An interactive conceptual approach to support the teaching and learning of green technology

Most students are used to memorizing formulas without fully understanding the fundamental principles when they are studying science-related subjects. This phenomenon is also common in learning green technology in both tertiary education institutions and secondary schools, especially in large class-sized situations. It is a daunting challenge for the teachers to assess whether the students really understand the topics taught or whether they simply apply the equations they have memorized to get the right answers. This project proposed the development of a teaching kit consisting of components to enable students to build different green technology systems, thereby facilitating learning. The prototypes of teaching kit with different topics (i.e. green technology, renewable energy, and water treatment) were designed and fabricated as an interactive conceptual approach to facilitate the understanding of the fundamental theories. By using the universal building components of the kit, students have to create their own models based on the selected topics. This approach enables the students to connect conceptual ideas to the physical systems in a more direct and meaningful way. The proposed approach and prototypes were successfully applied to facilitate students’ understanding of the concepts of green technology. An evaluation was conducted before and after the trial programme, and most of the respondents agreed (students, n = 316; teachers, n = 18) that the teaching kit and associated activities could effectively enhance and facilitate the teaching and learning of green technology through the tailor-made teaching kits. Copyright © 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.