Research on Teaching Innovation Practice of Fundamentals of Materials Engineering

As a required course for materials-related majors, the Fundamentals of Materials Engineering is offered in many universities. However, traditional teaching of Fundamentals of Materials Engineering faces issues such as the disconnection between theoretical knowledge and practical engineering problems, limited focus on students' skill development and personal growth, and inadequate support for cultivating higher-order thinking and entrepreneurial abilities. Thus, it leads to students lacking the ability to innovate and solve practical engineering problems. In response to the needs of new engineering disciplines construction and the development of new quality productive forces, teaching reform is imperative. Therefore, this research adopts a student-centered educational approach that emphasizes character development, aligns with modern pedagogical frameworks, and incorporates advanced teaching standards aimed at fostering innovation, complexity, and high-level thinking. With the main focus on incorporating high-level thinking and innovation education and cultivating a sense of patriotism and the ability to solve complex engineering problems, the teaching content has been restructured, engineering cases have been developed, and value-oriented case studies have been designed, and multi-dimensional assessment and evaluation have been formed. The outcomes of the teaching reform practices demonstrated significant improvements in student engagement and learning effectiveness.