Teaching Advanced Materials Curriculum through Project-Based Reverse Materials Engineering Product Analysis

Abstract

This article describes the design and delivery of a higher-level materials/manufacturing course that scaffolds the knowledge attained in one or a few preceding lower-level fundamental materials technology courses, with a new course syllabus and learning. The higher-level course implements the project-based experiential learning approach and employs reverse materials engineering (RME) analysis of household hardware items - which are used as instructional samples. Learning activities, centered around the application of coalescent destructive and non-destructive analytical methods and physics-based reasoning, encourage students to apply RME methods to further their learning about the structure, properties and composition of engineering materials in a practical context and move to a higher-level of abstraction towards an understanding of practical applications and limitations of engineering materials. Additionally, project-based experiential learning activities encourage students to practice a higher-order thinking to attain a depth of knowledge in the context that involves real-world problems while engaged in projects that are relevant to learners.