Teaching Mechanics Concepts Using a Motion Analysis System
- Conference
- Location
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Tampa, Florida
- Publication Date
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June 15, 2019
- Start Date
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June 15, 2019
- End Date
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June 19, 2019
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Mechanics
- Page Count
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10
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--33351
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/33351
- Download Count
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600
Paper Authors
Brian P. Self California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Brian Self obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech, and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Utah. He worked in the Air Force Research Laboratories before teaching at the U.S. Air Force Academy for seven years. Brian has taught in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo since 2006. During the 2011-2012 academic year he participated in a professor exchange, teaching at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. His engineering education interests include collaborating on the Dynamics Concept Inventory, developing model-eliciting activities in mechanical engineering courses, inquiry-based learning in mechanics, and design projects to help promote adapted physical activities. Other professional interests include aviation physiology and biomechanics.
Sonya Dick California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Sonya Dick is a Senior Mechanical Engineering Student at California Polytechnic State University - SLO. This is her second year working at the Human Motion Biomechanics Lab. As a research assistant, she helps create and teach interdisciplinary laboratories for undergraduate kinesiology and engineering students. Her work also involves creating simulations of a wide range of devices for the use of educational modules.
Jay Tyler Davis II California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Bradley Wash California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Abstract
Homework-style dynamics problems are typically analyzed “at an instant in time”, or possibly in two specific positions. This “snapshot dynamics” approach may hinder students’ ability to consider the time-varying nature of dynamic systems. Some teaching strategies to overcome this include computer simulations and the use of videos, but only a few researchers have utilized motion analysis systems or other instrumentation in their dynamics courses.
One of the goals of our Keck grant is to incorporate our motion analysis system into courses in engineering and kinesiology. To date, we have utilized three different assignment versions in our dynamics course: (a) allowing students to select their own artefact for analysis, (b) supplying six specific artefacts for analysis, and (c) interfacing with a Kinesiology class on motor learning to provide “expert” engineering advice on performance measures of novice jugglers versus advance jugglers. We have also incorporated the lab into a Kinesiology biomechanics course, as well as two biomechanics courses within the college of engineering (one in the Mechanical Engineering Department and one in the Biomedical Engineering Department). Finally, a graduate level architectural engineering course used the lab to analyze two and three degree-of-freedom building models to examine responses to different base inputs (including simulated real earthquake data).
Students were asked to fill out surveys to determine their subjective experiences of using the lab. Response was generally positive, with biomechanics courses tending to rate the experience more favorably than other students.
Self, B. P., & Dick, S., & Davis, J. T., & Wash, B. (2019, June), Teaching Mechanics Concepts Using a Motion Analysis System Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--33351
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