An applications-oriented approach to teaching thermal science

This paper describes the development and implementation of a combined Thermophysics curriculum for engineering and engineering technology students. The curriculum is being piloted at Focus:Hope's Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT) in Detroit under the auspices of the Greenfield Coalition. It focuses on problem solving skills that students need to apply in the design and implementation of engineering systems, with particular emphasis on manufacturing systems. Quantifying and measuring natural phenomena is of paramount importance to building this understanding. The curriculum is based on the premise that basic engineering principles are best understood by demonstrating their practical applications. This has been accomplished through a combination of state-of-the-art computer mediated tutorials, animations, simulations and experiments. The first five modules rely heavily on simulations created in Labview/sup TM/ and their associated hands-on experiments which are designed to reach basic concepts, while incorporating relevant real world experiences. The fundamental principles for the remaining thirteen modules are taught in interactive tutorials written with the multimedia-authoring package Authorware. The computer-based instruction is complemented by case studies, team projects, and instructor-assisted problem solving sessions, to satisfy a variety of learning styles.