Towards deeper comprehension in higher engineering education: rethinking "in theory yes, but not in practice"
Journal Title: European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education - Year 2015, Vol 3, Issue 4
Abstract
In the economic pressure of recent decades, many universities have invested in increasing the number of accessed and graduated students. However, this has led to another problem: there is not enough higher learning in higher education. According to generally accepted view, the problem lies in the eagerness of overplaying immediate skills in engineering education. To manage with the situation we propose that special attention is paid to logical reasoning behind the models employed in elementary engineering education. The idea is based on the hierarchical nature of physics, which enables a consistent method to avoid the risk of overplaying the immediate skills. In this paper, we seek for higher learning by proposing such a method and presenting a case study of solar electricity. When modelling the nature, on each level of hierarchy certain laws of physics lay the foundation for explanations there. We call them the cornerstones of modelling. Due to the hierarchical nature of physics, the cornerstones on a certain level of hierarchy are only built from the ones on the lower level of higher abstraction. When we stand above the cornerstones, they appear as unchallenged rules. But most importantly, if we take a hierarchical step towards fundamental models and look underneath the cornerstones, instead of unchallenged rules, they appear as testable properties. This epiphany about the hierarchy of physics enables a consistent method for deeper understanding in education. In the end, we seek for higher learning by challenging the meaningfulness of a common utterance ?in theory yes, but not practice?.
Authors and Affiliations
Aki Korpela| Department of Electrical Engineering, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Finland, For correspondence: aki.korpela@tamk.fi, Timo Tarhasaari| Electromagnetics, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, Lauri Kettunen| Electromagnetics, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, Risto Mikkonen| Electromagnetics, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, Hanna Kinnari- Korpela| Department of Electrical Engineering, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Finland
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP8080
- DOI -
- Views 365
- Downloads 25
Deepening prospective mathematics teachers’ diagnostic judgments: Interplay of videos, focus questions, and didactic categories
This study aims to describe how energy subject is taught in 9th grades. The study is designed as a descriptive case study with the participation of 3 physics teachers and 85 students. Data were obtained through observati...
The coexistence claim and its possible implications for success in teaching for conceptual “change”
This article presents recent research results in mental chronometry and neuroimaging that support the coexistence of multiple conceptions. It then presents and elaborates on six possible implications for an adherence to...
Designing formative assessment in physics course in higher education
Assessment in education through web tools, which is also known as e-assessment, deals with the main question of how to use technology in an effective way that supports a successful pedagogy. The aim of this study was to...
Developing conceptual understanding and procedural fluency for junior high school students through model-facilitated learning (MFL)
Conceptual understanding (CU) and procedural fluency (PF) are two important mathematical competencies required by students. CU helps students organizing their knowledge into a coherent whole, and PF helps them to find th...
Does every cell get blood? young students’ discussions about illustrations of human blood circulation
This article presents a study of how groups of young students discuss illustrations of human blood circulation. Transparency is not an innate quality of illustrations, visual information is always coded and interpretatio...