Implementation Of Integrated Thermo Fluid Experiments In Wpi's Discovery Classroom (original) (raw)
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Integrated Thermal-Fluid Experiments in WPI's Discovery Classroom
Journal of Engineering Education, 2002
An integrated experimental-analytical-numerical approach to engineering education has been developed in introductory thermal-fluid courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Central to these innovations is a facility at WPI known as the Discovery Classroom. In this facility the traditional lecture hall has been redefined to combine a multi-media classroom, an adjoining experimental laboratory, and computational facilities. This approach was designated as the DIANE philosophy: Daily Integration of Analytical, Numerical, and Experimental methods into engineering classes. In this approach, experimental apparatus are demonstrated directly in class during an engineering lecture. Real-time quantitative data are acquired from the apparatus, and the data are immediately analyzed and compared to concurrently developed theory by the students in class. One objective of this approach is to help students better understand relationships between the physical experiments and theory. Three undergraduate engineering classes were redesigned: fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and aerodynamics. Student surveys indicate that nearly 90% of 390 students preferred the redesigned courses to traditional lecture-oriented courses, while also believing that they gained a better understanding of engineering fundamentals.
Development Of An Integrated Thermal Fluids Engineering Curriculum
2000 Annual Conference Proceedings
We present a new approach to teaching the core thermal/fluids curriculum for undergraduate programs in engineering. Traditional introductory thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer classes are being replaced with two integrated courses and an integrated laboratory course in which the three disciplines are taught simultaneously. The approach is intended to show interconnections and transferability of concepts and ideas, with an emphasis on the way they occur in engineering practice. Both courses are being taught in a new multimedia studio classroom, permitting student-student interactions, the use of in-class computer tools and examples, as well as individual desktop experiments and demonstration experiments. Our experiences in teaching through this innovative format, in using case studies to motivate student learning of introductory material, and in integrating the laboratory course experience to that of the studio classroom, are recounted.
Teaching Core Concepts in Thermal and Fluid Sciences Using Devices Familiar to the Student
Students often struggle with core concepts in thermal and fluid sciences courses. Through a National Science Foundation funded project we are developing a suite of experiments designed to expose student misperceptions about core concepts, and to hopefully improve the students' understanding of the basic principles. The experiments use common devices that the students are familiar with. By using such devices the students can concentrate on learning the underlying principles rather than getting lost in understanding how the device works. There are seven experiments currently being developed using a hair dryer, a blender, a toaster, a bicycle pump, a computer power supply, a pipe with a sudden expansion, and a water container with a hole in it. These will be implemented over the next two years at the authors' campuses to determine the effectiveness of each.
1999
This paper describes two parallel efforts that attempt to implement a new approach to the teaching of thermal fluids engineering. In one setting, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the subject matter is integrated into a single year-long subject at the introductory level. In the second setting, at Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), the design-oriented approach is used in the traditional separated presentation at a more advanced level where the material is focused on heat transfer. In both cases, the subject concludes with a design project that subject matter in the context of a real application. It students are much more engaged, develop a greater sense and are much more capable of analyzing complex problems synthesizes the is concluded that the of accomplishment, (SAH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
An effective laboratory method for thermal fluid mechanics course
2014
Laboratory practice plays a crucial role in engineering especially in thermal fluid education. The advancement of computational and computer technologies have ushered in a new horizon in learning and teaching of laboratory practices world-wide. Apart from traditional hands-on laboratory practice, the virtual/simulated laboratory practices are playing an increasingly dominant role. The virtual laboratory practices offer unique opportunities for students to visualise complex concepts and remove the time and location barrier. This paper presents a 3-step hybrid laboratory practice developed at RMIT University for thermal fluid course. It is evident that a combination of video clip, hands on laboratory practice and virtual/simulated laboratory practice enhances the student learning experience and learning outcomes.
An applications-oriented approach to teaching thermal science
Proceedings Frontiers in Education 1997 27th Annual Conference. Teaching and Learning in an Era of Change, 1997
This paper describes the development and implementation of a combined Thermophysics curriculum for engineering and engineering technology students. The curriculum is being piloted at Focus:Hope's Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT) in Detroit under the auspices of the Greenfield Coalition. It focuses on problem solving skills that students need to apply in the design and implementation of engineering systems, with particular emphasis on manufacturing systems. Quantifying and measuring natural phenomena is of paramount importance to building this understanding. The curriculum is based on the premise that basic engineering principles are best understood by demonstrating their practical applications. This has been accomplished through a combination of state-of-the-art computer mediated tutorials, animations, simulations and experiments. The first five modules rely heavily on simulations created in Labview ™ and their associated hands-on experiments which are designed to teach basic concepts, while incorporating relevant real world experiences. The fundamental principles for the remaining thirteen modules are taught in interactive tutorials written with the multimedia-authoring package Authorware ®. The computer-based instruction is complemented by case studies, team projects, and instructor-assisted problem solving sessions; to satisfy a variety of learning styles.
Using Hands-on Thermal-Fluid Projects to Motivate Students
2002 GSW Proceedings
Attracting and retaining undergraduate students is a goal of all engineering programs, however each institution operates in different environments and from different pools of students. The majority of student attending the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), are from the South Texas region and a large portion are minority. Because of an open admission policy, many students are admitted who lack a strong educational foundation for college. Students often struggle in classes and there is a relatively low student retention rate in engineering, especially in lower division courses. In order to improve the retention of students, alternative educational strategies have been evaluated and implemented, including the use of hands-on projects. Such projects have been found to motivate students to be self-learners, appeal to hands-on learners, and improve the overall course performance. Hands-on projects do not replace textbook dominated classes, but augment the class at the expense of increased instructor involvement and/or the use of teaching assistants. The hands-on projects range from exploratory disassembly of equipment such as compressors, engines, pumps, and airconditioning units, to the open-ended design, fabrication and testing of unique experimental equipment. Introductory classes emphasize familiarization through experimental disassembly, while more senior-level classes emphasize creative design and implementation. A greater emphasis is placed on physical equipment, implementation, and demonstration. Recent projects in three classes: thermodynamics, heat transfer, and thermalfluids laboratory, are described with an assessment of their impact on student motivation and improved student learning.
2010
Texas A&M University at Qatar, TAMUQ, is a newly funded school of engineering whose first class of undergraduate students graduated in 2008. As the university is located in the heart of the Middle East, TAMUQ students are primarily from neighboring and Asian countries with very diverse educational and cultural backgrounds. Teaching engineering sciences in such a new and culturally diverse environment introduces many opportunities for innovation. However, there are many challenges that are unique to TAMUQ. Because of their varied backgrounds and precollege educational experience, students find it more difficult to link classroom theory with physical results and applications. Integration and application of coursework from one class to the next has also proven difficult. Learning Thermo-Fluid materials for many engineering students can be daunting, no matter their previous background. Thermo-Fluid laboratories are often the first place students have a chance to make the physical real-w...
Development Of A Project Based And Design Driven Thermodynamics Course
2002 Annual Conference Proceedings
This paper describes a project-based learning environment for a first course in Thermodynamics. Students are challenged through a strong emphasis on design projects which expand the boundary of their thermodynamics knowledge through the integration of fluid mechanics and heat transfer fundamentals. Design projects range from determining the blower size of an automotive HVAC system, to adept selection of nozzle diameter for a jet engine at a specified speed. These design projects are used as the platform for students to solidify their knowledge of thermal fluid systems. The authors provide their personal journey in developing a project-based and design-driven thermodynamics course that show promise for the design integration throughout the Energy Systems Thread. Formal and informal assessment measures conducted on student achievement of educational outcomes are also presented. 1. INTRODUCTION Creating a project based learning environment for engineering students has been the subject of investigation at a number of universities. In a recent study by Kettering University Core Engineering Team (CET) [1] , a survey of engineering curricula at other universities was carried out. Reviewed universities included all of Kettering's Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU) peers, Michigan universities with major engineering programs, and universities participating in the Foundation Coalition. This review [2-6] found that many universities, including Kettering, continue to offer relatively traditional core curricula. Nontraditional or innovative programs are in place at a number of universities, but relatively few of these have been implemented for all students. Most remain in an experimental stage and are offered to only a subset of the students and taught only by interested faculty. Moreover, even programs with non-traditional elements retain in one form or another the traditional engineering core topics of differential, integral, and vector calculus, differential equations, physics (mechanics and electromagnetics) and chemistry. Some of the relatively common elements of innovative core curricula that appeared in one or more of CET's proposals were: (a) a common, interdisciplinary Introduction to Engineering course; (b) a selection of discipline-specific Introduction to Engineering courses offered by the various engineering departments; and (c) integration of engineering applications into core mathematics and science courses.