Abstract
Computational tools and methods have permeated multiple science and engineering disciplines, because they enable scientists and engineers to process large amounts of data, represent abstract phenomena, and to model and simulate complex concepts. In order to prepare future engineers with the ability to use computational tools in the context of their disciplines, some universities have started to integrate these tools within core courses. This paper evaluates the effect of introducing three computational modules within a thermodynamics course on student disciplinary learning and self-beliefs about computation. The results suggest that using worked examples paired to computer simulations to implement these modules have a positive effect on (1) student disciplinary learning, (2) student perceived ability to do scientific computing, and (3) student perceived ability to do computer programming. These effects were identified regardless of the students’ prior experiences with computer programming.
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Acknowledgements
The research reported in this paper was supported in part by the US National Science Foundation under the awards no. EEC1449238 and no. EEC1329262. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Science Foundation.
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All procedures in this study that involved human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution and were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the implementation of the research procedures. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study, formal consent is not required.
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Vieira, C., Magana, A.J., García, R.E. et al. Integrating Computational Science Tools into a Thermodynamics Course. J Sci Educ Technol 27, 322–333 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-017-9726-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-017-9726-9