Jing Zhang, School of Engineering and Technology
Principal Investigator: Jing Zhang, associate professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology
Project Title: Using Portable Laboratory Equipment to Enrich Engineering Education
Funding Level: $5,000
Abstract:
This Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department curriculum development project impacts two courses affecting over 200 enrollments in MEE classes per academic year and will improve the learning and the learning options for our Mechanical Engineering Lab IV course for junior year students. The project entails introducing a hands-on on-line lab experiment which students can perform off-campus. This proposal includes a redesign of ME35001 and EEN35001 courses, which provide laboratory learning for engineering students. The redesign of this experiment will allow exposure to students to comprehend the worthwhile value of a theoretical understanding when compared to an applied understanding (Kirn, 2018). The proposed grant will develop a small portable equipment based lab curriculum. We will use mini microscopes and develop new operational instructions for student learning. The students are expected to perform measurements of grain size experiment anywhere off-campus at home or at the dorm. We will conduct an assessment of student learning outcomes and share this knowledge with others. More labs can be performed in the same manner, and creating these labs would make IUPUI a leader in engineering laboratory education off-campus techniques. Ultimately, we want to give the students a superior learning opportunity that would increase IUPUI’s reputation for current students, future students, and employers.
