Collaborative Research: Multi-Scale Experimental Mechanics Education Module

本项目致力于将固体力学实验与材料可视化相结合，加强本科生的固体力学教学，帮助学生对抽象的工程概念建立适当的心理模型，以促进学习。这项工作采用了多长度尺度的材料表征和可视化，用于固体力学教育、基于网络的教育模块和体验式学习。这项研究的广泛影响是有助于未来专业工程师的基础固体力学教育，并增加能够将STEM进步转化为工程创新的临界人数。本研究项目旨在通过建立材料结构和固体力学的关系来初步检验力学教育的有效性，以帮助学生理解工程中复杂和抽象的概念。为了了解建议的方法是否可以改善学生的学习和对所涵盖课程材料的保留，我们使用了初级特质分析、学生学习收益评估调查和个别学生访谈来分析和比较学生的学习结果与传统方法。学生心理模型表征的变化正在通过一种面向语言的方法来分析，用于开放问题的文本和图形表示。实验前和实验后被用来比较和跟踪学生心理表征的变化。这些措施也被用来比较对照组和治疗组。学生的知觉和动机特征正在使用先前由项目人员设计和验证的多尺度问卷工具进行评估。

This project focuses on combining solid mechanics experimentation and material visualization to enhance undergraduate solid mechanics education and assist students to develop appropriate mental models of abstract engineering concepts to enhance learning. This effort employs multiple length scale material characterization and visualization for solid mechanics education, web-based education modules, and experiential learning. A broad impact of this research is a contribution to the education of future professional engineers in fundamental solid mechanics and increase in the critical number of individuals who are capable of translating STEM advances into engineering innovations.This research project is pilot testing the effectiveness of mechanics education by establishing the relation of material structure and solid mechanics, which can assist students in understanding complex and abstract concepts in engineering. To understand whether the proposed approach can improve student learning and retention of course materials covered, Primary Trait Analysis, Student Assessment of Learning Gains Surveys, and individual student interviews are being used to analyze and compare students' learning outcomes with conventional methods. Changes in Student Mental Model Representation are being analyzed through a language-oriented methodology for text and graphical representations of open problems. Pre- and post-experiments are being used to compare and track changes in students' mental representation. The measures are also being used to compare control and treatment groups. Students' perceptual and motivational characteristics are being assessed using a multi-scale questionnaire instrument previously designed and validated by project personnel.