Making The Connection - Using a Long-Term Sustainable Design Project to Integrate the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

该项目正在实施一种新的方法，在核心机械工程课程的四个学期中整合课程作业，使用一个长期设计项目，需要几门课程的工具，并专注于混合动力汽车的驱动系统。研究人员假设，这一延长的活动将大大加强学生的学习，特别是在跨课程的知识记忆以及学生解决问题和设计技能方面。在评估工作中，将测量知识保留和设计技能，并将其与干预前一年参加课程的学生组进行比较。传播活动包括张贴带有互动经验教训部分的材料、在全国会议上举办教师讲习班、会议报告和期刊出版物。由于这项工作的模块化性质，这种方法可以很容易地适用于其他机构，无论这些机构是以本科为主的小型机构还是大型研究型大学。更广泛的影响包括广泛的传播努力和课程中对新混合技术的强调，这种技术将满足行业对具有这些技能的毕业生的需求。

The project is implementing a novel approach to integrate coursework in four semesters of the core mechanical engineering curriculum using a long-term design project requiring tools from several courses and focusing on the drive train for a hybrid vehicle. The investigators hypothesize that this extended activity will substantially enhance student learning, particularly with regard to knowledge retention across courses and student problem solving and design skills. In the evaluation effort, both knowledge retention and design skills will be measured and compared with the group of students taking the courses in the year before the intervention. Dissemination activities include posting material with an interactive lessons learned component, faculty workshops at national meetings, conference presentations, and journal publications. Owing to the modular nature of this work, the approach can be easily adapted to other institutions, whether they be small predominantly undergraduate institutions or large research universities. Broader impacts include the wide dissemination efforts and the emphasis in the curriculum on the new hybrid technology that will meet industry's need for graduates with these skills.