Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Benson, Arizona State University; Haolin Zhu, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Paper ID #12366Student Reflection, Self-Assessment and Categorization of Errors on ExamQuestions as a Tool to Guide Self-Repair and Profile Student Strengths andWeaknesses in a CourseDr. David Benson, Arizona State University Dr. David Benson is a Senior Lecturer with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Dr. Benson develops and teaches classes in ”Introduction to Engineering” and project-based classes such as EPICS and Global Engineering.Dr. Haolin Zhu, Arizona State University Haolin Zhu is a faculty lecturer in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State Univer- sity. She

Conference Session

Dynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shaobo Huang, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; John M. Mativo, University of Georgia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Page 26.886.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 Impact of reflective learning practices on students' learning of engineering dynamicsIntroductionEngineering is known as a challenging major that many students withdraw because of lowacademic achievement 1. Component Display Theory defines learning in two dimensions:content and performance 2-4. Content includes accepting facts, concepts, procedures, andprinciples; while performance refers to three phases of learning including remember, application,and generalities. Higher levels in both dimensions suggest a higher understanding degree anindividual gains. However, students’ feedback and assessment results suggest

Conference Session

Statics and Finite Element Analysis

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Francesca G. Polo, Purdue University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection,and exploration. Because the learning environment is context specific, its design may use onlysome of these teaching methods, or some more than others. Page 26.1687.4                         Content Types of knowledge required for expertise • Domain knowledge: subject matter specific concepts, facts

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Miller, Michigan Technological University; Sheryl A. Sorby, Ohio State University; James P. De Clerck, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

learning styles and levels of motivation. Both modules begin with an instrument(learning style inventory or motivation questionnaire), then a tutorial that gives students a firsthand experience of the influence of learning style or motivation, then questions of understanding,then a tutorial about learning style or motivation strategies, then reflection questions, and finallyan evaluation of the module.Learning Styles Module The learning styles module begins with a Barsch learning styleinventory2. This module creates the “first hand experience” by asking students to learn materialthat is presented in different learning styles. It presents tutorials on mitosis and Punnett squares

Conference Session

Microcontrollers, Programming, and Data Acquisition

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sean Patrick Kirby, University Of Maryland, Eastern Shore; Julius Omokiniovo Ejenavi, Morgan State University; Payam Matin, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

components of a SHPB. The main four components are the Striker,Incident bar (Input bar), Transmitter bar (Output bar) and Specimen. The specimen is placedbetween the incident and transmitter bar. The striker acts as a projectile applying a high impactforce on one end of the incident bar creating a compressive stress wave. The wave propagates ina uniaxial direction into the incident bar reaching the interface of the incident bar and specimen.A part of the wave reflects back as a tensile wave traveling in the incident bar while the restcontinues to propagate into the transmitter bar as a stress wave. Striker Incident bar Specimen Transmitter bar Figure 1- Schematic of Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer II

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John M. Pfotenhauer, University of Wisconsin, Madison; David J. Gagnon, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Michael Litzkow, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Christine Maidl Pribbenow, Wisconsin Center for Education Research

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

game’s primary mechanism, although a captivatingchallenge for its game mechanics, was not configured to address many of the key pedagogicalgoals associated with the introduction of thermodynamic properties, their inter-dependency, andthe unique features of the properties in the subcooled, two-phase, and superheated regions. Arelatively cool reaction to the game by the students was reflected in all three evaluation methodsand resulted in a significant re-direction of the game’s features.Along with a list of specific pedagogical goals, the game’s re-direction includes a set ofprofessional practice scenarios, and a completely new set of game mechanisms. Additional gamefeatures, including a novel in-game assessment tool that is based on a

Conference Session

Dynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew R. Sloboda, Bucknell University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

were other subjects discussed during the second half of the project.Midterm Project AssessmentFor the midterm assessment, worth 5% of the course grade, students were asked to address threekey questions with their deliverables: • Is there a clear vision for the roller coaster design? • Are the technical skills necessary to complete the design being developed? • How can the time and resources remaining in the semester be budgeted to ensure a successful project outcome?Each of these big picture questions was explored in more detail by individual deliverables: aproject proposal, preliminary calculations, and reflections. No fixed format was specified foreach of these deliverables, but certain items needed to be included.In the

Conference Session

Microcontrollers, Programming, and Data Acquisition

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Rhudy, Lafayette College; Tobias Rossmann, Lafayette College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Musical Analogies as a Teaching Tool for Engineering ConceptsAbstract This project investigated the inclusion of a music laboratory experience within theexisting core Mechanical Engineering curriculum at Lafayette College. Music is a naturaladdition to engineering curricula as it can easily be used to illustrate many different engineeringconcepts. This allows students to think about their engineering topics from a differentperspective, which helps to improve their understanding of these concepts. Additionally, byusing music as a teaching tool, students are also exposed to topics from the art of music.Students completed a survey both before and after the experience in order to reflect on theirlearning. On average, the students reported a

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer I

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Devshikha Bose, Boise State University; Krishna Pakala, Boise State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

success,as indicated by parameters like higher course pass rates, higher Grade Point Averages, creditaccumulation, retention, and graduation rates11. Skills can be taught which are consistent acrossprograms, as well as customized to fit individual courses12. E-portfolios can support assessmentby identifying goals and providing a repository for organizing, storing, and sharing records. It isinstructionally valuable in that students can connect their own work with the broader programexpectations, thus self-evaluating their status. Students can engage in reflection, which maydevelop their critical thinking skills.This study is a follow-up to a previous study made by the researchers13 (see Bose & Pakala

Conference Session

Communication Across the Divisions II: Communication and Transdisciplinary Pedagogies

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey J. Evans, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Amy S. Van Epps, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Michael Thomas Smith; Sorin Adam Matei, Purdue University Polytechnic Institute; Esteban Garcia

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

Narratives aims to provide students with a toolkit for successfulcommunication in contemporary society and the workplace. This integrated course experience invitesstudents to reflect and use diverse ways of communication in the digital era. During one semester,participants were introduced to oral, written, visual and auditory techniques of communication, anddocumented through various digital media artifacts. Page 26.127.3Our value proposition that artistic storytelling can help students think, communicate and aid in theiremotional wellbeing is backed by a long history of scholarship. Such seminal articles as K. Egan’s“Memory, Imagination

Conference Session

Design Throughout the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zahed Siddique, University of Oklahoma; Farrokh Mistree, University of Oklahoman; Lucas Balmer, University of Oklahoma; Warren F. Smith, UNSW, Canberra, Australia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

developed and administered to the students in the course for self-reported evaluation of competencies. After each assignment a survey was given to the students toexpress their understanding of the new tools and concepts, and development of relatedcompetencies. Some of the items of the instrument were modified to reflect the assignments. Inthis paper we focus on the results of the competencies.Results: The data gathered through the instrument indicate that self-reported level of developedcompetencies fluctuated throughout the semester. Senior students in mechanical engineering inAME 4163, in most instances, perceived to have well-developed competencies from the beginningof the semester. A positive influence was found on competencies related to the

Conference Session

Design Throughout the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert T. Bailey P.E., Loyola University Maryland

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

to life, and (2) developed a better understanding of how FEA couldbe used to guide and enhance their designs. Suggestions for improving the incorporation of 3Dprinting in the course, based on both student comments and instructor reflections, are discussed.IntroductionFinite-element analysis (FEA) has become firmly integrated into today’s product design anddevelopment process1. Engineers now routinely subject virtual models of their evolving designsto simulated loadings to determine stresses and deflections and subsequently adjust their designsto better satisfy performance requirements and constraints. (Additional types of numericalsimulations involving thermal, vibrational, fluid flow, and other physical phenomena are alsoconducted2, but the

Conference Session

Research and Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rachel K. Anderson, Clemson University; Todd Schweisinger, Clemson University; Barbara Jean Speziale, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

them to offer insights into how theirexperience on the project has impacted their current careers.Deanna, the bioengineering team member and student team leader, is currently enrolled inphysician assistant school. Reflecting back on her experience in the project, she said, “Well, I think I actually took a lot more away from that project looking back on it in the last year or so than you realize, like, being on it…”After graduation Deanna worked as a clinical research coordinator before starting physicianassistant school. Her job as a clinical research coordinator involved interacting with patients andcommunicating with both physical therapists and physicians. She described having to determinewhere to direct patients’ questions

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott F. Kiefer, York College of Pennsylvania; Tristan M. Ericson, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

continuous improvement is necessary in the capstone assessmentprocess. While incremental improvements have been made over the past several years, there isstill a level of dissatisfaction among the students taking the course. This is especially evident inthe students who spend the most time on the projects during the build semester. The gradingsystem does seem to more accurately reflect the quality of work and commitment of eachstudent, but there still seems to be frustration among the more dedicated students. To address the dissatisfaction of the more dedicated students, two additional changes willbe implemented during the next build semester. First, every student is going to be asked to givea bi-weekly five minute progress update for their

Conference Session

Research and Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Scott Duncan, Valparaiso University; Shahin S. Nudehi, Valparaiso University; Robert D. Palumbo, Valparaiso University; Daniel Blood, Valparaiso University; Luke Jerod Venstrom, Valparaiso University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

technologythat uses highly concentrated solar radiation as a source of process heat at temperatures in excessof 900 °C. The major components of the solar furnace are a heliostat, louvers, concentrator,reactor table, and associated controls and instrumentation. The heliostat, which holds 36 m2 ofsolar mirrors, is located in front of the main building. It rotates on two axes to track the sun,reflecting sunlight into the building which houses the remaining furnace components. Note thatthe glass door, shown extended in Fig. 1, is lifted out of the path of the reflected beam duringfurnace operation. The louvers, an assembly of rotatable panels comparable to venetian blinds,regulate the furnace power level by attenuating some of the light reflected from the

Conference Session

Engineering Laboratory Experiences

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

André J. Butler, Mercer University; William Moses, Mercer University; Stephen Hill, Mercer University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

mechanical engineering curriculum. The course was renamed MAE302 Experimental Methods for Mechanical Engineers, and consisted of 3 hours of lecture and 3hours of laboratory per week which results in 4 credit hours (3-3-4) to reflect the increasedcoverage of measurement, data interpretation, and writing.The original lecture schedule provided for a total of fifteen 50-minute lecture periods, includingin-class testing. An effort was made to organize lectures so that material significant to alaboratory assignment was discussed in class directly prior to that activity. Further, laboratorywork began in the third week of lecture so that there was sufficient lead time on topics prior tothe beginning of the laboratory tasks. In this arrangement, lecture

Conference Session

Dynamic Systems and Control

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel J Cox, University of North Florida; Lawrence K. Mao, University of North Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

: system identification using transmissions, rigid-body PD and PID control,reflected inertia, transmissions, fundamentals of servo control, control with drive flexibility, Page 26.833.6control with backlash present, disturbance rejection, non- collocated control, compensators andfilters (lag, lead, notch).The one-credit laboratory course spans most of the experimental topics of the ECP 205, ECP210, and ECP 220 and with the exception of the LQR experiments have been performed overtime in the undergraduate curriculum. Keeping in mind that the one-credit laboratory coursecomplements theoretical learning in two successive three-credit lecture course

Conference Session

Design Throughout the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Lulay, University of Portland; Heather Dillon, University of Portland; Timothy A. Doughty, University of Portland; Deborah S. Munro, University of Portland; Shazib Z. Vijlee, University of Portland

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Page 26.903.12for a bicycle, and automated blinds that open or close based on the brightness outside. 11Instructor Assessment: Many components of design are addressed, but the course stressesdeveloping student creativity. Gathering information leads to appropriately set goals, andstudents are encouraged to reflect on how their research shapes the objectives, criteria, andconstraints. Students are assessed on the appropriateness of their projects both in the context ofthe issue they are addressing and in the relevance to the course. The instructor believes thatpedagogical improvements can be made in-part by making students more aware of how variousproject tasks relate to design. Starting this term

Conference Session

Communication Across the Divisions II: Communication and Transdisciplinary Pedagogies

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brock E. Barry P.E., U.S. Military Academy; Daniel J. Fox, U.S. Military Academy; Robert M. Wendel, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

training, independent of teacher experience. This post-session surveysought to gather demographic information to aid in understanding the participant’s particularteaching experience and nonverbal communication training.Results and DiscussionEach participant’s response was compared against the sample population and against thestudent’s report confidence to identify whether overall nonverbal message discrepancies exist.The results of the expert and participant responses are provided in Table 2.The percentages calculated in each row reflect the portion of the population that correctlymatched their assessment (either confident or non-confident) with the students reportedconfidence for an individual video clip. Notably, there is a significant range in

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer I

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Soumik Banerjee, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

feedback about theirperformance on the project prior to the second set of questionnaires. Based on previousexperience of the instructor in teaching the same class, students typically favorably rate any formof assignment where the class average score is high. This trend is reflected in the response to thesecond question in the questionnaires. Amongst the three forms of assessments prior to the firstquestionnaire, the least number of students indicated quizzes as useful in self-evaluation, whilemost students indicated home works as the most useful mechanism for self-evaluation. It isimportant to note the direct correlation between the response and the average grades in theseassignments. While the average home work grade prior to the first

Conference Session

Manufacturing and Machine Component Design

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

George Youssef, California State University, Northridge; J. Michael Kabo, California State University, Northridge

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

an intensive writing and presentation experience with criticalfeedback engages students in a continuous reflection on the elements of the complete designprocess throughout the entire semester. It was found that this approach produces students whoare better prepared for their senior design projects and engineering practice. Students noted anincrease in their understanding of machine design concepts as an integration of all their priorpreparatory training. The effectiveness of the revised course structure was evaluated through asurvey of previous and current students.Introduction and backgroundPrior to 2011, one of the common concerns of the Mechanical Engineering department’s seniorstudents was the inability to “engineer” or practice “design

Conference Session

Communication Across the Divisions II: Communication and Transdisciplinary Pedagogies

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Valenzuela P.E., University of Evansville; Valerie A. Stein, University of Evansville

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

lectureAlthough the first author was mindful that the FYS audience drew from all of the majors acrosscampus (liberal arts and non-liberal arts) and needed to address the nature and value of criticalthinking, the choice of the subject matter and its treatment reflected the usual direction of theconversation about the discipline of the liberal arts in engineering. As a case study of theapplication of critical thinking, the lecture delves into conspiracy theories regarding the collapseof the World Trade Center Towers on 9-11. The opportunity to prepare for the plenary lecturegave the first author the motivation to seriously consider the efforts by a handful of engineersand architects to reopen the investigation of the collapse as part of the 9-11 Truth

Conference Session

Statics and Finite Element Analysis

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah C. Baxter, University of St. Thomas; Ann Johnson, University of South Carolina; Bethany S. Fralick, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

pedagogical technique in engineering and architecture programs untilthe 1990's when, with the accessibility of desktop computing and relatively inexpensivesoftware, computer-aided drawing began to dominate and manual drafting classes disappearedfrom the engineering curriculum. Visualization and analysis can now be done more quickly andaccurately using CAD programs. In addition, CAD addresses a more diverse range of problems,including those in three-dimensions. As a result, returning to hand drawing in order to solvestatics problems is not a choice anyone would make for efficiency.Visualization skills are thought to be fundamental to spatial thinking, as it is used to representand manipulate information, and as it contributes to the reflective

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer II

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Shepard, University of St. Thomas; Deify Law, California State University, Fresno

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

relevantproblems similar to what might be given on quizzes and tests. By working through the problemsstudents may also pay closer attention to readings in the textbook and attend office hours in orderto overcome confusion. Also, as pointed out in Fernandez, Saviz and Burmeister1, the opensetting in which homework is completed is more reflective of engineering practice than time-limited high-stakes exams. The reason for grading homework is commonly to incentivizestudents to give an honest effort and spend the required time to complete the assignment.Past research does provide evidence of the positive impact that graded homework can have onlearning. A review of 15 published studies on elementary and secondary students showed that in85% of the cases

Conference Session

Engineering Laboratory Experiences

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael J. Schertzer, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE); Patricia Iglesias, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE); Kate N. Leipold, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE); John D. Wellin, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE)

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

seven. To reflect these changes, the course has grown from one credit totwo credits. Material for each lab was delivered in a two-week cycle with a one-hour lecture andtwo-hour lab period every week. Each lab had one dedicated lecture and additional lectures wereadded to further emphasize broader topics including data acquisition, measurement uncertainty,and statistical analysis.In addition to the updated course content, the Toyota A3 report format has been adopted for alllabs to expose students to a wider variety of tools for technical communication and to foster aspirit of creative and innovative problem solving. In keeping with the iterative nature of thesereports, the general process for each lab involves multiple events with feedback from

Conference Session

Design Throughout the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David C. Jensen, University of Arkansas; Dennis Beck, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

directly observe what happens in engineering design, model the practiceof their teacher, and reflect on the ideas they learn, including addressing any relatedmisconceptions. Teachers encourage the development of their learners by making tacit knowledgeexplicit, modeling effective strategies for completing tasks, providing scaffolded support whenlearners are practicing new tasks, and offering specific feedback for improvement15. Thisapprenticeship is vitally important for the transferability of what is assumed to be learned in anorientation or training session to become actual practice. As part of this research, additive manufacturing is being explored as a means of implementingthe theoretical cognitive learning concepts. Research on the use of

Conference Session

Manufacturing and Machine Component Design

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sandra Anstaett Metzler P.E., Ohio State University; Blaine W. Lilly, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

theirlives, have adequate supervision and hands-on training, for the sake of both safety andproficiency. Therefore, a sizeable number of students who had completed the pilot course wererecruited to act as Undergraduate Teaching Associates (UTAs) for the semester long version.The UTAs were all selected based on their performance in the course, as reflected both in thegrade they received as well as their competence in the hands-on aspects of the course. One of theinteresting outcomes of these selection criteria was that the resulting percentage of femalestudents selected as UTAs was significantly higher than the percentage of female studentsenrolled in the course. The percentage of female UTAs in the course has consistently beenbetween 40 and 50

Conference Session

Manufacturing and Machine Component Design

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ali R. Mohammadzadeh, Grand Valley State University; Salim M. Haidar, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, 𝑑!" 6where hp is the horse power delivered, T is the shaft torque, N is shaft's rpm, dpC and dpDrespectively are gears C and D pitch diameters, and F1t and F2t are tangential gear forces on gearsC and D, respectively.Knowing the pressure angles, the radial forces on gears C and D are found, respectively, as:                      𝐹!!   = 𝐹!! 𝑡𝑎𝑛20! = 197  𝑙𝑏𝑓 and 𝐹!! = 𝐹!!   𝑡𝑎𝑛20! = 262  𝑙𝑏𝑓.The dynamical effects are considered by reflecting first on gear C's tilt of its axis relative to theshaft axis (See Fig. 2). x x x' x X Gear C

Conference Session

Dynamic Systems and Control

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diane L Peters, Kettering University; Richard Stanley, Kettering University; Craig J. Hoff, Kettering University; John Casci, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

there was not a true laboratory component in the course.The concerns identified by the students were often a reflection of their experiences during theirco-operative education rotations. Every student at Kettering University rotates between anacademic term and a co-operative education term, where students will work as engineeringinterns. The students do this rotation twice a year from the moment they enter the university.Because of this constant exposure to industry, students learn many of the ‘soft’ engineering skillsthat are difficult to teach in a classroom environment. However, this experience makes thestudents at Kettering ‘non-traditional’ students. They tend to filter their academic experiencesthrough their work experiences. The students

Conference Session

Statics and Finite Element Analysis

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Qin Ma, Walla Walla University; Louie L. Yaw, Walla Walla University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

assumptions with more definite answers for students tograsp while photoelasticity provides more direct and quick results. However, the quantitativeinterpretation of the later method can be more subjective because the counting of colors is oftendifficult. Typical students’ responses as summarized below do reflect this argument.Quote: “This tool of analysis gives me more confidence because the analysis is much more precise. In thephotoelascity lab, we estimated stress based on the color range, which can be vague according to the interpretationof color.”Quote: “I trust the FEA results more than the photoelasticity results. I am more confident in the FEA results.”Quote: “The FEA method for this problem is more accurate since the program is looking at