Hands-on MADE 4 ME (Hands-on Machining, Analysis and Design Experiences for Mechanical Engineering)

该项目正在改变学生获取工程设计和制造知识的方式，将三轴台式数控(Computer Numerical Control)设备的使用整合到本科工程课程中。该项目最初的重点是本科工程课程的头两年。该项目正在创建一个新的动手集成设计和制造课程，将数控机床作为设计任务和产品制造的工具。计算机编程、数学和物理也被整合到课程中。具体来说，学生被要求编写计算机程序来控制机。初中和高年级的学生也参与其中，因为他们使用他们的设计技能来帮助开发廉价、容易制造的数控机床。由于工具开发是项目的一部分，维护和升级是本科课程的一部分。探究式课程为学生创造了一种动手体验教育。作为这一经历的结果，学生们增加了工程设计的知识，增强了分析能力，并增强了自信。由外部评估员对这些结果进行评估。使用“情景动机量表”来研究动机。自我效能感和更高的认知成就正在使用“学习动机策略问卷”和“元认知意识问卷”进行研究。该项目通过向所有感兴趣的大学、两年制大学和高中提供机器设计和课程来传播结果。

This project is transforming the way students acquire engineering design and manufacturing knowledge by integrating the use of three axis desktop CNC (Computer Numerical Control) equipment into an undergraduate engineering curriculum. The initial focus of the project is on the first two years of the undergraduate engineering curriculum. The program is creating a new hands-on integrated design and manufacturing curriculum that uses CNC machines both as a design task and as a tool for product manufacture. Computer programming, mathematics, and physics are also being integrated into the curriculum. Specifically, students are required to write computer programs to control the machine.Students at the junior and senior years are also involved because they use their design skills to help develop the inexpensive easily manufactured CNC machine tool. Because the tool development is part of the project, maintenance and upgrades are handled as part of the undergraduate curriculum.The inquiry-based curriculum creates a hands-on experiential education for the students. As a result of this experience students have an increased knowledge of engineering design, an increased analysis capability, and much more self-confidence. The evaluation of these outcomes is performed an external evaluator. Motivation is being studied using the "Situational Motivation Scale". Self-efficacy and higher cognitive achievement is being studied using the "Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire" and the "Metacognitive Awareness Inventory".The project is disseminating results by providing machine designs and curriculum to all interested universities, two-year colleges, and high schools.