Transitioning an engineering course to studio format

The more laboratory-intensive studio format offers the possibility of improving student understanding by providing an interactive, hands-on treatment of the theory as it is taught during lectures. For faculty considering the change in format, one drawback is the significant time investment required in reconfiguring course delivery for the new format. This paper describes the transition to such a studio format, utilizing the results of a test lecture performed prior to the course to better prepare the format to meet the needs of both faculty and students.