An Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineering Students

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The objective of this project is to restructure the first half of the engineering curriculum in terms of objectives, content, and instructional methodology. The content is organized in three new interwoven areas: Fundamentals of Engineering (FE); Mathematical and Scientific Foundations of Engineering (MSFE); and Engineering Laboratory (EL). FE changes, unifies,integrates and presents in a different way the material now contained in several courses in several departments. MSFE changes, unifies, integrates and presents in a different way the material now contained in several courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology. EL provides significant new experiences in laboratory theory and practice. Central to the changes is that the three areas are coupled and synchronized to complement one another. This manner of organizing the content is expected to be more effective for student learning and more efficient in the use of student time. This should allow more material to be included in this part of the curriculum and help the student to understand better the interrelationships between the various topics. Methods for presentation are heavily oriented toward interactive computer use and the use of electronic media. Both content and methodology focus on the fundamentals of engineering as the unifying theme, the intimate relations with science and mathematics, and the reliance on experimental methods. The co-op program introduces a new area called Professional and Personal Enrichment (PPE). This area focuses on developing a culture for life-long learning by providing a variety of self-directed enriching educational experiences. Matching funds commited by the institution exceed NSF funds for this project.