Development Of Nde Laboratory For Aet Students And Certification Program

Drexel University’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies is in the process of developing the instructional materials for its nondestructive evaluation (NDE) course by placing emphasis on techniques and applications in the areas of manufacturing, power generation, oil and gas production, structural and pipeline welding, and commercial/military aviation maintenance, among others. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Applied Engineering Technology (AET) program will be the main target audience. They will have access to the developed material in two modes: the traditional face-to-face classroom mode for those on Drexel’s campus, and a real-time, Internet-based videoconferencing mode for those attending classes at remote locations, specifically students at community colleges partnering with Drexel. The developed instructional materials will be part of a wider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) initiative, including the development of novel teaching and learning strategies, the creation of new learning materials, and the implementation of effective assessment and evaluation techniques. Additionally, these novel teaching and learning strategies will be incorporated into the curricula of Drexel University’s two-year college partners, such as Burlington County College and Delaware County Community College. The outcome of the proposed project will be a hands-on laboratory course in which NDE techniques of parts and materials will be presented and applied through real-life problems. NDE curriculum will be designed to fulfill Levels I and II NDE in theory and training requirements, according to American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT ) Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A (2001). Once fully developed, the NDE laboratory will serve as a training center for engineering technology students, as well as for the workforce of local companies, such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and PECO Energy, with whom Drexel has a rich history of partnership in terms of internships and research collaborations. Such educational laboratories are nearly non-existent in our geographic region, and consequently will be welcomed by the industrial community in need of engineering technologists who can competently utilize NDE instrumentation and to provide support to the designers and engineers in testing applications.