The Windwalker Project: An Open-Ended Approach | NSTA

The Windwalker Project: An Open-Ended Approach

Journal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2017

Students in a beginning level undergraduate classical mechanics course engaged in collaborative inquiry through the Windwalker Project. The aim of this project was for students to create a free-standing movable structure as a way of testing and applying their understanding of the conceptual and theoretical elements of the course. This article reports on the impact of this project-based learning environment on the students’ understanding of physics and describes the instructor’s actions that supported their progress.

You may also like

Journal Article

Disciplinary Differences in STEM Faculty and Student Use of Learning Objectives: Implications for Teaching and Learning

Using learning objectives to guide course design is often considered an educational best practice, but little research exists that explores how studen...

Journal Article

“Flipping” a course: is it worth it? A multiyear analysis of interactive and student-centered pedagogy in an introductory physical geology course

This study summarizes the comparison of interactive lecturing and technology-supported student-centered pedagogy across six semesters of an introducto...

Journal Article

Resources university science and mathematics students use to replace or supplement lectures in the 21st century: A case study

The development of web-based technologies in recent decades has provided ready access to a wealth of on-line educational resources, and despite concer...

Journal Article

“Enhancing” exam wrappers with research into learning is associated with a shift in study strategies in a first semester biology course.

Students’ academic performance improves when they use active study methods and discussion of study strategy efficacy can impact students’ choice. ...