Improving University Level Education

In classrooms, whether at the university level or elementary school, a strict format of lecture during class and homework following class is generally followed. In particular, textbooks alone are used to supplement the lecture material.  Jordan Shapiro, in “Video Games and the Future of the Textbook[1],” offers, ”At best, textbooks are innocuous, offering simple summaries of a very broad subject area. At worst, they oversimplify things, providing less information than an encyclopedia article without enough nuance or context to make it meaningful.” Textbooks, as suggested by this author, can be used to take in general information of a topic. At the same time  Gleaning relevant information from a textbook is difficult because you tend to learn specific details that are irrelevant of the big picture. Furthermore, textbooks generally “have diagrams and explanations that don’t explain the context or provide enough definitions,” says my friend Jana, a fellow engineer at my university, Oregon State University.

The process of translation, where messenger RNA (genetic code) is translated to protein (the workforce of the cell), is tedious to read in textbooks and thus hard to retain. Tracking what the 30S subunit and 50S subunit do for ribosomal[2] translation through arduous walls of text is difficult. A clearly labeled diagram better elucidates the process but remains confusing. This traditional format for education works for some students but fails for many others, especially at the university level. Alternative methods of teaching will be reviewed so that improvements to current university education can be suggested.

Animations do a better job of fitting the pieces together than the typical textbook, supplementing conventional methods.  The translation example would be clarified by animations because one could see the growth of the protein through the process, among other reasons. In a TED talk, Janet Iwasa (“How Animations Can Help Scientists Test A Hypothesis”)[3] discusses how animations can be vital to the progress of the field of molecular biology. Molecular biologists currently use static figures to visualize their molecular hypotheses using simple shapes; such a representation is understandably overly simplified. The important molecules, however, have known shapes. Thus an animation of the cellular and molecular processes could be developed to test a hypothesis. Animations can be in used in this way to convey lots of information easily and accurately. Though this TED talk focuses on biology, other studies would greatly benefit from this approach. Modelling programs such as COMSOL[4] and SolidWorks[5] are similarly helpful in visualizing hypotheses.

Traditional education methods can also be buffered through the use of video games. For example, games  by the company Amplify Education[6] are designed to improve student learning and understanding of the material presented. For example, one such game allows students to experience the process of metabolism from the inside, teaching basic biological literacy. Other prominent examples include using Skyrim[7] to reach Norwegian romantic nationalism[8], Portal 2[9] to teach physics, and Civilization IV[10] to teach history and English. Additionally, The Last Of Us[11] is studied on its own as a high school student would study The Great Gatsby or another highly regarded novel. Through playing games, students actively seek out knowledge and apply it, rather than relying on rote memorization. Additionally, as Paul Darvasi, author of “Literature, Ethics, Physics: It’s All In Video Games At This Norwegian School,”[12] writes, “[Games] are valid texts that can be studied in and of themselves, but it is important to see video games as elastic tools whose potential uses exceed their intended purpose.” Video games can be studied on their own as they do with The Last Of us or they can be used to teach metabolism using Amplify’s digital curriculum and Norwegian romanticism using Skyrim. Through the implementation of video games in curriculums, students are able to take the information they learn in class and process and apply it. Seemingly random but still important details can be integrated into the bigger picture through this approach.

An important step is to stress what is already available. As an engineer who is also well-versed in the sciences, my experience is limited. For school and research I have made use of programs such as SolidWorks – freely available for engineers at OSU – for modelling and design. While mechanical engineers (along with the rest of their department) extensively use SolidWorks, COMSOL is hardly used. Though they are not interactive, the use of videos helps relay big-picture information. Some of my classes made use of videos but for the most part they had little presence. Lastly, there is Concept Warehouse[13] being developed at my university to improve engineering education. Using this program instructors assign students quantitative or qualitative questions regarding course topics. Students are then asked to provide an explanation. This software has been used a few times in some of my classes, though its use is increasing. Lastly, textbooks, as stated earlier, are rarely adequate for their purposes.

Now that the current situation is better understood, improvements can be suggested. The suggestions below are listed separately but can be combined.

Videos should be used to enhance retention of the main concepts. For example, the process of translation, which is follow when presented in a text format, is best understood through a video of the  main events. Seeing the molecules in motion makes more sense to most students. Otherwise only narrowly-important details are enforced. In particular, organic chemistry in my experience is taught in a manner that encourages memorization over understanding. While memorization to some degree is required, organic chemistry professors should show animations of the mechanisms underlying at least some of the major chemical reactions. This would allow for better understanding.

One thing lacking in most engineering classes is the development of models, both mathematical and software-based. Beginning classes lack the tools to construct mathematical models. As classes become more complex, more modelling should occur as part of the class structure. In my biomedical engineering principles class we had to model membraneless dialysis. With such an open-ended problem I had to create appropriate and justifiable assumptions to arrive at a sufficient mathematical model. My knowledge of the material grew, for there were myriad possible approaches. More engineering classes should encourage constructing your own models. For practicality’s sake such exercises need not be entirely open-ended. Modelling can also be done in COMSOL or another similar program in lieu of an explicit mathematical model. This approach is especially good for problems that are harder to model mathematically or solve analytically. For example, I am using COMSOL to analyze stresses on surrounding tissue due to the presence of a medical device in vivo[14]. This task would be arduous to mathematically model due to time-dependence of the forces or to measure in vivo. We also had to do modelling with COMSOL in my fluid mechanics class. In this case the problem was simple and easy to solve analytically: laminar flow of water through a pipe. The program outputted a graphical solution that matched the analytical solution, making the math less arcane. The task was thus instructive. The implementation of more open-ended problems is desirable because few substantial real-world problems have a single solution. Failing that, more engineering classes should require the use of software to improve understanding. Furthermore, having to create one’s own model encourages critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and creative problem-solving, all of which are vital to an engineer.

In today’s digital age textbooks should take a more compact form, trimmed of unnecessary detail. A set standard for all textbooks cannot be determined because each field is different. Instead, textbooks need to organize explanations around the big picture, with important details providing support. Currently the main concepts are interspersed among and drowned out by minor pieces of information. Figures should emphasize the big picture and work with the text, not simply repeat the text. At the same time, the text should explain the figure in detail. Examples, which tend to be the most critical textbook element especially for quantitative elements, tend to be poorly explained and feature large logical jumps. Each major step should be laid out clearly, from problem statement to solution. In particular, rearrangement of equations, simplifying assumptions, and math tricks should be clearly shown.

Though my suggestions are quite broad, I feel that changing university education in this way would make it more pertinent and more accessible. There are alternatives beyond what I suggested that would help university education but I wrote this piece to participate in discussion rather than come up with a final solution. Most universities cannot implement video games, so possible changes to K-12 education do not directly translate. Computer programs and videos, however, can be used to buffer the traditional approach to education by more strongly involving students. As a result, the atypical but no less creative and talented scientists and engineers will also be able to apply their education in their careers and help the world.

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[1] “Video Games and the Future of the Textbook” by Shapiro, Jordan. Mind Shift. KQED Inc. 15 Aug 2014. 18 Aug 2014.

[2] Ribosomes are an important molecular player in the process of translation.

[3] “How Animations Can Help Scientists Test A Hypothesis” by Iwasa, Janet. Mar 2014. TED. 18 Aug 2014.

[4] Engineering software used to model a variety of phenomena, including heat transfer, structural mechanics, and more.

[5] A modeling software used to design mechanical parts and assemblies.

[6] Amplify Learning, a branch of Amplify Education, is responsible for the corresponding digital curriculum for K-12 students.

[7] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a free-roaming RPG game.

[8] A 19^th century independence movement that set out to document uniquely Norwegian cultural elements and natural settings to affirm their national identity.

[9] A sci-fi game that requires the player to complete puzzles using lasers, optics, and other means to progress.

[10] A historical simulation game

[11] A post-apocalyptic survival game

[12] “Literature, Ethics, Physics: It’s All In Video Games At This Norwegian School” by Darvasi, Paul. Mind Shift. KQED Inc. 21 July 2014. 18 Aug 2014.

[13] Educational software.

[14] Inside the body