Innovative Education Practice of Heat Transfer Based on

Constructivism Instructional Model

Li Xuemei and Ding Lixing*

Institute of Built Environment and Control,

Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China 510225
huangkai356@163.com

Abstract. Under the instruction of constructivism, this paper presents an

innovative, interactive and independent instructional model based on innovative
experiments. This advanced instructional model aims at cultivating students not
only to grasp and use knowledge or skills but to discover problems and solve
them in an active way, and to learn how to learn. Innovative experiment based on
constructivism instructional model cultivates the students to become good
adaptive learners. Innovative experiment helps students not only master
knowledge or skills but also discover problems and solve them in an active way,
and to learn how to learn. Innovative experiment is proved to be effective through
students’ feedbacks. Results show that innovative experiment creates an
environment in which teachers enjoy teaching and students enjoy learning and
thus makes happy education possible.
Keywords: innovative education practice, heat transfer, constructivism, model.

1 Introduction
With the rapid development of science and technology, better educational environment
are provided for both learners and teachers. Innovative education attracts more and
more interests. Learning theories and educational models also experience great changes
in China. Much research has been done on this field. Modern educational technology
enhances the education ability and efficiency, changes the traditional education model,
students’ study style and knowledge acquiring way. Modern educational technology
plays an active role in increasing learning and teaching efficiency [1].
New demands of society for graduates have stimulated the development of
education. Nowadays in China quality-oriented education and students’ all-around
development are advocated. To achieve this, the concept of education should be
changed. Education should be oriented to: training specialized persons of educational
technology at various levels for our country, carrying on the research and establishment
of the theory of educational technological courses, exploring and applying various
kinds of educational technology and having a try for the industrialization of new
advanced educational technology [2-4].Researches show that even students who score
well on tests are not competent in solving real-life or practical problems outside the
classroom[2]. To solve this problem, one solution is to cultivate the students to become

*
Corresponding author.

M. Zhu (Ed.): ICCIC 2011, Part V, CCIS 235, pp. 50–55, 2011.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011
 Innovative Education Practice of Heat Transfer 51

good adaptive learners. The traditional teacher-oriented, textbook guided educational

model should be reformed. Based on advanced constructivism, a new instructional
model is designed to stimulate students’ learning interest and efficiency. In general, the
instructional model is characterized by independence, innovation and interaction. The
advanced instructional model aims at improving learner’s capacity of independent
learning, seeking information, choosing useful information, cooperating, and creating
[4]. It is a challenge to the teachers’ leading position in the education. Teachers’
function transits to organizer and advisor instead of authority [4]. Transitioning a
teacher from a leader role to more of a guidance position, would overall help the
Chinese students gain the learning method.
Heat transfer is the science that deals with the energy transfer between material
bodies as a result of temperature difference [5]. It is normally required in chemical and
mechanical engineering and is recommended for electrical engineering students as well
[5]. The innovative education of Heat Transfer is essential to stimulate students’
learning enthusiasm, developing their creativity, collaboration, practicing skill, innate
ability and personality. To achieve this, we design innovative experiments to cultivate
the students to become good adaptive learners through collaborative learning.
Innovative experiments are helpful to cultivate students not only to grasp and use
knowledge or skills but to discover problems and solve them in an active way, to adapt
to environment and to learn how to learn. [1]
Under the instruction of constructivism, this paper presents an innovative,
interactive and independent instructional model based on innovative experiments. This
advanced instructional model aims at cultivating students not only to grasp and use
knowledge or skills but to discover problems and solve them in an active way, and to
learn how to learn. Innovative education practice of Heat Transfer was performed for
Thermal Energy and Power Engineering students at the Zhongkai University of
Agriculture and Technology.

2 Constructivism Instructional Model

In the middle of the 20th century, the idea that knowledge is constructed through social
collaboration shows up in the theories of Piaget, Bruner, and Vygotsky
[6].Constructivism is in sharp contrast to behaviorism. Constructivism is a philosophy
of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct
our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own "rules"
and "mental models," which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning,
therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new
experiences. There are several guiding principles of constructivism: Learning is a
search for meaning. Therefore, learning must start with the issues around which
students are actively trying to construct meaning. Meaning requires understanding
wholes as well as parts. And parts must be understood in the context of wholes.
Therefore, the learning process focuses on primary concepts, not isolated facts. In order
to teach well, we must understand the mental models that students use to perceive the
world and the assumptions they make to support those models. The purpose of learning
is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the "right"
answers and regurgitate someone else's meaning. Since education is inherently