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Innovations in Undergraduate Engineering Mechanics Education : Use of Team-Based Research-Led Project Methods for Large Student Cohorts
Author(s)
Date Issued
2011
Date Available
2014-01-04T04:00:07Z
Abstract
As a cornerstone subject for all undergraduate engineering degree programmes, mechanics is best
taught from fundamental principles and by reinforcing students’ learning through active learning
strategies. This approach provides students with a solid understanding of basic concepts before they
subsequently study more advanced topics such as dynamics, control, solid mechanics and fluid
mechanics. MEEN10030, Mechanics for Engineers, is a compulsory module taught annually in
Semester I to 260 First Year students at University College Dublin, Ireland’s largest university. The
syllabus topics include forces, Newton’s laws of motion, statics in two and three dimensions,
equilibrium, friction, trusses and cables, distributed forces, centres of mass and centroids, motion, and
kinematics of a particle and of a rigid body.
Traditional teaching of this subject relies solely on formal lectures and tutorials, without any laboratory
sessions or student assignments, both of which are resource intensive. Five years ago, following a
programme review in 2006, this module was completely revised and the subject material was
rationalised with regard to what is taught in subsequent Second Year modules. Three entirely
integrated laboratory sessions were developed so that groups of students would complete a variety of
analytical and enquiry-led exercises in numerical, graphical and written form. A more recent additional
major initiative, introduced three years ago in 2008, provides team-based assignments to the entire
260 students in which groups of up to five students are set a design challenge directly related to one
specific topic from the course material. These changes have proven popular with students and have
led to improved learning outcomes and student performance without compromising on academic
standards. This paper describes these innovative developments in which Irish engineering students
have opportunities for research-led active learning in this manner.
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
Tempus Publications
Journal
International journal of engineering education
Volume
27
Issue
4
Start Page
821
End Page
830
Copyright (Published Version)
2011 TEMPUS Publications
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
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