Applying ``intelligent`` materials for materials education: The Labless Lab{trademark}
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
- Protein Solutions, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
A very large number of science and engineering courses taught in colleges and universities today do not involve laboratories. Although good instructors incorporate class demonstrations, hands on homework, and various teaching aids, including computer simulations, the fact is that students in such courses often accept key concepts and experimental results without discovering them for themselves. The only partial solution to this problem has been increasing use of class demonstrations and computer simulations. The authors feel strongly that many complex concepts can be observed and assimilated through experimentation with properly designed materials. They propose the development of materials and specimens designed specifically for education purposes. Intelligent and communicative materials are ideal for this purpose. Specimens which respond in an observable fashion to new environments and situations provided by the students/experimenter provide a far more effective materials science and engineering experience than readouts and data generated by complex and expensive machines, particularly in an introductory course. Modern materials can be designed to literally communicate with the observer. The authors embarked on a project to develop a series of Labless Labs{trademark} utilizing various degrees and levels of intelligence in materials. It is expected that such Labless Labs{trademark} would be complementary to textbooks and computer simulations and to be used to provide a reality for students in courses and other learning situations where access to a laboratory is non-existent or limited.
- OSTI ID:
- 395145
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940691-; ISBN 1-56676-171-9; TRN: IM9648%%268
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. international conference on intelligent materials, Williamsburg, VA (United States), 5-8 Jun 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Second international conference on intelligent materials: Proceedings; Rogers, C.A.; Wallace, G.G. [eds.]; PB: 1410 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
A prototype knowledge-based simulation support system
SU-E-P-04: Transport Theory Learning Module in the Maple Environment