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Session 3464

Engineering Materials Lecture and Laboratory: Cross- Disciplinary Teaching in a Small University Setting

Michael Nowak

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Hartford West Hartford, CT 06117

Abstract:

We have developed a course combining an engineering materials laboratory with a materials science lecture for a diverse population of students. By judicious selection of topic order, we are able to utilize one lecture and one laboratory for Mechanical, Civil and Biomedical Engineering students.

The basic materials lectures are in common with all groups, with the sections split for major specific topics. This means that three quarters of the term is taught on a joint basis, and three or four lectures are split.

The laboratory sections are combined for general tensile, compression, torsion, shear, bending, hardness, and fatigue testing. Sections are split for major specific topics.

The usefulness of combining courses in a small but diverse population include: more efficient usage of laboratory resources; reducing the number of separate lectures the faculty have to prepare; and teaching students how to interact with engineers in other disciplines. It is also valuable for the students to understand that the same principles govern mechanical, civil and biomedical engineering materials.

Introduction:

As a small Engineering College with limited faculty resources, we have developed a course combining an engineering materials laboratory with a materials science lecture. By judicious selection of topic order, we are able to utilize a common lecture and laboratory for students in Civil, Biomedical, and Mechanical Engineering for the bulk of the term. In view of the fact that our faculty teach the undergraduate laboratory courses (as opposed to using graduate assistants), there has been a savings of both resources and faculty load.

Small to medium sized undergraduate Engineering programs may have difficulty teaching similar

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Nowak, M. (2003, June), Engineering Materials Lecture And Laboratory: Cross Disciplinary Teaching In A Small University Setting Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12657