Laboratory instruction is under siege because space, capital equipment funds, and faculty time are all in short supply. In response, computer simulations commonly replace hands-on laboratory experiences. Computer simulations are powerful tools, but they must be linked directly to physical phenomena if they are to teach the physical realities of engineering. The purpose of this project is to develop simulation software and matched experiments that will enable students of statics and mechanics of materials courses to conduct side-by-side, real time comparisons of Analytical and Experimental results of small-scale model tests in a portable, PC-controlled laboratory called "ANNEX." ANEX has been developed and implemented successfully in junior-level structural analysis courses at UMR and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Newly developed software and matched experiments (called "MECH-ANEX") will extend ANEX to address a broader audience of lower-division undergraduates, thus increasing the utility of ANEX stations and the probability that ANEX will make a national impact on undergraduate laboratory instruction. MECH-ANEX software will include lecture reinforcement and case study modules tailored to several engineering disciplines that typically require statics and mechanics of materials courses in their curricula. In addition, a complete set of matched, bench-scale experiments will be developed. MECH-ANEX will be integrated into the UMR curriculum, assessed over a multi-semester trial period, and presented in a series of national seminars and workshops. This project will produce an innovative model for lecture and laboratory integration with potential applications across the engineering and science disciplines.
