Active Learning Strategies in a First-Year Engineering Materials Course

Active learning approaches in engineering education have been gaining popularity in recent years. This method of engaging students in the learning process has been shown to improve student outcomes during assessment and narrow the achievement gap for racialized students. However, active learning changes the typical classroom structure from the traditional lecturing approach and so there is a need to consider how these relatively contemporary approaches are affecting different groups of students. This research aims to understand the effects of active learning on the diverse populations of first-year engineering students. The first phase of this study will be presented herein, which will include a reflection on the active learning methodologies used in a first-year common-core materials engineering course, both during lectures and longer active learning sessions. A variety of active learning strategies used will be examined for their accessibility benefits and challenges.