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A Method of Assessment to Examine Experimental Design in Mechanical Engineering Laboratories

Students in the mechanical specialization at Mercer University are currently required to take two general mechanical engineering laboratory courses—one in the third year of the curriculum and the other in the fourth year. The first of these courses begins with seven or eight single period laboratories in which the students are directed to complete a well-defined set of procedures and perform simple analyses. In an effort to more formally introduce experimental design into the laboratory experience, this course ends with a three project sequence in which students are provided with an experimental objective (e.g., determine the coefficient of performance of a vapor-compression refrigeration system as a function of condenser pressure) and information regarding the function of an experimental apparatus. In two 3-hour lab periods, students are expected to independently develop and verify a procedure for accomplishing the objective, execute their procedure, and report the results. The purpose of the second course, the senior- level capstone laboratory experience, has always been to have students successfully design an experimental solution to more complex engineering problems, building upon the knowledge gained during the junior-level experience. The senior lab consists of only two experimental objectives, and students have seven weeks to define, execute, and conduct the series of experiments required to meet the objective. This laboratory structure has now been in place for about ten years and has been formally assessed for one and a half ABET cycles, including two ABET site visits. This paper has three main goals: (1) to present an overview of the current structure of these labs at Mercer University, (2) to examine details and results of the School of Engineering’s assessment scheme for demonstrating “an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data” when applied at the specialization level, and (3) to both quantitatively and qualitatively compare performance in the two lab courses to determine whether the junior-level experience is sufficient preparation for the senior-level experience.

Introduction

Laboratory experiences are an important component of mechanical engineering (ME) education. In lab courses, students learn to identify experimental objectives, apply basic measurement techniques, collect and evaluate data, and write technical reports. In addition, senior-level students often must design a set of experiments for achieving an open-ended research objective. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requires that engineering programs demonstrate that their students attain eleven outcomes, including one that most specifically addresses laboratory courses1:

“Engineering programs must demonstrate that their students attain the following outcomes: . . . [including] an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data . . .”

At the Mercer University School of Engineering (MUSE), the mechanical engineering laboratory sequence consists of two courses. MAE 302L is a two-credit course that most students schedule

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Butler, A., & Moses, W. (2009, June), A Method Of Assessing Experimental Design In Mechanical Engineering Laboratories Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5744