Increasing student-centered learning in a first-year engineering program

This paper analyzes the implementation of a restructured model for activity sections in a first-year engineering program led by graduate teaching assistants. The aim of the new model is to increase student-centered learning and to provide for more uniformity amongst sections led by different graduate teaching assistants. In this program, all freshmen engineering students share a common year during which they are required to take linked Introduction to Engineering and Technical Communications courses. This paper focuses on the Introduction to Engineering course. Following many discussions on possible improvements, along with the results of both student and peer evaluations, a new teaching model was designed and has been implemented. In this paper, both the old and the new model, assessment tools, and some in-class assignments are described. Also, an outcome in terms of student-centered learning and uniformity amongst the separate sections is discussed.