An Integrated Course On The Experimental Method In Engineering

In 1996, the Mechanical Engineering Department of l’Université de Sherbrooke introduced a new and progressive curriculum. A course entitled "Experimental Method in Engineering" was developed to teach to the students how to solve technical problems using an experimental approach. The course was offered for the first time in the fall of 1997 to a class of 120 sophomores. The purpose of the course is threefold. First, it covers the basic knowledge associated to experimentation. Second, several laboratories are used to enhance the understanding of the courses content and to develop the students skills. Finally, the course is closely linked to a major semester experimental project. This paper presents a short description of the course content and how the course was designed. It also demonstrates that the course is an excellent “integrator” that allows the students to link the knowledge covered in various courses.