New Perspectives in Science Education

The study aims at enhancing students' curiosity, interest and engagement toward engineering in sophomore level courses through project-based learning. The intention of the project was to introduce a complex engineering problem in an easy manner, namely, the topic of a tuned mass damper (TMD) or absorber. This kind of project directly addresses all the seven student outcomes recommended by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET), which are intended to prepare students to enter the professional practice of engineering [1]. Even though TMD is a multiple-degree-of-freedom vibration problem seen only in advanced university courses [2], the phenomenon of earthquake effects on buildings is easy to understand. In order to ease the complexity, the multi-degree-of-freedom mathematical problem was addressed as to a single degree of freedom, such as the behavior of a vertical single-mass cantilever beam [3]. Through a do-it-yourself project to be done in home conditions, students are introduced to the topic of mechanical vibrations via a real-life problem, namely, the effect of earthquakes on tall buildings. Two sections of the "Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics" course, with an overall number of 58 students, participated in the project. The project develops critical thinking and inquiry skills by designing and constructing the physical prototype of a building-like structure and its corresponding tuned mass damper; conducting an experiment under certain restrictions to test the stabilizing effect of the damper after an initial displacement; learning a proper software application to graph and measure underdamped oscillations; calculating corresponding vibration parameters; as well as analyzing and discussing experimental results. Students approach the problem of mass-damper tuning by means of trial and error, an on-purpose strategy to add fun and gambling to the process, to enthusiastically compete for the best performance in terms of efficiency of attenuation. Data was collected from direct observation, surveys, reports and presentations. The results showed that students positively and enthusiastically responded at all project stages and with a better understanding of the phenomenon and engagement in comparison with previous students of the same course without project. Detailed guidelines for the replication of this project are given, and the impact of the project on students’ engagement, and recommendations and implications for engineering education are discussed.

Keywords: STEM education, tuned mass damper, single-mass cantilever;

References:
[1] ABET (2019). Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2019 – 2020. Criterion 3. Student Outcomes (accessed on 06.01.2019) https://www.abet.org/accreditation/accreditation-criteria/criteria-for-accrediting-engineering-programs-2019-2020/#GC3
[2] Rao, S.S. (2018). Mechanical Vibrations, 6th Edition in SI Units, Pearson. p 894.
[3] Connor, J.J. (2002). Introduction to Structural Motion Control. Prentice Hall. p 217.