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Utilizing Advanced Software Tools in Engineering Technology Curriculum as a Bridge between Academia and Industry Abstract

The engineering and technology software tools are used by professionals and companies worldwide, and thus the students are given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the operation of software packages that most likely they will use after they join the workforce. A substantial portion of the classroom projects in engineering technology curriculum that require the use of advanced software tools has been increased in many higher institutions for both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Emerging virtual applications may enhance understanding both theoretical and applied experiences of engineering technology students by supporting laboratory experiments. AMESim, SolidWorks, ProE, MultiSim and LabViewTM are some of the well known system modeling, simulation and monitoring software tools that offer solutions to many problems in mechanical, thermal, hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical, electronics, controls, instrumentation and data acquisition areas. These virtual tools also help to improve learning pace and knowledge level of students in many applied subjects. This paper presents a number of case studies used in applied class projects, laboratory activities, and capstone senior design projects for a B.S. degree program in electrical and manufacturing engineering technology. Many students have found the software tools helpful and user friendly in understanding fundamentals of physical phenomena in engineering and technology areas.

1. Introduction

The development of educational and industrial software and simulation tools has been considerably increased. Industrial applications started to concentrate replacing expensive equipments by software and simulations tools while a number of educational institutions are preferring simulations tools instead of purchasing expensive test equipments for their laboratories. The universities especially engineering education departments increasingly incorporates such industry standard programming environment tools mostly in laboratory practices but more frequently also in the research and the classroom education. In engineering education, the demonstration is the most common utilization and operation. Taking engineering education into account, demonstration mostly engages process modeling, testing and simulation, imitated data acquisition and process control. For the demonstration purposes high level graphical user interface is required for providing efficient communication. The virtual applications may enhance both theoretical and hands-on experience of engineering technology students by supporting laboratory experiments as well. Most well-known industrial and educational software packages such as AMESim, SolidWorks, ProE, Matlab, MultiSim and LabViewTM are powerful physical system simulation and monitoring software tools that offer solutions to many problems in mechanical, thermal, hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical, electronics, instrumentation and data acquisition areas. For example, one of the well-known industrial software packages used in engineering and technology education is the LabViewTM developed by National Instruments (NI)1. The NI LabViewTM is a user friendly graphical

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Pecen, R. R., & Zora, A., & Yildiz, F. (2008, June), Utilizing Advanced Software Tools In Engineering Technology Curriculum As A Bridge Between Academia And Industry Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--4373