Abstract

During the past decade, the authors have sought to advance student research in a predominantly teaching institution. The two primary challenges were: academic - how to introduce and promote inquiry-based learning (IBL) given the constraints, and business - how to obtain and sustain funding in the area of industry-sponsored research. The authors developed a successful multidisciplinary modeling course that integrates four teaching and learning strategies and where key learning outcomes strengthen student readiness to engage in research. The course culminates with research performed as part of an IBL strategy that is relevant and supported by mentoring. The benefits include development of intellectual and practical skills that underlie a central activity of engineering design. The course structure, evidence of student work, and evolution over time to meet challenges are presented and discussed. Most importantly, the potential of this strategy to be implemented across other topical areas is addressed. Student participation in research improves learning of engineering and scientific concepts, increases interaction with faculty and industry sponsors, and provides opportunities for work in emerging technology areas. Benefits accrue both to students who pursue a research career and to those who enter applied fields by strengthening their ability to propose innovative solutions.

Highlights

  • The authors’ university is a private liberal arts institution with 600 undergraduate students enrolled in six accredited engineering programs, and about 100 students in the Master of Engineering

  • The idea of improving student readiness to perform research was combined with the development of a course focused on the methods and techniques of multiphysics modeling with an inquiry-based learning (IBL) component

  • The multidisciplinary modeling course has been offered a total of eleven times to date with a cumulative completion of 324 out of 331 enrolled

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Summary

Introduction

The authors’ university is a private liberal arts institution with 600 undergraduate students enrolled in six accredited engineering programs, and about 100 students in the Master of Engineering. The University has long encouraged student research and actively promoted it within the Honors program, an annual undergraduate and graduate Research & Creativity Colloquia and Symposia showcasing outstanding projects, as well as dedicated funding for targeted underrepresented students such as the Women’s Advancement Initiative. A subset of students, stimulated by increasingly competitive searches for internships and a desire to pursue prestigious jobs and graduate fellowships, seeks additional opportunities to broaden their knowledge base. The course elements and structure have the potential to be implemented across a wide range of topical areas within the engineering curricula

Educational Context
A Tale of Three Models
Background
Multidisciplinary Modeling Course
Results to Date
Conclusion
Authors

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