Development of Learning Materials for an Undergraduate-Level Structural Engineering Instrumentation and Measurements Laboratory Course

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Engineering - Civil (54)The goal of the Structural Engineering Instrumentation and Measurements (SEIM) Laboratory is to integrate current technological advances in structural instrumentation and testing into the undergraduate civil engineering curriculum. This will be done by providing students with opportunities to learn through inquiry rather than simple transmission of knowledge, training in oral and written communication skills, and access to first-class laboratory facilities. Project goals are achieved through the use of learning materials for a set of comprehensive and challenging laboratory modules that resemble real-world situations. Junior-level students are working in a team-centered environment, under the guidance of a faculty member, to design their own experiments that address a specific objective. The modules, which progressively increase in complexity, challenge students to reach a deeper level of understanding by clearly defining an engineering problem, creatively outlining several testing approaches, successfully formulating a convincing argument, and effectively communicating with group members. This learner-centered, discovery-based approach to an interdisciplinary topic strengthens students' technical and practical experiences while intensifying their enthusiasm for learning. Faculty partners at two educational institutions will implement these learning materials and provide feedback from their experiences. This multi-institution, cross-state collaborative effort provides valuable information that directly contributes to the continued development and improvement of learning materials. The project also includes an extensive assessment and project evaluation effort, led by an external evaluator currently developing physics education material. The evaluator brings a unique and balanced perspective to the project team with a background in both education and science.