Engineering Materials Lecture And Laboratory: Cross Disciplinary Teaching In A Small University Setting

We have developed a course combining an engineering materials laboratory with a materials science lecture for a diverse population of students. By judicious selection of topic order, we are able to utilize one lecture and one laboratory for Mechanical, Civil and Biomedical Engineering students. The basic materials lectures are in common with all groups, with the sections split for major specific topics. This means that three quarters of the term is taught on a joint basis, and three or four lectures are split. The laboratory sections are combined for general tensile, compression, torsion, shear, bending, hardness, and fatigue testing. Sections are split for major specific topics. The usefulness of combining courses in a small but diverse population include: more efficient usage of laboratory resources; reducing the number of separate lectures the faculty have to prepare; and teaching students how to interact with engineers in other disciplines. It is also valuable for the students to understand that the same principles govern mechanical, civil and biomedical engineering materials.