Maplesoft

ASEE Webinar: Advanced Physical Modeling Revitalizes the Freshmen “Cornerstone” Design Course

Engineering design projects are an important learning tool for first-year engineering students. These projects provide a structured approach to the design process, giving students a solid understanding of how to move from a mere concept to a working model of a system. These projects not only give students the knowledge and skills to produce such outcomes, but also give students confidence in their abilities to complete future projects.

This webinar presents a detailed case study of the McMaster University initiative to enrich its cornerstone course. In order for students to reconcile theory with application and design in industry, research, and ultimately in the classroom, the introduction of new software tools was necessary. MapleSim and other such advanced physical modeling tools have experienced rapid adoption in industry in recent years and institutions are now starting down the path to curriculum reform as well. These tools are easy and intuitive enough to be used by freshmen, allowing them to gain greater insight into the nature of physical systems. This technology differs from traditional modeling software in that it offers a richer and more relevant treatment of the underlying mathematics and physics of models.

The contents of this seminar include:
• Motivation and the core pedagogy framing the initiative
• Fundamental elements as the course progresses
• Technical challenges in introducing advanced modeling and simulation tools into the freshman curriculum
• Progress of the course thus far and future challenges

Presenters:

Dr. Thomas Doyle, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University

Tim Vrablik, Manager, MapleSim Academic Development, Maplesoft

Language: English
Duration: 56 Minutes
Related Terms: Physicalmodeling, Engineering, Teaching