TARGET AUDIENCE

This case is intended for mechanical and aerospace engineering heat transfer classes. The curriculum of this course covers fundamental principles of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation, and applications of these principles to the solution of engineering problems. It is a required course for mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. The class typically consists of approximately 80–100 upper-class undergraduate students. While most students are from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, there are students from various departments in the School of Engineering. The class meets three times a week for 50 minutes each time.

INFORMATION LITERACY LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Students can discuss the value of standards for engineering design and applications.
• Students can recall ways to get access to standards.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of how content of a standard is organized and the role of each section.
• Students demonstrate an understanding of how to interpret a standard using language clues included in the standard.

DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTION

The course syllabus includes a one-lecture (50-minute) session dedicated to standards training through lecture and an in-class exercise in interpreting the requirements of two related ASTM standards. The lecture explains what standards are, why standards are used, the standardization process, how to read a standard, and how to search for standards with emphasis on campus resources (e.g., library subscriptions). Each section in the lecture is followed by an online poll that asks a question on the topic of the section to assess students’ understanding (formative assessment techniques). The lecture is followed by an in-class or take-home exercise that consolidates some of the notions introduced in the lecture.

At the end of the lecture, students are prompted to use the ASTM Compass database available on the library website and find two standards, E2585—Standard Practice for Thermal Diffusivity by the Flash Method, and E1461—Test Method for Thermal Diffusivity by the Flash Method. Once they have opened the full text of the two standards, students are invited to answer several questions that bring their attention to specific elements from the content of the two standards. Through the questions asked, students self-navigate through all elements of the standards and reflect on their interpretation. They also have the opportunity to ask questions and clarifications. When the class moved to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-class exercise was adapted into an online quiz delivered as a homework assignment.

DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES/MATERIALS

• Lecture using PowerPoint
• In-class use of live polls to determine the understanding of critical content
• Online access to standards ASTM E2585—Standard Practice for Thermal Diffusivity by the Flash Method, and E1461—Test Method for Thermal Diffusivity by the Flash Method
• In-class (or take-home) exercise in interpreting two ASTM standards related to heat transfer

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following is NOT true about the benefits of standards?
   1. Specify requirements for operation, quality, safety
   2. Reduce product development costs
   3. Increase transaction costs
   4. Create a level playing field for producers
   5. Create common language
2. What does voluntary standard mean? Choose all that apply.
   1. Organizations volunteer to participate in the development process
   2. Developed by a recognized body
   3. Compliance is voluntary
   4. Market-driven
   5. All of the above
   6. None of the above
3. Which of the following statements are true? Choose all that apply.
   1. Compliance is determined based on self-testing
   2. Compliance is determined by an independent certification body
   3. Conformity is determined based on self-testing
   4. Conformity is determined by an independent certification body

POST-LECTURE EXERCISE QUESTIONS

1. What SDO has developed these standards?
2. In what year was the E1461 standard published?
3. 3. Are these standards different from each other? In what way?
4. What are the limitations in applicability of the practice presented in the scope of the E 2585 standard?
5. Are there any imposed design limitations for the testing apparatus included in the E 1461 standard?
6. What does the use of “may, need not” represent in the context of any standard? Find a couple of examples in the E 2585 standard and analyze the differences compared to “shall, shall not.”
7. Is compliance to both standards required simultaneously? How can you determine?
8. What units of measurement are mentioned in these standards?
9. What is the repeatability value estimated for the testing method presented in E 2585 standard?
10. What ASTM committee developed these standards?