Assessing the Value and Balance of In-Class Demos and Videos in Fluid Mechanics Lecture

The use of in-class demonstrations and videos in an introductory fluid mechanics can have many positive outcomes in regards to student learning and engagement. However, the face-to-face class time an instructor has during lecture is a valuable commodity which can disappear all too quickly given the amount of topics to be covered, example problems, exams, etc. Thus, there is a balance to be struck amongst the various in-class activities, which must also factor in the amount of preparation time demanded of the instructor. This paper examines the utility of in-class demonstrations and videos using student surveys and feedback from both the instructor and students. Survey results reveal that students see the benefits of videos and in-class demonstrations differently and generally agree on the balance to be struck in the how class time is allocated. The results further reveal how students view in-class time in light of the opportunity to have a flipped, or partially flipped course whereby students watch lecture content outside of class. Student recall for relevant fluid mechanic concepts highlighted during demos is discussed. Additionally, the paper describes some of the specific fluid mechanics demonstrations and videos while providing references to other resources.