Introduction of a global perspective using a team project in a strength of Materials course

Abstract

Engineering Mechanics is an important fundamental area of study for many engineering fields, including mechanical, civil, nuclear, aerospace, and biomedical, to name a few. Strength of Materials (a.k.a. Mechanics of Materials) at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College is one course that introduces students to the concept of and relationship between stress and strain, how to calculate stresses and strains under different forces and moments, and how to design structural components to prevent failure due to expected loading conditions. As an introductory course, textbook materials are typically simplified so that underclassmen are able to solve problems. This can make it difficult for students to relate how all the concepts can have a unified effect on a real-world problem. A design project component near the end of this course has been used to give the students a "big-picture" perspective on how the material can be applied in a problem they would be expected to solve on the job. While the students have previously found the project to be a beneficial learning experience, it did not engage the students and interest them in engineering. The scope of the project description was very limited so that other factors, such as building codes, would not have to be fully understood to complete the design, so it could be considered a longer open-ended homework problem. The project was simple enough for student teams of two students to complete, and little of a formal design procedure was required. Also, graduating student opinion has shown a lack of global engineering problems in the curriculum. A new design project for the Strength of Materials course was presented in the Spring 2010 semester that still focuses on designing structural components, but the application was changed to meet a given need in another country, in this case designing structural components of a piece of playground equipment to pump water that will be utilized in sub-Saharan Africa. Students were required to research reasons behind this global need as well as local resources available for building the structure to make students aware of local and cultural differences that could exist in application/use of the structure. Documentation of a formal design process along with the research requirement allowed for teams of four students, which gave an opportunity to learn or reinforce effective teaming skills. The changes to the project allowed flexibility in the design solutions that encouraged the students to be more innovative and creative in the design process. The purpose of this paper is to describe the team design project including how it was able to improve the student?s learning experience. Assessment strategies and results will be shared. Preliminary findings indicate that the project increased the students? awareness of the world, their teamwork skills and reinforced the application of a formal design procedure. Individuals who are involved in the development of design projects, international projects, or teaching engineering mechanics may be interested in this paper. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.