Brianno Coller | Northern Illinois University (original) (raw)

Papers by Brianno Coller

At Northern Illinois University, we are developing an advanced computing track within the undergr... more At Northern Illinois University, we are developing an advanced computing track within the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. The purpose of the track is to introduce our students to concepts normally taught to computer scientists: object oriented

Proceedings of the 2010 American Control Conference, 2010

Dynamic Systems & Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical enginee... more Dynamic Systems & Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The subject is very mathematical and the mathematical framework is unfamiliar to novice students. Recently we began using a video game to demonstrate and teach content of the course. The game provides a natural way to align instruction with constructivist theories on how people learn. Herein, we describe the game and present preliminary results demonstrating its effectiveness.

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

The paper describes how a video game is used to teach numerical methods to mechanical engineering... more The paper describes how a video game is used to teach numerical methods to mechanical engineering undergraduates. The video game provides an authentic and engaging context in which to learn computational techniques and concepts that are often dry and uninspiring. After outlining a study demonstrating that students in the video game-based course learn more deeply than students in more traditional textbook-based courses, we describe how learning outcomes are integrated into the game-play. We contrast the game-based assignments to typical textbook problems.

2005 Annual Conference Proceedings

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Brianno Coller is an Associate Professor of mechanical engineering. He started his research caree... more Brianno Coller is an Associate Professor of mechanical engineering. He started his research career applying fairly deep mathematical ideas to gain insight into how complex physical and engineering systems work. His work was theoretical and somewhat abstract. Since then, his research has evolved toward studying a different type of complex system: how students learn and become excited about engineering. In this endeavor, Coller is mostly a "nuts and bolts" practitioner, an engineer, and an experimentalist.

Computers in Human Behavior, 2016

In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and ski... more In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and skill), engagement, and immersion on learning in game-based learning environments. The data was gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.

ABSTRACT For the past several years, we have been developing video games for college students to ... more ABSTRACT For the past several years, we have been developing video games for college students to use as they study to become mechanical engineers. The games are used in courses which tend to be high theoretical, where students tend to have difficulty seeing how the complex mathematics applies to practical, real-world, engineering problems. Although the videogame-based challenges exist in a virtual simulated world, the problem-solving processes that students must engage in are authentic. To succeed in the game, students must think, act, and evaluate the way that engineers do. Since incorporating the videogames into the engineering courses, we have measured significant improvements in student learning. Also, we have measured significant gains in student engagement in their engineering coursework. Here, engagement is conceptualized in the framework of Flow theory, and measured using a technique called the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). Recently, we have begun embedding ESM into the game software in effort to make measurement of engagement less intrusive.

The paper presents results of a multi-year quasi-experimental study of student engagement during ... more The paper presents results of a multi-year quasi-experimental study of student engagement during which a video game was introduced into an undergraduate dynamic systems and control course. The video game, EduTorcs, provided challenges in which students devised control algorithms that drive virtual cars and ride virtual bikes through a simulated game environment. Engagement was conceptualized through the theoretical framework of flow and measured with a technique called the Experience Sampling Method. The study compared engagement and other experiential measures in the last year before the game was introduced and in the year in which the game was fully implemented for the first time. Furthermore, the investigation made attempts to find connections between in-the-moment engagement and characteristics of students and situational factors. Finally, the study compared enrollment rates into an advanced level dynamic systems and control course across years, comparing the percentage of students taking the game-based course who chose to pursue the subject further to that of students who took the course without the game.

One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completel... more One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completely redesigned. In the new numerical methods course, all assignments and learning experiences are built around a video/computer game. Students are given the task of writing computer programs to race a simulated car around a track. In doing so, students learn and implement numerical methods content. The paper describes a preliminary study to measure student engagement. Results show that students`playing' the video game in their homework are significantly more engaged than when working on homework in other engineering courses.

Students in an introductory engineering mechanics (statics) are randomly divided into two groups.... more Students in an introductory engineering mechanics (statics) are randomly divided into two groups. Both groups receive identical instruction except for roughly once time per week, for the first half of the semester. During these exceptional sessions, one group is given hands-on manipulatives with which to solidify concepts, while the other group is not. The degree of learning is assessed with a midterm multiple choice concept test and midterm problem solving whose questions have multiple interconnected parts. Overall, the two groups show no notable difference in learning. However, when one looks at electrical engineering (EE) students and mechanical engineering (ME) students separately, it appears that the EE students benefit from the hands-on exercises, while the ME students might be better without.

This paper reports on an investigation of student engagement with e-learning, using practitioner ... more This paper reports on an investigation of student engagement with e-learning, using practitioner reflection as a lens. Five e-learning practitioners each provided a case study from their teaching, which was the focus of practitioners' reflective accounts. Each of the practitioners had used e-learning as a way of promoting both learning and engagement in their classrooms, and while the 2 WINTER 2011 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Practitioner Reflections on Engineering Students' Engagement with e-Learning contexts in which they worked were varied, there were some emergent similarities in their experiences. The practitioners' reflections show that e-learning is used as a tool to promote various types of engagement from engineering students; indeed, students' engagement in some cases evolved beyond that which the practitioners had intended or anticipated. While the intended outcomes were certainly achieved, other emergent changes in student engagement were reported by the practitioners.

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Early in his academic career, he studied complex dynamics and control of nonlinear systems such a... more Early in his academic career, he studied complex dynamics and control of nonlinear systems such as turbulent boundary layers, turbomachine instabilities, aeroelastic instabilities, bicycle dynamics, and traffic. More recently he has been studying the complex nonlinear dynamics of students learning engineering in the context of a videogame.

Sustainability, 2020

Many game-based instructional designs have demonstrated effectiveness for a variety of educationa... more Many game-based instructional designs have demonstrated effectiveness for a variety of educational outcomes, although typically in limited contexts. In this article, we report the results of a four-year study testing the extent to which a game-based learning approach to undergraduate engineering education demonstrating promising results in a university course was transportable to other engineering courses and universities. We evaluated students’ conceptual understanding, emotional engagement (with the Experience Sampling Method), and experience when using the video game, Spumone, for their coursework compared to a textbook-based control condition. Multilevel models and other quantitative analyses showed that the effect of the experimental condition (i.e., game-based) on conceptual understanding and student engagement was not significant. Based on a content analysis of students’ feedback, however, the students reported a positive experience with game-based learning for their assignme...

Conference on Decision and Control, 2000

The paper outlines an effort to develop moderate dimensional computational models of the shear in... more The paper outlines an effort to develop moderate dimensional computational models of the shear instability and subsequent highly nonlinear vortex dynamics that occur in a planar diffuser. The ultimate goal is to use the model for testing and synthesis of a nontraditional approach to control that works by triggering instabilities rather than suppressing them. The models appear to capture many

Dynamic Systems and Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical engin... more Dynamic Systems and Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The subject is very mathematical and the mathematical framework is unfamiliar to novice students. Recently we began using a video game to demonstrate and teach content of the course. The game provides a natural way to align instruction with constructivist theories on how people learn. Herein, we describe the game and present preliminary results demonstrating its effectiveness.

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

2015 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings, 2000

Fluids 2000 Conference and Exhibit, 2000

In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and ski... more In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and skill), engagement, and immersion on learning in game-based learning environments. The data was
gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.

At Northern Illinois University, we are developing an advanced computing track within the undergr... more At Northern Illinois University, we are developing an advanced computing track within the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. The purpose of the track is to introduce our students to concepts normally taught to computer scientists: object oriented

Proceedings of the 2010 American Control Conference, 2010

Dynamic Systems & Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical enginee... more Dynamic Systems & Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The subject is very mathematical and the mathematical framework is unfamiliar to novice students. Recently we began using a video game to demonstrate and teach content of the course. The game provides a natural way to align instruction with constructivist theories on how people learn. Herein, we describe the game and present preliminary results demonstrating its effectiveness.

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

The paper describes how a video game is used to teach numerical methods to mechanical engineering... more The paper describes how a video game is used to teach numerical methods to mechanical engineering undergraduates. The video game provides an authentic and engaging context in which to learn computational techniques and concepts that are often dry and uninspiring. After outlining a study demonstrating that students in the video game-based course learn more deeply than students in more traditional textbook-based courses, we describe how learning outcomes are integrated into the game-play. We contrast the game-based assignments to typical textbook problems.

2005 Annual Conference Proceedings

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Brianno Coller is an Associate Professor of mechanical engineering. He started his research caree... more Brianno Coller is an Associate Professor of mechanical engineering. He started his research career applying fairly deep mathematical ideas to gain insight into how complex physical and engineering systems work. His work was theoretical and somewhat abstract. Since then, his research has evolved toward studying a different type of complex system: how students learn and become excited about engineering. In this endeavor, Coller is mostly a "nuts and bolts" practitioner, an engineer, and an experimentalist.

Computers in Human Behavior, 2016

In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and ski... more In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and skill), engagement, and immersion on learning in game-based learning environments. The data was gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.

ABSTRACT For the past several years, we have been developing video games for college students to ... more ABSTRACT For the past several years, we have been developing video games for college students to use as they study to become mechanical engineers. The games are used in courses which tend to be high theoretical, where students tend to have difficulty seeing how the complex mathematics applies to practical, real-world, engineering problems. Although the videogame-based challenges exist in a virtual simulated world, the problem-solving processes that students must engage in are authentic. To succeed in the game, students must think, act, and evaluate the way that engineers do. Since incorporating the videogames into the engineering courses, we have measured significant improvements in student learning. Also, we have measured significant gains in student engagement in their engineering coursework. Here, engagement is conceptualized in the framework of Flow theory, and measured using a technique called the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). Recently, we have begun embedding ESM into the game software in effort to make measurement of engagement less intrusive.

The paper presents results of a multi-year quasi-experimental study of student engagement during ... more The paper presents results of a multi-year quasi-experimental study of student engagement during which a video game was introduced into an undergraduate dynamic systems and control course. The video game, EduTorcs, provided challenges in which students devised control algorithms that drive virtual cars and ride virtual bikes through a simulated game environment. Engagement was conceptualized through the theoretical framework of flow and measured with a technique called the Experience Sampling Method. The study compared engagement and other experiential measures in the last year before the game was introduced and in the year in which the game was fully implemented for the first time. Furthermore, the investigation made attempts to find connections between in-the-moment engagement and characteristics of students and situational factors. Finally, the study compared enrollment rates into an advanced level dynamic systems and control course across years, comparing the percentage of students taking the game-based course who chose to pursue the subject further to that of students who took the course without the game.

One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completel... more One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completely redesigned. In the new numerical methods course, all assignments and learning experiences are built around a video/computer game. Students are given the task of writing computer programs to race a simulated car around a track. In doing so, students learn and implement numerical methods content. The paper describes a preliminary study to measure student engagement. Results show that students`playing' the video game in their homework are significantly more engaged than when working on homework in other engineering courses.

Students in an introductory engineering mechanics (statics) are randomly divided into two groups.... more Students in an introductory engineering mechanics (statics) are randomly divided into two groups. Both groups receive identical instruction except for roughly once time per week, for the first half of the semester. During these exceptional sessions, one group is given hands-on manipulatives with which to solidify concepts, while the other group is not. The degree of learning is assessed with a midterm multiple choice concept test and midterm problem solving whose questions have multiple interconnected parts. Overall, the two groups show no notable difference in learning. However, when one looks at electrical engineering (EE) students and mechanical engineering (ME) students separately, it appears that the EE students benefit from the hands-on exercises, while the ME students might be better without.

This paper reports on an investigation of student engagement with e-learning, using practitioner ... more This paper reports on an investigation of student engagement with e-learning, using practitioner reflection as a lens. Five e-learning practitioners each provided a case study from their teaching, which was the focus of practitioners' reflective accounts. Each of the practitioners had used e-learning as a way of promoting both learning and engagement in their classrooms, and while the 2 WINTER 2011 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Practitioner Reflections on Engineering Students' Engagement with e-Learning contexts in which they worked were varied, there were some emergent similarities in their experiences. The practitioners' reflections show that e-learning is used as a tool to promote various types of engagement from engineering students; indeed, students' engagement in some cases evolved beyond that which the practitioners had intended or anticipated. While the intended outcomes were certainly achieved, other emergent changes in student engagement were reported by the practitioners.

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Early in his academic career, he studied complex dynamics and control of nonlinear systems such a... more Early in his academic career, he studied complex dynamics and control of nonlinear systems such as turbulent boundary layers, turbomachine instabilities, aeroelastic instabilities, bicycle dynamics, and traffic. More recently he has been studying the complex nonlinear dynamics of students learning engineering in the context of a videogame.

Sustainability, 2020

Many game-based instructional designs have demonstrated effectiveness for a variety of educationa... more Many game-based instructional designs have demonstrated effectiveness for a variety of educational outcomes, although typically in limited contexts. In this article, we report the results of a four-year study testing the extent to which a game-based learning approach to undergraduate engineering education demonstrating promising results in a university course was transportable to other engineering courses and universities. We evaluated students’ conceptual understanding, emotional engagement (with the Experience Sampling Method), and experience when using the video game, Spumone, for their coursework compared to a textbook-based control condition. Multilevel models and other quantitative analyses showed that the effect of the experimental condition (i.e., game-based) on conceptual understanding and student engagement was not significant. Based on a content analysis of students’ feedback, however, the students reported a positive experience with game-based learning for their assignme...

Conference on Decision and Control, 2000

The paper outlines an effort to develop moderate dimensional computational models of the shear in... more The paper outlines an effort to develop moderate dimensional computational models of the shear instability and subsequent highly nonlinear vortex dynamics that occur in a planar diffuser. The ultimate goal is to use the model for testing and synthesis of a nontraditional approach to control that works by triggering instabilities rather than suppressing them. The models appear to capture many

Dynamic Systems and Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical engin... more Dynamic Systems and Control is one of the most difficult courses to teach in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The subject is very mathematical and the mathematical framework is unfamiliar to novice students. Recently we began using a video game to demonstrate and teach content of the course. The game provides a natural way to align instruction with constructivist theories on how people learn. Herein, we describe the game and present preliminary results demonstrating its effectiveness.

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

2015 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings, 2000

Fluids 2000 Conference and Exhibit, 2000

In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and ski... more In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and skill), engagement, and immersion on learning in game-based learning environments. The data was
gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.