Engineering Statistics - 210

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID:  ENGR 210
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in a mechanical engineering course for undergraduate students by Dr. JuEun Lee at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. The open textbook provides structured chapters, worked examples, practice problems, and links to instructor-created YouTube videos that support key Statics concepts. The instructor supplements include problem walkthroughs and project-aligned assignments. The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to remove cost barriers, improve equity, and allow customization to align with lab projects. Most students access the open textbook in LibreTexts online format, with optional PDF downloads and YouTube videos embedded in Canvas.

Course Title and Number - ENGR 210   Statics
Brief Description of course highlights:  A first course in engineering mechanics covering force systems in 2D/3D; moments and couple moments; equilibrium in 2D and 3D; analysis of truss structure using method of joints and method of sections, analysis of frames and machines; distributed loads; shear and moment diagrams; centroids; and area moments of inertia.

Student Population: Primarily for 1) Mechanical Engineering, 2) Environmental Resources Engineering, and 3) Energy Systems Engineering majors. Students usually have completed or are co-enrolled in calculus and physics. Class sizes are 48-72, with a mix of first- and second-year students.

Learning or student outcomes:   By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Model and analyze engineering systems in static equilibrium using vectors.
• Construct and interpret free-body diagrams.
• Solve for reactions and internal forces in trusses, frames, and machines.
• Draw and interpret shear and bending moment diagrams.
• Compute centroids and area moments of inertia.

Key Challenges faced and how resolved: Students often struggle with visualizing 3D problems and setting up free-body diagrams. The OER allowed Dr. Lee to embed short, targeted videos and interactive problem sets to address these gaps, and to scaffold examples leading up to project-based labs.

Textbook or OER/Low-cost Title: Statics (LibreTexts) by Dr. JuEun Lee
Brief Description:  This OER textbook provides concise explanations, worked examples, and problem sets covering the fundamentals of Statics. It includes chapters on forces, equilibrium, trusses, frames, distributed loads, shear/moment diagrams, centroids, and area moments of inertia. The structure is modular and closely aligned with engineering curriculum standards. It is supplemented by YouTube videos produced by Dr. Lee, which walk through worked problems and highlight conceptual pitfalls.

Please provide a link to the resource https://eng.libretexts.org/Courses/California_State_Polytechnic_University_Humboldt/Statics?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Authors:  Dr. JuEun Lee, Cal Poly Humboldt

Student access:  Free through LibreTexts online (with downloadable PDF), and YouTube videos linked in Canvas.

Supplemental resources:
- YouTube problem walkthroughs: @MECHProfLee channel
-  Instructor-created problem sets and assignments embedded in Canvas.

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook.  Traditional Statics texts (e.g., Hibbeler, Pearson) cost $120–$200. Students save approximately $150 each by using this OER.

License: Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option.  To eliminate cost barriers for students, improve alignment with course outcomes, and allow rapid customization to fit labs and projects.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course?  Reviewed LibreTexts materials, consulted with colleagues, piloted chapters with students, and then expanded to a full adoption.

Sharing Best Practices: 
- Start from learning outcomes, then map each to OER content.
- Supplement text with short video walk-throughs of challenging topics.
- Link all resources in Canvas so students have one access point.
- Provide optional PDFs for offline access.

Describe any key challenges you experienced, how they were resolved  and lessons learned.  
-  Creating supplemental materials (e.g., videos, assignments) required time investment.
- Numbering of practice problems needed to be kept consistent across text and lectures.
-  Students strongly preferred integrated access in Canvas, which required additional setup.

Instructor Name - Dr. JuEun Lee
Associate Professor, School of Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
Please provide a link to your university page.
https://engineering.humboldt.edu/people/jueun-lee-phd?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Please describe the courses/course numbers that you teach.ENGR 210 (Statics), ENGR 317 (Vibrations), ENGR 430 (Manufacturing Processes & Lab), Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Graphics, Heat Transfer, Biomechanical Engineering.

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  I emphasize structured problem-solving, scaffolded practice, and real-world applications in engineering mechanics. I use OER to improve access, equity, and flexibility for students. My research focuses on surgical technology development, surgical tool design, biomanufacturing, and sustainable/eco-manufacturing.