Exploring the role of writing in the Mechanical Engineering curriculum: an integrative approach

The assessment of program outcomes for ABET accreditation has become a challenge for engineering programs nationwide. Various methods and approaches have been investigated to develop good practices for program assessment. At South Dakota State University (SDSU), an approach called Faculty Course Assessment Reports (FCAR) has been explored for mechanical engineering (ME) program assessment. FCAR provides an assessment tool to correlate the ME program outcomes with the outcomes of the core ME courses, and to evaluate student performance at the course level based on ABET outcome criterion. This process begins with the development of course objectives and outcomes. Then these course objectives and outcomes are directly mapped with the ME program objectives and outcomes respectively. Further the quantitative and qualitative details generated in the FCAR are lined up directly to ABET program outcome a to k criterion through FCAR rubrics. By use of the FCAR process, all ME program outcomes are evaluated at the course level based on the ABET program outcomes. The assessment results are being used for improvement of the ME curriculum. The process was developed to provide an effective tool for the ME program outcome assessment at the course level with reasonable effort.

Undergraduate mechanical engineering programs in the United States were surveyed to determine the usage of structured programming languages (such as C or FORTRAN) versus the use of computational software systems (such as Matlab or Mathcad). A survey form was e‐mailed to all mechanical engineering programs. The survey form was used to determine the following: (1) programming courses required, (2) use of structured programming in mechanical engineering curricula, (3) use of computational systems in mechanical engineering curricula, (4) junior‐level analysis courses required, and (5) computer ownership requirements. Seventy‐four responses, representing a good cross section (size, research mission, and geographical location) of mechanical engineering programs were received. The survey showed that about three‐fourths required at least one course in a structured programming language but that only about one‐third of the programs requiring a formal programming course used structured programming in two or more required courses. More than three‐fourths of all programs used computational systems such as Matlab or Mathcad, and about the same number required a junior‐level analysis course. Thirteen of the seventy‐four mechanical engineering programs that responded to the survey required students to own computers.

This paper addresses the curriculum change performed for control engineering education in the mechanical engineering (ME) undergraduate program at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), located in Medellín, Colombia. The new curriculum model of the UPB is based on learning, and promotes the achievement of outcome-related course learning objectives during the education process. The faculty of the ME department developed the Human Capabilities and Outcomes Map; such map explicitly shows the connection between general human capabilities that are strengthen through the ME program, the outcomes that are to be achieved, the way this outcomes are assessed, and the courses where the outcomes are addressed in the curriculum. The faculty responsible for the area of design, dynamic systems, and control, gathered during two years and defined educational objectives for all the courses in the area, considering the mechanical engineering program as a whole in order to provide the students with knowledge and skills necessary for their future professional career. As a result, three new courses to address control engineering education in the mechanical engineering curriculum were created: Measurement and Instrumentation, Control Engineering, and Control Engineering Lab. Since the courses have been recently created, faculty will assess the performance within a three-year period in order to quantify the impact of the curriculum change for control engineering education.

While it is easy to recognize that mechanical engineers can lend their expertise to public policy makers as they create public policy related to science and technology, it is not as clear as to how to introduce mechanical engineering students to public policy activities. The undergraduate curricula in most mechanical engineering programs are considered full, and there are always additional topics that people wish to add. Educators are likely to hesitate before removing material from their programs in order to add material on public policy. Yet, there are techniques that can be used to incorporate aspects of public policy into a standard mechanical engineering curriculum without the removal of much, if any, current content. In this paper, several techniques for introducing mechanical engineering students to the process of public policy creation will be discussed. While these methods will not make the students experts in policy, they can introduce students to the tools that they need to influence the public policy creation process. These techniques include a comprehensive semester-long project in a technical elective course, a short policy analysis paper for development in a required or elective course, incorporation of public policy considerations in a capstone design project, policy discussions or debates in relevant courses, and a focus on public policy development in extracurricular activities. In their education, students should not only become technically proficient, but also learn how to track current events and trends, communicate their knowledge effectively, gain knowledge on applying proper engineering ethics, and be aware of the environmental and social context of their work. Through these knowledge areas and skills, students will gain the fundamental working knowledge that they need to influence public policy creation. It may be noted that these are also desirable outcomes for a student’s educational program as defined by ABET. Therefore, finding opportunities in a mechanical engineering program’s curriculum to address public policy creation activities also benefits the program by helping it more completely fulfill ABET accreditation requirements.

Industry 4.0 is driving innovation at companies and in education. As more Industry 4.0 tools and technologies become accessible, engineering programs need to expose their students to these tools and technologies to better equip them to start their engineering careers. In support of this goal, the Mechanical Engineering (ME) program at Texas State University (TXST) included basic practical experiences involving selected Industry 4.0 tools in a freshman-level lab. One of those experiences uses Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 to introduce students to Augmented Reality (AR). Since AR devices are an emerging technology, the software applications currently available for devices like the HoloLens 2 are not cost-effective for implementing them in most academic courses or labs. To overcome this challenge, the ME program at TXST developed an AR application for the freshman-level lab using the Unity development platform. For that purpose, the CAD model of a product was created using SolidWorks, converted using Blender, and brought into the AR application that was developed. This paper presents the process and technical challenges of implementing the AR experience in the freshman-level lab and discusses student feedback and the plans for improving the application in the future. The authors hope that this information is useful for other mechanical engineering undergraduate programs that want to include AR experiences in the curriculum.

This paper focuses on enhancing the integration of manufacturing principles and concepts within curricula in mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering technology education programs. The field of manufacturing engineering covers the broad spectrum of topics derived from the definition, “Manufacturing requires that a modification of the shape, form, or properties of a material that takes place in a way that adds value”. (ABET, Inc. 2010) The ASME’s Vision 2030 surveys of industry engineering supervisors and early career mechanical engineers have illustrated that the curricula of mechanical engineering and related programs have an urgent need to enhance students’ comprehension of ‘how things are made and work,’ e.g., the knowledge and skills needed to design and efficiently produce products via high-performance systems. (Danielson, et. al. 2011) This session is designed to be primarily a dialog among the participants and the presenters, focusing on a model for the manufacturing field called The Four Pillars of Manufacturing Knowledge, developed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME 2011a), and how it relates to mechanical engineering education. Broader issues and resources related to enhancing manufacturing education are also presented.

In this article, we describe a collaborative approach to develop, integrate, and assess a teaching module on smart actuators specifically designed to embed topics in nano/bio technology into the undergraduate mechanical engineering (ME) curriculum. The collaboration involves three universities, each focusing on one specific aspect of the module. The module consists of lectures and laboratory activities that cover modeling and control of smart actuators for courses such as system dynamics, controls, and mechatronics. The integration of smart actuators — such as piezoelectric, shape memory alloy (SMA), and magnetostrictive based devices — into the ME curriculum is important because these devices are the workhorse in a multitude of nano and bio technologies. Thus, these devices play a critical role in the emerging areas, analogous to the benefits of the electric motor at the macroscale. But contrast to the well established coverage of the electric motor in the ME curriculum, modeling and control of smart actuators has yet to be systematically presented in core ME courses. The contribution of this article is presenting the systematic development, integration, and assessment of a teaching module on smart actuators. We first describe the design of lecture components using the piezo actuator as an example. The lecture materials cover core concepts within the framework of dynamics and controls, such as electromechanical coupling, dynamic response, nonlinear input-output behavior, and PID feedback control technique for high-precision positioning. Afterwards, we describe the development of a hands-on laboratory experiment designed to expose students to the basics of experimental modeling of the piezo actuator. The platform is also suited for basic control applications, and an example is presented to illustrate the application of piezo actuator control for high-precision positioning. The paper concludes with a discussion on how the module will be implemented and assessed at the three participating universities.

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract Comparing the Mechanical Properties for an Al Alloy in the Cast and Wrought Condition using the Identical Solid Model Dr. Richard B. Griffin and Dr. Reza Rowshan Mechanical Engineering Texas A&M University at Qatar Doha, Qatar Abstract Junior level mechanical engineering students’ have designed, rapid prototyped, cast, and tested a link in the laboratory portion of a materials and manufacturing course. A portion of this activity was described originally in a 2005 ASEE Conference paper. The activity has been used for several years in the laboratory portion of the course and it has been very successful. However, one question that comes to mind is May we compare cast mechanical properties with those of wrought properties for similar alloys. During lecture, comparisons of wrought and cast properties are frequently made, and it is shown that ratio of wrought to cast properties is frequently greater than one. To date, the direct comparison has not been done in this course. Using the student designed solid models, it is possible to directly make a rapid prototype part that can be used for the mold in a casting process, and that same model may be used in a CNC machine to make a similar part. Alloy 6061 was used to make the cast links and a section from the five inch diameter ingot will be used to make the CNC produced link. Mechanical properties will be measured using a universal testing machine. The results will be compared, and student interpretation of the results will be evaluated. Introduction In fall 2003, Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) started an engineering program in Doha, Qatar under the auspices of Texas A&M University College Station and funded through the Qatar Foundation. The University has four engineering programs, which are Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, and Petroleum Engineering. The initial group of engineers graduated in 2008. In steady state Texas A&M at Qatar is expected to have between 400 to 500 students enrolled in the four programs. Currently Mechanical Engineering has 67 students enrolled. TAMUQ follows the mechanical engineering curriculum at the College Station campus. Currently, the program has nine faculty members, and plans are to hire several more within the next couple of years. Currently, our upper division classes have only been taught two or three times. The laboratory facilities were completed and available for use in fall 2007. The initial ABET review took place during fall 2008.

This paper addresses the importance of integrating Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) software and applications in the mechanical engineering curriculum. Computer aided engineering tools described include Computer-Aided Design, Computer-Aided Manufacturing, and Computer-Aided Analysis tools such as finite element (FE) modeling and analysis. The integration of CAE software tools in the curriculum is important for three primary reasons: it helps students understand fundamental engineering principles by providing an interactive and visual representation of concepts, it provides students an opportunity to explore their creative ideas and designs while keeping prototyping costs to a minimum, and it teaches students the valuable skill of more efficiently designing, manufacturing and analyzing their products with current technology making them more marketable for their future engineering careers. While CAE has been used in the classroom for decades, the mechanical engineering program at the University of North Florida is making an aggressive effort in preparing the future engineering workforce through computer-aided project-centered education. The CAE component of this effort includes using CAE software when teaching stress, strain, dynamics, kinematics, vibrations, finite element modeling and analysis, design and design for manufacturing, manufacturing and technical communication concepts. This paper describes CAE projects undertaken in several of the mechanical engineering courses at UNF in an effort to share creative teaching techniques for others to emulate.

This survey examines how mechanical engineers are being prepared to be responsible stewards of the environment by offering a multi-channeled look at a diverse collection of twelve US colleges and universities, with connections to the larger global context. This study enumerates the external influences of professional organizations, those responsible for program accreditation (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)), professional conduct (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), and licensure (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, National Society of Professional Engineers). At the curricular level, this study presents current mechanical engineering curricula via core courses (required at most institutions) and non-core courses (required at a minority of institutions or elective courses). The curriculum study identifies fifteen core courses and uses the Open Syllabus Project and online bookstores to identify a representative textbook and classify the environmental content therein. Immediate results show the environment receiving sparse treatment in core course textbooks, institutions having zero environment-focused degree requirements, and a tendency towards offering electives that are narrowly focused on green technologies. Elective offerings mirror ABET’s recent move away from emphasizing the “broad education necessary to understand the impact” of engineering solutions to instead “consider the impact of” engineering solutions in an environmental context. Overall, the environmental education mechanical engineers are receiving is insufficient in amount and lacking in scientific and ethical foundation. Ideally, every mechanical engineering program should include coordinated environmental content throughout the curriculum and require at least one course that teaches both environmental design principles and the importance of environmental stewardship. A novel approach eschews the typical artes mechanicae course structure to teach environmental stewardship in the artes liberales educational tradition, emphasizing multi-dimensional thinking by employing great books style discussions of seminal scientific, ethical, and technological works.

This paper describes committee leadership in an undergraduate program in electromechanical engineering. The program is designed to incorporate all the essential elements in an electrical and mechanical engineering curriculum and program criteria for both programs must be met. By adopting and empowering a faculty committee, the electromechanical program at Wentworth Institute of Technology has enjoyed some unique benefits. The purpose of this paper is to describe some distinct advantages of a committee governance structure in an interdisciplinary program.

Recent changes in higher education policy in Colombia (South America) have forced educational institutions and universities to consider reducing undergraduate engineering programs from the traditional 5 or 6 years (170 credit hours) to four years (136 credit hours). This reduction is a worldwide trend, mainly due to a lack of financial resources supporting high standards of professional education. Additionally, institutions are restructuring their curricula to adjust to the broader spectrum of career development opportunities for the graduating engineer and the new challenges faced by practicing engineers. Also, engineering education in Colombia needs to adjust to Colombia's necessities as a developing country. In response to the above-mentioned circumstances, the mechanical engineering department of the Universidad de Los Andes (UdLA) has proposed a new mechanical engineering (ME) undergraduate syllabus. This paper summarizes the process undergone by the ME department of the Universidad de Los Andes to review our syllabus and propose alternative approaches. Our new ME syllabus applies a skill-centered approach structured by four priorities: 1) the primary professional role of an engineer is in project development, 2) the engineer needs an in-depth knowledge of the sciences (physics, chemistry and biology) and mathematics; 3) the engineer also needs a general education in the social sciences and arts and, 4) the engineer should master the core concepts of mechanical engineering. These four priorities agree with the US study of the Engineer of 2020. Our restructured syllabus evenly introduces these priorities early in the undergraduate ME program. Our ME Department implemented the new syllabus for first year students in January 2006. Positive results have already started to emerge. This article provides an overview of the higher education quality assurance system in Colombia and a description of the Universidad de Los Andes new ME syllabus.

To solve the professional challenges they will face upon graduation, mechanical engineering (ME) graduates must be able to ask the right questions, think critically, and communicate their ideas effectively. Traditionally, the ME curriculum has relied on design courses, especially capstone design, to achieve these objectives. This brief paper will describe a new approach developed within a small public research university's large (1,400+) undergraduate ME program in which faculty worked with the department's communications program director to embed technical communication instruction in at least four new required courses. The new curriculum combines applied learning and project-based learning methods in a series of four Mechanical Engineering Practice courses. Technical communication instruction is embedded in these courses via sixteen communication modules, enabling students to learn best practices in written, oral, and visual communication, apply those practices to their individual and team assignments, and receive formative feedback to improve future work. Preliminary feedback from students and departmental faculty has been positive; however, other programs interested in adopting such an approach will need to consider availability of grading resources and structure content to meet the unique needs of the student population and other constituents.

Bio-inspired products and devices take their inspiration from nature [Gold00]. Current mechanical engineering curricula do not cover manufacturing techniques and principles needed to develop such products and devices. We have been enhancing the mechanical engineering undergraduate curriculum by integrating recent advances in the manufacturing of bio-inspired products and devices through the following activities: 1. Insert a new sequence of instructional materials on bio-inspired concepts into the mechanical engineering curriculum. 2. Disseminate the materials developed for the new modules and course notes through a dedicated web site. As a result of the curriculum enhancement, a new generation of mechanical engineers will acquire the knowledge necessary to develop products and conduct research for a wide variety of applications utilizing bio-inspired concepts. The project (1) integrates emerging manufacturing technologies based on biological principles into the Mechanical Engineering curriculum, (2) utilizes multi-media technology for disseminating course content, and (3) trains graduate students and faculty participating in its implementation in an emerging technology and thereby contribute to faculty development. Specifically, curriculum is being developed that discusses the following manufacturing technologies and principles: 1. Concurrent Fabrication and Assembly: Manufacturing techniques and principles, such as solid freeform fabrication, compliant mechanisms, and multi-stage molding, that can eliminate the manufacturing and assembly of individual components as is the case for almost all natural systems. 2. Self Assembly: Principles for manufacturing a variety of products from a few building blocks using bio-inspired techniques such as templating and supramolecular chemistry. 3. Functionally Graded Materials: Bio-inspired development of new products through the gradual variation of material properties at multiple length scales through manufacturing processes such as sputtering and powder processing. The curriculum development effort makes two significant contributions to mechanical engineering education: (a) integration of a new research on bio-inspired products and devices into the mechanical engineering curriculum through new courses and revision of existing courses, (b) development of new instructional material for mechanical engineering education based on bio-inspired concepts. There are also broader impacts in the following areas: (a) undergraduate students who might not otherwise puruse studies in mechanical engineering will be attracted to the multidisciplinary area of bio-inspired products, (b) dissemination of the curriculum enhancement through conference presentations, a workshop, and dedicated web site, and (c) a biologically-oriented pedagogical approach to mechanical engineering education that ensures broader access to the knowledge needed to enhance the interest and skills of future engineers and researchers educated through this research program.

The 1980’s have seen an increasing number of students from the People’s Republic of China come to US petroleum schools for basic or advanced degree training. Dissimilar transcripts, courses taken, and degrees obtained make transcript analyses difficult and each candidate’s application a unique analysis. This study analyzes 26 petroleum undergraduate programs in the US and presents a "typical US Petroleum Engineering undergraduate program." Twenty-seven transcripts from eight PRC petroleum institutes have been examined in an attempt to point out similarities and dissimilarities between the petroleum training common to both nations. From these comparisons, future student candidates traveling to either nation to study petroleum engineering can better determine what preparatory courses are applicable to the degree program in that nation.