This project aims to serve the national interest by improving undergraduate education in engineering and in physics. The Physics Department at Bethel University has a substantial history of teaching physics using open-ended labs and inquiry-based student research. The department has recently expanded to become a Physics and Engineering Department that also offers four-year engineering degrees. One of the challenges of supporting both the physics and engineering degree programs is teaching scientific research and engineering design using shared equipment, lab spaces, and faculty. As a unifying interdisciplinary theme that builds on the department’s strengths, the project will focus on optical measurements. New measurement devices will be designed and built that primarily use light as a precise tool to observe mechanical, thermal, and electronic processes. These devices will be used in project-based learning activities, so that students can learn physics topics and engineering design in the same laboratory facilities. Student learning outcomes will be assessed to determine the impact of the project-based learning experiences on students’ understanding of physics and their engineering design skills. The study will also examine how interdisciplinary teams of students interact and engage with research and design projects. The project will help prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists to address technical and teamwork challenges they will encounter in the STEM workforce.
The goal of this project is to help students learn physics principles and the engineering design process through project-based learning. Techniques from advanced optical physics labs will be adapted for use in the undergraduate engineering curriculum. A suite of low-cost, compact, infrastructure-free optical techniques will be developed for project-based learning activities. These include a schlieren device compatible with a cell phone camera for imaging fluid flows and heat transfer; compact digital holography for measurements of thermal expansion and Young's modulus; and a laser power servo controller for stabilizing and modulating a laser's output. These devices will be used in undergraduate engineering courses for guided lab activities and student-led projects. Learning assessments accompanying each device will quantify students' progress in learning course content and developing skills in experimental techniques. Additionally, optical techniques will be expanded to include more sophisticated apparatus, providing opportunities for students to engage in open-ended projects and learn aspects of engineering design. Three labs will be designed to accompany three interdisciplinary, upper-level courses, namely, fluid mechanics, a materials and devices course, and an optical science and engineering course. While teaching interdisciplinary upper-level courses with these open-ended projects, the project team will study the effectiveness of this teaching approach, including whether the projects are effective for teaching engineering design and experimental techniques as well as the ways in which students develop ownership and enthusiasm for their projects. Results of the project will be disseminated through professional conferences and journals that focus on physics and engineering education. The documentation for the devices will be disseminated through online repositories so that other institutions can adopt the technologies in their curricula. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
