The Relationship Between Spatial Skills and Sketch Quality in Solving Problems in Engineering Mechanics

Spatial Visualization Skills (SVS) are related to a person’s ability to mentally generate and transform visual images and are associated with their problem-solving abilities. Engineering students need to solve problems requiring them to visualize and mentally manipulate complex geometric shapes. Augmented Reality (AR) is a powerful visualization tool because it provides a middle ground between virtual and physical manipulation allowing for a closer connection between a virtual object and the manipulations typical in engineering. The objective of this paper is to present the experiences and lessons learned of implementing AR technology in a first-year mechanical engineering course. First, the needs of our students and the parameters and specifications of the AR technology implemented to support them are provided. Applications used in this study, which allow students to interact with virtual objects using simple hand gestures, are discussed. The two types of learning modules developed are presented — one where the students must determine what a 3D shape looks like from different perspectives (generating 2D orthographic views) and another where the students must construct a 3D shape given a set of orthographic views (3D model construction). Samples of student work generated with the AR technology are presented and student experiences are discussed. Recommendations for scaling to large classes are also provided. Finally, data collected over two semesters (16 students from Fall 2021 semester, and 15 students from Fall 2022) demonstrate that spatial skills are improved when students engage in AR activities.

Engineering education is very important to prepare quality graduates. An alternative hybrid and collaborative networks approach in learning is the current choice. This study aims to explain the online learning integrated project and Kolb learning style in mechanical engineering courses to enhance students' academic achievement which is implemented through a hybrid and collaborative networks approach. The research method used is a quantitative approach with the posttest control group design method. We carry out learning activities using Project and Kolb Learning on higher education students from Mechanical Engineering Education who take part in learning this project. Students who participate are limited to small groups, which are divided according to their learning styles groups, and the implementation is carried out in a hybrid and collaborative through e-learning and face-to-face. Collecting data using Kolb Learning Styles Inventory, and achievement test. While the data analysis used descriptive analysis and one-way Anova with the help of SPSS software. The results of this study indicate that there is a difference in the average academic achievement of students based on the four learning style groups, and the thinker learning style group has the highest average academic achievement among the four. The selection of appropriate learning styles and learning models has an impact on optimal and effective academic achievement.

Over the past four years, we have redesigned Harvard’s introductory mechanical engineering course to introduce the principles, practices, and pleasures of mechanical engineering in an accessible format. The main goals of the course are to provide experience in the design process, demonstrate the connection between engineering science and design early in the curriculum, and build student enthusiasm for engineering, serving to attract and retain students. Unlike most introductory mechanical engineering courses, we cover strength of materials and machine elements, material usually presented much later in the curriculum, in order to provide tools for the students to quantitatively evaluate their designs. By providing just enough of this background knowledge to allow for analysis of designs, we demonstrate the connection between engineering science and design early in curriculum and motivate in-depth coverage of these topics in later courses. The laboratories for the course build enthusiasm for engineering by incorporating exciting design projects and introducing students to some of the most attractive mechanical engineering tools. Students learn 3-D solid modeling with CAD software, create prototypes from CAD models using manual and CNC machining, and reverse engineer common consumer products. Using these tools, students build their own hardware prototypes for both a cantilever beam catapult and a model all-terrain-vehicle. These exercises, carefully chosen to reinforce the strength of materials and machine elements concepts, culminate in design contests that enhance the visibility of engineering within the larger university community and increase student interest in the field.

The requirements to be met by a polytechnic are reviewed and the probable pattern of mechanical engineering courses in the polytechnics is considered. The general structure of mechanical engineering sandwich courses is mentioned, and reference is made to the inclusion of design and project work and to the importance of the associated industrial training. The recruitment of students is examined and the feasibility of the transfer of students between courses is discussed. Mention is also made of the attitude towards research. The relationships of the polytechnics with the C.N.A.A., industry, the universities, and other colleges are considered, and the desirability of links between the polytechnics is examined.

With the gradual promotion of Engineering Education Accreditation, the reform of the "Engineering Mechanics" course in the electrical engineering major is particularly urgent. Based on the background of Engineering Education Accreditation, this paper discusses the importance of the "Engineering Mechanics" course in the electrical engineering major, analyzes the shortcomings of the course setting and the new requirements brought by Engineering Education Accreditation, and proposes four main ideas for curriculum reform: strengthening the combination of theory and practice, dynamically updating course content, optimizing the school-enterprise cooperation model and establishing a diversified evaluation mechanism. Through the analysis of specific teaching cases, the effectiveness of these reform measures is verified, and corresponding response strategies are provided for the challenges that may be faced during the implementation process to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of teaching reform. Finally, looking to the future, the importance of continuously promoting curriculum reform is emphasized to cultivate high-quality engineering talents that better meet the needs of the industry.

PurposeThe Mechanical Engineering course at the University of Campinas is composed of different disciplines in the areas of materials, mechanical design, manufacturing (production and manufacturing), computational systems, thermal and fluids. In the manufacturing area, in particular, there is a discipline entitled Productive Systems whose main objective is to offer to the student a global vision about operations management. In the field of operations management, sustainability is gaining more and more importance; thus, it is important to develop in the students a critical sense about social and environmental aspects. Thus, this paper aims to present the main initiatives developed in the discipline to promote sustainability in engineering students.Design/methodology/approachSince 2015, the professors responsible for the Productive Systems discipline, assisted by post-graduate students and professors from other universities, have begun to redesign the discipline, including debates, lectures, projects and other initiatives to provide a critical view concerning the traditional concepts taught. The discipline has been performed three times with this new conception. The methodology to structure this research was literature review, documental analyses of the discipline records and meetings with professors that participated in the initiatives. An Action Research approach was performed by two professors and a graduate student. The authors of this paper also compared the results with those obtained by initiatives performed at Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden).FindingsThis study allowed to reinforce some results from initiatives performed at Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden); however, some differences were identified. For example, similar to the initiatives mentioned, the professors of University of Campinas had problems with didactic books, as they loosely integrate the basic operations management concepts with sustainable development fundamentals. On the other hand, debates related to social sustainability were considered positive from the point of view of the professors and students, differing from initiatives performed at Chalmers University of Technology.Research limitations/implicationsResults come from one field study (University of Campinas) when professors of the Mechanical Engineering course try to integrate operations management concepts and sustainable development. Different results may be observed by other higher education institutions.Practical implicationsThe authors of this paper believe that the diffusion of these initiatives can stimulate other professors and researchers in the field to broaden the academic debate about the insertion of sustainability into engineering courses.Originality/valueThere are few papers presenting didactic experiences and empirical results about the integration of operations management concepts and sustainable development. Results of this paper reinforce some good practices and they also present other ones, in a way that extend the debate about educational engineering.

This study aims to explore effective ways to integrate ideological and political education into university mechanical engineering courses to cultivate well-rounded engineering talents with both technical skills and moral integrity. By analyzing the core concepts of ideological and political education and the characteristics of mechanical engineering education, specific integration strategies are proposed. These include the optimization and design of course content, innovation and application of teaching methods, and the development and training of faculty. The effectiveness of these strategies is also evaluated. The research results indicate that the organic integration of ideological and political education can significantly enhance students' moral qualities and professional skills, promoting their overall development.

At present, higher vocational education is in a very important period of change, especially the “Double High Program” launched in 2019. Combining with our own reality, we should promote the curriculum construction around the goals, tasks and requirements of the “Double High Plan”. Digital curriculum is an important content of teaching construction in various colleges and universities at present. And it is the foundation of education and teaching informationization. Taking the course of engineering mechanics as an example, the construction of digital course is carried out. In most engineering majors, such as mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics is an important professional basic course, which is a bridge from basic course to professional course. Engineering mechanics course is characterized by many concepts, many theorems, many formulas, many calculations, strong theory, etc., the course is difficult, backward teaching methods and insufficient experimental equipment. In this Paper, digital construction of engineering mechanics course from the following aspects: build a virtual simulation practice teaching platform, the establishment of digital teaching re-sources, choose a suitable e-learning platform, scientific research work of data statistics. It has been proved by practice that compared with traditional teaching classes, the teaching effect of students’ learning enthusiasm and academic achievements has been significantly improved.

Curriculum development in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) Department at the University of Michigan is presented. A course curriculum structure that integrates both mechanical and electrical engineering courses is proposed for mechanical engineering students. The proposed curriculum starts from undergraduate study and finishes at the Ph.D. level. Two new graduate-level MEMS courses are proposed: "Introduction to MEMS" for senior undergraduate students and entry-level graduate students and "Advanced MEMS" for graduate students. The first course has been experimentally taught at the University of Michigan for three years and the class assessments are summarized and analyzed in this paper. It is clear from the student responses that they are interested in taking courses in emerging technologies such as MEMS and more courses in the MEMS area should be offered. Future MEMS curriculum development and a new MEMS course for undergraduate-level students in the college of engineering are discussed.

Engineering curricula include fundamental courses, such as Statics and Dynamics, that serve has foundations for later courses. Unfortunately, these courses often have low success rates and are described as poor educational contexts. To gain a better understanding of the learning contexts in fundamental engineering courses, we focus on the perspective of faculty teaching fundamental engineering courses in mechanical engineering. Grounded in expectancy-value theory, we specifically examined faculty perspectives on how they facilitate learning (faculty behaviors) and faculty beliefs about students as learners. Within a sub-sample of a larger dataset, we found that no participants used the exact same strategies but they each used 3 or 4 of the following: facilitating group work, cognitive modeling, scaffolding, demonstrating practical applications, and use of reinforcers. We also found that participants had unique, shared, and differing beliefs about student learning. Participants' beliefs include the ideas that students are still figuring out how to learn engineering, looking for direction from instructors, and are distracted by competing demands on their time. We found differences with regard to perceptions of student motivation, student abilities, and student engagement. Our findings are both consistent with and expand current literature.

Naval Engineers JournalVolume 80, Issue 4 p. 643-649 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CARL M. ALBERO U.S.N., LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CARL M. ALBERO U.S.N. THE AUTHOR: graduated from Lafayette College in 1957 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Upon graduation, he was assigned to USS NEWPORT NEWS (CA-148), followed by a tour as Chief Engineer of the USS DUPONT (DD-941). From June, 1962 to June, 1965, he attended a postgraduate course in Mechanical Engineering at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, and was awarded a Master of Science Degree. He is currently assigned to the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, U.S. Navy, Bath, Maine as Planning and Design Officer. He is a registered professional engineer, a member of the American Society of Naval Engineers, Sigma Xi, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. An article of his on cryogenic pumping has previously been published in the Naval Engineers JournalSearch for more papers by this author LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CARL M. ALBERO U.S.N., LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CARL M. ALBERO U.S.N. THE AUTHOR: graduated from Lafayette College in 1957 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Upon graduation, he was assigned to USS NEWPORT NEWS (CA-148), followed by a tour as Chief Engineer of the USS DUPONT (DD-941). From June, 1962 to June, 1965, he attended a postgraduate course in Mechanical Engineering at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, and was awarded a Master of Science Degree. He is currently assigned to the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, U.S. Navy, Bath, Maine as Planning and Design Officer. He is a registered professional engineer, a member of the American Society of Naval Engineers, Sigma Xi, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. An article of his on cryogenic pumping has previously been published in the Naval Engineers JournalSearch for more papers by this author First published: August 1968 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1968.tb05470.x AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume80, Issue4August 1968Pages 643-649 RelatedInformation

This article shows the importance of applying new teaching-learning methodologies and tools to structure a potentially significant teaching unit in ​​refrigeration and air conditioning. In this study, an experimental bench was set up and different temperature and pressure measurements were taken to obtain the enthalpies of the condensation and evaporation systems of an air conditioning prototype. Initially, the focus was on the conceptual description of the methodological tools and a learning project was structured which, in short, resulted in an organized, creative and motivational laboratory product for a teaching unit of six refrigeration and air conditioning classes in an undergraduate course in mechanical engineering. After assembling the prototype, the academics visualized the physical phenomena involved in the air conditioning and thermal conformation processes. Temperatures were measured in different pressure ranges and enthalpies were determined at all specified measurement points. In this way, it was verified that the maximum efficiency of refrigeration systems occurs in the range of 90 psi – 100 psi, with the increase in performance occurring during the passage of the refrigerant fluid in the condenser. The use of these teaching-learning tools applied in the mechanical engineering course was fundamental, in addition to motivating and understanding the physical phenomena involved in refrigeration processes.

Our first article “Enhancing Visualization Skills-Improving Options aNd Success” (the EnVISIONS pilot project) was part of a National Science Foundation grant from 2006 to 2009 and represents a collaboration of a number of institutions. This paper focuses on the post- secondary spatial visualization studies. This pilot study was designed to remove barriers to success for technologists and engineers. In our second article “Cam Design Projects in an Advanced CAD Course for Mechanical Engineers” Professor Hollie K. Ault presents projects of solid modeling aimed at modeling complex geometries in CAD-based Mechanical Engineering courses. Solving design problems for applications in machine design, specifically the design of cam mechanisms, has always been an interest of this Division. K. M. Waldenmeyer, a graduate student in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University, and Dr. Nate Hartman discuss their research in our third article “Standard Features and Their Impact on 3D Engineering Graphics.” Waldenmeyer and Hartman detail how a leading PDM package manages 3D geometry, how a standard feature interacts within a 3D part file, and how those conditions affect the way standard feature libraries are stored in a PDM system. They also discuss obstacles and recommendations, and how students facing these challenges upon entering the workforce can be prepared. Dr. Richard A. Meznarich, Dr. Ronald C. Shava, and Dr. Stanley L. Lightner from the University of Nebraska at Kearney discuss how engineering design graphics courses taught in colleges or universities should provide and equip students preparing for employment in the last article “A Curriculum Model: Engineering Design Graphics Course Updates Based on Industrial and Academic Institution Requirements.” The systematic approach used at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) to update and improve its existing multidiscipline engineering design graphics course is presented in this article. We hope you enjoy these articles. Since this is my last “Letter from the Editor” I would like to use this opportunity to thank Nancy Study, who has been my loyal Associate Editor and Skyping partner for the past three years, and who has agreed to continue her role under Bob Chin. Nancy, you are a sweetheart and I so appreciate your help. Thank you, Nancy. One special thank you goes to the “EDGD Guru,” Kathy Holliday-Darr. I have learned that if you need anything done, you ask Kathy. If you don’t know anything, you ask Kathy. If you want a good laugh, you call Kathy. Thank you, Kathy. As I end my term, it is time to say, “Good bye.” In Yucatec Maya (Mexico) one bids farewell until another day by saying, “Tu heel k’iin.” In my husband’s Irish Gaelic (Ireland) good bye is “Slán agat.” My Japanese relatives gently bow and say “Sayonara,” while my German relatives belt out, “Auf Wiedersehen!” Jon Duff can be heard yelling, “Mar sin leat” (Scottish Gaelic), while Mary Sadowski and Judy Birchman sing in harmony “Do widzenia!” (Polish). The ancient Egyptian good bye “Senebti” might be heard coming from Mostafa Mostafa. In Arizona all I hear is “Adiós.” Whether the words say “Au revoir” (French), “Salaam” (Arabic), or “Do svidanja” (Russian), they all mean good bye. That is why I like the Hawaiian way. When you say “Aloha,” it means good bye, but it also means “Hello.” “Aloha” means love, to remember with affection, mercy, kindness, grace, peace, and compassion – not just good bye. So as I end my three years as editor of the Engineering Design Graphics Journal, I wish you “Aloha!”

The study described in this paper has examined whether the concept mapping strategy can be used to help students to improve their learning achievement and interest. The participants were 84 third-year undergraduate mechanical engineering students enrolled in the internal combustion engine course at a college of engineering of the University of Mumbai in India. The experimental group revealed two results. Firstly, adopting concept mapping strategy can significantly improve students' learning achievement compared to using the traditional teaching methods. There were significant differences favoring the experimental group for the knowledge recall questions and the knowledge application questions. Secondly, most of the students were satisfied using the concept mapping strategy in an internal combustion engine course. They indicated that concept maps can help them to learn, identify the key concepts, and connect the various concepts. They also thought that concept mapping could be used in other curricular areas.

Constrained optimization problems in mechanical engineering are very difficult for the optimization algorithm. In 2013, an improved version of constrained differential evolution, named ArATM-ICDE was proposed to optimize the constrained optimization problem. An archiving-based adaptive trade-off model (ArATM) was constructed to handle the constraints; resulting in an algorithm referred to as ArATM-ICDE. This paper applies ArATM-ICDE to solve constraint optimization problems in mechanical engineering. We also combine the penalty technique for constraint handling into the ICDE, named Penalty-ICDE; which compares the abilities of the constraint handling techniques. Our experiments were conducted on ten widely used constraint engineering optimization problems. The experiment results proved the ArATM-ICDE to be more reliable than the Penalty-ICDE. Additionally, ArATM-ICDE consumed a lesser number of function calls than Penalty-ICDE. This paper further compared the effectiveness of ArATM-ICDE and Penalty-ICDE with eight state-of-the-art algorithms, which revealed that ArATM-ICDE and Penalty-ICDE produced solutions of higher quality than those produced by the comparative algorithms. The ArATM-ICDE also consumed less effort in its process.