Abstract
Engineering instructors start the lecture by introducing general principles followed by the mathematical models and make the students to practice in similar derivations. There are varieties of alternative inductive teaching approaches that an instructor must adopt to motivate the student to learn in a broad range. In this paper, an instructor would like to adopt inquiry based learning methodology but how to know the learners are ready to take up the method. An instructor cannot decide manually by asking simple questions, there is a need of specifi c methodology that will decide the learner characteristics. We develop a classroom learning model to know the kind of learners available in the classroom so that appropriate learning methodology can be adopted by an instructor. We attempt to know the learner characteristics in the classroom by applying the class discrimination mining technique on the relevant data that are collected from the questionnaire. The descriptive mining technique present the discrimination rule that decide the kind of learner available in the classroom. Accordingly teacher must decide to proceed further with inquiry based inductive learning methodology or the traditional deductive learning methods.
References
- Oakley, B., Felder, R.M., Brent, R., and Elhajj, I., "Turning Student Groups into Effective Teams," J. Student Centered Learning, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2004, pp. 9�34, .
- Terenzini, P.T., Cabrera, A.F., Colbeck, C . L . , Parente, J.M., and Bjorklund, S.A., "Collaborative Learning vs. Lecture/Discussion: Students� Reported Learning Gains," J. Engr. Education, Vol. 90, No. 1, 2001, pp. 123�130.
- Felder, R.M., and Brent, R., "The Intellectual Development of Science and Engineering Students. 1. Models and Challenges," J. Engr. Education, Vol. 93, No. 4, 2004, pp. 69�277, .
- Felder, R.M., and Brent, R., "The Intellectual Development of Science and Engineering Students. 2. Teaching to Promote Growth," J. Engr. Education, Vol. 93, No. 4, 2004, pp. 279�291, .
- Felder, R.M., and Brent, R., "Understanding Student Differences," J. Engr. Education, Vol. 94, No. 1, 2005, pp. 57�72, .
- Prince, M., "Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research," J. Engr. Education, Vol. 93, No. 3, 2004, pp. 223�231.
- Lee, V.S., ed., Teaching and Learning through Inquiry, Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2004.
- Buch, N., and Wolff, T., "Classroom Teaching through Inquiry," J. Prof. Issues Eng. Ed. Prac., Vol.126, No. 3, 2000, p. 105.
- Tan, O.S., Problem-Based Learning Innovation, Singapore: Thomson, 2003.
- Polanco, R., Calder�n, P., and Delgado, F., "Effects of a Problem-Based Learning Program on Engineering Students� Academic Achievements in a Mexican University," Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2004 , pp. 145�155.
- Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., and Gijbels, D., "Effects of Problem-Based Learning : A Meta-Analysis," Learning and Instruction, Vol. 13, 2003, pp. 533�568.
- Gijbels, D., Dochy, F., P. Van den Bossche, P., Segers, M., "Effects of Problem-Based Learning: A Meta-Analysis from the Angle of Assessment," Review of Educational Research, Vol. 75, No. 1, 2005, pp. 27�61.
- D.S. Knowlton and D.C. Sharp, eds., Problem- Based Learning in the Information A g e , New Directions for Teaching and Learning, # 95, San Francisco: Jossey Bass, Fall 2003, pp. 13�23.