Creativity in Engineering Education

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Kazan National Research Technological University



A. Ibatullina, G. Khusainova

CREATIVITY
IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Tutorial





Kazan
KNRTU Press

2021

         UDC 378.1(075)




Published by the decision of the Editorial Review Board of the Kazan National Research Technological University

Reviewers:
PhD in History E. Frolova
General Manager of “KVINTA” LLC R. Gallyamova






         Ibatullina A.
         Creativity in Engineering Education : tutorial / A. Ibatullina, G. Khu-sainova; The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Kazan National Research Technological University. - Kazan : KNRTU Press, 2021. - 80 p.

         ISBN 978-5-7882-3104-4

       The tutorial presents organizational forms, methods, and tools to enhance learning and improve the quality of teaching engineering disciplines. The guide provides successful examples of innovative methodology implementation to develop creativity of engineering students.
       The tutorial is intended for university educators training masters in “Innovative technologies of composite materials on textile basis” and in training bachelors majoring in “Technology and design of textile products”. The study guide meets the requirements of the programmes “Pedagogy of Higher Education” and “Engineering Pedagogy” and can be used for the students of professional retraining programs of KNRTU. It can be useful in the system of continiung training courses of other universities and for self-education for development of creativity.
       The tutorial was developed at the Department of Technology of Chemical and Natural Fibers and Products.

UDC 378.1(075)

ISBN 978-5-7882-3104-4    © A. Ibatullina, G. Khusainova, 2021
© Kazan National Research Technological University, 2021


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            INTRODUCTION



      If we try to express in one word the essence of today’s sociopsycho-logical environment of a university educator it will be uncertainty and instability. Educators are forced to respond to the requirements of the society in his professional activity. Thus, they must train professionals for a dynamically changing reality, where new elements, previously unknown, are constantly appearing. To do this, educators should anticipate changes, develop qualities that are required now and will be required in the nearest future. On the other hand, the main role of the educator has always been the continuity of culture, the preservation and reproduction of its values.
      In connection with the abovementioned, the issue of training of less experienced educators of engineering universities is especially acute. The new generation of educators must ensure the development and implementation of new pedagogical technologies based on rapidly developing information and telecommunication capabilities, taking into account modern scientific and industrial technologies. The development of such technologies requires from the educator versatile knowledge in the field of pedagogy, psychology, computer science and other sciences. It should be noted that historically, less experienced teachers have received guidance from their more experienced peers, which is a good practice for sharing basic knowledge.
      However, for the emergence of innovative educational methods and approaches that meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 and the labor market, we need new competencies. Educators of engineering schools must be able to contribute to the development of innovative and non-standard thinking of students, and to do this, the educator himself must have such abilities. Thus, innovative professional and pedagogical activity is an important component of an educator's professional competence.
      Innovative professional and pedagogical activity presupposes creative approach to non-standard professional tasks and a high level of professional competence. The willingness to apply an innovative approach is determined by the educator's motivation, working conditions and creative thinking. Motivation for the implementation of innovative professional pedagogical activity means the desire to create, master and use innovations in pedagogical activity: business simulators, methods of problem and heuristic learning. Innovative activity is characterized in terms of skills and abilities for its implementation, mastery of innovative methods, tools and technologies. The development of this component is associated with the development of

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pedagogical innovations. Developing creative thinking involves problem solving, flexible and open thinking, and brainstorming. To form this component, teacher should master methods of heuristics in the context of professional situations in continuing training courses. Finally, innovative professional and educational activities include the ability to reflect and analyze. The main component of innovative professional and pedagogical activity is motivation, which manifests itself in the educator's desire to create, master and use innovations: case studies, methods of problematic, heuristic and developmental learning.
       Thus, we see that the educator should purposefully develop his creative skills, master pedagogical innovations, and strive to master and create them. This textbook meets the above goal - the development of the educator's creative abilities, since it contains methods that allow the educator to use it as a self-instruction manual for the development of his own creativity. These are, for example, mind maps, thesaurus maps, techniques for solving creative problems. Working on the development of their own creativity, mastering and applying methods of its development presented in this textbook, we assume that the educator will use them in his classroom teaching, adapting them to a discipline. Thus, the components of the educator's readiness for innovative professional and pedagogical activity are being formed, and the educator will be ready to create new pedagogical technologies based on rapidly developing information and telecommunication technologies, taking into account modern scientific and industrial technologies.
       Our textbook focuses on universal non-subject methods and tools that are suitable for use in any discipline. These include case studies, mind maps and creative problem solving techniques. We have also included the study of the phenomenon of engineering thinking and have included methods and tools suitable for teaching in engineering disciplines.

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            Part 1. CASE STUDIES AND METHODOLOGY OF THEIR WRITING


      Of all the variety of innovative methodology we have identified those methods that are easy to apply in classroom teaching. We suppose that case study method deserves special attention among them. Here are the advantages of this method in teaching students.
      1. Cases are closer to real engineering tasks.
      2.       Cases contain a problematic situation, teaches students to put forward hypotheses, work with missing data.
      3. Cases require flexibility of thinking and develops critical approach.
      4. Cases show the ways of discovering scientific fact.
      The advantage of case studies is that they can be used in any discipline, so they are universal. At the moment, we, university teachers, are teaching a generation of millennial students. Millennial learners have many unique and positive qualities that challenge teachers. Thus we have to constantly learn and expand our knowledge. This generation has qualities such as the ability to work in cooperation, they are team-oriented, advanced in technology, socially adapted, and are optimistic about their future. Bearing in mind these unique characteristics of the generation, the researchers believe that various educational technologies should be applied in the learning process.
      According to many researchers, students better perceive the pedagogy of active learning, which includes case studies, tasks using Internet services and problem learning, which require knowledge and skills of critical thinking, as well as the use of multimedia resources (such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts, etc.) while mastering the key concepts of the course, as well as active teaching methods such as collaborative learning and the use of various learning services.
      Despite all the known characteristics of Millennial learners, the above-mentioned effective teaching methods are not sufficiently implemented in traditional education. Researchers have proven that case studies increase students' motivation, their ability to apply critical thinking and use the acquired skills in real practice. In 1994 National Center for Case Study Teaching in the Sciences to promote case studies or interactive stories to reform science teaching was established in the United States.

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      C. F. Herreid believes that cases are a real model of how we are forced to make decisions with insufficient data and must constantly re-evaluate our conclusions as more information becomes available to us. According to American scientists, case studies make students "fight" over a real research problem and critically analyze each other's ideas and the data under study. What is important is that they see alternative approaches to solving the problem, and they also see the behavior patterns of the experts. This is how real science works - we have to work with missing data, conduct experiments to confirm the hypothesis, collect more information, refine the hypothesis, make more assumptions, collect more data, etc.

        Case Types & Methods

        Analysis Case

      This type of case (also sometimes called an issues case) is used to teach students skills of analysis. The material is focused around answering questions like, “What is going on here?” An analysis case frequently lacks a central character and generally stops short of demanding that students make a decision. Examples include: Grandpa’s Flying Hammer: Rotation Around the Center of Mass.
      https://sciencecases.lib .buffalo.edu/collection/de-tail.html?case id=1157&id=1157.

        Dilemma/Decision Case

      A dilemma (or decision) case presents an individual, institution, or community faced with a problem that must be solved. It often consists of a short paragraph or section that introduces the problem (and the decisionmaker) at the moment of crisis. A background section fills in information necessary to understand the situation. A narrative section then describes recent developments leading up to the crisis. Charts, tables, graphs, letters, or other documentation that helps lay the foundation for a solution may be integrated into the case or appended. The teacher's goal is to help students sift through the facts, analyze the problem, and consider possible solutions and their likely consequences. Examples include: As Light Meets Matter and Life on Mars.
      https://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/


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        Directed Case

       A directed case is designed primarily to enhance students’ understanding of fundamental concepts, principles, and facts. The case usually consists of a short, dramatic scenario accompanied by a set of “directed” questions that can be answered from the textbook or lecture. The questions are “closed-ended” (i.e., typically they have only one correct answer). Students prepare answers to the questions, which they provide in class when called upon during the case discussion.
       Questions usually are assigned as homework, with students working individually or in groups to prepare their answers in advance, although instructors may have students prepare answers in class, again either individually or in groups. An example is: A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed.
       https ://sciencecases.lib .buffalo .edu/

        Interrupted Case

       This type of case presents a problem for students to solve in a progressive disclosure format, with the case given to students in parts to work on in small groups and complete within a single class period. A common method for developing an interrupted case is to take a scientific paper and choose a research question from it (or have students read the paper’s introduction and work in groups to pose a research question based on the issues it raises). Students develop hypotheses and design experiments to test them, which they then present for the class to critique, after which the instructor gives students information on how the actual authors of the paper tackled the problem. After a description of the authors’ methods, students are asked to predict the results, which they report on when called on in class. The instructor then reveals the actual data, which students interpret. The instructor brings closure to the case by revealing the authors’ interpretations and conclusions. This format allows students to practice the scientific method - from question formulation to hypothesis testing, experimental design, and data analysis and interpretation. An example is: Lost in Space.
       https: //sciencecases. lib.buffalo.edu/

        Clicker Case

       Clicker cases combine the use of student personal response systems (“clickers”) with case teaching methods and formats. The case is presented in class using a series of PowerPoint slides in parts, or stages. After each stage, students are asked to respond to questions (called “clicker questions”) posed by the instructor. In this way, students work their way through


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the material to understand (and also usually solve) the problem presented in the case. Specifically designed for use in large introductory science classes, the method integrates lecture material, case storylines, student discussion, (clicker) questions, clarification of the answers to those questions, more lecture, and data. Examples of clicker cases include: Cross-Dressing or Crossing-Over? and An End to Ulcers?

        Flipped Case

      A "flipped case" is a case study that has been designed to be used in a flipped classroom context in which students learn the basics at home by watching short interactive videos and then apply these principles in class to the case in order to learn the material in depth. An example of a flipped case study is "When a Gene Turned Off is a Matter of Life or Death".

        Laboratory Case

      Laboratory-based cases or cases with a lab component place laboratory experiments in a setting that make them both more relevant and engaging for students. Many require that students design a laboratory approach that can be used to solve the problem. A well designed lab case typically (1) tells a story that is interesting and relevant to students, (2) poses a challenging problem for students to solve experimentally, (3) allows students to work in teams to design their own approach to solving the experimental problem, with minimal guidance from the instructor, and (4) requires a report written in a narrative format. Examples of cases that are lab-based or have a lab component include: Filthy Lucre and Burning Down the House.

        Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

      PBL is a teaching method in which students work cooperatively in small groups to find solutions to problems. The focus is on having students identify the learning issues associated with a problem themselves. The case is given out piecemeal, typically over several class periods. In the classical form, small groups of students (usually 4-8) meet with a tutor (facilitator) to solve the problem, which they are introduced to through a short narrative (or research paper, video clip, etc.). Together they try to identify the broad nature of the problem (the learning issues), defining what they know as well as what they do not know and need to find out. They then divide up the list of questions they have generated and search for answers. At a second meeting, students pool their findings in their groups and try to resolve the problems identified earlier. At this point, the tutor may provide additional information


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(test results, experiments, new data, etc.). Students refine the problem, divide up the workload, and adjourn to collect more information. At a third meeting, information is pooled and often a report is written. Examples include: A Typical Cold and AIDS and the Duesberg Phenomenon.

        Discussion

      The discussion method for teaching a case has long been used by business and law schools. Students are usually presented with decision or analysis cases. The instructor's job is to identify with the students’ help the problems, possible solutions, and consequences. On the surface, the method is simple: the instructor asks probing questions and students analyze the problem. The instructor may question students using a strong directive (and iterative) approach, often called the Socratic Method. Others may use a nondirective approach to class discussion, staying on the sidelines and acting more as a facilitator while the students take over the analysis. Seasoned case discussion teachers advocate directive but not dominating questioning, good blackboard work to highlight the essential issues, and a summary at the end to bring closure to the case. Examples of cases taught in the classic discussion method include: “Bad Blood”: A Case Study of the Tuskegee Syphilis Project and A Case Study of Memory Loss in Mice.

        Debate

      A debate format is well suited for many types of cases where two diametrically opposed views are evident. A good format for the debate is to follow the procedure of moot court competition. Two teams of students each prepare written briefs on both sides of the issue and are prepared to argue either side. Just before the debate, they flip a coin to see which side they must argue. The debate itself starts with the pro side presenting for a prescribed period of time, usually 5 minutes. Then a person representing the con side speaks for 5 minutes. There is a 5-minute rebuttal by a second speaker on the pro side, followed by a 5-minute rebuttal on the con side. This is then followed by 3-minute summaries by each side. In a classroom setting where some members of the class are not participating in the debate, it is valuable to permit questions from the audience and ask them to evaluate the content and presentation of the debate. An example of a debate case is Oak Clearcutting: To Cut or Not to Cut?

        Intimate Debate

      Intimate debate is a powerful technique for dealing with case topics that involve controversy. Basically, two pairs of students face off across


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a small table, arguing first one side and then switching to argue the other side. At the end of the exercise, they must abandon their artificial positions and try to come to a consensus as to what is a reasonable solution to the problem being debated. The advantages to the approach as contrasted with formal debate include: time efficiency (multiple intimate debates can take place simultaneously); dispassionate scrutiny (switching positions tends to reduce initial “buy-in” or commitment to a given side of the issue); greater participation by the reticent (because there is no audience); and increased realism (the call for consensus opinion mimics real-world policy making where decisions must be made within given time frames and with (possibly) insufficient information). Examples of intimate debate cases include The Medicinal Use of Marijuana and Golden Rice.

        Public Hearing

      A public hearing format for a case study is another way to explore differing viewpoints on a topic. Public hearings are structured so that a student panel, role-playing as a hearing board, listens to presentations by different student groups. Typically, the hearing board (EPA, FDA, etc.) establishes the rules of the hearing at the outset (e.g., time to speak, order of presenters, rules of conduct, regulations and criteria governing their decisionmaking). This is followed by individuals or groups role-playing particular positions. Members of the panel often ask follow-up questions of the presenters. After the presentations are completed, the panel makes its decision or recommendation. Teachers using this method may find that the public hearing approach works most effectively over more than one class period. Alternatives to having the students prepare the testimony include using the transcript of an actual public hearing or a script developed by the instructor for a particular scenario, which the students then role-play. Examples of cases taught in this way include: To Boldy Go ... or Not? and Too Many Deer!

        Trial

      A case may include a mock trial. This may be done informally or formally. In a more formal trial format, there would be two opposing sides, each represented by an attorney with witnesses and cross-examination. The trial would begin after a brief introduction by the instructor, after which the attorneys for the two sides take over. The interests of the first side are presented by its attorney and (a maximum of say three) witnesses, with each witness allotted a set time (say 3 minutes) followed by 2-minute responses


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