ENHANCING PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS IN ENGINEERING STUDENTS THROUGH COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING

Povzetek

In the past few years, due to high demands of the industry and the rapid development of technology, engineering graduates have been required to be strong in solving problems. Conventional pedagogical approaches that are grounded on theory generally lack the capacity to adequately train higher-order critical thinking skills of students. This paper examines the success of the combination of computational and experimental learning methods in order to improve problem-solving abilities of undergraduate engineering students. A mixed-method type of research design was used to support quantitative analysis of the performances with qualitative accounts of both students and instructors. The intervention itself consisted of taking simulation-based computing-aided tools and concrete laboratory experiments in the case of core engineering courses. The improvement of problem-solving competency was measured by a pre-and post- streak and the amount of improvement that was measured was ranked as considerable acceptable or deplorable by use of statistics. The results demonstrated a quantifiable improvement in the skills of students to transfer theoretical knowledge applications into real life settings, create resolutions to challenging issues and repeat testing and adjustment. The qualitative responses confirmed the quantitative results with responses of greater engagement, greater conceptual acumen, and more confidence. The paper concludes that an integrated use of both computational and experimental learning methods can have a substantial positive impact on problem solving skills and suggest the method should be adopted into scientific programs.