Coursework includes applied numerical analysis, programming algorithms, and applications of computational methods to the solution of mechanical engineering problems. In the first third of the course, formal programming methods will be taught in the class and students will implement those in the lab. In the rest of the class, analytical methods are taught in lectures and then applied in computer lab using MATLAB. Through the course development, we are tackling the challenge of teaching core concepts of structured programming with Matlab environment and numerical methods in such a way that students feel empowered to use these concepts in their careers here at UT and beyond. We are developing new custom in-class teaching materials and lab manuals to engage students from the various levels of computing background that we see at UT. We are using a number of real life examples to convince students that computing is critical for today’s engineers and that mastery of these skills will set them apart from other engineers.
