June 2000–November 2002
Faculty in Mechanical Engineering transformed the introductory course, Mechanics and Materials, away from the traditional large lecture format and towards a Scientific Discovery model where students participate actively. The course discarded passive lectures in favor of a new instructional format where students performed small-group in-class experiments with desktop equipment, to explore phenomena before they were formally covered in lecture. The faculty also created Web-based learning modules for courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
They also developed a mechatronics toolkit for use with laptops, to be used in the classroom/laboratory to run experiments and at home to interface with household appliances, power tools, toys, and workout equipment. The kit included a range of sensors, a data acquisition system, a motion controller, motors, and an easy-to-use software package, allowing users to monitor and control almost anything they desired.
Investigators: Prof. Mary Boyce, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Prof. Sanjay Sarma, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering