Embedded Learning Modules for the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

This paper presents the details of a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored project to develop multimedia educational material to enhance the educational experience of undergraduate mechanical and manufacturing engineering majors. The project approach departed from the typical practice of developing supplementary instructional material for individual courses in favor of a scaffolded architecture which features scalable content for use in course groupings. Courses ranging from the sophomore to the senior level were arranged on thematic lines resulting in four groups or studios, namely: Materials, Thermo-Fluids, Design and Manufacturing, and Dynamics, Vibrations and Controls. For each group, learning modules that connect experimental methods with foundational course content have been developed. A fifth studio serves as a central library for tutorials and other supplementary informational materials on the use of various software packages that may be used in the aforementioned subject areas. In order to make the experience interactive, completion of the modules can entail usage of Java applets to explore experimental hypothesis, and worksheets to encourage in-depth learning of the content. The subject studios can facilitate undergraduate participation in research, enable lab based activities to be imbedded into lecture only classes, and create opportunities for independent learning and inquiry for students. This two year project has also featured the development of assessment instruments for longitudinally tracking the progress of students and making continuous improvements to the modules. Highlights of this data along with a summary of the incremental changes to the modules will be presented.