Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Main Menu

Session #1526

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DYNAMIC SYSTEMS LABORATORY AND THE IMPLENTATION OF LEARNING-THROUGH-TEACHING CONCEPT

Chiang Shih, Patrick Hollis, and George Buzyna Department of Mechanical Engineering FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Florida A&M University and Florida State University

Abstract

A full-scale dynamics laboratory was developed to enhance hands-on experience and foster strong faculty-student interaction in the teaching of the Dynamic Systems classes. To emphasize the “seeing is believing” concept, we have also designed visualization-based courseware to supplement the regular lecture teaching. In addition, the dynamics laboratory facility has also been used to familiarize students with experimental techniques and data acquisition systems useful in developing design projects with greater scope, hence strengthening the design component of the Dynamic Systems discipline. We have also implemented a "Learning- Through-Teaching (L-T-T)" concept to encourage the active participation of all students. The implementation of the L-T-T concept helped students to achieve a deeper understanding of the subject by being involved in the teaching process. In addition, the concept can enhance full collaboration between faculty and students and among students themselves to make the classroom a truly cooperative learning community. Although the L-T-T concept is still in the developing stage, its success has convinced one of the authors, Chiang Shih, to apply the concept to other classes at different levels. Based on preliminary assessment, it is believed that a more coherent implementation, both vertically throughout the curriculum and horizontally across all disciplines, can greatly improve educational experience of engineering students.

Introduction

Dynamic Systems courses are among the most difficult classes for undergraduate engineering students. One of the major reasons is that it is difficult to conceptually visualize motion in dynamic processes. In addition, some physical concepts in dynamic s ystems, such as a disk rolling without slipping, are actually counter-intuitive and can confuse first-time students. Therefore, visualization methods can play an important role in the study of dynamic processes because "seeing is believing." The understanding of the fundamentals of dynamic systems can

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

Main Menu

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Shih, C. (2002, June), The Development Of A Dynamic Systems Laboratory And The Implementation Of Learning Through Teaching Concept Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10571