Smiths contributions to engineering education encompass work in cooperative learning and knowledge engineering applications. He published a paper in the Journal of Engineering Education', in 1981, introducing cooperative learning in engineering literature. During the early 1980s, he conducted some of the first randomized design empirical studies on cooperative learning in engineering classes. Subsequently, in the late 1980s, he transitioned from engineering research to education research, particularly focusing on cooperative learning and structured controversy, as his emphasis shifted towards teaching and research on project and knowledge management. This research addressed the critical needs of enhancing student learning, deepening understanding, and fostering collaborative skills. Beyond cooperative learning, his work included structured academic controversy, aimed at facilitating comprehensive understanding of complex issues through argument development and cooperative learning strategies.
Smith published books on this topic, including Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom with David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson, providing strategies for college faculty to implement cooperative learning. They also co-authored Cooperative learning: Increasing College Faculty Instructional Productivity, in which they delved into the basics of cooperative learning, and he discussed how cooperative learning changed college teaching in New Paradigms for College Teaching that he co-edited with William E. Campbell. Later, in 2000, he wrote Teamwork and Project Management, where he emphasized key skills for engineering success, including teamwork, problem-solving, and project management.