Advanced Computing and Programming in the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

这项建议的目标是将先进的计算知识和技术有效地整合到本科机械工程课程中。这一整合的载体是为机械工程专业的学生创造一个创新的、引人入胜的高级计算轨道或专业。第一个项目将在伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校实施；然而，该项目将为可移植性而开发，以便交付成果，特别是新的顶峰课程，将极大地帮助其他学校实施根据其特定需求量身定做的课程改革。因此，它的影响将远远超出UIC校园。该项目的动机是计算机和信息技术在机械工程中声称的持久角色：嵌入式微处理器在工程系统中已变得司空见惯，工程设计和测试的企业已经迁移到虚拟和模拟环境。这些趋势突显了这样一个事实，即对工程师来说，良好的计算实践正变得与良好的实验室实践和健全的数学一样重要。该提案解决了这样一个事实，即本科生工程师在过去几十年中在编程方面的培训几乎没有变化。而且，虽然学生们正以越来越快的速度接触到强大的商业软件工具，但潜在的基本计算原理通常被忽视了。拟议的项目可能会通过以下结果列表进行总结，这些结果将由独立评估者进行评估，以确定活动是否成功：结果#1：灌输高级计算和编程技能。机械工程专业的学生将学习通常只教给计算机科学家的技能和概念：面向对象编程、数据结构、算法设计、图形界面、大规模科学计算等。作为该提案的核心内容的顶峰课程，将把计算机科学主题与机械工程科学和机械工程设计结合在一起。成果#2：培养更好的工程师。虽然学生将学习计算机科学，但目标是让他们成为更好的工程师。由于工程师只能使用他们所知道的，调查人员假设这些学生将更好地为信息时代做好准备，认识到如何在机械和热/流体设备和系统的设计中使用和利用IT工具和概念。结果#3：吸引少数族裔中学生。研究人员利用中学生以一种有意义的方式参与该项目的巨大机会：作为虚拟飞机的飞行员，本科生设计。学生们接触到了令人兴奋的工程学世界，学习了高级数学和物理的重要作用。成果#4：创造出一款便携产品。该项目的最终目标是创建一个可交付成果：为先进的计算轨道奠定基础，其他机构的机械工程系可以相对容易和较少的成本采用和调整以适应自己的目的。尤其是顶石球场，可以用于这一目的。我们将制作相当数量的软件基础设施和教育材料，在网上自由分发，我们有一个宣传策略。研究人员的专业领域涵盖了机械工程的大部分广泛学科。该团队由一名计算机科学家和一名软件工程专家组成。他们处于有利地位，可以为UIC和Beyonon的机械工程本科生创造宝贵的教育经验。

The objective of this proposal is the meaningful integration of advanced computing knowledge and techniques into the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. The vehicle for this integration is the creation of an innovative and engaging advanced computing track or specialization for mechanical engineering students. The first implementation will be at the University of Illinois at Chicago; however, the project will be developed for portability, so that deliverables, especially a new capstone course, will greatly aid other schools in implementing curricular changes tailored to their particular needs. It will thus impact students well beyond the UIC campus.The project is motivated by the lasting roles that computing and information technologies have claimed in mechanical engineering: embedded microprocessors have become commonplace in engineered systems, and the enterprise of engineering design and testing have been migrating to virtual and simulated environments. These trends underscore the fact that good computing practice is becoming as important to engineers as good laboratory practice and sound mathematics.The proposal addresses the fact that the undergraduate engineer's training in programming has evolved little over the last few decades. And, while students are being exposed to powerful commercial software tools at an increasing rate, the underlying fundamental computational principles are generally overlooked.The proposed project may be summarized by the following list of outcomes, which will be assessed by an independent evaluator to determine if the activity is a success:Outcome # 1: Instill advanced computing and programming skills. Mechanical engineering students will learn skills and concepts that are normally only taught to computer scientists: object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithm design, graphical interfaces, large scale scientific computing, and more. A capstone course, which constitutes the centerpiece of the proposal, will integrate the computer science topics with mechanical engineering science and mechanical engineering design.Outcome # 2: Develop better engineers. Although students will be learning computer science, the goal is to make them better engineers. Since engineers can only use what they know, the investigators hypothesize that these students will be better equipped for the information age, recognizing how IT tools and concepts can be used and exploited in the design of mechanical and thermal/fluid devices and systems.Outcome #3: Engage minority middle school students. The investigators capitalize on great opportunities for middle school students to participate in the project in a meaningful way: as pilots of virtual aircraft the undergraduates design. The students are exposed to the exciting world of engineering, learning the important roles of high-level mathematics and physics.Outcome #4: Create a portable product. The final objective of the project is to create a deliverable: the foundation for an advanced computing track that mechanical engineering departments at other institutions may adopt and adapt to suit their own purposes with relative ease and little cost. The capstone course, in particular, can be used for this purpose. We shall produce a considerable amount of software infrastructure and educational materials to distribute freely over the web and we have a strategy to publicize it.The investigators' areas of expertise span much of the broad discipline of mechanical engineering. The team is complemented by a computer scientist, a specialist in software engineering. They are well-positioned to create the valuable educational experience for mechanical engineering undergraduates at UIC and beyond.0