The project adapts work on thermal systems laboratories at University of Virginia, US Naval Academy, and Union College to establish an undergraduate laboratory in thermal engineering technology for three undergraduate thermal science courses. The project provides students with hands-on experiences of abstract concepts discussed in lecture and allows exceptional undergraduate students the opportunity to learn about the subject material in more depth by co-designing and constructing an experimental apparatus. Furthermore, it supports collaboration between faculty to enhance the learning experience of undergraduate students and provides potential future teachers experience in the design of educational materials. Finally, it develops a model that can be used in the development of other laboratory experiments in the institution's mechanical engineering curriculum. Experimental stations are being constructed and tested by undergraduate students who have recently completed the courses into which the experiments are being implemented. The project addresses the DUE themes of teacher preparation, faculty development, and integration of technology in education. The evaluation program, under the direction of a collaborator from the Center for Mathematics and Science Education Research, includes student interviews and surveys, classroom observation, and follow-up studies with faculty members teaching in subsequent courses. The investigators plan to disseminate the organization and evaluation of the project, along with two lab manuals, through conference presentations, journal articles, and web site postings.
