Go, change the world

RV College of
Engineering

NATIONAL EDUCATION
POLICY – 2020
Prof. Bhaskar K
Department of Aerospace Engineering
R V College of Engineering
Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering

WHAT ARE THE NEWER PEDAGOGY METHODS YOU WANT TO

BRING FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING?

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

INTRODUCTION
• Aerospace engineering, although attracts some of the brightest minds, is still a demanding and hard discipline to study.
• Most of the students who enter the discipline do it because they are interested and get fascinated by flying objects.
• But the harder fact is that the dropout rate in Undergraduate classes of aerospace engineering is higher than other
disciplines[1]
• Other than the discipline being hard to understand and study, the most important reason for higher dropout rate is that
the lack of student centric active learning techniques.
• University professors have been challenged to develop methods which are purely instructional to transform students
from passive listeners to active learners[2]
• Applying such instructional form of teaching in mathematically intensive and highly conceptual aerospace classes is
extremely difficult.
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering

• The teaching learning process aims at imbibing active learning among the students.
• Active Learning includes short writing exercises as gesture of reaction to the lecture material and complex group
exercises demonstrating the application of course material to real life problems apart from mere listening practices
which allows students to absorb the instructions[3]

ACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES

Think – Pair – Share(TPS) Use of Props
Thumbs up – Thumbs down response Muddiest Points
Pause Procedure Puzzles and Paradoxes
Group Discussions Discussions with professors
Guided Lectures Execution on blackboard
Problems executed by students are evaluated by other students Games
Responsive lectures
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering

INVOLVING STUDENTS IN THE CLASSES

• Some of core subjects of Aerospace Engineering viz. aerodynamics, aircraft performance, propulsion, acoustics,
structures, etc., are based on problem solving.
• In such subjects, the faculty can give students small problems during class, or can have them come up with problems
and formulate them.
• Formulation of the problem can be done in small groups or as a whole class depending on the size of the class. Students
learn tremendously when they actively participate in problem formulation and solution.
• Case studies work equally well for graduate and undergraduate students.
• The techniques that have been explored involve:
1. Project Based Teaching
2. Case Based Teaching
3. Just In Time(JIT) teaching
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering
PROJECT BASED TEACHING
• This methodology involves three stages
i. Execution of the assignment which involves tasks that are to be executed and mostly oriented towards achieving an objective
which can be realized as a product
ii. First project identified by the faculty to allow the students to focus on the objectives listed down in the course and curriculum
iii. Allow the students to identify the project and formulate their own strategies to execute the project, thereby achieving the
objectives identified by the students themselves.
• The students projects might involve designing a wind tunnel, designing of a model for the wind tunnel considering
all the effects, development of thrust measurement device, design of a water tunnel and so on.
• There has been growing frequency of project based learning approach in first year engineering courses and courses
that engage students in consulting projects[4][5].
• Because of its effectiveness, project based learning can be made the focus of teaching in many aerospace engineering
courses
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering

CASE BASED TEACHING

• Cases are shorter than projects. Often one or more cases can be covered in one class session. Most of the aerospace
engineering courses can be taught using cases.
• In case-based teaching, students analyze case studies of real world or hypothetical situations.
• These cases may involve problem solving or decision making – both of which are important ideas to teach aerospace
engineering students.
• In the context of engineering education, a case has been defined as “An account of an engineering activity, event
or problem containing some of the background and complexities actually encountered by an engineer”[4].
• Some of challenges associated with Case – based teaching includes diagnosing technical problems and formulating
solution strategies, making engineering and management decisions taking into account technical, economic, and
social and psychological considerations, and confronting ethical dilemmas[6]

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

JUST IN TIME(JIT) TEACHING

• It combines Web-based technology with active learning methods in the classroom[4][6].
• Students individually complete web-based assignments a few hours before class in which they answer questions, and
the faculty/course coordinator reads through their answers before class and adjusts the lessons accordingly, therefore
making it ‘just in time.’
• This process is repeated several times a week. The use of questions to drive learning makes the method inductive.
• The technique can be combined with almost any in-class active learning approach.
• The just in time teaching resources include enrichment materials of several types including course related news
stories, on-line homework, and various computer based mechanisms for communication between students and the
faculty/course coordinator[4][5].

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

ACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING

• Some of techniques which are used for engineering students and has proved very effective are[7]:
1. The Muddiest Point: Students are asked about the concept they did not understand in a class and then the
faculty goes over it again at the end of the class.
2. True False questions: Students are asked to answer T/F questions during class. This serves better than quizzes
because they learn while being assessed. They are given participation points.
3. Use of props: Students get engaged when they can see or touch an object or a model.
4. Candy questions: Students get a reward for actively participating in the class. Every once in a while, a hard
question is asked. The first person to answer the question gets a candy. This motivates students and encourages
active classroom participation.
5. Mind break: The instructor talks about something completely off-topic for a few moments e.g. in a fluid
mechanics class, the faculty will ask about something which is completely out of the course.
6. Pause Procedure: The instructor pauses periodically and have students clarify their notes with a partner. This
can be done two or three times during an hour long class. Because of its simplicity, the pause procedure
provides a baseline to study whether short, informal student activities can improve the effectiveness of lectures.
Some of the significant results of adopting this procedure have been demonstrated[4][8].
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering

ACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING

7. News Share: Students are asked to share the latest news about certain technology. Students are eager to speak
and tell everyone what they saw. Sometimes they pull up the news on their hand held devices so they can discuss
it in class.
8. Hand Raise: Students are asked to raise their hands after about 20-30 minutes of lecturing. This helps them
focus again on the topic of discussion in class.
9. Book Ends: Students are asked to present to the class in 3-4 minutes the summary of the previous lecture.
Students take turn in every class so everyone in class gets a chance to present. Students can be given some credit
for presenting/summarizing the lectures.
10. Think-Pair-Share: The faculty/course coordinator poses the problem. Students are asked to work on it
individually for a short time. They are then asked to form pairs and collaborate and improve their solutions. The
faculty/course coordinator then calls on several individuals or pairs to share their responses. This structure takes
a bit more time than a simple group activity, but it includes individual thinking and so leads to greater learning
[9].
11. Brainstorming: The faculty/course coordinator presents a concept or a group of concepts to students at the
beginning of the class. The students work in small groups to brainstorm and possibly organize past experiences
that may relate to the class objective for the day [2].
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering

ACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING

12. Thumbs up, Thumbs down: The faculty/course coordinator makes a statement about the content and tells
students to put their thumbs up if they agree with the statement – thumbs down if they disagree or thumbs
sideways if they don’t know

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

HOW DO YOU INCULCATE INTERDISCIPLINARY AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH CULTURE AMONG STUDENTS LEADING TO
BETTER EMPLOYMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, START UP, HIGHER STUDIES
AND COMPANY INCORPORATION?

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

• Nowadays, developed countries are facing difficult scenarios with a secular stagnation that seem to show an
incompatibility between full employment and financial stability[10]
• Most affected are the developing countries as they are indicating a sign of amendment in trade and economy policies
and competing with the developed nations. This has led to globalization of developing nations[11].
• There have been detrimental effects on the job market due to instabilities and uncertainties in the economy
• The transition period from one scenario to the new one particularly in developing nations will require specific abilities
in the workforce to increase their resilience[12]
• Due to increase in percentage of unemployed youth even in developed countries has led to the new revisited Agenda
2030, Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment.
• It is stated that the present youth are three times more likely to unemployed than adults[13], globally.
• Though five core characteristics have been summarized after the recession[14], the key characteristics pertinent to the
present discussion involves:
i. Instability of employment due to labor market flexibility
ii. Mismatch in skills and qualifications despite expansion of education, which is poorly aligned to the
variable structure of abilities required
Department by employers
of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore
 R V College of Engineering

• The development of entrepreneurial skills is a good way to increase the real potential of students entrepreneurship[15]
• Higher education should concentrate upon the following points to achieve employability and entrepreneurship which
are highlighted as under[16]:
i. The students should be more autonomous, be able to adapt to innovations, to work in groups, take
responsibilities, have attitudes in favor of maintaining and renewing their skills, and be reflexive (thinking about
experiences and perspectives to understand them better and respond with learning and behavioral changes)
ii. The students should be able to contribute with their high-level skills and understanding by improving their
jobs, even if those jobs did not require a graduate person. This can be executed by using the MoUs signed by
the institution with the corporates and allowing the students to work on live projects. It not only enhances the
skills of the students but also their employability can be ascertained. The shortcomings can be addressed by
suitable training.
iii. Promotion of self-employment. University students should be aware of the advantages of becoming self-
employed. The links between universities and local business support organizations should be established.

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

REFERENCES
1. Gibbon, M. T., ‘Engineering by the numbers,’ www.asee.org/colleges
2. Bonwell, C. Charles, ‘Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom,’ Active learning workshops, www.active-
learning-site.com
3. Paulson, R. Donald, Faust, L. Jennifer, ‘Active learning for college classroom,’
http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/LACTE/Index.html
4. Prince, M. J., Felder, R. M., ‘Inductive Teaching and Learning Methods: Definitions, Comparisons, and Research Bases,’
Journal of Engineering Education, 95(2), 123-138 (2006)
5. Reichner, R., Bernold, L., Burniston, E., Dail, P., Felder, R., Gastineau, J., Gjertsen, M., Risley, J., ‘Case Study of the Physics
Component of an Integrated Curriculum,’ Physics Education Journal, 67 (7), July 1999
6. Novak, G. M., Patterson, E. T., Gavrin, A. D., Christian, W., ‘Just in Time Teaching,’ American Journal of Physics, October
1999, Volume 67, Issue 10, pp. 937
7. Paulson,D.R.,. Faust,J.L. (2010), Active learning for the college classroom. Pre-College Science Education. Los Angeles:
California State University. Retrieved: September 20, 2011. http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

REFERENCES
8. Ruhl, K., C. Hughes, and P. Schloss, ‘Using the Pause Procedure to Enhance Lecture Recall,’ Teacher Education and Special
Education, Volume 10, 1987, pp. 14-18
9. Felder, R. M., Brent, R., ‘Active Learning: An Introduction,’ ASQ Higher Education Brief, 2(4), August 2009
10. Summers, L.H. Demand side secular stagnation. Am. Econ. Rev. 2015, 105, 60–65
11. Goldberg, P.K.; Pavcnik, N. Distributional effects of globalization in developing countries. J. Econ. Lit. 2007, 45, 39–82.
Available online: https://scite.ai/reports/10.3386/w12885
12. Dincsoy, M.O. A Comparative Study on Population and Employment Risks in Vulnerable Countries to Climate Change. Int. J.
Ecol. Econ. Stat. 2016, 37, 103–120.
13. United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals: Progress of goal 8 in 2019. Available online:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg8
14. O’Reilly, J.; Eichhorst,W.; Gábos, A.; Hadjivassiliou, K.; Lain, D.; Leschke, J.; Russell, H. Five characteristics of youth
unemployment in Europe: Flexibility, education, migration, family legacies, and EU policy. Sage Open 2015, 5.
15. Liñán, F. Skill and value perceptions: How do they affect entrepreneurial intentions? Entrep. Manag. J. 2008, 4, 257–272

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore

 R V College of Engineering

REFERENCES
16. Moreland, N. Entrepreneurship and Higher Education: An Employability Perspective. Learning and employability, Series
One; The Higher Education Academy: York, UK, 2006; Available online:
https://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/esecttools/esectpubs/morelandentrpreneur.pdf

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangalore