Work in progress - reorganizing engineering pedagogy: Preventing student disengagement by increasing dialogic learning

In this work in progress paper the author presents preliminary evidence from ongoing research that suggests that the organization of current pedagogy in short class sessions leaves prevents students from engaging in a dialogue and is partly responsible for student disengagement from engineering. The author draws on theoretical literature on dialogic inquiry and preliminary data from analysis of two different classes to show that engineering classes are often characterized by lack of joint meaning making and knowledge construction at the expense of information delivery. The author argues that our current use of technology often exacerbates and compounds the problem and prevents conceptual learning. The author suggests that a potential solution is to revise our understanding of the role of dialogue and the use of technology and design for dialogic inquiry so that language - verbal and written - and representations - such as free-body diagrams - that play a central role in leading to internalization of concepts are the primary focus. It is critical for us to engage students in the act of representing and not just being exposed to semiotic representations. Dialogic learning can increase innovative thinking and creativity.