Improvements Needed in VT Design Lab Training Process

Article / Zoe Miloszewski

The experience of a Virginia Tech engineering student would not be complete without the defining experiences of design competition teams, class project prototyping, and of course, senior design projects. Typically, these hands-on learning experiences mean extensive time spent in one of the campus makerspaces or design labs, equipped with the materials and tools students need to bring their engineering concepts to life. Despite the many benefits of having multiple such labs on campus, an element of difficulty occurs due to the various types of training required for entry and operation at each location. While safety is clearly paramount and training is necessary, this article questions whether there could be a more efficient way to ensure all students can safely utilize the resources these establishments provide.

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For first year engineering students in particular, the available lab spaces and the training required to access them can be overwhelming. In addition to the Applied Lab and Ware Lab on campus available to all undergraduate engineering students, first years also have access to the Frith Lab, located in the basement of Randolf Hall. Over a quarter of freshman engineering students are also part of the Galipatia Living-Learning communities in Hoge Hall and have an additional makerspace: the InVenTs studio located right in their dorm. Each of these locations require separate training to enter and use specific equipment. An online training and safety module is required to enter the Frith Lab, and students must sign up for additional in-person training sessions if they wish to use more advanced equipment such as a laser cutter or table saw. While this is entirely understandable to ensure the safety of everyone at the lab, the issue lies in that separate training is required for the use of the same equipment in both the Ware Lab and the InVenTs studio. As we all know, time management and efficiency are critical to the success of a college student. Given that, there must be a more efficient way to safely train engineering students on the various types of equipment in different labs and maker spaces on campus.

For example, students do not want to take time out of their day to be trained on the laser cutter in the Ware Lab when they have already been trained to use it in the Frith Lab just a few weeks prior. Despite seeming illogical, this is necessary because there is currently no standard portal or training procedure that allows supervisors to verify that a student has been trained on specific equipment at another location on campus. While excess caution is never a bad thing, some students may be deterred from utilizing the resources at a certain facility because they lack the time needed to repeat training. I believe that engineering students could benefit greatly from a single training program and an organized database that could be accessed by all of the lab supervisors to keep track of what training students have completed. This would streamline the training process and save time for both students and upper class lab supervisors while continuing to ensure the safety of Virginia Tech students. We are very fortunate to have access to such incredible resources such as the Frith Lab and Ware Lab, but as engineers it is also in our nature to look to improve the world around us and the lives of others. It is likely others have also identified the need for improvement in this system on campus, and it is up to us, the engineers of the future, to look for ways to better our school for future students.

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