Enhancing Students' Conceptual Understanding with Engineered Course Material Delivery

Abstract

This paper describes the application of a new brain-based instructional approach called “Tailored Instructions and Engineered Delivery using Protocols†(TIED UP) in an engineering classroom. Although the use of brain-based approaches has been tested extensively in K-12 education, its application in STEM higher education has been scarce. This study aims to demonstrate its effectiveness in teaching complicated engineering concepts. TIED UP adopts the brain-based instructional methodology to create a set of easy-to-follow protocols that can be adopted by any STEM instructor. The results show a significant improvement in the conceptual understanding of the students in comparison with a control condition. The method is expected to be very helpful in the long-term retention of information learned in the class.