Innovative research and laboratory experiences for undergraduate students

Students majoring in Engineering Technology programs at Western Washington University (USA) have many opportunities to participate in unique undergraduate research experiences and innovative laboratory programs. This paper describes the methods used by the faculty to integrate innovative design experiences into the undergraduate programs at Western Washington University. The CIM projects in the Manufacturing Engineering Technology program are used to illustrate how undergraduate students can have their own creativity and learning stimulated by creating learning tools for K-12 programs. Faculty workload issues are also discussed. Finally, the paper describes another step in the integration process at Western Washington University-a new curricular model that will focus on high-end CAE packages and rapid prototyping to enhance laboratory experiences and undergraduate research programs.