CES527: Indeterminate Structures is not just about calculating forces — it’s about understanding the thinking behind structural behaviour. In the age of AI, this course was redesigned to include AI-aware assessment that promotes structural reasoning, reflection, and ethical engagement with generative tools like ChatGPT.
This innovation integrates advanced prompting techniques such as Prompt Chaining, Role Prompting, Purpose Prompting, and Chain of Thought (CoT) into a blended learning structure. Students don’t just receive answers — they interact with AI critically, evaluate its flaws, and reflect deeply on concepts like equilibrium, moment distribution, and bending moment diagrams.
Implemented over three semesters, this initiative shows how AI can be leveraged not for shortcuts, but for shaping engineers who think. The result: a richer, more responsible learning experience — where assessment becomes part of the teaching process.
What Makes This Innovation Unique?
Blending Minds, Not Just Modes. This approach goes beyond blended delivery — it blends cognitive processes. Students are guided through structured tasks to interact meaningfully with AI, critique outputs, and build their own conceptual understanding. The core techniques include:
- Prompt Chaining – guiding students to revise and improve prompts iteratively
- Role Prompting – placing AI in roles such as “senior engineer” or “peer reviewer”
- Purpose Prompting – aligning AI output with specific engineering goals
- Chain of Thought (CoT) – encouraging students to trace logical reasoning steps
This structured prompting encourages ethical use of AI and builds metacognitive awareness — essential for future-ready engineers.
Weekly Learning Flow (Blended Format)
| Week | AI-Aware Activity | Mode | CLO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 3 | Use prompt chaining with ChatGPT to evaluate structural logic | Online | CLO2 |
| Week 4 | Submit Google Form reflection on AI misconceptions | Online | CLO2 |
| Week 5 | In-class discussion on moment distribution + student presentations | Face-to-face | CLO2 |
| Week 6 | Final reflective write-up using AI-aware rubric | Online | CLO4 |
Student Experience & Reflections
Student feedback shows strong engagement and transformation:
- “I now understand why the bending moment diagram behaves that way.”
- “The AI was wrong at first — but I realised it helped me spot my own mistake.”
- “This is the first time I reflected on how I solved a problem, not just what the answer was.”
Tools used:
- Google Form (guided weekly reflections)
- Padlet (public student feedback and discussion)
Learning Impact Across 3 Cohorts
The initiative was implemented in:
- Semester 20242
- Semester 20244
- Semester 20252
Across all three groups, students showed:
- Improved structural reasoning
- Higher metacognitive awareness
- Greater understanding of AI limitations
- Increased ethical sensitivity in using AI tools
Supporting Materials
- Download the AI-Aware Assessment Rubric (PDF)
- View Student Reflections (Padlet)
- Open eBook: Evidence for AKRI 2025 Submission
Note
This page is part of the official documentation for the AKRI 2025 submission under the category Blended Immersive Learning. All materials and reflections were developed and implemented by Ts. Dr. Suhailah Mohamed Noor at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Pulau Pinang.