Mechanical engineering students at Mercer are required to take two laboratory courses, one in the third year of the curriculum and the other in the fourth. Prior to 1996, the junior level laboratory consisted of 10 well-defined, single period experiments, in which students executed a prescribed procedure, analyzed the data that were collected, and reported the results obtained. The lab was modified in 1997 to include a set of three experiments that were more open-ended in nature, required more time to complete, and contained a procedural design component. While we are intrinsically convinced that the design of experiments component introduced to the juniorlevel course in 1997 has been helpful, it is not abundantly clear from performance in the seniorlevel lab that any enhanced understanding of experimental development carries over from one term to the next. This paper compares the performance of students functioning under both the "old" and "new" lab structures.
Students in the mechanical specialization at Mercer University are currently required to take two general mechanical engineering laboratory courses-one in the third year of the curriculum and the other in the fourth year. The first of these courses begins with seven or eight single period laboratories in which the students are directed to complete a well-defined set of procedures and perform simple analyses. In an effort to more formally introduce experimental design into the laboratory experience, this course ends with a three project sequence in which students are provided with an experimental objective (e.g., determine the coefficient of performance of a vapor-compression refrigeration system as a function of condenser pressure) and information regarding the function of an experimental apparatus. In two 3-hour lab periods, students are expected to independently develop and verify a procedure for accomplishing the objective, execute their procedure, and report the results. The purpose of the second course, the seniorlevel capstone laboratory experience, has always been to have students successfully design an experimental solution to more complex engineering problems, building upon the knowledge gained during the junior-level experience. The senior lab consists of only two experimental objectives, and students have seven weeks to define, execute, and conduct the series of experiments required to meet the objective. This laboratory structure has now been in place for about ten years and has been formally assessed for one and a half ABET cycles, including two ABET site visits. This paper has three main goals: (1) to present an overview of the current structure of these labs at Mercer University, (2) to examine details and results of the School of Engineering's assessment scheme for demonstrating "an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data" when applied at the specialization level, and (3) to both quantitatively and qualitatively compare performance in the two lab courses to determine whether the junior-level experience is sufficient preparation for the senior-level experience.
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