Student-centred learning in engineering laboratories

Laboratory-based learning has demonstrated its importance within engineering education in preparing students to become practicing engineers and is an essential part of engineering curricula (Feisel and Rosa, 2005). Laboratory activities equip students with hands-on experience and technical abilities that are valuable for professional environments, and provide students with contextual scenarios for development of transferable skills. Whilst traditional engineering laboratory exercises have proved valuable in supporting student understanding of theory with physical practice, the effectiveness in enhancing student learning and skills development through following step-by-step instructions with pre-determined results is questioned (McAfee et al., 2009). Students often feel unchallenged and lack autonomy, desiring opportunities to express creativity and initiative (McAfee et al., 2009). With focus shifting away from teacher-centred approaches towards allowing students to become leaders of their own learning, Student-Centred Learning (SCL) strategies are emerging in engineering education. However, the effectiveness of SCL is dependent on how well strategies are implemented and executed. This paper proposes a study to review developments in SCL within higher education engineering laboratories, evaluating whether these methods provide a more active and effective learning experience, and their impact on student performance and skills development, exploring potential future directions of laboratory teaching for the sector.