This paper describes a laboratory experiment that was designed to increase student engagement and enhance student development in a materials laboratory. The laboratory module described is part of a broader effort to enhance the mechanical engineering laboratory curriculum to incorporate modern pedagogical methods and to improve student outcomes using backward design.
The new laboratory modules encourage students to work in small groups, develop team skills, and learn about basic measurement methods. The first module is a simple cantilever beam mounted with a strain gage. Students develop an understanding of the correlation between bending stress and strain. While doing so, they also determine a calibration factor for the beam in order to use the beam as a load cell to measure the weight of an object. For the second module, students are provided an instrumented beam with a known calibration factor and are asked to determine the amount of lift produced by a small quadcopter.
To assess the effectiveness of the laboratory experiment, a student survey was designed and the experiments were observed by an education expert. The results indicate the new laboratory modules have been successful in increasing student engagement and meeting learning objectives.
BSME, University of Portland, 1984
MSME, University of Portland, 1987
PhD, University of Washington, 1990
Hyster Co., 1984-1987
Boeing 1990-1998
Associate Prof, University of Portland, Current
Dr. Heather Dillon is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Portland. Her teaching and research focuses on thermodynamics, heat transfer, renewable energy, and optimization of energy systems. Before joining the university, Heather Dillon worked for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as a senior research engineer.
I am a teacher educator with a special interest in teacher induction and retention.
Dr. Timothy A. Doughty received his BS and MS from Washington State University in Mechanical and Materials Engineering and his Ph. D. from Purdue University. He has taught at Purdue, Smith College, and is now an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Portland. From 2009 to 2001 he served as a Faculty Scholar with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories and has served as the Dundon-Berchtold Fellow of Ethics for the Donald. P. Shiley School of Engineering. His research is in nonlinear vibrations as it applies to structural health monitoring, and assistive technology. He is currently working on grants related to teaching in STEM fields and laboratory curricular development and is active in developing international research opportunities for undergraduates.
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