2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

A novel working station for demonstrating the fundamentals of engineering mechanics in both three- and two-dimensional spaces has been developed. The equipment allows undergraduate students to perform hands-on activities to aid their understanding of topics such as force components in multiple dimensions, vector dot products, vector cross products, and mixed triple products which are often difficult to visualize in three-dimensions. While several educational laboratory modules for mechanics courses currently available on the market can demonstrate basic two-dimensional systems, equipment that can accurately realize three-dimensional systems are rare. Also, these systems are often improvised and lack the necessary accuracy for multiple lab demonstrations. The experimental setup described herein consists of a highly customizable base unit and a variety of add-on tools, such as pulleys, force sensors, and hanging weights. These allow for accurate demonstration of the foundational principles of mechanics in three-dimensional spaces. The Engineering Mechanics Laboratory Unit (EMLU) has been built by a combined effort of faculty, staff, and students at the R. B. Annis School of Engineering at the University of Indianapolis (UIndy). The unit is currently being used by students enrolled in Statics (MENG 210) at the University of Indianapolis. Ongoing efforts include designing lab modules for use in additional courses, such as Dynamics (PHYS 360) and Mechanics of Solids (MENG 300). The efficacy of the EMLU is currently being assessed in the classroom using a mixed methodological approach. First, students’ perceptions of the apparatus and core concepts are analyzed using a reflective journaling protocol that is evaluated by a team of experts in mechanical engineering. Second, students provide detailed field ethnographic notes while engaging with the apparatus and the lab work itself. Third, student work is evaluated using a team of experts and compared to previous years’ evaluations that were undertaken without the implementation of this novel approach.