Conference Session

Student Teams and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alan Cheville, Oklahoma State University; Christine Co, Oklahoma State University; Bear Turner, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

inwhich students design, build, and test a complex project. These programs are increasinglyindustry sponsored 1, and expose students to many of the real constraints engineers face.Capstone courses are the primary mechanism used by many universities for integratingcommunication, and teamwork skills and social, economic, and ethical issues into theengineering curriculum 2. The capstone concept has been extended by other schools such as theDesign4Practice program at Northern Arizona University and the projects program at WorcesterPolytechnic Institute 3-5 in which dedicated design courses are integrated into all four years of theundergraduate curriculum. Improvements in student performance following capstone programshave been observed in several

Conference Session

Assessment and Evaluation in Engineering Education I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelley Racicot, Washington State University; Charles Pezeshki, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

systems approach. ABET, for example, suggests that it is important to use a Page 12.168.2“multi-method/multi source approach to maximize the validity and reduce the bias of any oneapproach” [6, p. 2]. While systems thinking is not new to program evaluation or engineeringdesign, it is seldom employed in course-level research, where the focus tends to be on evaluatingthe local impact of specific teaching methods on individual student achievement [7]. Unliketraditional courses, project-based courses, such as capstone design, are not bounded by the wallsof the classroom, the term of the course, or the enrollment list. Project sponsors, faculty, andeven

Conference Session

Student Teams and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Zemke, Gonzaga University; Diane Zemke, Gonzaga University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2007-773: ANALYZING STUDENT TEAM DIALOGUES TO GUIDE THEDESIGN OF ACTIVE LEARNING SESSIONSSteven Zemke, Gonzaga University Steven Zemke is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Gonzaga University. He teaches design classes at the sophomore, junior, and capstone level. His research pursuits are in the pedagogy of design. Steven received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a dissertation on pedagogy from the University of Idaho in 2005. Prior to teaching, Steven was a design engineer and engineering manager for 25 years.Diane Zemke, Gonzaga University Diane Zemke is a Doctoral Student in the Leadership Studies Program at Gonzaga University. Her interests include

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Cardella, Center for the Advancement of Scholarships on Engineering Education (CASEE); Cynthia Atman, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

mathematics is considered to be a fundamental element of engineering education, littleempirical research has been conducted to understand how engineering students actually usemathematics. This project takes a research- informed approach towards understanding the role ofmathematics in engineering design by combining two studies of engineering students’ use ofmathematical thinking: a study of engineering students’ use of mathematics during an industry-based senior design project and a study of engineering students’ use of mathematics during alaboratory based design problem.The capstone study used a combination of qualitative methodologies to investigate engineeringstudents’ use of mathematics during one of their first real- world design projects. For

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Danielle Amatore, Oregon State University; Edith Gummer, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory; Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

project evolved and demonstrated effective social interactions, breaking into well definedroles. The contrasting performance of the other two groups is also discussed. The use ofreflection tools in the form of experimental journals and design meetings appeared to be effectivein keeping students from “video-game” mode. Assessment based improvements of the VirtualCVD laboratory are identified.IntroductionCapstone courses in which students have an opportunity to practice engineering are an importantaspect of undergraduate engineering curriculum. In the last 20 years, capstone courses have beenintegrated into engineering curricula nationwide in response to ABET accreditation requirementsand feedback from industry. Specific ABET guidelines are the

Conference Session

Cognitive and Motivational Issues in Student Performance II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tuba Pinar Yildirim, University of Pittsburgh; Joel Townsend, University of Pittsburgh; Mary Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Larry Shuman, University of Pittsburgh; Harvey Wolfe, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

The project was completed as part of a course. Two teams of four people each worked through semester.Product Realization Capstone Working in multidisciplinary design teams from engineering Project and business, students take a product from concept to business plan. In doing this, they address issues of market analysis, design, manufacturing design, and production planning. Two teams of five people worked on the project for a semester.Two student teams per project were taped. The tapes were then experimentally observed withtwo sets of raters observing

Conference Session

Curricular Innovations

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Manuel Jimenez, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Ana Nieves, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Cristina Pomales-Garcia, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; Nayda Santiago Santiago, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; José Vega, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Vilma Lopez, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the program top high schools students from all over theisland.Engineering programs at the UPRM are five years long. In the CE program, the first two yearsare primarily devoted to mathematics, science, humanities, Spanish, English, and economycourses. In years three and four, the basis of CE is built with core courses in the areas ofsoftware, hardware, and communications. In the fifth year, students take mostly technicalelective courses. The program is structured to fulfill both breadth and depth of knowledge andconcludes in the fifth year with a major design experience through a capstone course identifiedas the “Design Project in Computer Engineering”.The particular academic setting where participating students were chosen included four