A survey of methods and materials of instruction used to attain educational objectives set forth for manufacturing processes courses

Abstract

Engineering educators are constantly striving to stay abreast of the technological advancements of our time. These technological changes have influenced course instruction to the extent that many of the traditional courses which were offered in the past have all but disappeared from the curricula which are currently prescribed. Those courses which remain in the curricula should undergo reevaluation from time to time in order to appraise the educational objectives and the effective use of instructional methods and materials used in attaining these objectives.

This study is a survey of methods and materials of instruction used to attain education objectives set forth for manufacturing processes courses. The findings were derived from data submitted by instructors who were responsible for manufacturing processes course instruction at many of the leading colleges and universities located throughout the United States. These courses were required for completion of degree requirements in Industrial Engineering curricula which were accredited by the Engineers' Council for Professional Development during 1967.

The investigation disclosed the variations that existed in the utilization of educational methods, instructional materials, and laboratory techniques which occurred in the instruction of manufacturing processes throughout the 27 institutions surveyed. Variations existed in the total class hours, the ratio of lecture to laboratory hours, the class size, and the required credits for corresponding curricula.

The effectiveness of the informal lecture and the laboratory methods in achieving specified educational objectives were rated by the instructors who were in charge of manufacturing processes instruction. These findings are included in the report of the investigation.