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A Multidisciplinary Modeling Course as a Foundation for Study of an Engineering Discipline

A new sequence of first and second year courses has been established at our university to develop a strong foundation for programs in various engineering disciplines. The Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral is a four-semester sequence of engineering courses, matched closely with the development of students’ mathematical sophistication and analytical capabilities and integrated with course work in the sciences. Students develop a conceptual understanding of engineering basics in this series of courses which stress practical applications of these principles. In the first semester of the sophomore year all engineering students take the course Introduction to Modeling of Engineering Systems (EAS211). For students in some majors, such as Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, this is the last required engineering course outside of their major area of study. For other majors, such as Chemical, Civil and Mechanical Engineering, this course will provide a foundation for more advanced study in disciplinary courses.

EAS211 introduces students to the modeling of simple engineering systems in different fields using the balance principle and empirical laws. The course presents the modeling process to solve problems that concern conservation of mass, charge, linear and angular momentum and energy, introducing such concepts as Kirchoff's current and voltage laws, linear momentum in fluids, applications of the energy equation in thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid flow problems. In addition to the use of conservation or balance principles, several other common themes provide a unifying construct for the varied topics. These include the development of an organized approach to solving problems, the use of common computer tools, such as spreadsheets and appreciating the complexity of concepts that converge in realistic problems.

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: • Apply the balance principle in the solution of simple engineering problems. • Develop models by applying the balance principle and selecting the appropriate empirical relationships. • Understand and apply the modeling process • Model problems involving mass conservation. • Model resistive circuits using a variety of analysis techniques. • Model linear momentum problems, such as those involving forces on surfaces. • Model the flow of fluids in simple situations using the energy balance and empirical relationships. • Model problems involving a change in thermodynamic state properties using the first law of thermodynamics. • Model one dimensional steady state heat conduction problems.

In a traditional engineering program, students generally learn an organized approach to problem- solving in a sophomore level introductory course in a specific subject area, such as a first course in statics, electric circuits or material balances. The pace and approach in such a course is dictated more by the need for students to develop a set of problem-solving skills than by the complexity of the subject matter. Development of such skills is slowed down by conceptual

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Nocito-Gobel, J., & Daniels, S., & Collura, M. (2006, June), A Multi Disciplinary Modeling Course As A Foundation For Study Of An Engineering Discipline Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--1338