Results can be used by competitive shooter, military, law enforcement, and industry experts while outfitting personnel with a weapon system that leads to superior performance.

This paper presents a study in the methods of problem-based learning (PBL) in the engineering classroom, where students work in small groups to explore specific problems under the guidance of an instructor. PBL has proven to be highly-effective in engineering education, but there is still room to improve. Studies by Schmidt et al. (2007) suggest that the use of “scaffolds,” structures that support the conceptual learning process early-on but are gradually removed later, can greatly help when students first engage in PBL. A total of 19 students participated in the study. A detailed lab handout was designed to act as a hard scaffold for the experimental group while the control group used the current materials. After preparing a full lab report, students were given a post-lab examination. The results of this examination indicate that the scaffold was effective, but they also hint that students enter the lab with incorrect mental models which hinder the learning process. Further study is needed to validate this hypothesis.

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The standard knee pad is considered the most ineffective personal protective equipment in the American football player’s uniform. This study quantitatively and qualitatively assesses personal protective equipment for the lower body for U.S. football players against the VAPPR Pad (Vastus And Patellar Protection with Range of motion), the next iteration of lower body protection. The study consisted of player surveys, material drop testing, and Performance Drill testing including broad-jump, L-drill, pro-agility, and gait analysis with 138 participants in the initial survey and 25 men in the physical testing. Results of the Performance Drill Testing proved that unpadded players perform at higher levels than padded players; established no difference in performance between the unpadded players and players wearing the VAPPR Pad; and validated the VAPPR Pad’s superiority to the standard knee pad.

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