Development Of A Roving Laboratory In Vibrations For Undergraduate Engineering Students

Details on the development of a roving laboratory for undergraduate students in a new vibrations course including the instrumentation, laboratory format and several laboratory projects are discussed in addition to the inquiry-based, observational instructional approach that is being developed to complement the laboratory. Experiments in the roving laboratory are to be carried out in class, in two different on-campus facilities, and in the field. These experiments are used by the instructor to motivate each and every theoretical discussion in class, to teach students how to plan, conduct and interpret their own experiments, and to expose students to important emerging areas of experimental mechanics. The unique observational instructional approach of the course complements the roving laboratory by reversing the roles of theoretical and experimental techniques that exist in traditional laboratory oriented classes. Instead of using experiments to validate theories, theories are used to validate experiments. The make-up of an industrial advisory committee, which supports the roving laboratory by donating test specimens, providing engineering problems of practical importance and evaluating the results of the course, is also described. The goals of the project are to give students more control of the learning process; to better educate students in vibrations and experimental mechanics; to encourage lifelong self-learning and an appreciation for experimentation; and to create a stronger and more direct link between industrial partners and the classroom. The evaluation procedure for determining whether or not and to what degree the goals of the project are met is also outlined. This project, DUE-0126832, is sponsored by the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education.