From Prelab Preparation to Critical Discussion: A Qualitative Case Study of a Redesigned Thermofluids Heat Exchanger Laboratory

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Research in Education

Year: 2026

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From Prelab Preparation to Critical Discussion: A Qualitative Case Study of a Redesigned Thermofluids Heat Exchanger Laboratory

Dr. Fikriye Kaya, Samuel Woodford, Rune Oderløkken

ABSTRACT:

This paper presents a qualitative exploratory case study of a redesigned thermofluids laboratory cen- tred on a parallel plate heat exchanger. The instructional design combined multisensory prelab prepa- ration, guided practicum work, conscious computer-based data collection, and structured academic- writing support. Before attending the laboratory, students completed a worksheet that introduced the apparatus, directed them to a prelab video, and asked them to fill in key operational and conceptual information. This preparation was intended to help students arrive with enough familiarity with the equipment to participate more actively in data-collection decisions rather than treating the computer output as a default record. During the practicum, students collected temperature and flow data in groups while having access to the laboratory technician and instructor, with increased emphasis on selecting meaningful data, recognising steady and transitional behaviour, and connecting measurements to heat exchanger performance. Afterward, they used guiding questions and an expanded report-writing manual to develop a formal laboratory report, including introduction, theory, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion, with particular emphasis on critical thinking in the discussion section. The redesigned implementation is discussed in relation to the previous year’s heat exchanger laboratory, where stu- dents compared three exchanger types and relied more on default data-collection settings. Report pass rates were quantitatively comparable across the two years, approximately 72–73%, indicating that the redesigned structure maintained similar overall completion outcomes. This comparable quantitative re- sult provides a basis for examining qualitative learning-process changes rather than claiming improved pass/fail performance. Instructor and laboratory technician observations indicated improved procedu- ral readiness, more focused student questions, more conscious engagement with data collection, and stronger connections between experimental work and report writing. The paper contributes a trans- ferable model for integrating prelab video, worksheet-guided inquiry, hands-on experimentation, and academic-writing support in engineering laboratory education.

Keywords: Academic Writing; Critical Thinking; Data Collection; Laboratory Learning; Thermofluids