AUTHOR=Saha Promothes 
  
TITLE=Effectiveness of in-class excel-based active learning activities for transportation engineering courses
  
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Education
  
VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2022
  
YEAR=2022
  
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.879174
  
DOI=10.3389/feduc.2022.879174
  
ISSN=2504-284X
  
ABSTRACT=Recently, transportation engineering industry members showed concern that students lacked the skills need to solve real-world engineering problems using spreadsheet data analysis. In response to the concerns shown by industry members, this study investigated how to engage students in a better way by incorporating spreadsheet analysis during class - also, help them learning the course topics. Helping students link theoretical knowledge to real-world problems can be a challenge. In this effort, in-class activities and worksheets were redesigned to integrate with Excel to solve example problems using built-in tools including cell referencing, equations, data analysis tool pack, solver tool, conditional formatting, charts etc. The effectiveness of this technique was investigated using students’ evaluations of the course, enrollment data, and students’ comments. Based on the data of those criteria, it is evident that the spreadsheet activities may increase student learning.