Peer Review

507 Mechanical Movements

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jan 13, 2022 by Engineering

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Online version of the book “Five hundred and seven mechanical movements” by HENRY T. BROWN (1868). The collection includes mechanisms concerning dynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, steam engines, mill and other gearing, presses, horology, and miscellaneous machines. In addition to all the original diagrams created by the author, some of them have been animated for a better understanding. An alphabetic index of the mechanisms is proposed to find a specific one with ease. Suitable for university students in subjects concerning mechanisms and mechanical systems and machines.
Type of Material:: Open access website. Animation.
Recommended Uses:: It could be recommended for courses on technology in STEM disciplines. Useful for visualization of simple and complex mechanical devices in traditional and hybrid/blended teaching.
Technical Requirements:: Evaluation was carried out using Safari web browser in a laptop (MacOS). Correct functioning was also tested in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox. No extra requirements were needed.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The website is addressed to science, technology and engineering students and teachers of a variety of educational levels interested in learning about mechanical movements in machines. Users will get an idea, through a high number of examples, of the many ways in which mechanical movement can be achieved and produced.
Target Student Population:: Grade School, Middle School, High School, College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School, Professional.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Basic knowledge of physics engineering mechanical terminology is required to understand the explanations of the different mechanisms. No special computer skills are required.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: The website presents a big number of animated illustrations that explain the inner workings of a variety of mechanisms, gear, crankshaft, etc. Animations represent, though some simplifications, the main mechanical features of a diversity of mechanisms in a visual manner. The set of mechanisms shown covers the core content of common mechanical engineering courses. Examples of linear and rotational movements and its connecting mechanisms are clearly shown in the animations. For some cases, additional information on the physical processes taking place is presented. The technical vocabulary used is concise and precise. Similar mechanisms are linked between each other through hyperlinks. Examples of machines using some of the mechanisms are provided.
Concerns:: Some other mechanisms are only shown, without animation. Although it includes a big number of mechanical devices, the list of animated devices is not classified following any systematic or methodological procedures but classified in alphabetical order, which makes it not easy to find them. Each mechanism is carefully explained, but core concepts concerning mechanical movements and machines are out of the scope of the material, and they should be priorly studied by the user. The material is current because the basic mechanisms are still widely spread and used nowadays but, as the source is an historical book of 1868, recent discoveries are not included.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The learning objectives and prerequisite knowledge of animations are not declared explicitly but they address common core examples in mechanical engineering courses. Animations can be used as “visualization tools”, easy to integrate into curriculum assignments. Website can be linked to any LMS. Each mechanism comes with an explanation to understand how it behaves and how the movement is produced. The material is adequate as complementary material once basic concepts concerning mechanisms have been previously explained by the teacher.
Concerns:: Animations do not show any relation between concepts, neither shows progressive learning options or student’s outcomes, they are only demonstrative. The author of the material does not include the purpose of the webpage nor the prerequisite knowledge that could be required to properly understand the provided material. The purpose of the material is to give examples, so no core concepts are explained. It would be difficult for the student to understand the matter by themselves if there are no prior explanations provided by the teacher.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The style of the webpage is simple but elegant, appealing to the eye of the user. Very ease of use as website. All the animations are functional. The animations are engaging and visually attractive as they are very dynamic.
Concerns:: Interactivity is limited, as there not exists any control panel of animations. Animations can't be downloaded, only website use id permitted. No alternative accessibility options are provided.

Other Issues and Comments:: The website is addressed to science, technology and engineering students and teachers of a variety of educational levels interested in learning about the mechanical movements. It presents a big number of animated illustrations that explain the inner workings of a variety of dynamics, hydraulics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, etc. mechanisms Animations represent, though some simplifications, the main mechanical features of machines in a visual manner. Animations can be used as “visualization tools”, easy to integrate into curriculum assignments. Very ease of use as website.
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