How to engage engineering students to physics: A case report of an introductory physics course taught in the first year of an engineering programme

Abstract

Lecturers who teach Introductory Physics courses to engineering students face several challenges. Besides the usually high number of students (> 100), there is a preconception in considering the contents of physics courses very complex. These aspects, together with the fact that enrolment is required for an engineering study plan, make physics a course with low student engagement. This paper describes strategies and activities implemented in an Introductory Physics course (Physics EE), for first-year students of Industrial Electronics and Computers Engineering (Integrated Master) at the University of Minho to increase students' motivation, engagement and active learning. The implemented strategy includes: sharing the learning outcomes at the beginning of each lesson to help and guide students to successfully complete the tasks related to the topic and study more effectively; regular use of Audience Response Systems to encourage participation and give immediate feedback; use of in-class exercises to promote critical thinking and cooperation in the discussion of complex concepts; two-stage assessment (individual test followed by a similar test in groups), to promote collaborative learning and immediate feedback. These approaches took place during the 2018/2019 academic year in face-to-face teaching and in the 2019/2020 academic year in online teaching, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In both semesters, the students’ perceptions of the implemented changes were collected through anonymous questionnaires during the semester and at the end of term. The results indicate that, for both semesters, the students were satisfied with the implemented changes; they recognised the value of the immediate effective feedback to improve their learning experience and revealed high levels of satisfaction with the classes. These findings are consistent among students who attended face-to-face and online classes, and among students from different disciplinary areas, suggesting that the implementation of active learning strategies in this