Searching for deep understanding : implementing a mechanical engineering design process in K9-K12 physics classrooms to identify and improve levels of physics intuition and content

This experiment tested the level of Physics content knowledge of various K9-K12 Physics students in a local Boston high school by having them implement a mechanical engineering design process to solve open-ended design problems. Using MIT's 2.009 and 2.72 Mechanical Engineering project-based classes as models for project planning, a fully hands-on collaborative project was developed whereby students designed, built, tested, and then raced model kit cars driven by compressed gas. Over the course of six weeks, students selected three design elements of their car to change and did detailed analysis to predict how these changes would affect the performance of their car. Major deliverables of the project included a group-kept design notebook that was turned in on a weekly basis as well as a final product brochure that highlighted the major areas of learning that the students experienced with the project. Results of the project were positive. The stock kit car ran anywhere from 20-25mph without modifications, but students achieved speeds of over 95mph by optimizing their design in ways dictated by the laws of physics. Yet, there can be disconnects between what a student produces in his or her work and their true understanding of what they have done. By examining the design notebooks as well as through weekly interactions with the students, it was clear that very few students exhibited true ownership of some very fundamental principles of Physics and mechanics. Yet, these same students tended to do very well in their MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) as well as in the framework of traditional classroom testing and assignments. Conclusions can be drawn from this thesis work that although students can demonstrate proficiency of bodies of scientific knowledge in the framework of written tests, their understanding of the material does not go deep enough to immediately apply this content knowledge to solve open-ended engineering problems. The good news is that these students aren't employees of an engineering firm who are expected to arrive with a well founded mastery of their field, instead they are students who are expected to grow and learn from failures. It is clear that hands-on projects like the one developed for this thesis work serve as irreplaceable learning opportunities where students can bridge the gap between textbook learning and the true physical implications of what they learn. Not only this, but they learn basic problem-solving, time, and team management skills that will serve them well regardless of the path they choose after graduation.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Williams, John Alejandro

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• David R. Wallace.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60208

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/60208