Effectively integrating research argumentation in syllabus learning: A case study of reading journal articles in four fourth-year engineering fluid mechanics courses

Abstract

In an emerging trend in engineering education students are engaged in the scientific discovery process through reading about research published in articles rather than textbooks. A research-based and curriculum-oriented intervention in an undergraduate course was designed to elucidate whether students can progressively gain reading skills when provided with selected articles explicitly related to fluid mechanics research. The aim was also to monitor student awareness of their own progress. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate how fourth-year fluid technology students perceived their reading skills during the teaching intervention. A progressive strategy was applied, including warm-up readings, in- and out-of-class assignments, and best practice lectures. Two parallel test exams and test readings were associated and quantitatively analyzed. Each cohort was randomly divided into two groups, and each group was assigned a different test reading before the lectures; the readings were then switched for the post-lecture assignment. The results demonstrate that the students acquired selective reading skills and awareness of accomplishment. The analyses indicated that learners gained an understanding of the core concepts and gave positive feedback on the teaching materials and schedule. These findings may serve as a guide for engineering educators to improve the preparation of undergraduate students.