Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Research Articles

Using case-based learning to enhance students’ performance in mechanical engineering undergraduates

Among the myriad of instructional approaches in engineering education, case-based learning (CBL) has emerged as a promising pedagogical strategy that promotes active learning, critical thinking, and real-world application of knowledge. This study investigates student performance and satisfaction with CBL methodologies in the context of mechanical engineering education, conducted in Sri Lanka. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including paired t-tests to analyze academic performance data and a survey to assess student perceptions and practices. The results indicate a positive relationship with grades and perception of CBL among students, with a majority expressing agreement or strong agreement with its implementation. Additionally, results from the survey discovered that conversational AI systems and chatbots emerged as a much-preferred supplementary resource utilized by students. Recommendations for future higher education methodologies include enhancing the integration of CBL, leveraging technology-driven resources, promoting active learning strategies, implementing continuous assessment and feedback mechanisms, investing in educator professional development, and promoting research and evaluation initiatives. These findings contribute valuable insights into student experiences and preferences, informing the development of evidence-based instructional practices in higher education.

Contextual Knowledge Framework in CAD Education from the Perspectives of Practicing Engineers

The contemporary industry landscape requires engineering graduates to have expertise in utilizing advanced Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools. However, prevailing practices reveal a lack of contextual knowledge among Mechanical Engineering undergraduates and fresh graduate engineers in effectively employing 3D CAD modelling software for optimal product design development. Consequently, this study was undertaken to address this issue, with a specific focus on the integration of contextual knowledge into 3D CAD modelling. The study aims to elucidate the fundamental elements of contextual knowledge regularly employed by practicing engineers in their daily design endeavours, specifically in 3D CAD modelling. A transcendental phenomenology approach was used, and four engineers from the engineering department of a shipbuilding company in Peninsular Malaysia were purposefully selected as respondents. The analysis yielded three recurring themes central to the application of contextual knowledge in visualizing and presenting models through 3D CAD modelling: Realization, Design Intention, and Normalization. These elements are pivotal in assisting engineers in contextualizing their design work during the modelling and presentation stages of the new product development process.

Engineering culture under stress: A comparative case study of undergraduate mechanical engineering student experiences

AbstractBackgroundEngineering culture research to date has described the culture as rigid, chilly, and posing many barriers to entry. However, the COVID‐19 pandemic provided an important opportunity to explore how engineering culture responds to a major disruption.PurposeThe purposes of this study are to understand how elements of engineering culture emerged in mechanical engineering students' perceptions of their classroom experiences during the pandemic and how their experiences varied across two national contexts.MethodThis qualitative comparative case study examines undergraduate mechanical engineering students' perceptions of their experiences taking courses during the pandemic at two universities—one in the United States and one in South Africa. Semistructured interviews were conducted across both sites with 21 students and contextualized with 3 faculty member interviews. Student interviews were analyzed using an iterative process of deductive coding, inductive coding, and pattern coding.ResultsWe identified two key themes that characterized participants' experiences during the pandemic: hardness and access to resources. We found that students at both sites experienced two types of hardness—intrinsic and constructed—and were more critical of constructed forms of hardness. We found that the South African university's response to facilitating student access to resources was viewed by students as more effective when compared with the US university.ConclusionsWe found that hardness remained a central feature of engineering culture, based on student perceptions, and found that students expressed awareness of resource‐related differences. A key distinction emerged between intrinsic and constructed hardness.

Transmedia storytelling in materials selection design: an interdisciplinary experience with undergraduate engineering students

ABSTRACT This article aims to present our experience with transmedia storytelling in the design of materials selection, integrating two disciplines within an undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum in Brazil. The students’ project involved developing a narrative within the fictional universe of superheroes while exploring material properties using Ashby’s methodology. The study aimed at answering two key questions: (1) Can transmedia storytelling contribute to student learning and skills development? and (2) What are the difficulties when using this methodology? Three evaluation approaches were used: test scores, students’ perceptions, and our observations of students’ skills development during this project. It was observed that participating students demonstrated significant test score improvements, indicating enhanced learning, with reported challenges in effort and skill development, particularly in story creation and teamwork. Ultimately, this project allowed students to achieve several cognitive learning objectives, fostering the development of crucial skills like communication and problem-solving. The use of transmedia storytelling in undergraduate engineering courses has the potential to facilitate the cultivation of essential competencies for future engineers across a varied range of cognitive levels, albeit requiring considerable time for planning strategies and creating content.

Combining experiments, theory, and computer simulation: Application of dynamics analysis of unbalanced wheels rolling without sliding on horizontal paths

AbstractRigid solid body dynamics is a key element of the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. In a context of reverse engineering and/or sustainable development, being able to analyze the mechanical and material properties of a system without damaging it is a required skill. In this work, two systems based on wheels rolling over horizontal paths without sliding are studied: an unbalanced hollow cylinder and a wheel with displaced mass assembly. Four generations of last year's bachelor's students in mechanical engineering, representing a hundred people a year, followed a total of 12 h of practical sessions working on such systems. Without focusing on the programming part, this paper aims at showing how computer tools can help and improve a rigid solid body dynamics course. The objectives were to develop, apply, and analyze this teaching sequence, allowing students to (i) perform and characterize experimental measurements, (ii) establish systems motion equations, and (iii) think about dynamics results through cross‐talks between different techniques such as geometrical and analytical methods as well as computer‐assisted design tools. Different analysis methods of these systems could be discussed in the context of the classes, successfully bringing pertinent reflections to the students. The possibility of transferring such discussions to other contexts proved to be wide, thanks to computer science, dynamics software, other analysis methods and applications.

An exploratory study on how mechanical engineering undergraduates perceive participation in professional disciplinary engineering student organizations that influence their engineering identity

Involvement in professional disciplinary engineering student organizations (PDESOs) positively influences engineering students’ college experience. While extensive research about engineering student societies and organizations has demonstrated various benefits for students, few studies explore professional disciplinary engineering student societies and organizations that provide unique opportunities tailored around specific engineering disciplines. To better understand how participation in PDESOs influences engineering undergraduates, we conducted an exploratory study, interviewing thirteen mechanical engineering undergraduates with six months to three years of experience with PDESOs. The overarching conceptual framework is derived from a combination of motivated identity construction theory and engineering identity, allowing us to see how participation in these organizations contributes to students’ engineering identity and professional development. Participants indicated that involvement in PDESOs provided unique professional development opportunities that enhanced their self-esteem and efficacy and provided a welcoming environment where they experienced a sense of belonging. These results demonstrate that participation in PDESOs contributes to professional development, interpersonal skills, and community engagement, preparing them for the engineering workforce, which contributes to a strengthened engineering identity.

Development of an Educational Fuel Cell System for Mechanical Engineering Course

Although there is growth in electrochemical system applications such as batteries and fuel cells to power land and air transportation and the current push for hydrogen technology, modeling and control design of thermal and power aspects of such systems is not commonly taught. To incorporate such content, an educational learning hardware system with software interface had been constructed to teach process dynamics and control in selected undergraduate mechanical engineering courses. Given a fuel cell is an energy conversion unit that uses chemical fuel to produce electricity without combustion, a set of student groups developed an educational laboratory system that ensured reliable and consistent power delivery from fuel cell as well as stable hydrogen production using cost-effective and off-the-shelf resources. A 100W Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) system was constructed through integration of hardware components, and user software interface like MATLAB for accessibility and ease of use in a laboratory course setting. The interface accessed remotely or face-to-face allowed for flow rate, pressure, and temperature measurements to be recorded for student analysis related to understanding of thermal and power performance and management of fuel cell and/or electrolyzer at different operating conditions. The system performed well based on initial testing by a pilot group of other students. It will be implemented in an upcoming course offering related to energy conversion and/or thermal fluid laboratory.

Analysis of the development of competencies in subjects related to materials science through the software Ansys Granta EduPack® in Brazilian Portuguese

Theories in the educational area are constantly evolving. Learning theories, knowledge images and competencies are ideas frequently used in teaching; this is not different in engineering education curricula. Many computational resources that help education are now available, and one of them is Ansys Granta EduPack®, a tool that aids engineering students in materials selection, among other activities. Even though this may be especially useful, the language used may cause some difficulties. The influence of using this software in both languages, English and Portuguese, was investigated with two groups of students attending Metallic Materials from an undergraduate mechanical engineering course at Centro Universitário FEI. They were monitored for one semester to study the development of their competencies by using learning theories and knowledge images. This software was translated into Brazilian Portuguese and was used in laboratory classes, allowing both the analysis of the influence of the language on the development of competencies and the knowledge acquired throughout the semester. This was based on what students said, and it was noticed that the translated version has its advantages, allowing the students to focus on the assignment proposed and on the usage of the knowledge acquired, even those who are English fluent. It was also found that the use of different tools is necessary for the development of competencies.

Exploring natural language processing in mechanical engineering education: Implications for academic integrity

In this paper, the authors review extant natural language processing models in the context of undergraduate mechanical engineering education. These models have advanced to a stage where it has become increasingly more difficult to discern computer vs. human-produced material, and as a result, have understandably raised questions about their impact on academic integrity. As part of our review, we perform two sets of tests with OpenAI's natural language processing model (1) using GPT-3 to generate text for a mechanical engineering laboratory report and (2) using Codex to generate code for an automation and control systems laboratory. Our results show that natural language processing is a potentially powerful assistive technology for engineering students. However, it is a technology that must be used with care, given its potential to enable cheating and plagiarism behaviours given how the technology challenges traditional assessment practices and traditional notions of authorship.

Framework for Fostering Mathematical Creativity among Engineering Undergraduates

The use of Creative Problem Solving skills to solve open-ended mathematical problems can be added to the curriculum to help improve the mathematical creativity of engineering undergraduates and assist them to better solve real-world problems in the future. To date, there is no such framework used to foster mathematical creativity through Creative Problem Solving processes with the use of open-ended mathematical problems among engineering undergraduates. Therefore, there is a need to establish a workable framework to foster mathematical creativity among engineering undergraduates. This research is a case study which employed a qualitative exploratory research design to find out the Creative Problem Solving processes carried out by engineering undergraduates, and to investigate their mathematical creativity while they are engaged in solving twelve open-ended mathematical problems. The study included final year Mechanical engineering undergraduates in Unversiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia and analyzed for 3 months. The qualitative data were analyzed from the recording sheets, audio transcripts, and documents. All three different data collection methods were also used to verify the data and it can be implied that creative ideas generated by engineering undergraduates were related to their creative solutions. Their creative ideas were linked to their mathematical creativity. A relationship was found between the Creative Problem Solving and mathematical creativity fostered. This study is significant in such a way that it is used to construct and design a framework for fostering mathematical creativity among engineering undergraduates in solving open-ended mathematical problems with the use of Creative Problem Solving skills. The framework can be used as a guideline to help engineering undergraduates to solve open-ended mathematical problems. Scholars and instructors may also find the results useful for the purpose of curriculum improvement in undergraduates’ engineering and mathematics education.

Sustainability in Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Courses at 100 Universities

Abstract Mechanical engineers have an important role in contributing to a more sustainable future. However, the extent that sustainability is currently being integrated into mechanical engineering (ME) curricula is unclear. This research characterized sustainability integration in undergraduate ME courses at 100 universities. Criterion-based selection resulted in a range of institution types and geographic locations (including institutions outside the United States); 93 of the 100 programs were accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET. For 90 institutions, the data came from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability for Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Course catalog information was used for ten additional schools, in addition to comparing catalog data to STARS for ten institutions. Overall, sustainability topics were found in at least one elective or required undergraduate ME course at 83 institutions; only 43 institutions included sustainability in at least one required ME course; 16 institutions offered ten or more ME courses that integrated sustainability topics. Courses with sustainability integration at the greatest number of institutions were thermodynamics, engineering design, introduction to engineering, and heat transfer. Few of these courses appeared to integrate all three sustainability pillars (environmental, social, and economic). Leading institutions for sustainability integrations across the curriculum were identified. This work offers a picture of sustainability incorporation in undergraduate mechanical engineering programs, with the hope of catalyzing greater and more visible sustainability integration in the future.

Examination of Study Skills, Emotions, Engagement, and Academic Performance of Mechanical Engineering Students of CIT-University Taking Online Courses: Bases for Student and Faculty Development Program

Amidst the disruptive backdrop of the pandemic, faculty members are required to exhibit heightened awareness and adaptability in response to the challenges posed by the evolving academic landscape. Concurrently, students are tasked with cultivating resilience to effectively navigate their educational pursuits. To bolster the capacities of both faculty and students, a comprehensive exploration of various factors becomes imperative to grasp the intricacies of academic performance within the framework of online distance learning for undergraduate mechanical engineering courses. Scholarly literature suggests that academic performance is influenced by study skills, emotional well-being, and levels of engagement. By employing the revised Online Student Engagement Scale survey, data gathered from 243 students underwent meticulous analysis through Spearman rank-order correlation. This scrutiny unveiled a robust and affirmative correlation between students' study skills, emotional states, engagement levels, and academic accomplishments. Significantly, among these factors, student engagement emerged as the most influential predictor of elevated academic achievement. The research outcomes culminate in the formulation of a strategic intervention strategy. This strategy aims to augment the adeptness of both educators and learners in effectively navigating the realm of online learning. In conclusion, the upheaval caused by the pandemic underscores the urgency for faculty and students to adapt. Through an in-depth investigation, this study underscores the pivotal role of student engagement, alongside study skills and emotional well-being, in determining academic success. These insights guide the formulation of a targeted plan of action, poised to enhance the competence of both stakeholders in embracing the demands of online education.

A Grounded Theory on the Research Conceptualization Process of Mechanical Engineering Research Students

Research conceptualization refers to the entire process of developing a research proposal. Although there is ample research on students' experiences and outcomes in undergraduate engineering research, little is known about the specific processes that students undertake when conceptualizing their research. This study aimed to explore the unique processes involved in research conceptualization among mechanical engineering students. Understanding these processes can facilitate the development of effective interventions to enhance undergraduate research experiences. The researchers analyzed data obtained from interviews with eight undergraduate mechanical engineering research students regarding their experiences with research conceptualization. A constructivist grounded theory approach was employed to identify and analyse statements from the interviews and develop a conceptual model of research conceptualization. Three major categories emerged in the analysis of the data: encountering barriers, expressing influencers, and employing strategies throughout the process. The barriers encountered by the students include personal challenges, technical challenges, and research management challenges. The following strategies are being employed: Establishing Criteria for Decision-Making, Developing Concept and Design, Identifying and Validating Problems, Literature Review, Utilizing Technology, Managing Tasks, Consulting People, and Modification of Existing Technology. Influencers can be classified as internal influencers and external influencers. The grounded theory of the conceptual model of research conceptualization offers a comprehensive understanding of the research process among engineering students. It emphasizes the dynamic and cyclical nature of research conceptualization, emphasizing the interplay between barriers, influencers, and strategies. Further research is required to explore the limitations and expand the applicability of this model.

A novel way to designing the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum using active stakeholder participation

Curriculums that are adaptable to the demands of the communities they serve are the most effective. Whether you intend to modify an existing curriculum or develop one from scratch, you must first undertake an evaluation. This article outlines the creative method utilised to develop the new curriculum in accordance with AICTE requirements. The first stage in formulating a plan is to determine the industries where graduates will find work and the skill sets they will require to be successful in those professions. The strategy emphasizes the need of including important stakeholders in curriculum development at an early stage. According to the findings of a survey given to a diverse group of stakeholders, there are issues with the current curriculum as it is assessed. This paper presents a case study of the development of the mechanical engineering curriculum at Tier-I institution from western Maharashtra for undergraduate (UG) students. Keywords— Curriculum Design; stakeholders’ involvement; active participation; Mechanical Engineering.

CAREER PLANS OF LATINX MECHANICAL ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATES STUDYING AT HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS

CAREER PLANS OF LATINX MECHANICAL ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATES STUDYING AT HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS

Contextual Knowledge Elements Utilization in 3D CAD Model Manipulation from the Practicing Engineers Perspectives

Engineers’ ability to contextualize their created 3D CAD model during the design stage is the most important aspect of product design. In this conducted research, researcher has found that there was a lack of contextual knowledge among Mechanical Engineering Undergraduates and fresh graduate engineers in utilizing Three-Dimensional Computer Aided Design (3D CAD) modeling software in developing a good product design. In addressing this issue, a study has been conducted to focus on the representation of contextual knowledge elements in 3D CAD modeling applications. This article focused on presenting essential elements of contextual knowledge utilized among practicing engineers in their daily design works, in the aspect of Model Manipulation. Transcendental phenomenology approach has been utilized as the main research methodology. Four practicing engineers from engineering department of one shipbuilding company in Peninsular Malaysia were purposively selected to be studied. From the analysis, there are three most frequent emerging themes in the application of contextual knowledge in manipulating model using 3D CAD modeling: Realization, Design Intention and Normalization. These three elements play an important role in helping engineers to contextualize their design work during the stage of manipulating created model for new product development process.

Effective Use of Various Active Learning Techniques for the Course Automation and Control Engineering

Outcome in the traditional setting of chalkboard teaching, students tends to remain in the passive mode and do not actively participate in the teaching and learning process. As a result of this, they may lose interest in the course content and conceptual understanding declines. It directly impacts their performance in the examination. With the use of active learning strategies, the subject teacher plays the role of facilitator and creates a conducive environment for students to actively participate in the teaching learning process. This paper discusses effective use of various active learning techniques implemented for the course of ‘Automation and Control Engineering’ for Third year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Program at CCEW. Techniques such as expert lecture, open ended assignments, YouTube video for animation were employed for content delivery in theory as well as laboratory sessions. Performance evaluation was carried out by using techniques such as google quizzes and group activity on hydraulic and pneumatic trainer kit. Students' perceptions about the implementation of these active learning techniques are studied and analyzed which are reported in this paper. It is observed that as the results of this implementation students' overall understanding of the course content is enhanced. Keywords— Active Learning; Demo Based Exam; Open Ended Assignment; Oral Exam; Quizzes.

Instructional toolbox for studying transient behaviour in simple branch hydraulic systems

The instructional process at most engineering courses often diverges from real situations, as the learning process moves from the simplest to the most complex problems. In undergraduate mechanical engineering courses, calculation of the operating parameters in a simple branch pumping system operating in transient regime, is a typical example of the gap between the classroom and the field. In the present work, an instructional toolbox is developed to implement a pre-existing analytic solution for this problem, together with a new semi-analytic solution. Those solutions differ by the fact that the former considers the friction factor f to be constant and the last one does not. The use of the toolbox in different applications of academic/industrial interest showed excellent results which is indicative of better knowledge transfer and offers opportunities for discussion and collaboration between students.

Students’ Experience of an Integrated Electrical Engineering and Data Acquisition Course in an Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article presents an innovative course sequence to integrate Electrical Engineering (EE) Fundamentals into the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Instrumentation and Data Acquisition (DAQ) course and reports students’ experience relevant to the sequence’s intended outcomes of helping students learn and connect EE concepts with ME applications and develop their engineering identities. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background:</i> The ME Department at Seattle University was awarded a National Science Foundation Grant to revolutionize its undergraduate program. This project focuses on doing engineering to foster stronger engineering identities. This course sequence is part of the curriculum change for this project and includes open-ended, real-world labs incorporating both EE and DAQ. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Research Questions:</i> 1) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Engineering Learning:</i> What evidence is there that students learned EE and DAQ concepts and integrated them with ME? 2) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Identity Development:</i> How did the students connect the experience to their evolving identity as engineers? 3) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Over-Time Experience:</i> How did students experience the course? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methodology:</i> A mix of quantitative and qualitative data was used: quantitative data (a standardized test) and qualitative data source (mini reflections that students provided over the course sequence) were analyzed to address the research questions that connect the educational design aspects and the intended outcomes. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings:</i> The new course sequence created an opportunity to do engineering in a rich way and provided fertile ground for developing engineering identities. Students understood and retained EE and DAQ concepts at a level equal to when the material was taught via separate courses.

Comparing reflective and supportive scaffolding in 3D computer‐aided design course: Engineering students' metacognitive strategies, spatial ability self‐efficacy, and spatial anxiety

AbstractThree‐dimensional (3D) modeling provides a suitable context for the improvement of students' higher order thinking skills as it involves challenging and complex learning tasks. For students to succeed in difficult learning tasks, it is necessary to determine the effects of the scaffolding type given to the students in the learning process. This study asserts that reflective and supportive scaffolding has a critical effect on the dependent variables. Reflective scaffolding enables students to explain their reflective processes and clarify their reflective behavior, using personal reflection as a learning tool. Supportive scaffolding provides a process to develop knowledge and guidance on what participants should consider. This study compares the effects of different scaffolding types (reflective or supportive), students' prior knowledge on students' use of metacognitive strategies, spatial ability self‐efficacy, and spatial anxiety in the 3D computer‐aided design course. A pretest and posttest 2 x 2 x 2 factorial quasi‐experimental model was used in the study. This study was carried out with 118 undergraduate mechanical engineering students. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used in the analysis of the data. The results showed that the supportive scaffolding group scored higher in the metacognitive strategies variable than the reflective scaffolding group. The supportive scaffolding group showed higher spatial ability than the reflective scaffolding group. This study provides engineering educators with an overview of the use of scaffolding types, their effects on the effectiveness of learning environments, and the design of these environments.