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Think back to your favorite classroom memories from when you were in school. Do you remember the lectures? Textbook chapters? Challenging problem sets? I\u2019d be willing to bet that your best and most useful learning experiences were hands-on: when you had the chance to dive deep into a problem and apply the concepts you learned to solve it.<\/P>
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For me, it was learning the difference between position, velocity, and acceleration in high school physics class. I had read the textbook chapter and finished the problem sets, but the concept didn\u2019t fully gel until my teacher set up a small radar sensor that visually graphed my body\u2019s motion over time as I moved around the room. He challenged me to walk from the back of the room to the front while increasing my velocity. No sweat: I just made sure to gradually increase my walking speed. Then, he told me to do the same thing, but to increase my acceleration. This time, there was sweat: I was running fast by the time I got to the other side. It was a simple task, but that was the moment that I truly understood the concept. The hands-on (or in this case, feet-on!) exercise made the ideas come alive.<\/P>
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Other Machine Co. (makers of Othermill<\/A>, desktop CNC mill) is passionate about inspiring hands-on education anywhere we can. We work directly with educators who have truly taken this idea to heart. In programs as diverse as engineering and studio art, educators are using super soakers<\/A>, Lego, electronics<\/A>, and other technology tools to enhance their teaching. We\u2019re especially excited to see how college professors have begun to harness Fusion 360 and the Othermill to bring hands-on learning to Mechanical Engineering students.<\/P> <\/P> <\/P> In one common Statics exercise, students learn to design and analyze the forces in trusses. Trusses are part of structures like bridges, radio towers, and marshmallow-and-toothpick models. Usually, these exercises start and end with rigorous paper problem sets. But with Fusion 360 and the Othermill, it doesn\u2019t have to end there.<\/P> <\/P> <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a great example. Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students spend at least one semester learning Statics\u2013 the study of mechanical systems in equilibrium. These concepts are critical for designing bridges, buildings, and anything else that\u2019s supposed to support large loads. In classes, students typically learn how to analyze and design static systems, but rarely get hands-on experience.<\/P><\/P><\/CENTER>