The project is developing new modular learning materials, resources, and strategies for integrating synergistic computational and experimental activities into twelve courses in the mechanical and manufacturing engineering curriculum spanning the sophomore to the senior year using a studio format. Five computational-experimental (ComEx) studios are being designed to connect concepts, theory, simulation, and real world interdisciplinary engineering applications by engaging students beyond the classroom to help develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques. Each learning ComEx studio contains learning outcomes, problem descriptions, connections to course concepts, background information, related models or experiments, solution approaches, computational methods, solutions, validation through numerical and experimental testing, and interdisciplinary applications of the concept or approach. By placing students in a scenario presenting multiple approaches to a solution, each ComEx studio is designed to engage students in critical thinking, independent decision making, and an iterative approach to problem solving. The ComEx studios will be designed for online dissemination to enable widespread adoption and they will be integrated into an on-going outreach program to recruit female and minority students. Project material and results are being disseminated through web postings, presentations at national meetings, on- and off-campus workshops, and journal publications. The evaluation effort, being conducted by the University's assessment and evaluation center, is using student surveys, instructor interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations to monitor progress. Broader impacts include the wide dissemination of the instructional material and the focus on recruiting minorities and women.
This two year project, supported by NSF’s Division of Undergraduate Education, has brought to fruition a multi-purpose web based resource to develop skills in the development, validation and application of computational methods and experimental data in the various fields of engineering. While this was the primary outcome for the project, the development of suitable assessment instruments, utilization of content by other academic institutes, survey data based continuous improvement, and enhanced student learning have also been attained. The educational material developed for this project is attached to the entire mechanical engineering curriculum and presented in the form of four subject specific studios in the areas of, i) Materials, ii) Dynamics, Vibrations and Controls, iii) Thermo-Fluids and iv) Design and Manufacturing. A fifth studio serves as a central repository for references and tutorials pertaining to the subject areas. The learning modules housed in each of the studios feature a distinct computational-experimental (ComEx) format. The ComEx learning modules are accessible through a central website and may be used to introduce new content to courses, provide structured opportunities for independent learning, introduce lab derived activities to traditional lecture-only classes, and contribute to student preparedness for participation in research projects with faculty. Each studio represents a thematic grouping of courses ranging from the sophomore to the senior level. The learning modules have, therefore, been designed to allow progressive utilization and exploration of more advanced concepts. The provision of expansive downloadable data files allows faculty to modify worksheet assignments and also poses to students the challenge of selecting relevant data for a given analysis. Furthermore, the adoption of a consistent presentation format which outlines the objectives and outcomes of the exercise before an introduction, description and worksheet is intended to facilitate student utilization. Original image and video content has been developed to stimulate user interest in the modules. One assessment instrument used every semester has been the student self-assessment forms which are completed online. This data along with an assessment process involving external reviewers has been used to make improvements to the project. The ComEx learning modules have been used by faculty at two other institutes and efforts will continue to disseminate the material further. Discussions and analyses of various aspects of the project such as motivation, structure, implementation, assessment and revision of the learning modules have yielded several presentations and conference proceedings at high quality ASME and ASEE conferences. The format of the learning modules lends itself well to updating and revision by the faculty, thereby, ensuring a long project life cycle.
