There is currently a trend in engineering education away from a theory-based approach towards a blend of theory combined with the application of that theory to engineering practice. Current ABET criteria for engineering programs focus on the ability of students to recognize engineering problems in a real system and to correctly apply engineering principles to those problems. The authors describe a junior-level course in machine design that combines a classic, theoretical treatment of the design of machine elements with a semester-long lab in which students design and analyze a ski lift to be used at a local ski resort. This is a required course for all Engineering majors in the Mechanical Engineering Concentration. The sequence of presentation of theoretical content in the course is tightly coordinated with the requirements of the ski lift project, so that students are presented with theory on an “as-needed” basis. Preliminary evaluation of student perception of learning based on Student Assessment of Instruction (SAI) data demonstrates that students feel that learning of theoretical content is improved when it is motivated by the need to solve a problem for their ski lift design.
Robert Scott Pierce is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Technology at Western Carolina University. He received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1993. Prior to his teaching career, he spent 14 years in industry designing automated equipment.
Dr. Wes Stone is an associate professor in the School of Engineering and Technology at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. He earned his bachelors degree from the University of Texas at Austin, masters degree from Penn State, and PhD from Georgia Tech, all in Mechanical Engineering. His research interests include manufacturing processes, quality techniques, and outdoor recreation gear design/testing. He also serves as the program director for Engineering Technology at WCU.
Dr. Kaul is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Western Carolina University. His research interests include Fracture Diagnostics, Structural Dynamics and Control, and Motorcycle Dynamics.
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