Presentation
The Evolution of Tactile and Digital Learning Preferences in Undergraduate Engineering Education
121st ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
(2014)
Abstract
The objective of this research is to investigate how student preferences towards digital/virtual
and hands-on/tactile learning evolve at different stages of undergraduate engineering education.
Within the context of this research, digital learning techniques refer to the use of virtual
environments to communicate educational concepts and activities; and hands-on learning relates
to the physical handling of objects. Inevitably, certain characteristics of hands-on interactions
(e.g., experiencing texture or weight of objects) are difficult to translate to the digital space.
Certain characteristics of digital interactions (e.g., digital augmentation of objects) are difficult
or infeasible to accomplish during hands-on interactions. While research findings have
determined that both digital and hands-on learning are relevant in shaping student experiences in
engineering courses, deeper insight into the magnitude of these preferences across grade levels
remains limited. Outstanding research questions include, for example: do freshmen students
prefer a different learning style compared to senior students? Are senior students equipped to
utilize the industry techniques that are heavily digital or tactile oriented? Understanding the
evolution of student preferences towards these learning styles would provide valuable insights to
instructors and researchers aiming to enhance engineering education by determining when/where
to emphasize a certain pedagogy during the undergraduate engineering experience.
Disciplines
Publication Date
June, 2014
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Comments
Copyright 2014 ASEE
Citation Information
Conrad Tucker, Kathy Schmidt-Jackson, Linda C. Schmidt, Gül E. Okudan-Kremer, et al.. "The Evolution of Tactile and Digital Learning Preferences in Undergraduate Engineering Education" 121st ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (2014) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/gul-kremer/37/