This project will investigate the educational value of scientific simulations for learning engineering through engaging high school students to design and build an energy-efficient scale model house with the aid of computer simulations and probeware measurement.

In partnership with the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach at Tufts University, the Boston Museum of Science, Purdue University, and Hofstra University, this project will test the assertion that simulations and hands-on projects are mutually beneficial. To scaffold the design activities and facilitate the research, we are developing four instructional units that integrate science concepts, engineering principles, simulations, and hands-on projects.

This project will bring highly innovative educational tools and curricula to engineering classrooms:

We are developing an education-oriented, student-friendly simulation tools called Energy2D™ and Energy3D™, which will be capable of modeling the engineering problems students will encounter in this project. Built upon fundamental physical principles such as the heat equation and the Navier-Stokes equation, these tools bring breathtaking interactive simulations and visualizations of energy and matter flow to students that have only been accessible to engineers before.

We are introducing thermography systematically to enable scientific discovery and problem solving in engineering education. Based on the Extech i5 thermal camera, we are developing experiments and curriculum materials that provide unprecedented opportunities for students to visualize energy flow in thermal systems. The infrared images taken from a thermal camera compare favorably with the visualizations from advanced simulations. For students who have access to these currently costly thermal cameras, thermography and simulation provide an extremely powerful connection between theory and practice. For those who do not have access to thermal cameras, simulation software provide a cost-effective alternative to thermal cameras that can enhance their learning.