LDAPS: An Innovative Solution for a Low-Cost, Exciting Laboratory Class in Engineering

这个目标 该项目是为工科学生和文科专业的学生编制一个关于实验室实验的课程。 的 课程 跨越 两 课程： 一个面向文科学生（主要是从事教师培训计划的职前教师）和一年级工程师的入门课程，以及一个所需的初级机械工程 当然了 在导言 当然， 学生集中于简单的实验技术，学习如何将计算机连接到实验中，以及如何对数据进行简单的统计分析。高级课程的学生学习数据采集系统背后的电子学，学习更深入的信号处理，并提高口头和书面技能。 该课程基于LDAPS或LegoTM数据采集， 原型系统，这是一个教学 这项技术最初是为K-6科学教育开发的。LDAP系统使用LegoTM积木和LabVIEWTM计算机界面为学生提供设计，构建，仪器和执行自己的实验的工具。LegoTM积木让学生可以自由设计实验装置，而LabVIEWTM提供 有效询问数据所需的信号处理自由度。 例如，学生们通过建造LegoTM灰度扫描仪学习了先进的数字滤波技术，并通过建造一辆试图驾驶的汽车学习了主动控制 周围 障碍. 这种教学 技术 在试点研究中成功实施，学生评价很好。

The goal of this project is to develop a curriculum for engineering students and liberal arts majors on laboratory experimentation. The curriculum spans two courses: an introductory class geared for liberal arts students (mainly pre-service teachers engaged in teacher preparation programs) and first-year engineers, and a required junior-level mechanical engineering course. In the introductory course, students concentrate on simple experimentation techniques, learning how to interface a computer to an experiment and how to do simple statistical analysis of the data. Students in the upper-level course learn the electronics behind the data acquisition systems, learn more in-depth signal processing, and work on oral and written skills. The curriculum is based on the LDAPS, or LegoTM Data Acquisition and Prototyping System, which is a pedagogical technique originally developed for K-6 science education. The LDAP System uses LegoTM building blocks and a LabVIEWTM computer interface to provide the tools for students to design, build, instrument, and execute their own experiments. The LegoTM blocks give the student the freedom in designing the experimental setup and LabVIEWTM gives the signal processing freedom needed to effectively interrogate the data. For example, students learned advanced digital filtering techniques by building a LegoTM gray-scale scanner and active control through building a car which tries to drive around obstacles. This pedagogical technique was successfully implemented in a pilot study, with excellent student reviews.