This project engages mechanical engineering (ME) students by exposing them to relevant real-world problems by making use of a new state-of-the art energy-efficient Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified academic building by: (1) incorporating learning opportunities that integrate energy consumption and sustainability, and (2) developing hands-on process control laboratory experiments that supplement traditional classroom learning. The new experiments and inductive learning platforms are incorporated into an ongoing redesign of the ME program that creates a more cooperative and student-centric learning environment. The project will provide assessments of student learning outcomes that result from the new case-based and experiential learning approaches, and disseminate new curricular materials that will be modular and adaptable to a wide range of control systems curricula. A key outcome of this effort is the examination of the role of first-hand experiences and curricular improvements in attracting and retaining diverse students traditionally underrepresented in mechanical engineering.
