LearnSci and TecQuipment: A new partnership to enhance engineering education

Collaborative creation of unique learning solutions

In the world of STEM education, there is no doubt about the importance of hands-on practical learning. Providing opportunities for students to develop and master practical skills is fundamental to ensuring the next generation of scientists and engineers are equipped and experienced when entering the workplace. 

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic redefining the delivery of practical science, it’s clear how a blended approach can enhance in-person sessions, with digital and online resources helping to support and stimulate hands-on skill development.

TecQuipment and LearnSci

TecQuipment is the leading provider of high-quality practical teaching equipment for engineering disciplines. Founded in 1958, the company prides itself on providing high-quality equipment that is used by over 1,500 customers worldwide. The products allow students and educators to perform practical experiments to illustrate engineering principles.

LearnSci is an innovative learning technology provider that creates transformative digital learning experiences. For the last 15 years, LearnSci’s team of scientists, education specialists and web developers have been developing accessible digital tools that engage students, build scientific skills and transform lab teaching experiences.

Our vision of this technology partnership is to jointly collaborate and develop new digital learning experiences for students and to complement TecQuipment’s practical teaching equipment. As two entities with a passion for enhancing science and technical learning, the partnership offers an opportunity to learn from one another and work together to transform engineering education.

Innovative digital tools to complement core practical techniques

The collaborative nature of their development utilised the skill sets and knowledge of both companies. The project promises to offer a complete learning solution that engages students and builds practical skills - with both the apparatus for physical experiments and the complementary digital resources.

Over the course of the collaboration, 13 new Smart Worksheets were designed to complement the practical engineering science kits developed by TecQuipment. These interactive, advanced worksheets have been developed to help students bridge their understanding of the techniques learned in class and the underlying theory. They not only offer opportunities for practice and assessment of skills, but help students build confidence and take part in self-led, independent learning.

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Transformative learning experiences in the lab and online

These new resources focus on solidifying theoretical knowledge and building competency in data analysis and calculations, improving student understanding in core engineering skills. Students will engage with the content after completing practical experiments using TecQuipment engineering science kits.

Building comprehension of key engineering skills -  Through interactive guided learning, students will develop solid understanding of both theoretical knowledge and experimental procedures. Dynamic graphing exercises and data interpretation develop students analytical skills and scaffold their learning as they work through a series of assessments and exercises. 

Bridging in-person and online learning - Students will input and explore the experimental data collected in their practical labs, and apply the calculations and equations learned in class. Visualisations of experimental equipment used in their practicals help bridge the procedures achieved in labs with their results and findings.

Targeted feedback and consistent marking - The Smart Worksheets offer instant, targeted feedback specific to a student’s input, meaning they can apply it immediately to their worksheet and in their lab work. This timely, consistent way of receiving feedback helps students build confidence in their abilities and learn from their errors effectively and efficiently. 

Enhanced teaching practices with a dedicated platform for educators

By using these interactive worksheets, educators will have access to ready-made digital resources, have the ability to track student engagement data and save 100s of hours of marking time.

Flexible, accessible management of student learning - Access to worksheets is easy for both educators and students via our online learning platform. Teachers can manage learning and assign assessments in one convenient location.

Save time marking and preparing assessment and practice material - Instant personalised feedback and autograding saving 100s of hours in marking, meaning educators can spend more time focussing on the students who need it most. With these ready-made resources, less work is needed to create in-class exercises and online question banks.

Track student engagement and grades - Gain real-time visibility of students performance per assignment and receive detailed reports on resource usage and learner progress. Replay student learning with Timeline Mode to identify where students strengths and weaknesses lie, for more targeted support.

A new horizon for engineering education

This exciting partnership between LearnSci and TecQuipment promises to offer a wider scope of learning in engineering and science education, by helping engage students in their practical learning and increase their confidence in their skills.

Want to get the first glimpse of these new resources? Join TecQuipment and LearnSci at the American Society of Engineering Education 2022 conference at booth #837 where they will be launching the Smart Worksheets.

To learn more about how you can enhance your engineering course with Smart Worksheets, visit the TecQuipment website or contact them at sales@tecquipment.com