Design a new set of strength labs for the course, 'mechanics of materials'

Abstract

The course "mechanics of materials" is typically accompanied by a set of laboratory experiments for the purposes of displaying mechanical behaviors of the specimen under loadings and reinforcing students' understanding of stress/strain theories. In spring 2014, the strength laboratory at Wentworth Institute of Technology was fully upgraded from manual-controlled hydraulic Tinius Olsen machines to program-controlled Instron machines. As a result, a new set of laboratory experiments was developed. In order to explore mechanical behaviors and stress/strain theories from different perspectives, it consisted of both physical labs as well as virtual labs and has been successfully implemented since fall semester 2014. This paper will present the list of laboratory experiments and focus on the detailed description of virtual labs with their objectives and main activities. Feedback on the lab reports, conversations with students and students' survey data will be analyzed and presented. Based on the data collected directly and indirectly, it was shown that the new set of experiments had a positive impact on the student learning of the stress/strain theories. The implementation of the new set of labs suggested that the combination of the physical labs and the virtual labs was one of the best ways to help students have a better understanding of stress/strain theories in the "mechanics of materials" course.