6TH International Congress on Technology - Engineering - Kuala Lumpur3 - Malaysia (2018-07-19)

Enhancing Students’ Understanding For Civil Engineering Discipline Using Cogenerative Dialogues

An academic partnership was formed between a Southwestern University and three local high schools encouraging high school students in the United States to pursue higher education in STEM fields using innovative pedagogical approaches such as Cogenerative Dialogue (Cogen). The students were exposed to the university environment and various STEM fields. A cohort of 36 students was selected each year preparing students to formulate, execute, report, and present the high-level, high-impact scientific research projects using Cogen approach. In the third year of the program, the Civil Engineering discipline was included as one of the participating labs. The study explains experimental strategy, procedures, and the impact of incorporating Cogen in the Civil Engineering research lab to enhance student understanding of scientific concepts and boosting their professional confidence. This paper presents the findings of a 7-month case study that examines the impacts of having participated in Cogen within traditional scientific research settings. It was concluded that Cogen shaped the active learning experience of the high school students by providing a judgment-free environment for discussion, pliable praxis, and more productive interactions than the traditional academic settings.
Joanne Moyer, Adeeba Raheem