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NSF Grant brings Experiential Library to the Department

Twenty-first century students need 21st-century examples. They also desire more hands-on activities and repeatedly ask how to put the theories learned in class into practice. Satisfying these criteria while ensuring mastery of the fundamentals is becoming an increasingly greater challenge given the time constraints of the typical mechanical engineering curriculum. In order to meet this challenge, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering will develop a novel experiential engineering library that will:

1. provide an easily accessible and readily available environment for hands-on engineering learning experiences beyond the traditional Mechanical Engineering curriculum.
2. foster critical thinking by encouraging students to apply fundamental mechanical engineering principles to emerging interdisciplinary fields including MEMS, bio-engineering, and nano-technology.
3. encourage collaborative team-based learning among peers as well as mentoring by more senior undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.

The experiential library is envisioned to be analogous to a traditional library. It will contain a large number of experiments and computer simulations either "on reserve" or available to be "checked out" by the students. At the instructor's discretion, hands-on problems will be assigned as a complement to or in lieu of paper and pencil homework. The equipment also can be used independently by students seeking to improve their understanding through manipulation and visualization. Additional activities will provide enrichment opportunities for both undergraduate and visiting secondary school students. The flexibility and integration of the experiments in the library make it superior to laboratories used in traditional engineering courses.

The library collections will come from a number of sources including: faculty research, senior capstone design course projects, commercially developed educational tools, and donations from industrial partners. Our faculty includes experts in smart materials and nano-materials, surgical and rehabilitation robotics, traditional and alternative power generation, acoustics and vibration, flow control and MEMS. These experts will provide examples from their cutting-edge research that will excite the students while teaching fundamental principles. For example, students can build nano-technology based solar cells or measure their grip strength using a hand rehabilitation robot. Just this year, senior design course students have built an adaptive video game controller for children with disabilities, a hang glider simulator complete with support sling, and a fully functional, continuously variable transmission. Teams of students will be encouraged to develop projects for the library that demonstrate important engineering concepts.

In order to make the library a reality, the specific aims of this planning grant are to

1. develop a collection of innovative hands-on experiments that demonstrate fundamental principles.
2. initiate the library by locating the experiments in a central setting, readily accessible to all students.
3. incorporate the experiments into four mechanical engineering courses through both mandatory homework assignments and voluntary extracurricular learning activities.
4. measure the impact of the library on student interest, performance and retention.
5. hold a workshop with all Mechanical Engineering faculty to formulate a plan to fully develop the library and integrate other courses.

The intellectual merit of this activity lies in its promise to increase students’ knowledge and understanding of engineering fundamentals through hands-on activities. The broader impacts of this activity include: reaching students of diverse backgrounds and experience levels; increasing the participation and success of under-represented groups in engineering; exposing students to interdisciplinary research; encouraging students to consider careers in science education; and integrating education and research through senior design projects.

For more details, refer to the project poster and the detailed proposal.

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• Virginia Commonwealth University | School of Engineering | Department of Mechanical Engineering
• 401 West Main Street | Room E3221 | P.O. Box 843015 | Richmond, Virginia 23284-3015
• Phone: (804) 828-9117 | TDD: (800) 828-1120 | Fax: (804) 827-7030 | E-mail: mechanicalengr@vcu.edu
• Last Updated: 04/08/2008
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