Intensive mode teaching for the delivery of engineering content to students at a Chinese university

CONTEXT: Interactive Intensive Mode Teaching (IMT) techniques were used to deliver an engineering design and project management unit at a Chinese university. A proportion of Chinese students studying this unit transferred to the University of Tasmania to complete a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours degree in a further two years (2+2 Program). The unit was delivered over a period of six weeks to large classes (75 and 115 students). At the same time students intending to transfer to UTAS undertook an English language academic skills unit. Both units were facilitated by the introduction of an on-line learning management system (Cloudcampus).

PURPOSE: This study examines the effectiveness of the interactive IMT technique for the delivery of KNJ211 Engineering Design and Project Management by comparison with the traditional, didactic style of teaching employed by the same teacher in the previous year; the synergy between the engineering unit and an English language unit, delivered by the second author at the same time, is also explored.

APPROACH: The effectiveness of interactive IMT delivery was evaluated through students' performances in aligned assessment tasks comprising a 5-minute video report on design studio group-work, in-class tests of content knowledge and an individual task. Students' engagement with IMT is examined through the lens of their use of Cloudcampus.

RESULTS: The students' overall and in-class test results were significantly different from those of the previous year when the unit was delivered by the teacher-centred didactic method. A factor that may have contributed to this outcome is students' unfamiliarity with accessing the on-line content.

CONCLUSIONS: Students' technical English language skills present a challenge to effective delivery of engineering content. Some IMT techniques proved to be effective.