Gerard Nagle, lecturer at TU Dublin, leverages Mastering Engineering with e-textbook to teach Fluid Mechanics. This integration has improved student performance by 10-20% by bridging theory and practice effectively and made students competitive.
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Gerard Nagle, a lecturer at TU Dublin, teaches Fluid Mechanics to 80-90 undergraduate mechanical engineering students. He selected Hibbeler's textbook for its practical, well-illustrated problems, which aid students in visuals and understanding concepts. The e-textbook format of Mastering Engineering further eliminates the need for physical copies, making it more convenient for students.
Gerard introduced Mastering Engineering to address the difficulties students faced with fluid mechanics, especially since it was their first in-depth exposure to the subject. Inspired by changes during COVID-19, he aimed to enhance continuous engagement rather than last-minute cramming. The module assessment was restructured to include Mastering Engineering as a weekly homework assignment, accounting for a 10-20% increase of the overall grade, alongside exams, Matlab, and labs.
The integration of Mastering Engineering proved beneficial for both lecturers and students. The platform's interactive questions bridged the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience, fostering active learning, group study and competition. Students' engagement increased, as did their performance, with a 10-20% improvement. The platform's automatic grading, availability of the digital textbook, and global benchmarks for question completion times were particularly valuable.
Overall, the experience was positive, and Gerard highly recommends Mastering Engineering for its practicality and effectiveness.
Watch the full interview with Gerard Nagle
