This paper describes the development of a new, team‐taught, interdisciplinary, design‐oriented, introduction to engineering course that plays a role in the retention efforts of the engineering programs at our university. While the primary purpose of the new course has not changed from its original purpose, i.e., to introduce students to engineering as a field of study, the goals have been expanded to include motivating experiences to increase student retention. We discuss the rationale for the new course, the topics selected for the syllabus, the “attached learning” strategy that was developed for the selection of course materials, the teaching strategies selected for the course, the results of the assessment of student satisfaction, and the impact of the course on the curriculum and on minority and under represented groups.
This paper describes a new interdisciplinary undergraduate laboratory experience that was developed for an existing electronic manufacturing course for senior electrical and mechanical engineering students. The project was partially funded by an NSF ILI grant to assist the Department of Electrical Engineering at IUPUI in upgrading the course by adding instructional laboratory materials, computer facilities, and student projects to the course. The course materials utilize UNIX software (Mentor Graphics) on Sparc and HP workstations and are detailed with the laboratory setup, including hardware and software. Student training in the use of Mentor's Board Station provides a unique experience which applies classroom manufacturing topics immediately to board design. Course and laboratory materials involving both hardware and software focus on epoxy-fiberglass boards utilizing mainly surface mount components. Student satisfaction with the reorganized course is presented. The new laboratory brings together theoretical study, laboratory design, and real product manufacturing of surface mount printed circuit assemblies as a whole. The paper also discusses the course as a model for cooperation between an education institution and manufacturing companies to provide state-of-the art technical training for senior students, and it emphasizes interdisciplinary group work for students from different disciplines.
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