Dynamic Learning Framework: Adaptive Assessment Development for the Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics

This paper presents a dynamic learning framework (DLF) for engineering courses with rich mathematical and geometrical contents. The word “dynamic” implies that there are several moving components in the course contents and assessments. Moving contents are enabled by random-number generators to select text/paragraph from a database or chose a number between two ranges within engineering bounds. Dynamic contents are usually missing in traditional form of instructions such a fixed format book-type problem or static online material. The framework leverages on the computing resources from the recent advancement in touchpad computing devices (such as IPAD and Android based tablets) and web-based technologies (such as WebGL/SVG for virtual-reality and web-based graphics and PHP based server level programming language). All assessments are developed at four increasing levels of difficulty. The levels one through three are designed to assess the lower level learning skills as discussed in the “Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive skills” whereas level four contents are designed to test the higher level skills. The level-one assessments are designed to be easiest and include guiding materials and solved examples. To lessen the impact of disinterests caused by mathematical abstractions, the assessment and content presentations are strengthened by integrating the mathematical concepts with visual engineering materials from real-world and local important applications. All problems designed to assess the lower level skills are computerized and tested using the Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) algorithm which enabled the instructor to focus on the higher level skills and offer the course in partially flipped classroom setting.