Hybrid teaching of continuum mechanics for physics students

We have taken advantage of our teaching experience during pandemia to implement continuum mechanics courses for sophomore and senior physics students in which we combine online and in presence theoretical teaching with experiments designed by the students. Some experiments are set up in various labs at the university but other are made at home by the students.

Final projects are developed in teams of 3 to 5 students and usually include an experimental and a numerical part. Designing and building the experiments in teams help students to integrate previous and new knowledge, make original contributions, understand the importance of measurement and of modeling, discuss their ideas and learn from peers and present and defend their results in front of Faculty and other students. As expected, students appreciate and enjoy the combination of lectures with hands on experience, the understand and learn more, they develop critical and analytical thinking. Several examples will be presented