EMMSE: Education Modules for Materials Science and Engineering Philip H. Geil Department of Metallurgy and Mining, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 Stephen H. Carr Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201
What Is EMMSE? EMMSE is the project, "Education Modules for Materials Science and Engineering," whose purpose is to produce written materials for the teaching of subjects in materials science and engineering. It is these modules which are the principle output of the EMMSE project, and they are intended for use by anyone, whether they are receiving instruction in colleges or universities or whether they are involved in on-the-job training. By making written support materials available in modularized form, they permit an endless array of courses to be composed and utilized by practically anyone in the field. Modules are available with free photocopy reproduction rights through the Journal of Education Modules for Materials Science and Engineering (JEMMSE), which can he found in major university and industrial libraries.
Table 1. EMMSE Module Levels Levels 1. lntrcductory materials science and engineering (MSE) 2. Materials Technology for non-MSE majors
Audiences College students in MSE and related disciplines Non-science majors, community colleges, industry technicians. ete. Industry. MSE majors, other 3. New areas suitable for graduates in industry and seniors and grad students disciplines in college University and indusby materials 4. Advanced topics-pedadogical research workers reviews
~~nssible, and as yet unrepresentrd, titles dealing directly with polymers can be seen in 'Cahle 2. When a module n~anuscript has been devrloned and is availnl~le.it is sent to thc ~-~ KMMSE headquarters o; to a member of the Module Development Team (such as Prof. Carr). They are next subjected to peer review by qualified people, knowledgeable in areas related to the module in question. These reviews are, in turn, used to make any final revisions thought to he beneficial to the quality of the module. Finally, the module is made availahle for worldwide distributionthrough the Journal of Education Modules in Materials Science and Engineerinp (JEMMSE). Table 3 summarizes titles on polGer and wood subjects produced to date. JEMMSE is an internationally available periodical which has been in print for more than two years and which is available in maior science and eneineerine libraries (both university, industrial, and governmkal); photocopy rights to what is contained in JEMMSE are exoresslv eranted to all users. Thus, students a t any of these l&ations"simply avail themselves of photocopies made directly from the journal issues held on deposit in their respective libraries. Subscription cost for JEMMSE is currently $100.00 per year for libraries and $15.00 per year for any individual a t a location where there is one of these institutional subscriptions. These costs are quite modest and are intended to maximize the utilization of modules produced by the EMMSE project. ~
EMMSE Modules An EMMSE module is a small unit of written textual material that an instructor would want his students to read in support of a one-hour lecture. Typically, such modules range between 20 and 40 typewritten pages in size. They are structured to maximize their pedagogical effectiveness, which means that clear statements of intended purpose and self-test question sets are provided. It is intended that they he written in an enticine manner. and thev are not to have the same stvle as an original research paper. However, each module is original in the wav it is self-contained and succinct in its coveraee of a single segment of a course. All modules have been passld hy a peer reviewing process. Modules are prepared for four kinds of audiences, as shown in Table 1. The opportunity for EMMSE modules arose from recognizing the fact that the materials science and engineering community was not large enough to support serious commerical production of new textbooks a t any hut the service course level. At the same time, the materials science and engineering field isgrowingat an astonishingly rapid rate, with the resulting continuous production of new areas of understanding and knowledge. Thus. KMMSF: mudules arc of particular importance in teaching upper-class undergraduate and rraduute students in this field. EMMSE modules. then. permit people actively involved in education in, and ad: vancement of, the materials science and eneineerine field to participate in i& continued expansion, free from the constraint of an inadequate marketplace. Furthermore, rhe flex~hlity of the modular format permits neu, areas of science or techn d o m related tu engineering materials to he rast in an educational form and rapidly disseminated to the community. It is the direct involvement of educators and researchers in the field of materials science and engineering that permits the EMMSE project to he successful. This is because production of these modules comes directly from this group of people, and it is they who, likewise, utilize the output of the EMMSE project. Any qualified individual in this group may contribute a draft module a t any time. Examples of the vast array of
-
908
Journal of Chemical Education
~~
~
~~
~
~~
The EMMSE Project The project was launched in 1975 under the aegis of Prof. Rustum Roy a t Pennsylvania State University with direct financial support provided by a grant from the Science Education Division of the National Science Foundation. The first three-year phase was "prototype" in nature and was intended to explore such details as: What exactly is the nature of the need for EMMSE modules? What is the best physical format for an EMMSE module? What are the best ways for obtaining highest quality modules possible? What are the best ways to familiarize people in the field with the availability of such modules? The JEMMSE concept was advanced during that first three-year period. The current three-year period, also supported by the NSF,
'pqeara aq uea 'sassaaord aps-a!moqe plre mn!rq!l!nba aseqd uo pamq quamdolaaap amlanrqsora!m 'aldwexa IOJ 'u!
s %sqqst pansrnd h a q mou uorlou aql
0s .ale1 p ~ d e rs i e
Bu!aeq ueqq raqler 'snq& ,spaau Te!?uassa asaql aaras q alqepeae am sappom 3 ~ m w 73 ~ %Faas q 0%p 9 d a q uaw p+ uo!luaUe p a a d s 'e[na!~rnaBu!raau!Bua pue aauaps s p q e u r [[e U! sasrnoa jo saauanbas uommoa am araql qeql uoqou aql saaerqma o s p q r o ~ s!q% ~ a isasrnoa uommoa o? ale!rdordde -u! SUM poom uo &v& e 'Quanbasqns !uo!~ez!rqiemqa qe!r saauanbas qaarqns Lj(J!7uap!q au!yaas s! Lemrapun L1quarma -alem u! auo pue 'sa!meraa u! auo'sramqod u! auo 'splam u! y r o ,plag ~ B~raau!Buapue aaua!as sp!rqem aql u! iaylo qaea morj a$ereds!p se papreaar Kp[ndod seam jo .Q!n!$aauuoa -rap? p e a aq? ql!m pauraauoa amoaaq seq %aa[ord~ S W W ~ aql $0 amqeaj ra!Tma ue JO qp%o@noue s! m a & luamdolaaaa aq& .j[as$! plag Su!iaau!aua pus aauaps sle!rqem aq7 jo a[npopq s!q& .sapporn i(l!pnb isaqS!q Bu!maas pue au!Xj arnqeu aql s! pa[ord 3smm3 aqq o? uraauoa qaanp jo o q v -guap!mj poqlam mea& quamdolaaaa alnpom aql pue uo!l .pTa!j Bu!iaau!aua p sapnpu! s!ql '.QBa!j!aad~ -nq!qs!p i o j sueam 3 s ~ q p v 3 aqq pue aauaps sle!raqem aqq jo q r e d raqqo aql mog sappour .aseqd ,,adrEqo$ord,, aql %u!mp pqeraua'd saap! jo &q!q!sea~ Bu!u!elqo u! i([aa!sualxa panl!ln aq [I!M Temroj doqsyrom aqq qsa? oq papualu! s! 71 'raqaereqa u! ,,sldaauoa-30-joord,, s! ~
Table 3. Polymer and Wood Modules Produced Since 1978 JEMMSE Val. 3(1)
Vol. 3(2)
Voi. 2(1)
Vol. 2(2)
voi.
a3)
" m e Morphology of Crysblline Polymers." by P. H. Geil "Wood as s Structural Material" by A. G. H. Dietr "Dilute Solution Vimsity of Polymtns (A Lab Experiment)." by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright, and 8. K. Bcrdoioi "Polymer Orientation Induced by Solvent Removal," by J. R. Collier "Structural W w d Systems," by D. H. Percivai and S. K. Suddarth "Light Scattering by Polymers in Sobtion," by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright, and B. K. Badaloi "Wood Anatomy and Ultrastructure." by R. J. Thomas T h e Chemical Treatment of Wood far End Use." by C. S. Walters "Emuision Radical Polymerization," by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright, and B. K. Bwdoloi "Molecular and Cell Wall Structure of Wood," by R. E. Mark . "Physical Properties of Wood.'' by R. M. Kellogg ''An~onicPolymerization," by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright. and 8. K. Bordoloi "Wood and Moisture." by H. Tarkow "Wood-Based Composites." by J. J. Zahn "cationic Paiymerization," by E. M. Pearce, C. E. Wright. and B. K. Bordoioi
EMMSE's Future
EMMSE has a bright future because the factors that led to its creation still prevail and, in some ways, such as the rapid rise in importance of engineering materials in general, and polymers in particular, the demand for an effective and versatile means of nrovidine,. hieh-aualitv .. . . education to this field is Kgher t h a n i t was a t EhlMSK's incq~tion.For the nenrterm. one ran exnt,ct that JEI\I.\fSE w i l l increase freauencv of publication (cLrrently quarterly) continuously. ~ h e ~ e d c a Index. which is a larze compendium of audiovisual teachine aids on individual subjects of materials science and eng; neering, will he updated (it was recently provided as a bonus issue of JEMMSE). Attention will he paid to the infrastructure of the materials science and engineering field, with the express purpose of focusing sequences of new modules in such
910
Journal of Chemical Education
Vol. a 4 )
Vol. i(1) Voi. i(2) Vol. i(3)
Vol. 114)
"Bulk Poly~)ndBn~ation and End-Gmup Analysis." by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright. and B. K. Bordoloi "Mechanical Behavior and R o p R i s r of Wood." by A. P. Schniewlnd "Interfacial Polycondensatian," by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright, and B. K. Bardolai "Polycondensatlon and Curing of Epoxy Polymers." by E.M. Pearce. C. E. Wright, and B. K. Bordoloi "Thermoforming: Polymer Sheet Fabrication Engineering." by J. L. Throne "Blow Molding: Procedures and Equipment." by B. T. Morgan "Wwd: Its Struchrre and Properties." by F. F. Wangaard "Molecular Orientation in Polymers: Pole Figures and Orientation Functions." by E. S. Clark "Ovewiew of Wood as a Material," by G. Marra "Paper by A. H. Nissan "Fme-Radicd PolymerizationKinetics by Dilatometry." by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright, and B. K. Bordoloi "Free-Radical Copolymerization." by E. M. Pearce. C. E. Wright, and B. K. Bordoloi
Prmot,type " V i s ~ ~ s l a s tBehavior ic of Polymer Solids," by T. W. Huseby "Fibrous and Shessed Skin Composites," by D. K. Rider "Rincipies and Applications of Adhesives." by D. K. Rider
a way as to help build those linkages referred to above. It is expected that workshops will be organized in conjunction with larger scientific meetingg, and it will he a t these workshops that newly composed modules will he presented, critiqued, revised, and prepared for transmittal to EMMSE headquarters. Selected oarticinants. whose res~onsihilitvit will be to evsluate all asberts df a proposed mc;dule, will'make up the bulk or the audienre. Some of these workshoos will t ~ delihe erately international in character, since a considerable involvement of important scientists and enaineers from abroad has developed. For any further information or direct comments, one can contact either of these authors or the EMMSE headquarters coordinator: EMMSE Coordinator, Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
