Rapid Prototyping As An Instructional Tool To Enhance Learning

It is widely known that students tend to learn best by active participation. The least effective method of learning is listening, with observation falling in-between. When students are exposed to concepts through multiple paths it should enhance their overall learning. Rapid prototyping can be an additional tool for the instructor to enhance student learning. Traditional methods of instruction in Strength of Materials courses involve explanation of theory and reinforcement of the underlying concepts through laboratory demonstration and homework problems. Some of the other techniques used to supplement these methods typically focus on visualization through computer animation. This paper describes an attempt at integration of these methods with rapid prototyping as an instructional tool for one section of students in order to enhance their understanding of concepts. It is anticipated that future students in all sections of the Strength of Materials course will experience this improvement to their learning process. Several hands-on experiments were developed to enhance the student’s understanding of theory. Students were given problems from their textbooks and then they were asked to created 3-D models. These models were then fabricated on an in-house rapid prototyping machine. Students performed the experiments on their models and compared the results to the calculated results. Initial feedback from the students has revealed that modeling, fabricating, and testing some of the textbook problems enhanced their learning of the concepts. This provided a relevant transfer of skills for the students from solid modeling to physical problem solving. An additional benefit of this technique is exposure of the students to the design process early in their curriculum.