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Work in Progress: Research-based Teaching in Undergraduate Thermofluid Mechanical Engineering Courses in a Primary Undergraduate University

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Conference

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah

Publication Date

June 23, 2018

Start Date

June 23, 2018

End Date

July 27, 2018

Conference Session

Energy Conversion and Conservation Division Technical Session on Conservation and Optimization

Tagged Division

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Page Count

13

DOI

10.18260/1-2--31303

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/31303

Download Count

350

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Paper Authors

biography

Farshid Zabihian California State University, Sacramento

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Farshid Zabihian, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
California State University, Sacramento

Education:
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering,Ryerson University, 2011
M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, 1998
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Amir Kabir University of Technology, 1996

Authored or coauthored more than 70 papers in Journals and peer-reviewed conferences.

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Abstract

This paper presents the author’s approach to use open-ended research and design projects as supplement to traditional teaching in undergraduate thermofluid mechanical engineering courses. It is widely accepted that teaching and research in higher education, especially in engineering programs, should support and supplement each other. This is more important and challenging for undergraduate programs where traditionally more emphasis is placed on teaching. Furthermore, the knowledge student gained during the course of their education is to prepare them for solving real world problems and research can be the best tool to train them for this purpose. Based on the belief that research should heavily involve undergraduate students, the integration of research to teaching has been one of the primary objectives of the author since fall 2011 when he joined a primarily undergraduate institution until 2017. This has been very challenging due to the teaching oriented traditions of the school, the lack of graduate students to support undergraduate research, the heavy teaching loads of faculties, and the lack of the research infrastructure. To achieve this objective and overcome barriers, a new element namely the research project, was added to most thermofluid courses that the author taught. Most students have shown great interest in these research projects and typically performed very well above and beyond expectations. Between 2012 and 2017, the students have published/presented 44 refereed conference papers and 36 posters involving about 190 students as coauthors at various conferences. Also, about 110 students attended and presented papers or posters they prepared in 13 conferences in the USA and Canada. This manuscript will explain the procedures and approaches used, and some of the outcomes.

Zabihian, F. (2018, June), Work in Progress: Research-based Teaching in Undergraduate Thermofluid Mechanical Engineering Courses in a Primary Undergraduate University Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--31303

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