A Problem Based Learning Method For Teaching Thermal Systems Design

Most design courses in ABET accredited mechanical engineering programs contain two components a lecture component and a design component. The lecture is to teach specific concepts and principles and the design is to develop the student's decision making skills based on the application of engineering principles. Faculty members teaching these courses are often confronted with the challenge of integrating these two components to help students learn the subject in the most effective manner. In the past ten years, the authors have tried several methods to achieve such a goal and found that a problem-based learning (PBL) [1] is a very promising method to address the problem. This method is in essence a guided design process which mixes studentcentered learning with a structured course syllabus. This paper is to discuss how PBL is used in teaching the Thermal Systems Design course.