Enhancing laboratory practices in engineering education to accomplish 'ABET' goals

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), 2003-2004 General Engineering Criteria for Basic Level Program Outcomes and Assessments, requires engineering programs to demonstrate that their graduates have an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data (ABET 2003-2004/Criterion-3b). The goal of this requirement is to deviate from a "go-through-the-motions" style ASTM procedures, and allow a team of students to design, develop and conduct integrated laboratory experiments. The outcome of this effort is to move from the basic goal of an established test (e.g." a given material characteristic, or property) to devising new equipment and experimental procedures that will bring out student creativity and establish interest in research throughout their education in the future. This paper will document the approach used at Boise State University, the College of Engineering, in the Engineering Properties of Construction Materials Laboratory where team of students design their own experiments to investigate the particle shape and surface texture analyses of coarse aggregates.