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

该项目正在开发新的模块化学习材料、资源和策略，以将协同计算和实验活动整合到机械和制造工程课程的12门课程中，课程跨度从大二到大四，采用工作室的形式。五个计算实验（ComEx）工作室旨在将概念、理论、模拟和现实世界的跨学科工程应用联系起来，让学生在课堂之外帮助培养批判性思维技能和解决问题的技巧。每个学习ComEx工作室都包含学习成果，问题描述，与课程概念的联系，背景信息，相关模型或实验，解决方法，计算方法，解决方案，通过数值和实验测试验证，以及概念或方法的跨学科应用。通过将学生置于展示多种解决方案的场景中，ComEx的每个工作室都旨在培养学生的批判性思维、独立决策和解决问题的迭代方法。ComEx工作室将用于在线传播，以便广泛采用，并将纳入正在进行的外展计划，以招收女性和少数民族学生。项目材料和结果正通过网络张贴、在全国会议上的发言、校内和校外讲习班以及期刊出版物传播。评估工作由大学的评估和评估中心进行，使用学生调查、教师访谈、焦点小组和课堂观察来监测进展。更广泛的影响包括广泛传播教学材料和着重征聘少数民族和妇女。

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.