Scaffolded Laboratory Sequence: Mechanics Lab

Abstract

Laboratory courses are a platform for students to practice skills essential to the engineering profession. They also foster lower-level learning (e.g. understanding of fundamental concepts) and higher-level synthesis and creativity. The undergraduate programs for Mechanical and Aerospace (MAE) Engineering at the University of Virginia have been enriched with an updated experimental laboratory sequence, which include three 2-hour courses: 1) Mechanics Laboratory, 2) Thermal Fluids Laboratory, and 3) Aerospace or Mechanical Laboratory. The first two courses were designed to supplement lecture-based theory courses during the same semester students are taking them. The third course challenges students to design and execute their own experiments, building upon skills they learn in the earlier labs. Thus, the new sequence includes horizontal integration with discipline courses across the curriculum, and vertical scaffolding of skills related to experiment design and analysis.The Mechanics Laboratory course was offered to the first cohort in Spring 2019. It was designed to give hands-on experiential learning to complement foundational courses such as Statics, Dynamics, and Strengths of Materials. Students used research grade equipment in the new Undergraduate Materials Testing (UTM) lab including a 250 kN universal test machine, a 2000 in-lb torsion tester, new hardness testing machines, and heat treatment ovens. In addition to supporting content from core courses, the lab introduced students to principles of experimentation including data acquisition, data analysis, and presentation of results. Several experiments were conducted using PASCO Capstone or National Instruments LabView software to collect data from a variety of sensors including load cells, accelerometers, and motion sensors. This paper describes the integration of the new sequence into the curriculum and includes details on the development and implementation of the first course, Mechanics Laboratory. It describes the motivation behind the redesign, discusses logistical challenges and solutions, and outlines specific modules within the Mechanics lab. Finally, the paper includes student feedback, an assessment of student learning, and recommendations for improvement. Motivation for Reinventing the Experimental Lab CurriculumLab experiences are an essential part of any engineering curriculum. Expected outcomes for these experiences are explicitly communicated through ABET Crtierion 3, Outcome 6, which states that program graduates should have "an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions." [1] To meet this

Introducing Experimental Design to Promote Active Learning

“…Students are encouraged to develop their own pathways to that goal instead of following a detailed recipe. Others have introduced scaffolded learning to build from basic principles to more open-ended experiments [6,7]. In scaffolding, students are given reasonable steps that guide them towards the course learning goals [7].…”

The Status of Laboratory Education Focusing on Laboratory Report Assignment and Assessment in the Engineering Programs of a 4-Year Institution

“…Many engineering programs have made an effort to design lab education at the program level [2][3]. For example, the bio-engineering program of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign investigated twenty-two ABET-accredited biomedical engineering programs to survey lab credit requirements and the instructors' practices about their laboratory and project-based courses to assess the landscape of lab courses in biomedical engineering programs [2].…”

“…For example, the bio-engineering program of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign investigated twenty-two ABET-accredited biomedical engineering programs to survey lab credit requirements and the instructors' practices about their laboratory and project-based courses to assess the landscape of lab courses in biomedical engineering programs [2]. The mechanical and aerospace engineering program at the University of Virginia offers the scaffolded lab sequence in mechanics over three lab courses in the program: 1) Mechanics Laboratory, 2) Thermal Fluids Laboratory, and 3) Aerospace or Mechanical Laboratory to offer seamless mechanics education from fundamental to advanced topics in various mechanics-based courses over time [3].…”