Engineering education research within acoustics courses for undergraduate architectural engineering students

Highlights of two engineering education research projects with undergraduate architectural engineering (AE) students will be presented. Study 1 was conducted in a third-year AE course, AE309, Introduction to Architectural Acoustics. Weekly reading quizzes and three peer-review homework assignments were incorporated into the course with the hypothesis that these elements would help support students’ learning. This hypothesis was evaluated through the collection of survey data, which revealed that about 60% of the students felt that the reading quizzes increased their preparedness for lectures and 35% perceived the peer-review assignments to increase their understanding of the assigned concepts. Study 2 was conducted in an upper-level AE course, AE458, Advanced Architectural Acoustics and Noise Control. The theoretical foundation of Study 2 consists of Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory of learning and a student engagement framework. Inclusive teaching strategies, including required regular practice and collaborative learning activities, were incorporated into the course. The impact of these strategies on cognitive belonging and engagement was explored using a mixed-methods approach. Details of the experimental design will be presented to introduce educational research methods for those new to the field. Study 1 was supported by Penn State’s Leonhard Center; Study 2 was supported by NSF Award 2407013.