Conference Session

Engineering Physics and Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Daugherity, Abilene Christian University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics and Physics

Paper ID #26661Introducing Programming and Problem Solving with Arduino-based Labo-ratoriesDr. Michael Daugherity, Abilene Christian University Dr. Michael Daugherity is an Associate Professor of Engineering and Physics at Abilene Christian Uni- versity in Abilene, Texas. He received his PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Texas at Austin. His primary research focuses on nuclear physics experiments at the Brookhaven National Lab and Fermi National Accelerator Lab atom smashers performing data analysis and building radiation detectors. In- cluding undergraduate students in research is a major emphasis at ACU’s

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nathan Lemke, Bethel University; Gabriel Michael Hjelle; Zachary Erickson

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Paper ID #39392Board 252: Developing Optical Laboratories for Teaching Engineering andPhysicsDr. Nathan Lemke, Bethel University Dr. Lemke is Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering at Bethel University. His teaching interests include upper-level undergraduate engineering and physics courses with laboratory components. His research interests are in the fields of lasers, optical sciences, and atomic devices.Gabriel Michael HjelleZachary Erickson ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Developing optical laboratories for teaching engineering and physicsIntroductionProject-based

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Non-Engineers

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

AnnMarie Thomas, University of Saint Thomas; Mark Breitenberg, Art Center College of Design

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

engineering laboratories and encouraged to correspond withscientists and researchers while working on their final projects. Something as seeminglyinsignificant as a post field-trip luncheon with a group of engineers has been reported as ahighlight of this course.Course Development and HistoryThe “Nature’s Designs” course was taught at Art Center College of Design by Dr.Thomas for 4 semesters (Fall 2004, Spring 2005, Summer 2005, and Fall 2005). It is anelective course which fulfills part of the science requirement that all degree-seekingstudents must complete. The course is based on one developed at MIT by Dr. Thomas,while she was an undergraduate, and Professors Triantafyllou and Yue. The MIT classwas designed as an introduction to the concept of

Collection

2020 ASEE North Central Section conference

Authors

Ahmed Ammar, Ohio Northern University; Heath Joseph LeBlanc, Ohio Northern University; Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Ohio Northern University; Khalid S. Al-Olimat P.E., Ohio Northern University

the collaborative experience can support peer learning,whereas other times a divide-and-conquer approach is adopted, and each student completes only aportion of the laboratory activities. The latter approach often leads to students specializing in asubset of the core skills and competencies that are intended to be developed in the laboratorycourse.One approach to encourage all students to develop the core skills desired for the laboratory courseis to include a laboratory final exam as part of the course, which comprehensively assesses thedifferent skills and knowledge competencies intended for the laboratory course. In laboratorycourses with several sections and different instructors, it can be challenging to ensure consistencyin the

Conference Session

Online, Hybrid, and other Virtual Learning Environments

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zhou Zhang, Stevens Institute of Technology (School of Engineering and Science); Mingshao Zhang, Stevens Institute of Technology (School of Engineering and Science); Yizhe Chang, Stevens Institute of Technology (School of Engineering and Science); Sven K. Esche, Stevens Institute of Technology (School of Engineering and Science); Constantin Chassapis, Stevens Institute of Technology (School of Engineering and Science)

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

Programs of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. He received a Diploma in Applied Mechanics in 1989 from Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany, and was awarded M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The Ohio State University in 1994 and 1997, respectively. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses related to mechanisms and machine dynamics, integrated product development, solid mechanics and plasticity theory, structural design and analysis, engineering analysis and finite element methods and has interests in remote laboratories, project-based learning and student learning assessment. His research is in the areas of remote sensing and

Conference Session

Information Technology in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Prashant Jain, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign; James Stubbins, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign; Rizwan Uddin, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Nuclear and Radiological

. JOCHHEIM, “The Virtual Lab for Controlling Real Experiments via Internet”, Proceedings of the 1999 IEEE, International Symposium on Computer Aided Control System Design, Hawai,, USA (1999).[2] H. GUROCAK, “e-Lab: An electronic classroom for real-time distance delivery of a laboratory course”, Journal of Engineering Education (2001).[3] G. L. MEYERS, R. M. EDWARDS, “Internet Access to Reactor Control Experiments”, Proc. Fourth ANS International Topical Meeting on NPIC and HMIT, Columbus, OH, ANS (2004).[4] L. F. MILLER, A. I. HAWARI and A. COOK, “Internet University Reactor Experiments for Education in Nuclear Engineering”, Trans. ANS, 91, 967-958 (2004).[5] YUXIANG GU and RIZWAN-UDDIN, “Real -Time

Conference Session

Experiential Learning in ECE

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth V Noren, University of Idaho, Moscow

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

oscilloscope.Laboratory ExperimentsStudents check out an electronics board, a DMM, and parts. Most of the students performed theexperiments at their residence, but some chose to work in small groups in a departmentlaboratory that had computers in which the software required to operate the board was installed.It was required that two of the laboratories be demonstrated to the instructor. For these, thestudents brought the electronics boards to the instructors’ office where designed circuits could bedemonstrated in less than one minute. The requirements for documentation were lean. Mainly,imported measurements and waveforms into a document and a discussion of the differencesbetween what was predicted and what was measured.The experiments were designed with the

Conference Session

Multidisiplinary Student Research Experiences

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tom A. Eppes, University of Hartford; Ivana Milanovic, University of Hartford

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. Page 26.788.1227. Yang, B., Huang, Y., Adams, R., Zhang, J., and Burbank, K. (2008). Effective Teaching of Photonics E&M Theory using COMSOL. Proceedings of 2008 ASEE Conference. Paper AC 2008-1093.28. Clark, W, and DiBiasio, D. (2007). Computer Simulation of Laboratory Experiments for Enhanced Learning. Proceedings of 2007 ASEE Conference. Paper AC 2007-823.29. Eppes, T. A., Milanovic, I., & Sweitzer, F. (2012). Strengthening Capstone Skills in STEM Programs. Innovat. High. Educ., 37(1), 3-10.30. Eppes, T. A., Milanovic, I., & Quarshie, G. (2011). Power Transistor Heat Sink Design Trade-Offs. Proceedings of COMSOL Annual Conference. Boston, MA.31. Eppes, T., Milanovic, I. & Thiruvengadam, S. (2011). Patch Antenna

Conference Session

Design Realization

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ari W. Epstein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stephen Rudolph, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Herbert H. Einstein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Pedro M. Reis, Departments of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

topic, approach and scope of this project. Usually these projects involve the design andfabrication of experimental instruments and protocols or of devices that demonstrate some of thephysical principles underlying improvements students have proposed in Harvard’s plans.The second class of the sequence, taken the following semester, builds on this experience andengages students in design projects having to do with sensors, instrumentation, control andrelated topics. In order for this sequence of classes to be most effective, students must emergefrom the first class with appropriate shop skills and the ability to envision designs thatincorporate a variety of fabrication techniques and materials. When the current version of theclass was first

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Jeffrey L. Ray

engineering graduate outcomeexpectations. Next, a description of the current course structure and content is presented.Finally, future work in development of the course will be addressed.Course ObjectivesEvery senior engineering student at GVSU must successfully complete a senior capstone designproject. Many universities have implemented similar courses in their curriculums. The majorityof these courses focuses on the design process and involves only a single engineering discipline.Due to the mandatory co-op and hands-on laboratory-based structure of the engineering programin the PSE, the two-semester capstone course is permitted the freedom to include professionaldevelopment modules. The nature of the industry-sponsored projects demands a commitment

Conference Session

Student Teams and Active Learning

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Camilla Saviz; Kurt Schulz

Session _____ Learning Design in Lab Camilla M. Saviz and Kurt C. Schulz School of Engineering and Computer Science University of the Pacific, Stockton, CAAbstractLaboratory curricula in two core undergraduate-level engineering courses, FluidMechanics and Materials Science, have been enhanced through implementation oflaboratory design experiences. In addition to performing established experiments,students work in teams to develop a laboratory experiment investigating a course-related topic which they are required to research and formally report

Conference Session

Collaborative Projects in Architectural Engineering Education

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacob Nathan Dunn, University of Idaho Integrated Design Lab; Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg; Sherry McKibben, IURDC, University of Idaho

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

model, andsystems engineering and execution. Additionally, the energy and daylight modelingprocess can create large quantities of data that can only be understood through anintegrated team approach. The resulting data are interconnected and requirecollaborative thinking to understand their full impact on energy consumption andoccupant comfort.Additionally, the use of building simulation within the integrated design process requiresthe definition of quantifiable goals and criteria to help guide a project, while providingscientific data used for the evaluation of these targets. It also provides meaningful andrealistic imagery regarding the human visual and thermal experience of being in theproposed spaces. Just as we need to root design in

Conference Session

LEES 7: Experiments in Experiential and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nandini Sharma, University of Texas at Austin; Jeffrey William Treem, University of Texas at Austin; Megan Kenny Feister, California State University Channel Islands

expertise inherently political.Organizing for experts-in-the-making Differences in the level of established knowledge, and associated task and roleresponsibilities, among individuals working in a heterogeneous group laboratory (wheremembers’ background varies by discipline, experience, and project) mean that priorities andmotivations are likely to diverge at times. One consequence of these divergent goals and interestsis that distinguishing experts among group members might not be a shared goal. Rather, the needto solve problems collaboratively in restrictive circumstances, and to produce near-professionaloutcomes (Beane, 2019) necessitates excellence, “resourcefulness, ingenuity, and creativity”(Tucker et al., 2021) to emerge in some form—no

Conference Session

Perspectives and Evaluation of Engineering Design Education

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Radian G. Belu, Southern University and A&M College; Lucian Ionel Cioca, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu; Fred Lacy, Southern University and A&M College

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

course or more often a two-semester or three-quarter course sequences are well established into the management andstrategy of engineering education. ABET [5] also emphasizes the needs for engineering coursesthat are building the so-called soft engineering skills, such as: teamwork, communication,economics, management and project-based skills. The capstone senior design courses aid inbuilding and enhancing these skill sets. Capstone senior design experiences are a criticalgraduation requirement for all undergraduate engineering majors. It is typically the last bridgefor students between undergraduate education and the engineering profession in their respectivedisciplines. The course differs from other lecture and laboratory based courses in the

Conference Session

Energy Project and Laboratory Ideas

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Yanfeng Gong; Mike Collum; Noel Schulz

forconfiguration, demonstration and laboratory experiments. Page 8.476.2 Figure 1: Relay Test System in LaboratoryProceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright© 2003, American Society for Engineering Education Figure 2 Interconnection diagram of testing systemFigure 2 shows a block diagram of the arrangement for the test set-up.Protection and ECESince power faculty have little control on non-power required ECE core classes, it may bedifficult to get other faculty to introduce topics that combine power and their subject within

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering: Design and Labs

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Manish Paliwal, The College of New Jersey; Bijan Sepahpour, The College of New Jersey

development of laboratory apparatus and experiments in the areas of mechanics of materials and dynamics of machinery for undergraduate engineering programs. He has advised on over forty (40) Senior Design Projects and his teams of students have received five (5) National Championships and three Best Design Awards. In the recent years, he has challenged himself with the creation of an effective methodology for successful Invention and Innovation. He was part of a 14-member multi-disciplinary team to design and create the "Society, Ethics, and Technology (SET)" course at TCNJ in 1994 and has taught multiple regular and Honors sections of this course since then. He led a multi-disciplinary team of faculty from TCNJ's School of

Conference Session

Materials Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yakov E. Cherner, ATEL, LLC; Maija M. Kuklja, University of Maryland College Park; Alexander Rudy, Institute of Physics and Technology of RAS, Yaroslavl Branch

Tagged Divisions

Materials

Analytical X-ray Laboratories (v-Labs) have been developed to enable students to become familiar with the design and operationof the X-ray equipment and its major features. The v-Labs allow students to gain practical skillsrequired for conducting actual experiments and acquire the knowledge needed for collecting,analyzing and interpreting experimental data. Embedded auxiliary simulations help students learnfundamental physical principles underlying the analytical methods and equipment design invisual and interactive ways. The v-Labs enable students to watch and explore what is going on“under the hood” of the equipment and thus overcome the educational disadvantage ofcontemporary fully computerized X-ray equipment that feels like a “black box

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Richard Bannerot; Ross Kastor

form since 1981. At that time it was taken by allmechanical engineering undergraduates and has served the Department well over theyears, as the culminating experience in a four-course design sequence in the BSMEdegree. In the mid-80’s the Department of Industrial Engineering (IE) joined the courseso that project teams were composed of both ME and IE students, but the relative sizes ofthe Departments (annual graduations rates of 80 to100 BSME and 10 to15 BSIE) and thenature of the projects (mostly ME in nature with only a few in IE) prevented aninterdisciplinary experience for all design teams. In 1991 after retiring from Shell Oil Co.(and a 40+ year career as a drilling engineer and with many years experience working inShell’s internal

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Nancy Peck; John E. Nydahl

paper provides an overview of a simplified but concise statistical procedure to combine apropagation of error calculation with a theoretical analysis. This procedure is used to bothoptimize experimental designs and to help evaluate the experimental results. An application ofthis procedure to determine the optimum configuration of a reasonably complex multi-degree offreedom system is detailed here. This example uses a spreadsheet-computing environment,which is the natural platform for recording data from simple experiments, and its accompanyingVisual Basic function capability.II. Statistical ProcedureThe revised ME class/laboratory emphasizes the application of the participants’ existingknowledge base, rather than the introduction of new

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design II

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Forsyth, York College of Pennsylvania; Mark M. Budnik, Valparaiso University; Randi Shedlosky-Shoemaker, York College of Pennsylvania; Jeffrey Will, Valparaiso University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

the Electrical and Computer Engineering De- partment at Valparaiso University since August of 2001. He teaches courses in senior design, computer architecture, digital signal processing, freshman topics, and circuits laboratories and is heavily involved in working with students in undergraduate research. Will is also a 2013 recipient of the Illinois-Indiana ASEE Section Outstanding Teacher Award and the 2014 ASEE National Outstanding Teaching Award. Upon coming to Valparaiso University, Will established the Scientific Visualization Laboratory (SVL), a facility dedicated to the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for undergraduate education. Working exclusively with undergraduate students, Will developed VR hardware and

Conference Session

Engineering Design

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; Victoria E. Goodrich, University of Notre Dame; Jay B. Brockman, University of Notre Dame; Jay Caponigro, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

design, but has since shifted her focus to engineering education.Dr. Victoria E. Goodrich, University of Notre DameDr. Jay B. Brockman, University of Notre DameMr. Jay Caponigro, University of Notre Dame Jay Caponigro is the Drector of community engagement in the Office of Public Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. In this position, Caponigro supports the Associate Vice President in the development, execution and measurement of the institution’s efforts to strengthen its relationship with the local commu- nity. Caponigro holds a master’s in religious studies degree from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. in government and international studies from Notre Dame. With experience as a faith-based community organizer

Conference Session

Postgraduate Pathways and Experiences

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Jacob Allen Cress, University of Dayton; Patrick W. Thomas, University of Dayton

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

membersprovided us with specified class days and times in which we could observe class sessionscentered on instruction of a particular communication skill or assignment. Mary, an associateprofessor of mechanical engineering, taught a required 300-level Engineering Experimentationcourse for mechanical engineering majors, which included a series of lab reports fordocumenting students’ procedures and results while carrying out an experiment design. Joseph,another mechanical engineering instructor, taught a 200-level Thermodynamics course, which isa required course for mechanical and civil engineering majors and an elective course forchemical engineering majors. This course included a collaborative project in which studentsproposed a design for a power plant

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Henry Hoe, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

25.844.4Computer Architecture courses, this was an important factor in our decision.FPGA Design LaboratoriesThe FPGA Design class has a total of eight laboratory sessions integrated into the class, assummarized in Table 2. The first five labs give the students experience in writing VHDL code toimplement simple logic designs, like adders and clock dividers, and to use the simulation andvirtual logic analyzer tools for design verification and debug purposes. Some of the code neededto interface with the board is given to the students, such as the logic needed to drive the seven-segment display, but the students are required to analyze it and understand it for later use. Table 2. Summary of FPGA Class Laboratories Lab

Conference Session

Experiences with the TTL Turbojet Engine

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Staci White; Paul Strykowski

and an average diameter of6.5 inches, the SR-30 is equipped with an inlet nozzle, radial compressor, counter-flowcombustion chamber, turbine, and exhaust nozzle. Although it can operate on various fuels,diesel fuel is used in the studies described here, and each component is instrumented withthermocouples and pressure gages to allow a complete thermodynamic evaluation. Screamingalong at 80,000 rpm and sending out exhaust gas at 500 mph, the SR-30 engine is fun science forstudents! However, since the SR-30 was essentially designed for one-dimensional measurementand flow analysis, students quickly learn the limitations of these assumptions.SR-30 Thermodynamic AnalysisThe SR-30 gas turbine is modeled by the Brayton cycle which employs air as the

Collection

2023 ASEE PNW Section Conference

Authors

Soyoung Kang, University of Washington; Ken Yasuhara, University of Washington; Per G. Reinhall, University of Washington; Kathleen E Kearney, University of Washington; Jonathan T.C. Liu, University of Washington; Jonathan D. Posner, University of Washington; Erin Blakeney, University of Washington; ERIC SEIBEL, University of Washington; Shayla Payne

Tagged Topics

Diversity

comparing survey results from before (in person) and during (remote) thepandemic. Preliminary results show that overall project outcomes and productivity were as highor, in some cases, higher during the pandemic than prior to the pandemic. These findings suggestthat the innovative remote teaching strategies implemented by the teaching team providedeffective options in the absence of certain hands-on experiences that are considered critical toengineering capstone design courses. A discussion on these teaching strategies in the contextbeyond the pandemic are considered in the discussion.IntroductionEngineering capstone design courses provide students with a team-based project experience inaddressing an open-ended, real-world, unmet need. In the

Conference Session

Research on Engineering Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lora Oehlberg, University of California, Berkeley; Alice Merner Agogino, University of California, Berkeley

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

development and humancomputer interaction research.Alice Merner Agogino, University of California, Berkeley Alice M. Agogino is the Roscoe and Elizabeth Hughes Professor of Mechanical Engineering and affli- ated faculty at the Haas School of Business in their Operations and Information Technology Management Group. She directs the Berkeley Expert Systems Technology /Berkeley Energy and Sustainable Technolo- gies (BEST) Laboratories, the Berkeley Instructional Technology Studio (BITS) and is working to develop a Service Learning Media Lab and Design/Prototyping Studio in the new CITRIS building. She served as Chair of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate in 2005-06, having served as Vice Chair during the 2004-05

Conference Session

Engineering Physics & Physics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James G. O'Brien, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Gergely Sirokman, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Franz J. Rueckert, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Derek Cascio, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

shiftingtowards more student engagement, more hands on learning, and more interactive deliverymethods. Game of Ohms makes use of all of these concepts, with exceptional student response,and notable improvements in concept retention. We plan to expand this delivery vehicle to moretopics in circuit theory, making it possible to use Game of Ohms for a whole sequence oflearning experiences in the physics lab.References[1] ‘Game of Ohms’ while an excellent name in and of itself, is our current placeholder, whichwe expect to be revamped as part of the design process taking place this semester.[2] David R. Sokoloff, Ronald K. Thornton and Priscilla W. Laws, “RealTime Physics: ActiveLearning Labs Transforming the Introductory Laboratory,” Eur. J. of Phys., 28

Conference Session

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies - Mechanical Engineering Labs

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey A. Donnell, Georgia Institute of Technology; Philip Varney, Georgia Institute of Technology; David MacNair, Georgia Institute of Technology; Aldo A. Ferri, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Chair for Undergraduate Studies. His research areas are in the fields of dynamics, controls, vibrations, and acoustics. He is also active in course and curriculum development. He is a Fellow of the ASME. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2017 Optimizing Efficiency and Effectiveness in a Mechanical Engineering Laboratory Using Focused ModulesIntroductionLaboratory experiments are a mainstay of undergraduate engineering education. Instructionallaboratories are used to satisfy a number of learning objectives, and they are often used as avehicle for assessing ABET student outcomes for design of experiments, solving engineeringproblems, and using modern tools of engineering

Conference Session

Capstone Design II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Laguette, University of California-Santa Barbara

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

advisor to tackle aMechanical Engineering design project. Engineering communication, such as reports and oralpresentations are covered. The course emphasizes a practical, hands-on experience, andintegrates analytical and design skills acquired in the companion ME courses. The courseobjectives are (1) design problem solving, creative thinking, project planning and teamworkthrough a challenging design and build project; (2) to provide experience in fundamentalengineering reporting and communication including project plans, design reviews, and projectreports. To address the transition of the three unit, one quarter design course into a six unit, threequarter Capstone Design course, an Academic Coordinator with over twenty-five years ofengineering

Collection

1998 Annual Conference

Authors

Todd Nocera; Martha Cyr; John McDonald; Chris Rogers

labs (see figure 1). We began each of the classes with a ten minuteintroduction to the fundamental science and then let the students learn through performing theexperiments in the remaining 80 minutes. For most of the experiments, they had a number ofchoices in how to design, build, and execute the experiment. At the beginning of the followingclass period, they were required to hand in a 2 page lab report that answered a number ofquestions we gave them as well as described how they had executed the experiment. This write-up served two purposes: first to give them some practice in writing up what they saw andthought, and second to make sure that every student thought about the questions we asked. 1. How loud is noise