Di Benedetti, M. orcid.org/0000-0001-7870-1323, Garrard, A. and Beck, S.B.M. orcid.org/0000-0001-5986-862X (2021) Build it and they will come : maintaining students access to fabrication and testing during a pandemic. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 21 (16). pp. 47-50. ISSN 2158-3595
Abstract
The Civil Engineering curriculum at Sheffield University offers students the opportunity to work in groups to design, build and test models. This fulfils vital learning outcomes for accreditation requirements. The onset of the pandemic restricted the amount of face-to-face teaching. Presented here are methodologies to reconfigure teaching with restricted access to allow learning outcomes to be achieved while keeping students motivated. Traditional hands-on manufacturing and testing were replaced by “service” build and test schemes that hinged around the typical relationship between a designer (students) and a contractor. With the use of screens, PPE and careful communication, fabrication activities simulated an “assembly line” relay rather than the traditional “fixed-position assembly” allowing the activity to safely run face-to-face. Students were able to engage individually and in groups on these teaching methods to execute exciting and real projects, in a way that is scalable to large class sizes (Garrard and Beck, 2018). We explore the advantages and drawbacks of these approaches and suggest elements to be retained when restrictions are lifted.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 North American Business Press. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Blended learning; active learning; making; Covid-19 |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Multidisciplinary Engineering Education (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 12 Apr 2022 13:16 |
Last Modified: | 13 Apr 2022 09:41 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | North American Business Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.33423/jhetp.v21i16.4911 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:185662 |