Advances in Engineering Education - Fall 2020 Volume 8 Number 4 - Mentoring and Motivating Project Based Learning in Dynamics

Oct 15, 2026

Engineering education research article describing how a James Madison University instructor maintained student motivation after shifting a Statics and Dynamics course online during COVID-19. Using Self-Determination Theory, the redesign replaces a traditional lecture/exam structure with a half-semester project in which students individually pursue real-world dynamics problems. Mentoring and structured inquiry support intrinsic motivation, while redesigned objectives and feedback processes aim to preserve mentored learning despite uncertainty.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Benchmarking

Conceptualization

Prototyping

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FALL 2020 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 Mentoring and Motivating Project Based Learning in Dynamics CALLIE MILLER James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA ABSTRACT Students in the Department of Engineering at James Madison University choose the program for opportunities to build close relationships and experience high impact teaching. The shift to online learning due to COVID-19 resulted in a potential loss of these opportunities and a decrease in student motivation. In my Statics and Dynamics course I wondered: How might I replicate the mentored learning experience while maintaining student motivation through the uncertainty of COVID-19? I crafted a half-semester project where students proposed to analyze a real-world problem requiring techniques from Dynamics. The student response was overwhelmingly positive and suggested they were intrinsically motivated. Key words: Motivation, Self-Determination Theory, Project Based Learning INTRODUCTION March 11, 2020: Classes shift online for at least one week. March 16, 2020: Classes shift online for remainder of the semester. March 19, 2020: First confirmed COVID-19 case within the James Madison University (JMU) community—a community that prides itself on community. Nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, JMU is passionately called home to just over 20,000 undergraduates spanning 130 degree programs [1], one of which is a single degree Bachelor of Engineering—where I teach predominately first and second-year students. The program has approximately 400 majors [2], and while approximately 92% of JMU students take at least one online course during their time at JMU, prior to COVID19, there were no online-only Engineering courses offered. Being a JMU graduate myself, I am uniquely positioned to understand that students choose to come to JMU for an in-person experience characterized by peer collaborations, high impact teaching, mentored relationships (personal or professional) with faculty, and a well-rounded liberal arts education. FALL 2020 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Mentoring and Motivating Project Based Learning in Dynamics Using my personal understanding of the cultural underpinnings of the JMU community, I approached the transition to online as the following design challenge: How might I replicate the deeply mentored learning experience, while maintaining student motivation through the uncertain societal challenges associated with COVID-19? Each of the following sections follow the design mindset [3] applied to redevelop the Statics and Dynamics course I was teaching when the shift to online learning occurred. Ultimately my objectives in making this pivot were to achieve the learning outcomes of my course and to provide an opportunity for students to find a sense of certainty with respect to the course when the world felt so uncertain. METHODS Benchmarking Prior to COVID19, I used a Direct Instruction (DI) pedagogical approach where I framed the content, modeled how to solve the problem, then gave a variety of assessments to evaluate mastery of the problem-solving process [4] . One of the fundamentals of DI involves the feedback between student-teacher, particularly the behaviors of students when content is presented [4] . I observed that my students were very engaged in class through participating in tasks and answering questions, which matches observations of DI’s potential to increase intrinsic motivation [5] . I anticipated that the quick shift to a virtual environment would no longer allow me to utilize DI successfully, and as a result of the shift, students would exhibit a decrease in motivation towards amotivation (a disconnection between the assignments for the class and the personal “why”) [6] . Inspired by the work of Stolk and colleagues [7], I opted to pivot my course from the traditional lectur

FAQs

Why did the course redesign focus on maintaining student motivation?

The shift to online learning due to COVID-19 risked reducing opportunities for close mentoring and decreasing motivation, prompting the instructor to redesign to sustain students’ intrinsic motivation.

What learning approach replaced the traditional lecture and exams?

A half-semester project was created, where students propose and analyze real-world problems requiring techniques from Dynamics, with individual mentoring aligned to course learning objectives.

How does Self-Determination Theory relate to the redesigned course?

Self-Determination Theory was used to provide a framework for inquiry and investigation so students have agency and remain driven by intrinsic motivation as the course content shifts online.

Oct 15, 2026

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