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ASEE 2003 Nashville TN

Marvin C. Abrams, R. Frank Smith, and Hofu Wu California State Polytechnic University, Pomona CA

SOFTWARE-HARDWARE LABORATORY INTEGRATION AND DISSEMINATION Abstract A course has been developed under an NSF grant to demonstrate a pedagogical approach for integrating software solutions and physical measurements into the experimental curriculum, and to allow interactive access of shared resources between educational institutions.

The rapidly evolving nature of technology makes it impossible for most schools to keep current with correspondingly expensive laboratory equipment to offer evolving technology courses. Conversely, the development of sophisticated and versatile software with constant upgrades provides an attractive alternative in computer simulations. However, educators and students become so dominantly indoctrinated and highly skilled at executing this software approach so as to blur the appropriate relationship between simulated and physically real results. This can compromise the desirable educational experience of physical procedure and the validation of real data. In order to allow access to experimental capability shared faculty expertise and facilities between institutions are needed.

The solution is to create, demonstrate and share laboratory-based curriculum in which computer simulations are integrated with experimentation. The resultant educational outcome will provide students and educators with an approach for understanding the capabilities, advantages, limitations, and validation of simulations relative to physical experience. The product is a course in which integrated computer simulations and physical experiments can be conducted and shared via direct Internet access by other universities. The existing College of Engineering Photometric Lab (largely equipped by a recent NSF ILI grant) has been networked with the just completed Lighting Computer Simulation and Studio Mock-up/Measurement Laboratories. An inventory of experiments have been developed in which students will create software lighting design models and then perform measurements to validate parameters such as illumination intensity, functional effectivity, and energy efficiency. Lighting is a national priority as it consumes approximately one-third of all expended electrical energy. This has resulted in national and state regulatory legislation for both new and retrofit lighting. This project will also establish the Internet protocol whereby any remote computer location can be granted access to and interactively participate in the developed experiments and facilities.

This project involves collaboration with Dr. Richard Mystick, of the Architectural Engineering Department and Global University at Penn State University in the

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Smith, R. (2003, June), Software Hardware Laboratory Integration And Dissemination Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12542