2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Teaching artificial intelligence and machine learning to materials engineering students through plastic 3D printing

Presented at Materials Division (MATS) Technical Session 1

Computational tools in conjunction with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have the potential to play significant roles in the future of materials science and engineering (MS&E). Therefore, these concepts need to be introduced to students throughout existing MS&E curricula. However, there is currently a lack of datasets and tools that are appropriate for introducing the complex topics of AI and ML to engineering students with little to no knowledge of computer science. In this paper, we report on the background, development, and application of a new 3D printed plastic dataset and related active learning assignment. The active learning assignment was designed to introduce AI and ML concepts to students with little to no knowledge of computer science, computer programming (e.g., Matlab or Python) or algorithm development. This activity was performed on a relatively new “no-code” software platform (developed by Citrine Informatics) that uses AI and ML to solve real-world materials engineering problems. Some relevant existing online teaching resources were first reviewed with the aim of strengthening the aim and approach of the active learning assignment. An emphasis is placed on the importance of materials engineering domain knowledge and structured material data for the successful application of AI and ML in successfully solving materials engineering problems. At this stage, the purpose is to share our efforts and findings with educators, to get feedback and to inspire ideas for teaching AI and ML to engineering students without a programming background. Student perceptions of the class and its outcomes are also presented.

Authors

Dr. Joel L Galos http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2490-7232 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo [biography]

Dr. Joel Galos is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Materials Engineering at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo. His teaching and research interests are centered on the design, analysis and optimization of engineering materials, especially polymer composites.
Aaron Zachary Chandler Friedman California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Ethan Jamosmos California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Dr. Sarah Isabel Allec Citrine Informatics [biography]

Researcher in in-silico materials design, combining state-of-the-art physics-based modeling and data science techniques to design new materials.
Brina Blinzler The University of Kansas
Lessa Grunenfelder University of Southern California [biography]

Lessa Grunenfelder has a BS in astronautical engineering and a MS and PhD in materials science, all from the University of Southern California. In 2015 she joined the USC Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science as teaching fac
Dr. Adam R Carberry http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0041-7060 The Ohio State University [biography]

Dr. Adam R. Carberry is Professor and Chair in the Department of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University (OSU). He earned a B.S. in Materials Science Engineering from Alfred University, and received his M.S. and Ph.D., both from Tufts University, in Chemistry and Engineering Education respectively. He recently joined OSU after having served as an Associate Professor in The Polytechnic School within Arizona State University’s Fulton Schools of Engineering (FSE) where he was the Graduate Program Chair for the Engineering Education Systems & Design (EESD) Ph.D. Program. He is currently a Deputy Editor for the Journal of Engineering Education and co-maintains the Engineering Education Community Resource wiki. Additional career highlights include serving as Chair of the Research in Engineering Education Network (REEN), visiting École Nationale Supérieure des Mines in Rabat, Morocco as a Fulbright Specialist, receiving an FSE Top 5% Teaching Award, receiving an ASEE Educational Research and Methods Division Apprentice Faculty Award, receiving a Frontiers in Education New Faculty Award, and being named an ASEE Fellow.

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