Author: Mark Edelen, Howard Community College
Short Description: Students in this design course can work as a team to solve real life engineering problems, and in the process, get an insight into the limitations imposed by structure, cost and design.
Implementation Levels: Introductory Engineering Design courses. Examples: Statics (ENES 120) at Howard Community College; Mechanics I (ENES 102) at the University of Maryland.
Description
Engineering design is one of the effective pathways to challenge students’ creativity and provide opportunity to develop their analytical/technical skills. Engineering students can be introduced to the concepts like each problem having more than one valid/feasible solution and uncertainty and assumptions in the design process. Students are given 6-7 weeks to design a truss bridge to satisfy requirements and constraints specified by the assignment. The assignment describes in detail the expectations in terms of design plan, process, constraints and costs involved. Student teams function as engineering design firm responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP) from a railroad company. The railroad needs a bridge to span a ravine (site drawing is provided to students). Working in groups, students are faced with the reality of limitations in terms of structure, funds and the designing process. Students have to submit a written report and also present their design to the “customers”. Students’ feedback was positive and most of them described the design experience as invaluable and that it helped them to better understand the design process, and to appreciate team work.
Materials
Author: Professor Marjorie Rawhouser, Anne Arundel Community College
Short Description: Students in introductory engineering design courses get an opportunity to use dental composites as a model to understand the mechanical properties of materials in terms of stress and strain (modulus of elasticity).
Implementation Levels: Introductary engineering courses. Examples: Introduction to Engineering Design (EGR 120) at Anne Arundel Community College; Introduction to Engineering Design (ENES 100) at the University of Maryland.
Description
All materials are characterized by the modulus of elasticity, which relates elastic stress and strain. This is one of the first mechanical properties engineers typically learn. Composite materials have specific characteristics that makes them ideal candidate for producing strong structures including those used in dental fillings. This curriculum element provides an opportunity for students to acquire and improve their collaborative, team-building and problem-solving skills. It is a group project and students experience the design process steps while designing composites for dental fillings as a model system. Dental composites are a good model system because students can relate to the application but it is unlikely that any students will have significant prior knowledge. The students are initially given sufficient background information related to modulus of elasticity, stress and strain of materials. Working in groups, helps students to learn about composite materials and also enables them to synthesize the information and apply the principles towards designing new and improved dental composites. Student groups also write a summary on one composite material and present it to the class. This curriculum element has components that evaluate the quantitative and scientific communication skills, in addition to their critical thinking skills and information literacy.
Materials
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Student Survey (Word | PDF)
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Students are asked to provide feedback on the activity.
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Dental Composites Case Study: Instructor Notes (Word | PDF)
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Description of the curriculum element based on Understanding by Design format. (Word)
Author: Professor Marjorie Rawhouser, Anne Arundel Community College
Short Description: Students in electrical engineering or electronics technology courses where electrical circuits are discussed can be provided with strain gauges (with metal foils or elastomers) to understand their role in structural monitoring.
Implementation Levels: Classes focusing on electrical circuits in an Electrical Engineering or Electronics Technology curriculum. Example: Introduction to Electrical Circuits (EET 130) at Anne Arundel Community College.
Description
When an object is stretched in an application, the strain (elongation or contraction) can be measured physically or by the change in resistance of a strain gauge (metal foil) that is attached to the object. The latter is very useful for monitoring the process remotely or in real time. This lesson plan was designed to introduce current and future strain gauges. Traditionally a foil strain gauge in a Wheatstone Bridge circuit is used as a real life example of how analyzing electrical circuits can provide useful information in non-electrical applications. During the activity, students also learn the significant role of strain gauges in structural monitoring. In the newly developed curriculum element, students were introduced to new materials, like elastomers (rubbers) that could potentially be used as strain gauges. So, after building and taking measurements in a Wheatstone Bridge, students were divided into groups and were asked to research, critically analyze and report their findings on potential use of elastomers in strain gauges. As part of their report, student groups discuss the advantages of using elastomers compared to foil strain gauges. Their report also included the challenges to be overcome before elastomer strain gauges could be used in a commercial scale. This curriculum element encourages the students to critically analyze scenarios, to evaluate and solve problems as a team, and to effectively communicate science and technology.
Materials
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Handout: Instructions for the Curriculum Element (Word | PDF)
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Homework Assignment (Word | PDF)
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Presentation (PowerPoint | PDF)
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Description of the curriculum element based on Understanding by Design format (Word)
Author: Professor Beth Wyler, Anne Arundel Community College
Short Description: The relationship between stress-strain and materials under certain conditions can be studied through experimentation. Working in groups, this curriculum element helps students learn about composite materials and enables them to apply the principles toward designing new and improved dental composites.
Implementation Levels: Mechanics of Materials (EGR 211) at Anne Arundel Community College; Mechanics II (ENES 220) at the University of Maryland; or a course that follows Statics in the engineering curriculum for mechanical, civil and aerospace engineers.
Description
The relationship between stress-strain and materials under certain conditions can be studied through experimentation. Composite materials have specific properties that makes them ideal candidate for producing strong structures–as fillings in dentistry, for example. This curriculum element provides an opportunity for students to acquire and improve their quantitative, communication and critical thinking skills. Students are provided with additional reading materials and an online source to complete the homework (web.mst.edu/~mecmovie). It is a group project and students experience the design process steps while designing dental composites. The students are initially given sufficient background information related to modulus of elasticity, stress and strain of materials. Working in groups, this curriculum element helps students learn about composite materials (information literacy) and also enable them to synthesize the information and apply the principles towards designing new and improved dental composites. Student groups also write a summary on one composite material and present to the class. This curriculum element has components that evaluate the quantitative and scientific communication skills, in addition to their critical thinking skills and information literacy.
Materials
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Description of the curriculum element based on Understanding by Design format (Word)