ENGR497 - An introduction to research methods course

Abstract

The benefits to students who engage in undergraduate engineering research are significant. Not only can students apply and extend knowledge they have learned in the classroom, they have an opportunity to engage in creative, abstract and critical thinking that leads to concrete, hands-on engineering applications. However, in many engineering programs, the current demand for undergraduate research exceeds available resources. As a result, many engineering students are precluded from participating in research during their undergraduate studies. Furthermore, most students enter research labs without the tools and background to hit the ground running. In this paper, we describe an inquiry-based engineering methods course designed to engage junior and senior level engineering students in structured, self-directed research at our university. This course is intended to stimulate creative engineering thinking in students while leading them through the process of conceptualizing and performing hands-on engineering research in a classroom setting. The course is open to all engineering undergraduate students and it is aimed at the development of student research skills and student preparation to perform mentored undergraduate research, therefore setting the stage for a more competitive and successful path to postgraduate studies or R&D industry career. In addition, this course helps close the gap between student demand for an undergraduate research experience and the often limited number of faculty-mentored research projects available to undergraduate students in engineering.