-centric approach