Challenge-based Learning Environment in Fluid Mechanics Lab Course: Implementation of an Open Lab Concept and Student Experience

Surged undergraduate enrollment in engineering programs presents a significant challenge to the instructional resources in fluid mechanics courses without sacrificing the quality of the delivered education. The presented work is part of a joint effort within the College of Engineering at Purdue University to renovate the instruction of fluid mechanics lab courses. Among the many renovations adopted, an open lab concept was developed to implement a challenge-based instruction (CBI) approach in these large undergraduate lab courses. It is expected to create an experiential learning module to support every student’s learning activity in a real-world setting. This teaching renovation orchestrates a sequence of learning activities in the framework of the Legacy Learning Cycle. Every student is exposed to this experiential learning experience with two or three teammates working closely to (1) initiate a hypothesis-driven project idea with a real-world challenge, (2) propose a test plan, (3) communicate the project in a written proposal submitted the instructor, (4) revise the test plan by accommodating instructor’s review comments, (5) perform the tests independently, generate the experimental data, and organize the acquired data as evidence related to the hypothesis, (6) communicate the discovery in a written lab report and a recorded presentation video. Exit surveys from four semesters in 2022-2024 received anonymous inputs from 1,052 students, indicating an overwhelmingly positive impact on students’ learning experience.