TUES: Development and Integration of Synergistic Computational and Experimental Activities within the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Curriculum

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The project is developing new modular learning materials, resources, and strategies for integrating synergistic computational and experimental activities into twelve courses in the mechanical and manufacturing engineering curriculum spanning the sophomore to the senior year using a studio format. Five computational-experimental (ComEx) studios are being designed to connect concepts, theory, simulation, and real world interdisciplinary engineering applications by engaging students beyond the classroom to help develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques. Each learning ComEx studio contains learning outcomes, problem descriptions, connections to course concepts, background information, related models or experiments, solution approaches, computational methods, solutions, validation through numerical and experimental testing, and interdisciplinary applications of the concept or approach. By placing students in a scenario presenting multiple approaches to a solution, each ComEx studio is designed to engage students in critical thinking, independent decision making, and an iterative approach to problem solving. The ComEx studios will be designed for online dissemination to enable widespread adoption and they will be integrated into an on-going outreach program to recruit female and minority students. Project material and results are being disseminated through web postings, presentations at national meetings, on- and off-campus workshops, and journal publications. The evaluation effort, being conducted by the University's assessment and evaluation center, is using student surveys, instructor interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations to monitor progress. Broader impacts include the wide dissemination of the instructional material and the focus on recruiting minorities and women.