Enriching and Enhancing Students’ Learning Experiences in an Introductory Mechanical Engineering Course Through Demo Kits

Abstract

Mechanical Engineering for Modern Life is an introductory course designed for Year-1 undergraduate students, aiming to provide them with a comprehensive overview of the field of mechanical engineering and its sub-areas. To bridge the knowledge gap between Year 1 students and the theoretical concepts in different sub-areas of mechanical engineering, we have utilized a series of demonstration kits as visual aids for various theoretical concepts. For instance, we have used model aircraft lift demonstrator to show how lifting force is generated by an airfoil shape; we have applied a four – bar linkage demonstrator to help students understand the number of degree of freedom and visualize the Grashof’s condition; we have empolyed a Venturi tube to visualize the Venturi effect and enhance understanding of Bernoulli’s equation; we have utilized a mini – robotic arm to show how the manipulator is controlled to move and complete tasks. This study describes the relationship between each demo kit and the corresponding theoretical concept and focuses on analyzing the results of various surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of using the demonstration kits and quantify their impact on students' learning experiences and outcomes. The application of demonstration kits have allowed students to better grasp the theoretical concepts and enhance their performances in quizzes.



Author Information
Hong Tao, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR

Paper Information
Conference: ECE2024
Stream: Teaching Experiences

This paper is part of the ECE2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Tao H. (2024) Enriching and Enhancing Students’ Learning Experiences in an Introductory Mechanical Engineering Course Through Demo Kits ISSN: 2188-1162 The European Conference on Education 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 817-823) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2024.63
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2024.63


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Posted by James Alexander Gordon