Incorporating Case Studies into a Material Science Course at the United States Coast Guard Academy

Century Global EconomyEngineering educators are recognizing the value of case studies in preparing students to take on the complex challenges faced by engineers in the field across disciplines.Students in Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) are required to complete a common engineering material science course.To better prepare graduates for their future role as engineers and Coast Guard Officers, the course has been evolving to incorporate material science case studies from the Coast Guard and other outside sources.This paper focuses on strategies for incorporating various case studies into the course to help cadets appreciate the importance of material science issues in the Coast Guard and in other venues.The course is normally taken in the sophomore year at USCGA, providing an excellent opportunity to get students interested in real world engineering issues early on in their education.By engaging Coast Guard engineers with current and recent field experience, numerous case studies are being developed that cover a wide range of material science applications.The goal is to have cases that highlight Coast Guard issues from the fields of marine safety, naval engineering, and aviation which are the most common career paths for graduates in the Mechanical and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering majors.In addition, material science case studies from outside the Coast Guard will be examined to ensure that graduates have an appreciation for national and global material science challenges.By examining failures as well as successes, students will have an opportunity to consider the consequences of poor decision-making and will be able to explore ethical considerations.As case studies are incorporated, tools are being developed to assess the impact of this educational approach on student learning and motivation.