Living With The Lab
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Transcript of Living With The Lab
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
Living with the Lab Freshman Integrated
Engineering Curriculum
David Hall, Hisham Hegab, Jim Nelson
For full paper see
2008 Frontiers in Education Proceedings Session S3G
Living with the Lab – integrates engineering, mathematics,
chemistry and physics in a systems-level, project-based
curriculum. Projects incorporate design, fabrication, and
troubleshooting to help students develop open-ended problem
solving abilities and self-reliance.
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
Classroom allows us to easily switch
between lecture, lab and shop activities
fall springwinter
MATH 240 3 MATH 241 3 MATH 242 3
ENGR 120 2 ENGR 121 2 ENGR 122 2
CHEM 100 2 CHEM 101 2 PHYS 201 3
Course Course CourseCredits Credits Credits
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
Living with the Lab
• Each student owns their own “lab” consisting of– a laptop
– tools (multimeter, dial caliper, wire strippers, …) $80
– software (Mathcad, SolidWorks, MS Office)
– a robot kit (Boe-Bot) to provide a personal “lab” $100
• Student-owned labs provide a way to boost
hands-on learning beyond what is possible
using traditional laboratories
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
Seven “Threads” Define the Freshman Experience
1. SYSTEMS – one major project per quarter
2. ELECTROMECHANICAL – breadboarding, sensors, control
3. FABRICATION AND ACQUISITION – shop activities; locate, specify and purchase components
4. SOFTWARE – Excel, Mathcad, SolidWorks, Programming
5. FUNDAMENTALS
- electricity and DC circuits - conservation of mass
- conservation of energy - statics
- basic chemistry and electrochemistry - engineering economics
- least squares fitting to calibrate sensors
6. COMMUNICATION – formatting problem solutions, oral presentations, writing assignments
7. BROADENING ACTIVITES
- global and societal issues
- professional society meetings and student functions
- teamwork and creative problem solving techniques
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
teams of 2 students, turning into groups of 4 for pump performance testing
ENGR 120 Project: Fabrication and Testing of Centrifugal Pump
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
Approximate cost per pump = $5
Two students can fabricate the pump in about 2 hours
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
ENGR 121 Project – The Fishtank
• Closed loop control of temperature and salinity in a small tank
• Teams of 2 initially later turning into teams of 4
To see YouTube videos of ENGR 120, 121 and 122 classes in action, go to
www.livignwiththe lab.com and click on “photos and video”
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
No Textbook – Course Materials are on Web
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
Course sections are coordinated with
common assignments and exams
Currently Teaching 433 students:
• 10 sections of ENGR 120
• 2 sections of ENGR 121
• 2 sections of ENGR 122
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
Student Notes Instructor Notes
Several hundred pages of notes define the courses.
Louisiana Tech UniversityCollege of Engineering and Science
• Strong analytical skills.
• Practical ingenuity, creativity; innovator.
• Good communication skills.
• Business, management skills.
• High ethical standards, professionalism.
• Dynamic/agile/resilient/flexible.
• Lifelong learner.
• Able to put problems in their socio-technical and operational context.
• Adaptive leader.
AIM: Implement a project-intensive experience that
develops the knowledge, skills, confidence and
attitudes that lead to innovation.