Transforming, Creating, and Executing a Brand New Frist Year Engineering Materials Course

The transition from traditional lecture-style teaching to a flipped learning experience at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering first-year program has been documented and detailed in various publications. This shift in teaching pedagogy aims to enhance engineering education by fostering comprehensive understanding, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and active learning opportunities. In Fall 2023, this model extended to a materials engineering course, introducing the subject earlier into the curriculum. With a large student capacity, collaborate learning is prioritized in studio sessions, supported by visualization software and 3D printed models. The course structure includes online video lectures, quizzes, and an interactive textbook alongside in-person lectures and studio sessions. Active learning sessions feature hands-on experiments, enabling students to apply theoretical concepts practically. Assessments include quizzes, worksheets, and summative exams, with a focus on student engagement and understanding. Course management emphasizes preparation, communication and support, with a dedicated team overseeing coordination and grading. Initial evaluation indicates positive student engagement and perceived learning gains, though thorough evaluation is ongoing. Key learnings include the importance of proactive student engagement, structured guidance in problem-solving, and refining assessment methods. Overall, the flipped model has positively impacted student experience and highlighted the significance of materials engineering in engineering education.