Resumen de Tree of dynamics: a modified concept mapping approach to improving students’ conceptual understanding in engineering dynamics
This paper presents a modified concept mapping approach, called the ‘‘Tree of Dynamics,’’ in which the relationships amongconcepts are represented by ‘‘tree’’ structures including roots, trunks, branches, leaves, and fruits, instead of by using linking wordsor phrases, to enhance students’ perception of the relationships among concepts and also to add fun to student learning. Themodified approach was implemented in an Engineering Dynamics course that the author of this paper taught in a recent semester.A total of 76 undergraduate engineering students participated in hands-on active learning activities in which students constructed aseries of ‘‘Trees of Dynamics’’ that focus on improving students’ understanding of the relationship among seven key Dynamicslaws/principles. Both qualitative and quantitative methods (including pre-test–post-test, correlation analysis, and questionnairesurvey) were employed in assessing student learning outcomes. The results of assessments show that the average learning gain forall student participants was 64.2%. Compared with the average pre-test score, the average post-test score increased 1.45 standarddeviations. Moderate correlation (r= 0.309,p= 0.029) existed between students’ conceptual understanding (gained from ‘‘tree’’-constructing activities) and their problem-solving skills (measured from exams in which students were required to applymathematics to generate a numerical solution to Dynamics problems). A total of 71% of the surveyed students agreed or stronglyagreed that the ‘‘Tree of Dynamics’’ helped them to understand the hierarchical relationships among dynamics principles andassociated equations.
