Conference Session

Useful Assessment in Materials Education

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Pierre G. Lafleur; Jean-Paul Bailon; Bernard Clément

Same Course, Two Methods of Learning: Assessment of the Student’s Success Jean-Paul Baïlon(1) (Dept. of Mechanical Eng.), Bernard Clément (Dept. of Applied Mathematics and Industrial Eng.), Pierre G. Lafleur (Dean of Studies) Ecole Polytechnique, PO Box 6079, Station Centre-Ville Montréal (QC) Canada H3C 3A7Abstract: This paper discusses the implementation of a self-directed learning strategy forinstruction in an introductory materials science course. Student’s performance metrics aredirectly compared to those from a more traditional lecture-oriented course. The raw data revealthat the students who have

Conference Session

Teaching Statics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sue Rosser, Georgia Institute of Technology; Laurence Jacobs, Georgia Institute of Technology; Janet Murray, Georgia Institute of Technology; Wendy Newstetter, Georgia Institute of Technology; Christine Valle, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

diagrams as a mechanism fordescribing and constraining a problem. This ability to abstract and define an idealized problemfrom complex objects in the world or textual descriptions ratchets the engineer's ability to solvethe problem. Sadly, however, students routinely leave this course having learned to "plug andchug" or jump to a mathematical equation without first defining the problem in a diagrammaticform that articulates the underlying principles. This can lead to serious problems in futurecourses as the fundamental approach to engineering problem solving has not been understood orembraced. As a foundational course, difficulties here can impact student academic confidenceresulting in a diminished sense of self-efficacy that is particularly

Conference Session

Miscellaneous Mechanics

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Devin Berg, University of Wisconsin - Stout; Anne Schmitz, University of Wisconsin - Stout

examined student perceptions of different delivery modalities used in two sections of acourse in machine component design. This undergraduate course is required for mechanicalengineering and engineering technology students. Anecdotally, these two populations do notdiffer meaningfully in preparation, i.e. prerequisite knowledge. The course curriculum coversstress analysis of various machine components along with multiple failure models: gears,pulleys, chains, bearings, clutches, impact loading, fatigue, etc. This course is taken during astudent’s junior or senior year. Therefore, a mechanics of materials course is a prerequisite.These machine component design sections have been taught by the same instructors over the lastthree years and both

Conference Session

Approaches to Active Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Yim, University of Pennsylvania; Katherine Kuchenbecker, University of Pennsylvania; Paulo Arratia, University of Pennsylvania; Vijay Kumar, University of Pennsylvania; John Bassani, University of Pennsylvania; Jonathan Fiene, University of Pennsylvania; Jennifer Lukes, University of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Pennsylvania John Bassani is the Richard H. and S. L. Gabel Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. His current research interests include:? the relationship between properties of discrete and continuous media, adhesion and interfacial mechanics, formation and properties of nanostructures, mechanics of living cells, plastic deformation of crystals and polycrystals, and mechanics of fracture and fatigue.Jonathan Fiene, University of Pennsylvania Jonathan Fiene is a Lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department. He received his Doctor of Philosophy in 2007 from Stanford University, with a dissertation: "Toward Realistic

Conference Session

Mechanics Classroom Demonstrations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Genevieve Gagnon Ph.D., University of Saint Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

AC 2012-5309: EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING THROUGH A JEOP-ARDY GAMEDr. Genevieve Gagnon Ph.D., University of Saint Thomas Genevieve Gagnon, Ph.D., originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, teaches Mechanics of Materials at the University of St.Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. She is also an instructor for Energy and the Environment. Gagnon obtained her B.Sc. and her M.Sc. from the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal and her PhD. in material science from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Siwtzerland. The main subject of her thesis was thermal fatigue of aluminum composites inside a transmission electron microscope

Conference Session

Tech Tools and Tips

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Mohamad Alipour, University of Virginia; Devin K. Harris, University of Virginia; Mehrdad Shafiei Dizaji, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Zachary Bilmen, University of Virginia; Zijia Zeng, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

94(1). 121-130, 2005.[2] J.F. Davalos, C.J. Moran, and S.S. Kodkani. "Neoclassical active learning approach for structural analysis." in: Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, 2003.[3] P.S. Streif, and L.M. Naples. "Design and evaluation of problem solving courseware modules for mechanics of materials." Journal of Engineering Education 92(3). 239-247, 2003.[4] D. Jensen. “From Tootsie Rolls to Composites: Assessing a Spectrum of Active Learning Activities in Engineering Mechanics”. Air Force Academy Colorado Springs Inst For Information Technology Applications, 2009.[5] B. Crawford, and T. Jones. "Teaching mechanical engineering to the highly uninspired." ASEE Annual

Collection

2024 CIEC

Authors

James Kribs; Jackson Brown; Angelique Shackleford; Darius Mcklin

automotive engineering technology, manufacturing, andtechnology management. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University in2013. He is a member of the American Society of Engineering Education, the American Society of MechanicalEngineers, and the Combustion Institute. His current research interests are in electrohydrodynamics, combustion,composite materials, and engineering education. Proceedings of the 2024 Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration Copyright ©2024, American Society for Engineering Education

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 5

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicolas Ali Libre, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Paper ID #25644Affordable learning solutions and interactive content in engineering mechan-icsDr. Nicolas Ali Libre, Missouri University of Science & Technology Nicolas Ali Libre, PhD, is an assistant teaching professor of Civil Engineering in Missouri University of Science and Technology.He received his B.S. (2001), M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2009) in civil engineering with emphasis in structural engineering, all from the University of Tehran, Iran. His research interests and experience are in the field of computational mechanics, applied mathematics and cement-based composite materials. During his post-doc in the

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Margaret Scheiner, Florida State University; Micah McCrary-Dennis; David O Olawale, Dept of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering; Okenwa I Okoli, Florida A&M University/Florida State University

an entrepreneurial twist to refocus senior studentspursuing careers and graduate programs in STEM fields.The field of advanced materials is very broad; however, the REU curriculum focused the studentat several key, real world application-based endeavors. Several projects involving the processingand applications of nanomaterials and multiscale-multifunctional composite materials werechosen to be student research project initiatives. These were selected to equip the students withknowledge in the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials and their utilization inmanufacturing processes. Students learned the fundamental synthesis mechanisms ofnanomaterials critical to controllable and consistent production. The students also learned

Conference Session

Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies Division Technical Session 3: Best of ELOS

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Shepard, University of St. Thomas; Charles Mossey; Jacob Swanson, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Colin Huntington, University of St. Thomas; Mary Murphy

, lessons learned, and examples of final products.First IterationThe first attempt at having students make their own fluid art was conducted in spring 2021.Students taking fluid mechanics were offered up to 0.5% extra credit towards their final grade ifthey made a painting and completed a short assignment. This iteration focused solely ondrip/splatter painting and spray painting and students could use one or both techniques whenpainting. Materials were provided for the students. The engineering faculty were asked todonate extra house and spray paints from home and this supply was supplemented by paintsstored by the department (including some paint balls) and a small number of store-bought paintsin order to increase the color options. Instead of

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 11: Integration of Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patrick M Comiskey, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Prabhakar Venkateswaran, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Michael Christopher Sevier, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

at ATA Engineering where he worked as a structural analysis engineer for nine years. During this time, he both took and taught multiple professional courses and realized how many technically brilliant instructors struggled to convey information in a way that could be readily absorbed by the students. Now in his eighth year in academia Michael is researching how various teaching methods and study habits affect the absorption and long-term retention of class material in the hopes of best preparing students for their future as engineers. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Reflections on Integrating MATLAB Grader Across a Mechanical

Conference Session

Flipped Classrooms in Mechanics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaobin Le P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology; Gloria Guohua Ma, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Anthony William Duva, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Paper ID #11167Testing the flipped classroom approach in engineering dynamics classDr. Xiaobin Le P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology Associate professor, Ph.D, PE., Department of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, Wentworth In- stitute of Technology, Boston, MA 02115, Phone: 617-989-4223, Email: Lex@wit.edu, Specialization in Computer Aided Design, Mechanical Design, Finite Element Analysis, Fatigue Design and Solid Me- chanicsDr. Gloria Guohua Ma, Wentworth Institute of TechnologyProf. Anthony William Duva P.E. P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology

Conference Session

Enhancing Instruction in Statics, Dynamics, Mechanics

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rania Al-Hammoud P.Eng., University of Waterloo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

onlinequizzes to the flipped classroom model, the students were encouraged and motivated to do thework as part of the course objectives before coming to class. This increased their participation inclassroom activities, thus enhancing their learning experience.In a second year fundamental engineering mechanics course, consisting of about 120 students,individually tailored pathways were designed for students to achieve the learning outcomes ofthe online modules. Using the graded online quizzes as an integrated part of the flipped resourcematerial available online encouraged the students to go over the material before class. The onlinequizzes allowed the students multiple attempts and guided them through different resources witheach unsuccessful attempt

Conference Session

Teaching Statics: What and How?

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Aimee Monique Cloutier, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Phillip Cornwell, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

fromstudents which strongly favor requiring Physics as a prerequisite, seems to support the surprisingconclusion that most students would benefit from taking Physics as a prerequisite to Statics.IntroductionAs the first engineering course that students typically encounter, Statics is an important gatewayto the rest of the curriculum as evidenced by the fact that it serves as a prerequisite for higher-level courses like Dynamics and Mechanics of Materials almost universally. However, there isfar less consistency between universities with regards to the prerequisite and corequisite coursesfor Statics itself. Table 1 provides a summary of the prerequisites and corequisites to Statics (orits equivalent) at select mechanical engineering programs around the

Conference Session

Materials Division (MATS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew D Goodman, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Saadeddine Shehab, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Nicholas Robert Pozza; Blake Everett Johnson, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; jean-charles stinville, University of Illionis Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Materials Division (MATS)

and instructional laboratory manager in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include experimental fluid mechanics, measurement science, engineering education, engineering leadership, and professional identity development.jean-charles stinville, University of Illionis Urbana-Champaign ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Incorporating Human-Centered Design to Restructure a Materials Science and Engineering Capstone Course AbstractCapstone design is the culmination of a learner’s academic progress, where students utilizeknowledge gained

Conference Session

Flipped Classrooms in Mechanics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark H. Holdhusen, University of Wisconsin, Marathon County

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

necessary to gather definitive data.Thomas and Philpot4 worked to create a framework for a “flipped” mechanics of materials classwhich included the ability to measure student performance on a variety of topics in order to alterinstruction to the needs of students. Future research will be focused on improving the instruction.Cavalli, et al.5 “flipped” four different courses including an engineering mechanics course andfound positive attitudes towards the approach, but mixed results in student performance. Swartz,et al.6 also “flipped” several civil engineering courses including a mechanics course anddiscussed the perspectives of the instructors. They found that faculty appreciated the flexibilityof class time and felt the students were more engaged

Conference Session

Mechanics and the Internet

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Holdhusen, University of Wisconsin - Marathon County; Christa James-Byrnes, University of Wisconsin - Barboo/Sauk County; Luis Rodriguez, University of Wisconsin - Waukesha

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

material by the students. A different instructor teaches the lesson to adifferent class a second time. This lesson is again observed and a final analysis is conducted todetermine if students successfully accomplished the learning objectives, thus achieving thelearning goal. The second iteration promotes a deeper understanding of the delivery methods Page 13.847.4that effectively promote student learning.___________ Lesson Study for StaticsLesson DevelopmentThe team approached the creation of the lesson, by trying to throw away any preconceivednotions, and approached the lesson from the point of view of the student. This was very difficultas each

Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jamie Douglas, University of Wisconsin Colleges Online

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

typical undergraduate engineeringmechanics sequence that includes statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials. Topics coveredinclude force vectors, moments, equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies, trusses and frames,friction, center of gravity, and moment of inertia.MethodologyAll five sections were taught by the same instructor and used the same textbook. The face-to- Page 26.373.3face course met three days a week for a 50-minute lecture, and the course was structured withtraditional written homework assignments and proctored in-class exams. The audiographicsclass met two days a week for 75 minute lectures along with written homework

Conference Session

Enhancing the Statics Classroom

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kimberly B. Demoret P.E., Florida Institute of Technology; Jennifer Schlegel, Florida Institute of Technology; Matthew J Jensen, Florida Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Technology Jennifer Schlegel serves as a Research Professional with the Harris Institute for Assured Information within Florida Tech’s College of Engineering and Computing. Dr. Schlegel has always explored broad, multi-disciplinary engineering solutions. Building on an engineering mechanics foundation from Virginia Tech’s Engineering Science and Mechanics degree program and then continuing at The Johns Hopkins University to earn her Doctorate and Masters in Materials Science and Engineering studying nondestruc- tive electromagnetic techniques for materials characterization. Delivering unique mission solutions to government customers as a federal contractor and serving as a FIRST mentor catalyzed a desire to shape our

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2: Innovative Approaches for Teaching Environmental Engineering

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Jean M. Andino, Arizona State University; Cameron N. Morgan, Arizona State University; Lizandra C. Godwin, University of New Mexico

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

air pollution control within Prof. Andino’s group.Dr. Lizandra C. Godwin, University of New Mexico Lizandra C. Godwin is a faculty member in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Godwin earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University and her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida. After completing her degree, Lizandra worked at Intel Corporation on microchip development and processes for 10 years. Prior to the Univ. of New Mexico, Lizandra was a research assistant professor at Boise State University, where her research group focused on developing 2D and 3D materials for electronic devices and broadening

Conference Session

Active Learning & Laboratories in Statics, Dynamics, and Mechanics

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John W. Sanders, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Matthew West, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Geoffrey L Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include solid mechanics, microme- chanics of materials, fracture mechanics, and STEM education research.Prof. Matthew West, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Matthew West is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining Illinois he was on the faculties of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University and the Department of Mathematics at the University of California, Davis. Prof. West holds a Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems from the California Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. in Pure and Applied Mathematics from the University of

Conference Session

Mechanics, Hands-on Demo - Show & Tell!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carrie J. McClelland P.E., Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Page 23.607.2the department that develop the concepts that are essential for students in the discipline to knowbefore learning more complex material for their major. Understanding and application of fluid-mechanics concepts is emphasized, along with investigation of how these concepts will relate tothe students’ future professions. The class meets twice a week for 75 minutes throughout a 16-week semester, for a total of 32 meetings. Typically, there is a significant majority of malestudents, and around 30-45% international students – most of whom are not native Englishspeakers.Assessing the effectiveness of the flipped class formatIn order for the new course format to be considered effective, it needed to provide students withan experience

Conference Session

What's New in Dynamics?

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

of dynamics, but becompletely unaware of when they lived or what they actually contributed. This information, plusadditional trivia, can be used to enliven dynamics and to keep students’ interest. The primarypurpose of this paper is to provide short biographies of the major historical figures in the historyof dynamics as a resource for mechanics educators. These short biographies contain not onlyinformation about when they lived and their contributions to dynamics, but also pieces of trivia,quotes about them or by them, and other interesting facts. Suggestions will be made as to howthis material can be used in class, and survey results will be presented on how students felt aboutthis material.IntroductionIn many disciplines, architecture for

Conference Session

Miscellaneous Mechanics

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joshua Wyrick, York College of Pennsylvania; Emine Foust, York College of Pennsylvania

practice those skills impact their grades and evaluation ofthe course? A variety of teaching strategies exist to facilitate student learning and have been extensivelyassessed and implemented, but these strategies are rarely directly compared under similar academicconditions.In this study, a comparison of students’ performance, engagement, and knowledge retention is madebetween four sections of Fluid Mechanics taught in the same semester by two professors (two sectionseach) that utilized different methods for weekly assessments and applications of the fundamentalconcepts. Lesson material for all sections was delivered in a similar manner – typically incorporatingdirect lectures, problem-solving, and contextual demonstrations/activities. All four

Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Devin R. Berg, University of Wisconsin, Stout

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

2.75 ± 0.87 dynamics principles in your surroundings? (2) How prepared are you to discuss engineering mechanics 2.63 ± 0.72 2.36 ± 0.67 with others? (3) How do you see yourself fitting within the greater engi- 2.70 ± 0.84 2.28 ± 0.83 neering community? (4) During the semester how much have you discussed the 2.97 ± 1.17 2.26 ± 0.99 course material outside of class? (5) How would you describe your participation in the class 2.57 ± 0.78 2.68 ± 0.85 Twitter discussions? (6) How would you rate the Twitter discussions used in this 2.03 ± 0.67 1.95 ± 0.83 course?Discussion Page

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division Technical Session 5

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaobin Le P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology; Richard L. Roberts, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Anthony William Duva P.E. , Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

to ensure every mechanical student has full access toevery module in SolidWorks academic suit. Prerequisite courses teach the use SolidWorks tocreate models and drawings starting in their freshman year including simple analysis using FEAin courses such as Engineering Statics, Mechanics of Materials and Design of MachineElements. In Mechanics of Material course during their sophomore year, they conducted threefinite element simulation labs [10] in which they treated the SolidWorks simulation as a virtualinstrument and used it to simulate and visualize stress/strain of bars under axial loading, shaftsunder torsion and beams under lateral force and bending. In Design of Machine Elements coursein their junior year, they used SolidWorks

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shuh-Jing Ying P.E., University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

directly above the ball. So theconcept for general construction is established. Detail design of the rotating mechanism isbeyond the scope of this paper. Also because many different designs may be chosen for givenexternal construction limitations, no specific design for the rotating mechanism is proposed. Takethe center of the ball joint as the origin of the coordinates. With the ball joint, the rotatingmechanism can rotate the missile to a proper position along the axis n and angle 𝛽𝛽. A specificexample will be presented in the conference.CONCLUSION Because the rotation operator is not a common subject in dynamics, it was presented atthe beginning of this paper. This additional background material increased the paper length, butwas

Conference Session

Mechanics and the Internet

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Calvin Ashmore, Georgia Institute of Technology; Bo Yeon Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology; Geoff Thomas, Georgia Institute of Technology; Daniel Upton, Georgia Institute of Technology; Sneha Harrell, UC Berkeley; Christine Valle, Georgia Institute of Technology; Wendy Newstetter, Georgia Institute of Technology; Janet Murray, Georgia Institute of Technology; Laurence Jacobs, Georgia Institute of Technology; Sue Rosser, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

thestarting point for developing what engineering educators refer to as “intuition”. With advent ofthe digital age and the computerization of many consumer products, such exploration became athing of the past. Thus, as engineering educators know, today’s students lack the extended hands-on experiences of exploring the component parts and workings of mechanical devices that servedprevious generations so well. And female students rarely if ever had these opportunities even Page 13.778.3when they were more widely available. However, it is these extended physical experiences thatbuild confidence, nurture an embodied intuition about how the physical world

Conference Session

Manufacturing and Machine Component Design

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott F. Kiefer, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Paper ID #8628Machining Experience in a Mechanical Engineering CurriculumDr. Scott F. Kiefer, York College of Pennsylvania Scott Kiefer has spent the past thirteen years teaching mechanical engineering at four institutions. As an exemplary teaching specialist in mechanical engineering at Michigan State University, Scott received the Withrow Award for Teaching Excellence, given to one faculty member in the College in Engineering for outstanding instructional performance. Scott specializes in machine design, vibrations and controls, and mechatronics. He started his career at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez in the

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bidhan C. Roy, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

conceptualknowledge, and of course in skill sets.A course in Dynamics is part of a series of courses in Engineering Mechanics, the others beingStatics and Mechanics of Materials. In a Mechanical Engineering curriculum, it is an importantpre-requisite for courses in Dynamical Systems, Fluid Dynamics, and Mechanisms andMachines. Therefore, a clear conceptual understanding of the basic principles of Dynamics iswarranted, so that students can undertake critical thinking in future courses and in theirprofessional career.The principles of Dynamics, as part of a course in Engineering Mechanics, is better understoodby intensive problem solving. Because of limited time in classroom lectures, problem solving inhomework assignements is an integral part of the learning