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Introducing a Research Project to a First-year Mechanical Laboratory Course

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Conference

14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference

Location

University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee

Publication Date

July 30, 2023

Start Date

July 30, 2023

End Date

August 1, 2023

Page Count

4

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44844

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44844

Download Count

89

Paper Authors

biography

Gloria Ma Wentworth Institute of Technology

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Gloria Ma is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Technology. She has been teaching robotics with Lego Mindstorm to ME freshmen for several years. She is actively involved in community services of offering robotics workshops to midd

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biography

Abhishek Kumar Wentworth Institute of Technology

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I am an Assistant Professor in Wentworth Institute of Technology. I have completed PhD from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

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biography

John Peter Voccio

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Assistant Professor, Ph.D, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA 02115, Phone: 617-989-4258, Email: voccioj@wit.edu, Specialization in Mechanical Design, Finite Element Analysis and Superconduct

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Abstract

In Fall 2022, our university introduced the first-year laboratory course for Mechanical Engineering students as part of the revamped first-year program. The course's primary objective is to equip students with fundamental technical skills and provide exposure to various laboratory concepts through hands-on experiments. The course covers a wide range of topics, including laboratory safety, experiment design, measurement techniques, design synthesis, Computer Aided Design (CAD), algorithmic thinking, simulation, and technical reporting. The main aim of the course is to enable students to gain practical experience in using modern engineering tools and techniques required for engineering practice.

To achieve this goal, students are required to undertake a final research project. The instructor provides a list of technical articles, and students can choose a topic from the list or propose their own topic for approval by the instructor. Then, they must apply the tools and techniques they learned in the course to implement part of the study presented in the technical article. In this paper, the research project's implementation is presented in detail, highlighting the challenges faced and the feedback received from students. Additionally, recommendations are provided to improve the course in the future.

Ma, G., & Kumar, A., & Voccio, J. P. (2023, July), Introducing a Research Project to a First-year Mechanical Laboratory Course Paper presented at 14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference, University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--44844

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