Integrating Real World Situations into an Introductory Course in Engineering Materials

Introduction to Engineering Materials is a course in which students study the fundamentals of materials processing, materials structure, material properties and materials performance as well as the relationships between these concepts. Many students view this course as a collection of abstract concepts and terminology with little application in the real world. This work describes the implementation of projects and case studies in the course in order to improve student appreciation for practical applications. The authors outline exploratory project questions that are used to stimulate student interest in course material. Student surveys are used as assessment tools to determine the effectiveness of these projects. Assessment results provide evidence that students develop a better understanding and appreciation of concepts, and develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills. The results also indicate that the teamwork involved improves their soft skills such as professional communication and team working abilities.