Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrian Ieta, Murray State University; Arthur Pallone

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

AC 2008-1453: PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO PROJECT-BASED LEARNINGINCORPORATING PEER FEEDBACK IN ORDER TO ENHANCE CREATIVITYIN ENGINEERING COURSESAdrian Ieta, Murray State University Adrian Ieta holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (2004) from The University of Western Ontario, Canada. He also holds a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Timisoara, Romania (1984), a B.E.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnical University of Timisoara (1992), and an M.E.Sc. from The University of Western Ontario (1999). He worked on industrial projects within the Applied Electrostatics Research Centre and the Digital Electronics Research Group at the University of Western Ontario and is an IEEE

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nataliia Perova, Tufts University; Patricia Hogan, Suffolk University; Walter H. Johnson, Suffolk University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

integrating innovative technology to better reach his students, from streaming video and electronic writing tables for distance learning to using wireless mesh-networking devices in undergraduate research projects. His academic awards include C.W. Heaps Prize in Physics and Phi Beta Kappa from Rice University, Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Harvard University, and Carnegie Foundation Massachusetts Professor of the Year in 2005. Page 13.1369.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Using Wireless Sensor Network as an Educational Tool for Learning Science ConceptsAbstractWireless

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Baha Jassemnejad, University of Central Oklahoma; Wei Pee, University of Central Oklahoma; Mathew Mounce, University of Central Oklhoma

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

facilitation of their peer mentors, students built a working scaleddown model that could autonomously navigate, identify, and extract mines. Following thepresentation of their project, these students expressed enthusiasm in pursuing a degree inengineering physics and computer science disciplines.IntroductionThe National science foundation and the International Association for the Evaluation ofEducational Achievement reported that America is below average in science and mathematicseducation when compared to other countries. When comparing U.S. K-12 students to theirinternational counterparts, a trend emerged. While U.S. students in the 4th and 8th grades scorein the top percentile, 12th graders score at the bottom in math and science1. Without a

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Winston Jackson, California Institute of Technology; Jennifer Franck, California Institute of Technology; James Maloney, California Institute of Technology; Juan Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, California Institute of Technology; Julian Rimoli, California Institute of Technology; Luz Rivas, California Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

focused on MATLAB. Caltech graduate students andinstitute staff lead each course. Course instructors are hired in the spring preceding the programand meet weekly to develop the course curriculum. Through lectures, hands-on experiments andhomework assignments, each course exposes participants to fundamental science principleswhile giving students the opportunity to propose further questions in the fields. As a culminatingproject for each course, participants produce a group research project with the help of a YESSinstructor. The successful completion of the project relies upon all the skills and concepts that thestudents acquire throughout the courses. At the end of the program, students present their projectfindings to Caltech faculty

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nataliia Perova, Tufts University; Walter H. Johnson, Suffolk University; Chris Rogers, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Harvard University and B.S. from Rice University. He is a Chairman of Physics Department at Suffolk University. His research interests include neural networks, wireless motes, and ellipsometry. He has a strong commitment to teaching and integrating innovative technology to better reach his students, from streaming video and electronic writing tables for distance learning to using wireless mesh-networking devices in undergraduate research projects. His academic awards include C.W. Heaps Prize in Physics and Phi Beta Kappa from Rice University, Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Harvard University, and Carnegie Foundation Massachusetts Professor of the Year in 2005.Chris Rogers, Tufts University

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeff Jalkio, University of St. Thomas; Arnold Weimerskirch, University of St. Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

of the faculty, IAB and local industrialsponsors, student self-assessment surveys, and nationally normed topical examinations. As aresult of these annual assessment retreats a number of substantial changes have been made toexisting programs. For example, in a recent assessment retreat student self-assessments andfaculty observations of weak programming skills led to an interdepartmental project to remedythe situation.Level IV – CourseIndividual instructors are responsible for design, implementation, and delivery of courses thateffectively and efficiently achieve the course’s learning outcomes. Each semester, individualinstructors assess the effectiveness of their courses for three purposes. First, an individualstudent’s accomplishment of

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa Larkin, American University; Dan Budny, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

sessionsstudents are introduced and coached in the following topic areas: 1) Working in Teams 2) Use of software packages (MATLAB) in problem solving, a. Mathematical Operations b. Matrix Operations c. Curve Fitting d. Plotting e. Input/Output f. Scripting g. Branching h. Looping 3) Use of software packages (C++) in problem solving, a. Mathematical Operations b. Input/Output c. Scripting d. Branching e. Looping f. Functions g. Pointers 4) Use of software packages (WORD, POWERPOINT) in communications. a. Introduction to Technical Report Writing b. Effective Use of the LibraryOpen-ended homework projects related to

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Glenn Ellis, Smith College; Mary Moriarty, Smith College; Gary Felder, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Baccalaureate Colleges from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.Mary Moriarty, Smith College Dr. Moriarty has over 15 years of research, evaluation, and project management experience. Her evaluation work has spanned the areas of science instruction, robotics, technology application, and disability in higher education. She has a doctorate in Educational Policy, Research, and Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and in 2004 was selected as 1 of 15 national participants in a National Science Foundation sponsored Evaluation Institute at Western Michigan University. Her background includes serving as Principal

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Raymond Winton, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

modeling complexity, isincluded in the philosophical stream almost entirely as a conceptual transistor, whose onlytrue visibility is through its device models. So it almost seems to exist only in the framework Page 13.807.8of interesting integrated circuit layout geometries and somewhat impenetrable device models.Fortunately, the reality of MOS as a classroom circuit element is reconditioned by theconnection between the university community and the rapid-prototyping environment. Inthis respect an operating environment for which a low-cost multi-project fabrication contextwas developed through a DARPA (defense advance research projects agency

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Kohlmyer, Georgia Institute of Technology; Michael Schatz, Georgia Institute of Technology; Richard Catrambone, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marcus Marr, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

course write programs in the VPython computer language which apply a discrete form of the momentum principle iteratively through simple Euler integration. In this way, freshman and sophomores can study systems that would be too complex or impossible to do so analytically. Computer modeling also reinforces the theme that the same small number of principles can be used to predict a wide variety of behaviors. The VPython models also produce 3D graphics that enable visualization of complex phenomena.Matter & Interactions is currently used at several large U.S. institutions. The efforts toimplement M&I at Georgia Tech are part of a larger collaborative project with researchers atNorth Carolina State