October 24, 2003

Caterpillar Alumni and Foundation Help Develop New Studio Course Laboratory Classroom at Rose-Hulman

A $100,000 gift from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology alumni of Caterpillar Inc. and the Caterpillar Foundation is allowing students to expand their knowledge of electronic circuits, electrical engineering and computer engineering through a new studio-style laboratory classroom.

Rose-Hulman President Samuel F. Hulbert and John Winters, alumnus and retired general manager of Caterpillar, during the dedication of the new studio laboratory.

The educational workspace was dedicated in Moench Hall on Oct. 3 by Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert and John Winters, a 1949 Rose-Hulman graduate who is a retired vice president and general manager of Caterpillar.

Several Rose-Hulman alumni have raised money which, together with a grant from the National Science Foundation, has enabled Rose-Hulman to construct and equip the new laboratory classroom. The studio classroom is being used by students from electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering.

The studio format puts the regular classroom setting and a laboratory environment in the same workspace. It allows students to learn technical content while gaining experience in teamwork and communication; better utilizes educational resources; and has been found to be effective in teaching of entry-level courses.

The classroom gives students the opportunity to conduct a variety of experiments in small steps that can be repeated and reinforced throughout the length of a course, according to Ed Wheeler, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

"For students to really understand experimental technique, repeated use and periodic testing is essential," states Wheeler, who joined colleague Cliff Grigg in designing the studio course laboratory in Room B-105 of Moench Hall.

Professor Ed Wheeler demonstrates an experiment during the dedication of the new studio laboratory.

Both professors felt that one reason for lack of student motivation in courses was the student's inability to relate the material presented in class to real world applications. The conventional solution to this problem was to add a laboratory component to the course. However, conducting the lab in a different place and at a different time from the classroom theory was the principal cause of a disruption of the educational process, according to Wheeler.

In the old classroom format, an Elements of Electrical Engineering class (ECE 207) met for one hour four times each week. The new studio arrangement has the class meeting for two hours three times each week. "The longer class periods are effective in maintaining cohesion and allowing students to become immersed in the study of electrical systems," Wheeler states.

Rose-Hulman now has a laboratory classroom that is 95 percent utilized, instead of the previous 25 percent. The educational workspace has been so successful that Rose-Hulman's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is looking to duplicate the studio lab setup in other classrooms.