Use of Living Systems to Teach Basic Engineering Concepts - Web-Based Engineering Education: Critical Design and Effective Tools - page 98

ProjEct PArtnErS dEtAILEd ProjEct PLAn

NJAAS 3 and CCC 4 were selected as partners for
enhancing the broader impacts of the project. Both
CCC and NJAAS are located within 30 minutes
of the Rowan University campus and both these
locations are within the two New Jersey Federal
Empowerment Zones (EZ). The EZ programs
are designed to empower people and communi-
ties across the United States by inspiring com-
munities to work together to develop a strategic
plan designed to create jobs and opportunities in
the nation's most impoverished urban and rural
areas. Our three-way partnership is summarized
in Figure 1.

The proposed project is comprised of three ma-
jor areas that introduce students to fundamental
principles of science and engineering relevant to
an aquarium. These areas include (1) Engineering
Fundamentals, (2) Instrumentation and Control
and (3) Ethics and Sustainability.

1. Engineering fundamentals

This group of experiments allows students to be
exposed to various common engineering principles
that govern material properties, gas and heat
transfer, hydraulics, light, and water treatment.

Material Testing

ProjEct ActIvItIES

This module focuses on material properties such
as stress, strain, hardness, density, refractive index,
insulation, and even toxicity as some materials
may have additives that are toxic to aquatic and
marine life. Students specifically focus on acrylic
(commonly used for aquariums) and compare it
to glass.

Project activities include the development of
hands-on activities, implementation of the ac-
tivities in courses, workshops and in outreach
activities, dissemination via a dynamic website
and other traditional mechanisms.

Figure 1. Chart indicating partners and their respective roles