A Project to Develop Initiative and Innovation through Laboratory Improvement

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sorin Cioc ◽  
Constantin Ciocanel ◽  
K. Cyril Masiulaniec ◽  
Douglas Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
First Year ◽  
Group Project ◽  
Continuous Innovation ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Technology And Education ◽  
Thermal Sciences

In an effort to cultivate initiative and innovative spirit, a new project was introduced in an undergraduate mechanical engineering laboratory, exemplified here by the Thermal Sciences Laboratory. In this project, each student lab group (typically a group of four) had to suggest improvements to a specific laboratory. There were no other imposed restrictions; improvements could be in any area, such as hardware, software, work procedure, technical presentation, and so on. By having the project run in parallel with the typical labs, several objectives were attained. First, students were exposed to the ideas of continuous innovation and product or process improvement. Second, being a group project, students were exposed to the practical aspects and important advantages of teamwork and brainstorming. Third, due to the latest innovations in technology and education, laboratory-based work is always in need of enhancement; students engaged in performing lab work are well positioned to understand the possible shortcomings, and thus propose improvements; each student should be able to have at least one contribution, ranging from very small to significant. Lastly, some of the best solutions can be followed by senior design projects in which the proposed improvements are further developed and implemented in the laboratory. This paper shows how the project was organized, and also presents results obtained during its first year of implementation.

A Web-Based Online Collaboration Tool for Formulating Senior Design Projects

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sainath Varikuti ◽  
Jitesh H. Panchal ◽  
John M. Starkey
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Collaboration ◽  
Team Cohesiveness ◽  
Faculty Mentor ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Project Outcome ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
The Impact

A well formed senior design project is known to have significant benefits in terms of project outcome, student motivation, team cohesiveness, engagement, and student learning. Defining a good problem statement, forming a team of compatible and appropriately skilled students, and selecting an appropriate faculty mentor are critical aspects of project formation. Therefore, students in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University are encouraged to suggest project ideas, form teams, and have them approved by the course coordinator before the semester starts. While there is significant literature on senior design projects, most of the existing work is focused on activities after the problem is defined and the teams are formed. There is a lack of mechanisms and tools to guide the project formation phase in senior design projects, which makes it challenging for students and faculty to collaboratively develop and refine project ideas and to establish appropriate teams. To address this challenge, we have implemented an online collaboration tool to share, discuss and obtain feedback on project ideas, and to facilitate collaboration among students and faculty prior to the start of the semester. Through an online survey and questionnaire to students, we are exploring the impact of the collaboration tool on the senior design project formation process. In this paper we present the design of the tool and the results from our ongoing study in the senior design class at Purdue Mechanical Engineering.

First Year Engineering Projects to Senior Capstone Design: Are Students Gaining Technical and Professional Skills?

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Kotys-Schwartz ◽  
Daniel Knight ◽  
Gary Pawlas
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Professional Skill ◽  
Engineering Project ◽  
Professional Skills ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Design Skills ◽  
Engineering Projects ◽  
Capstone Design

Innovative curriculum reforms have been instituted at several universities and colleges with the intention of developing the technical competence and professional skills of engineering students. First Year Engineering Project (FYEP), or Freshman Design courses have been integrated into undergraduate engineering curricula across the country. Many of these courses provide students with hands-on engineering opportunities early in the curriculum. Senior Capstone Design (SCD) courses are ubiquitous in engineering programs, incorporating technical knowledge and real-world problem solving. Previous research has shown that project-driven classes like FYEP and SCD increase the professional and technical design skills of students. While research into first year and senior design skills development has been more robust, scant research investigating the transformation of skills between freshman design experiences and senior design experiences has been performed. This research project investigates the longitudinal technical and professional skill development of mechanical engineering students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. An overview of First-Year Engineering Projects and the mechanical engineering Senior Capstone Design project course is detailed. Technical and professional skill objectives are discussed within the paper. Pre and post skill surveys were utilized in both First-Year Engineering Projects and the Senior Capstone Design classes. Initial results indicate that student skills deteriorate between the end of the first-year and beginning of the senior year.

scholarly journals Implementing Mechatronics Design Methodology in Mechanical Engineering Technology Senior Design Projects at Old Dominion University

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vukica Jovanovic ◽  
Jennifer Michaeli ◽  
Otilia Popescu ◽  
Moustafa Moustafa ◽  
Mileta Tomovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Technology ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Old Dominion University ◽  
Design Projects

Assessment of EC2000 Criteria 3 (a)-(k) Program Outcomes

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. I. Abu-Mulaweh
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Comprehensive Assessment ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Indiana University ◽  
Educational Objectives ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Purdue University

A comprehensive assessment process for EC2000 Criterion 3 (a)-(k) program outcomes of the mechanical engineering program at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) is presented. This assessment process is a part of an assessment plan that was developed by the author with some feedback from the faculty to assess the mechanical engineering educational objectives and program outcomes using internal and external measures. This process involves feedback from several parties that include: courses’ instructors (faculty), students, and graduating seniors, local industries that sponsor capstone senior design projects, and Fundamental of Engineering (FE) examination.

scholarly journals Hands-on Explorations as Background Research for First-Year Design Projects

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Trivett ◽  
J. Rathlin
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Mechanical Systems ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Preliminary Work ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Mechanical Devices

Collectively and individually, first-yearstudents in Mechanical Engineering lack familiarity withreal mechanical systems. Individual students have notedthat they have not grown up able to simply “take stuffapart”. As a result, the mechanical engineeringundergraduates have minimal skills or knowledge ofcommon mechanical devices. The foundations course forthe Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics at theUniversity of Waterloo has adopted the role of giving newstudents opportunities to interact with hardware in an“Engineering Clinic” environment.This paper will provide a preliminary work-inprogressreport on the activities and the role theseactivities played in the student experience. The paper willreport on the delivery of the activities, and the initialstudent reactions to the hands-on activities in this context.

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