Development of Project-Based Introductory to Materials Engineering Modules

This paper will discuss the progress of curriculum development under an NSF, CCLI-EMD sponsored work, “Development of Project-Based Introductory to Materials Engineering Modules” (DUE # #0341633). A multi-university team of faculty are developing six lecture and three laboratory modules for use in Introductory to Materials courses. This course is required by most engineering programs in the U.S., with an annual enrollment of 50,000 students. This freshman/ sophomore class is an ideal place to excite students about their engineering majors and expose them to engineering design experiences. PRIME Modules, Project Based Resources for Introduction to Materials Engineering, are being developed that utilize modern materials science and engineering technologies and proven education methodologies of active learning and open ended projects. The classroom component of the course will be made up of “Applied Engineering Content” (AEC) Modules. These three to four week modules will cover a set of the fundamental learning objectives for the course within the context of a current innovation in materials engineering. AEC modules on biomaterials, sports materials, nanomaterials, materials for communications, alternative energy sources, and aerospace materials will be created. The modules will include learning objectives, active learning exercises, lecture notes, industry relevant demonstrations and examples, open ended design problems, and assessment tools. “Engineering Project Lab” (EPL) modules will be developed to expose students to different roles that materials engineers have in industry: failure analysis, materials selection for product design, and process optimization. Each laboratory module will cover four to five lab sessions. The curriculum will include hands-on learning exercises with the equipment and material and an open ended project. Each module will have learning objectives and assessment tools created along with the lab exercises