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Session 1155

Improving Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics across the Curriculum

Marc Perlin, William W. Schultz, Marc K. Smith, John F. Foss University of Michigan/University of Michigan/Georgia Institute of Technology/Michigan State University

Abstract

We initiated an NSF-sponsored workshop of Faculty and a few representatives from industry to investigate methods to increase student expectations and performance in the fundamentals of undergraduate fluid mechanics education. We originally planned to build a pool of fluid mechanics exam problems and a consortium to provide feedback on evaluation of these problems. We examined ways to initiate, maintain, and assess this process consistent with ABET. We report here our deliberations and findings from the workshop and subsequent feedback and effort. The participants, drawn primarily from the active research community in fluid dynamics, evolved a consensus “path forward” in which shared instructional resources were to be the primary outcome of an organized, new collaboration among university and industrial colleagues. The present communication details the issues considered by the participants and it presents the suggestions to enhance instruction in basic fluid mechanics.

I. Introduction

We organized an NSF-sponsored workshop of engineering faculty (and two industrial representatives) to study ways to increase student expectations and performance in the fundamentals of undergraduate fluid mechanics education. To foster and achieve optimal student performance and education, we planned to build a student-faculty teaming environment. One method of achieving this is to have exams arise from an external source (i.e., beyond the university). In this manner, it is envisioned that the course instructor becomes the ally, and not the “task master”, of the students.

We initially planned to build a pool of fluid mechanics exam problems and a consortium to provide feedback on evaluation of these problems. The intended result was to be a stronger grasp, by the students, of fundamental content as measured by the ability to rationally attack and solve unfamiliar problems whose basic elements were the object of the instruction. The workshop was to develop and evolve this idea and to help bring it to fruition.

We examined ways to initiate, maintain, and assess this process consistent with ABET. By intent, the process would accommodate all disciplines that teach fluid mechanics and still respect institutional differences. The primary questions and issues addressed were:

1. What are the educational outcomes desired? 2. What is the expected level of student achievement? 3. What curriculum pedagogy should we deliver? 4. How do we measure outcomes?

Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2001, American Society for Engineering Education

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Schultz, W., & Smith, M., & Perlin, M., & Foss, J. (2001, June), Improving Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics Across The Curriculum Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9366