Designing Effective Electrical Engineering Laboratories Using Challenge- based instruction that Reflect Engineering Process Lason L. Watai, Arthur J. Brodersen, Sean P. Brophy Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, Nashville, TNI. IntroductionIn electrical engineering, physical lab courses should provide a multi-facet environment thatenables students to apply concepts and principles to design, synthesize and analyze electricalcircuits and systems, and gain practical “hands-on” experience, knowledge, and skills and givestudents “a feel” for problem solving. However, students are often ill prepared to perform thelabs and few resources are available for students to learn how to
Session 1526 Lessons Learned from Incorporating Problem-Based Learning and Lego System in Engineering Measurements Laboratory Zhifeng Kou, Sudhir Mehta North Dakota State UniversityAbstractAs one of the most important developments in contemporary higher education, Problem-BasedLearning (PBL) is widely used in most medical schools and is being proliferated in several otherdisciplines. A limited number of engineering educators have reported using PBL methods in theirclasses. However no literature in the field reports how to implement PBL, to what extent PBLshould be
The United States Military Academy Flight Laboratory Program: A Hands-On Approach to Engineering Education United States Army Major Steven Braddom, Major David Stringer, Captain Richard Melnyk, Lieutenant Colonel Grant Crawford United States Military Academy, Department of Civil and Mechanical EngineeringAbstractSince 1970, the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point has used militaryaircraft to conduct Flight Laboratories as an integral part of the Mechanical Engineeringcurriculum. Conducting Flight Laboratories with pilots who are also classroom instructors fromthe Department of Civil &
cannot ensure a secure environment. Reliable networksecurity depends on well-educated professionals who can adapt IDS to practical networksettings.Typically, information security technology education is delivered to students throughclassroom learning and hands-on laboratory experiments. However, with the steady increase inInternet use in recent years, we have witnessed a rapid maturation in remote technologyeducation. The trend toward online information security technology education is inevitable, andshows a likelihood of becoming essential.In online technology education, significant efforts have been made to design and develop user-friendly Web-based learning environments, such as Blackboard and the virtual learningcommunity, which mainly
primarily onhardware design. With the introduction of inexpensive microprocessors, it becomes possible toprovide students with hands-on laboratory experiences to construct simple embedded systems.As these systems have evolved in commercial applications, the number and complexity ofembedded controllers has also increased. A significant portion of the design process must nowfocus on software engineering and the integration of hardware and software. However, mostmicroprocessor-based system courses still emphasize hardware construction [7,8]. In order toaddress both software and hardware issues, it becomes essential to apply an interdisciplinaryapproach [5].Many microcontrollers are used in real-time control systems such as automotive electronics
A Custom Printed Circuit Board Differential Amplifier For Instruction In Undergraduate Analog Electronics Kenneth J. Soda Department of Electrical Engineering United States Air Force AcademyAbstractInstruction in the theory and operation of analog electronic circuits remains an essentialelement of contemporary electrical engineering curricula. While computer basedsimulation of these circuits is extremely helpful to mastery of essential topics, hardwareimplementation of these circuits in the undergraduate electronics laboratory bestreinforces theoretical explanations and solidifies
of inherent interest to students. The specificapplication studied in this laboratory is the addition of small amounts of nitrogen to altermicrostructure in the weld deposit. Understanding the process requires the integrated use ofthermodynamics, kinetics, physics, chemistry, solidification, heat and mass transfer, phasestability and materials engineering.Few laboratory experiences allow engineers to explore the performance of real engineeringmaterials at homologous temperatures greater than 0.8. Fewer still enable students to relatematerial performance at these temperatures to the microstructure of the material. Moreover, therelationship of material properties at lower temperatures are rarely graphically and directlyconnected to the
processes areencountered in a large number of engineering applications. It is essential for thermal engineers tounderstand the principles of thermodynamics and heat transfer and be able to employ the rateequations that govern the amount of energy being transferred. However, the majority of studentsperceive these topics as difficult.To make the subject of heat transfer a more pleasant experience for the undergraduatemechanical engineering students at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, thestudents are required to take a junior-level heat transfer laboratory. The different experiments inthis laboratory enhance and add another dimension to the teaching/learning process of thesubject of heat transfer. One of the objectives of this heat
. Page 10.963.7 Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education(c). Programming of Data Acquisition and Signal ProcessingLabVIEW2 software was used to program the data acquisition and to display the acquiredencoder signal frequencies. LabVIEW (laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) isa development environment based on the graphical programming language. All LabVIEWprograms have a “Front Panel” which uses “Controls Palette” and a “Block Diagram” which uses“Functions Palette” in their construction. Front Panel is used to control acquisition and/orprocessing functions of the LabVIEW software
forsome undergraduate students who can be classified as sensing, or visual learners. Moderncomputation tools equipped with simulation and visual capability can ease explanation of topicsin vibration and control theories in the classroom and laboratory. Through the use of thesemodern visualization and simulation tools, it is possible to teach “mathematically advancedconcepts in vibration and control courses in engineering” more efficiently and make it moreinteresting for them to understand.This paper describes teaching vibration and automatic control courses in the Mechanical andElectrical Engineering departments at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology.Experiments are designed to give student thorough understanding of basic
,Indiana, where he has taught since 1980. Prior to that time he was employed by Eagle-Picher Industries at theMiami Research Laboratories and the Electro-Optic Materials Department. He is a senior member of IEEE. Page 10.858.15 "Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education"
has. The 808 was a first generation power analyzerand was able to do the following measurements: A. Voltages B. Currents C. Watts D. Volt-Amperes E. Volt-Amperes Reactive F. Power Factor G. Watt-Hours (energy monitoring) H. DemandThe data would be in the form of a printout that consisted of a list of data at a certaintime. The 808 could be programmed so that the data would be printed at certain fixedintervals. The paper tape printout can be thought of as the memory of the Dranetz 808.Having used these meters in the 1980’s, I can say that they were a real advance in powermeasuring techniques. However, they were difficult to use in a laboratory setting. Onedisadvantage that
Teaching Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, Including Laboratory Sessions, using a Combination of Distance Learning and Distance Teaching Techniques. Donald Leone, Alan Hadad, Susan Coleman Hisham Alnajjar, Hesham Elsaghir University of HartfordAbstract The primary objective of this project was to teach sophomore engineering students thefundamental concepts of geographic information systems (GIS), but with the teacher andstudents in different locations. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems is a 2 credit half semester course with 6contact hours including 3 hours of laboratory work
Session xxxx Integrating the Financial Aspects of Laboratory Procedures into Electron Microscopy Courses at a Community College and Materials Science Courses at a University Mike Meier and Mike Dunlap Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science University of California, Davis Davis, CAAbstractBasic financial issues related to the cost of performing standard laboratory procedures andmaterials analyses have been incorporated into two courses in an attempt to teach students howto plan an
Reconfigurable Distribution Automation and Control Laboratory: A Network Reconfiguration Experiment for Load Balancing and Loss Reduction in Power Distribution Systems Xiaoguang Yang, Valentina Cecchi, Karen Miu, Chika Nwankpa Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Drexel University Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaAbstract – At Drexel University, a network reconfiguration experiment has been developed toprovide students with hands-on experience on how to balance loads and reduce real power lossesof a distribution system through network reconfiguration. The experiment has been set up withinDrexel’s Reconfigurable
2427 Lessons Learned and Best Practices for using an Analytic Strategy Approach for the Creation of Virtual Laboratories for Distance Learning in Engineering Technology Anthony W. Dean, Carol L. Considine, and Gary R. Crossman Department of Engineering Technology Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia 23529AbstractThis paper describes the use of an Analytic Strategy Approach used in the development of aVirtual Automation and Controls Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program of
Laboratory Restructuring and Development for the Course of Electric Machinery Using Software and Hardware IT Tools Shuhui Li Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Texas A&M University – Kingsville Kingsville, TX 78363ABSTRACT The paper presents the laboratory restructuring and development for the course ofElectric Machines, also known as Electric Machinery or Energy Conversion, for an integrativeteaching approach. It shows the restructuring by using modern computer software and hardwareinformation technology (IT) tools, by introducing DSP and digital control technology
Session 3102 Learning by doing: An innovative laboratory exercise to enhance the understanding of thin-walled Mechanics of Materials Gillian N. Saunders-Smits, Jan de Vries Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Delft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsIntroductionMechanics is widely considered to be the core of any type of construction engineering course inthe world, be it a mechanical, aerospace or naval architecture engineering course. Yet at the sametime it also considered by many students as one of the most difficult subjects in the course
gjavidi@vsu.edu , jwhite@tempest.coedu.usf.edu , esheyban@vsu.eduAbstract The World Wide Web (WWW) provides alternative means for delivery of the coursesand services, providing learners with an extraordinary range of options. There are few, if any,studies that have attempted to evaluate the learning achieved through the use of simulatedlaboratories in virtual environments, perhaps because of the difficulties in designing tightexperiments for such studies. The purpose of this study would be to investigate theeffectiveness of simulated labs in engineering and present the results. Specifically, this studyexamines whether computer simulations are as effective as physical laboratory activities inteaching college-level electronics engineering
Session 1510 Incorporating Engineering Concepts in the Middle School Science Classroom Cordelia M. Brown Vanderbilt University Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Nashville, Tennessee 37325AbstractHands-on engineering based lessons have been developed and implemented in middleschool science classes through the Vanderbilt-Meharry-TSU NSF Graduate TeachingFellows (GK-12) program. This paper presents laboratory activities designed toincorporate engineering concepts into middle school science classrooms
’ conceptualization andexposure to System Dynamics and Controls fundamentals by providing less restricted exposureto a variety of systems that encompass the more important Dynamic Systems concepts. The plan involves the development of a System Dynamics Concepts Inventory and theimplementation and assessment of three Web-enabled laboratory formats: (1) inter-campuscollaborative experimentation, (2) remotely-accessible experiments, and (3) virtual systemexperiments. Each format has its inherent advantages and disadvantages. Remotely-accessibleexperiments, for example, can be made more readily available to students outside of regularlaboratory hours, but the lack of hands-on exposure limits the potential scope of the experiments.Each format has been
Session 1368 Online experimentation for study of stress and deformation in structural beamsAlamgir Choudhury, Jorge Rodriguez, Mitch Keil, Sam Ramrattan and Pavel Ikonomov Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Western Michigan UniversityAbstract Analysis of stress and deformation of beam elements are utilized in a wide rangeof curriculum. In most engineering and engineering technology programs, analyticalmethods are often augmented with computer applications and laboratory experiments. Inthe lecture only classes, theoretical learning can be complemented by
developed an integrated junior-year curriculum supported by anIntegrated Systems Laboratory and related projects. The projects provide opportunities forstudents to apply their newly acquired tools in an integrated setting prior to enrolling in thecapstone course. Project requirements can include work measurement, work design andergonomics, engineering economics, simulation, statistical analysis and experimental design,project management, and technical communication. In addition to a description of the laboratoryand projects, the rationale and a description of the curriculum is presented. Also included is apreliminary analysis of the impact of this approach on student learning.IntroductionABET program criteria for industrial engineering require
. A remotely operated radiation detection andinstrumentation laboratory course will be offered in the Spring 2005, which will give remotestudents access to laboratory equipment for completing laboratory assignments and gainingexperience with nuclear instrumentation. The alignment of these various interests and thecurrent direction in education and research is believed to promote the growth of this newprogram and promote nuclear engineering education for the next generation of nuclearprofessionals and on into the future.IntroductionIn Fall 2003, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina(USC) launched a new graduate program in nuclear engineering and by end of Spring 2005 willgraduate its first Masters Degree
Department of Industrial Technology: Biotechnology Laboratory I,Biotechnology Laboratory II, and Bioinformatics Technology. The objectives of thispaper are to describe the implementation of the new curriculum. The courses within thebiotechnology minor prepare students including Industrial Technology to find careerswithin life science-based industries. These students will be the vanguard of a highlyeducated workforce contributing to the life sciences industry in Indiana. Page 10.385.1“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & ExpositionCopyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education
from the Advanced TechnologicalEducation Program at the National Science Foundation, has addressed this need bydeveloping technician-level educational materials, prototyping a teaching laboratory forplasma-aided manufacturing, and training community college faculty.[1] This paperprovides a summary of PCC’s three-year development and implementation effort.IntroductionThe lack of instructional materials is a major deterrent in developing and implementing atechnician-level course in RF plasma processing at the community college level. Asearch of the literature produced only graduate-level textbooks.[2,3]Equipment needed to implement a teaching laboratory to support a technician-levelcourse was also lacking. Equipment to support simple plasma
THE JAVA-DSP (J-DSP) PROJECT – FROM THE PROTOTYPE TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION AND DISSEMINATION* Andreas Spanias and Venkatraman Atti Department of Electrical Engineering, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5706, USA. e-mail: [spanias, atti]@asu.edu AbstractThis paper describes the roadmap followed to develop a prototype, obtain support for its fullimplementation, embed in the curriculum and assess, and then disseminate. We outline specifically howthe J-DSP online laboratory concept was conceived, how the prototype “proof of
approved interdisciplinaryprogram to develop the new degree program. As a subcontract of NSF grant number DUE-9950085, the university received funds to develop a four-year articulated curriculum in computernetworking. This funding provided the justification to acquire laboratory space, faculty, andequipment that would not have been available otherwise.Program DevelopmentTo articulate the community college curriculum, a faculty committee compared published courseoutcomes to develop equivalent courses offered by the university. Table 1 shows the original listof courses identified as transferable into the four-year degree. Of the 15 courses identified, ninehad academic equivalents already in place leaving six courses to be created. The content
donated a set of four Allen Bradley PLC 5/20 systems and additionalfunding from NSA to refine the DCS emulator and design a realistic DCS water system test-bed.During the fall of 2004, the results of these efforts were used to teach the students how to designDCS systems that are reliable, secure and survivable. This experience is described in detail in therest of this paper.II. Microprocessor-based Applications (EE411) EE411 is a 4 credit course with a 2 hour weekly laboratory experience. It builds uponearlier coursework in microprocessor programming as well as in higher level programminglanguages such as C++ and National Instruments LabVIEW, and in electronics design. It isrequired in both the electrical and computer engineering
Lessons Learned from a Mobile Robot Based Mechatronics Course Brian Surgenor*, Kevin Firth* and Peter Wild** * Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen’s University ** Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of VictoriaAbstractExperience with an elective course in mechatronics is discussed. The course is structuredaround a series of laboratories involving a mobile robot. The course introduces students toselected sensor and actuator technologies and sensitizes them to mechatronic systems designissues. The course is organized to promote a high level of active learning. The course has beenvery well received by students to date