Conference Session

FPD9 - First Year Learning & Assessment

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Johnson, Valparaiso University; Doug Tougaw, Valparaiso University; Kenneth Leitch, Valparaiso University; Barbara Engerer, Valparaiso University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

AC 2008-1431: A MODULAR APPROACH TO A FIRST-SEMESTERENGINEERING COURSE: TEACHING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FLUIDMECHANICSEric Johnson, Valparaiso UniversityDoug Tougaw, Valparaiso UniversityKenneth Leitch, Valparaiso UniversityBarbara Engerer, Valparaiso University Page 13.63.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 A Modular Approach to a First-Semester Engineering Course: Teaching the Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics1. IntroductionOne of the most important responsibilities of a university faculty is to design the curriculum thattheir students will experience. The design of a first-semester engineering course is an especiallyimportant and challenging

Conference Session

1553 FPD3 - Computer & Programming Tools in First Year Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Illig, Clarkson University; John Hrynuk, Clarkson University; Matthew Pennington, Clarkson University; John P. Dempsey, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

departments. In August 2006, Professor John Dempsey invited agroup of sophomore engineering students who had just taken the class to attend a workshop onthe course to share their experiences. This workshop resulted in the introduction ofundergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) in each ES100 classroom.These UTAs provided, and continue to provide, input on revisions for many aspects of ES100,including course format, topics covered, and laboratory experiments. In particular, the UTAswere able to use their experiences in ES100 to assist in the redesign of course materials to bemore consistent, uniform, and mainstream, assisting in Professor Dempsey’s goal of making allengineering freshmen at Clarkson feel comfortable using MATLAB and LabVIEW. In

Conference Session

FPD4 - Teaching Methods for First Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Hall, Louisiana Tech University; Stan Cronk, Louisiana Tech University; Patricia Brackin, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Mark Barker, Louisiana Tech University; Kelly Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Laboratory Improvement grant allowed us to extend the curriculum to all 280 freshman engineering students taking ENGR 120 in the fall of 2007. Approximately 400 freshman students have enrolled in the course sequences based on the Living with the Lab curriculum during the current 2007-2008 academic year. During efforts to develop a formal assessment plan to determine the effectiveness of the new courses, we realized that we needed a set of guideposts to help us determine if our strategies were effective not only in teaching students, but also in preparing them for their engineering careers. We realized that the work sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering to identify attributes of “The Engineer of 2020”17 aligned closely with our efforts

Conference Session

FPD4 - Teaching Methods for First Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Haungs, California Polytechnic State University; John Clements, California Polytechnic State University; David Janzen, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

computer science at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, and president of Simex, a software consulting and training company. Previously he worked on telecommunications fraud detection systems at Sprint, and taught at Bethel College in Kansas. His teaching and research interests focus on software engineering with an emphasis on agile methodologies and practices, empirical software engineering, software architecture, and software metrics. He holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Kansas. Page 13.715.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008

Conference Session

FPD4 - Teaching Methods for First Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; Laurie Laird, Ohio Northern University; John-David Yoder, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Laurie K. Laird is the Director of Corporate and Alumni Relations and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at ONU. She received a masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. At ONU, she teaches primarily freshman engineering courses. In addition to freshman programs, one of her areas of interest includes outreach to K-12 students. Prior to teaching, she served as a design engineer for GE Aviation.John-David Yoder, Ohio Northern University John-David Yoder is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at ONU, and serves as Chair. His Doctorate is from the University of Notre Dame. Research interests include education, controls, robotics, and

Conference Session

FPD6 - First Year Curricula Development

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

instructor. In high enrollment courses that have both lecture and laboratory components, studentratings of the lead faculty instructor may have two components: student attitudes about thecourse based on perceptions of the lead faculty person, and student attitudes about the coursebased on perceptions about the student’s teaching assistant (TA). It could be conjectured thatthese two sources of attitudes about the course merge in the perception of a student, and that animportant factor in the rating a student gives to a faculty person is the rating the student gives tohis TA or vice versa. Certainly, anecdotal evidence is available that if a student is unhappy witha TA, the same student may be unhappy with the course in general, and with the

Conference Session

FPD1 - Early Success and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jale Tezcan, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; John Nicklow, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; James Mathias, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Lalit Gupta, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Rhonda Kowalchuk, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

13.182.3 Figure 2. Components of the retention program at COEThe Introduction to Engineering course exhibits radical departure from the COE’s tradition inwhich each engineering department in the College offered its own introductory course. Logisticalproblems related to scheduling, laboratory space, and equipment resources were resolvedthrough a very concerted effort across the college. The course has been implemented withexisting resources. This organization and development of Introduction to Engineering course ispresented below.Development of the Course:Until Fall 2007 Semester, each department in the COE offered their own introductory course.The content of these courses varied widely from teaching computer applications to

Conference Session

1553 FPD3 - Computer & Programming Tools in First Year Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jess Everett, Rowan University; John Chen, Rowan University; Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University; Jennifer Kadlowec, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

and solutions, quizzes, handouts, laboratoryexperiment handouts, a proper laboratory notebook, and project deliverables.In previous years, the instructor teaching section 4 evaluated portfolios by inspection during orafter the final exam. Students brought voluminous binders to the final exam, the instructorsevaluated the portfolio for organization and completeness, and students received a score worth5% of the final grade. In reality this method of evaluation was inconvenient, inefficient, andinadequate. It was difficult for the instructor to “spot check” a portfolio containing a semester’sworth work and to evaluate it adequately. In addition, the instructor was left in possession ofmore than twenty heavy three-ring binders, which were

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phil Schlosser, Ohio State University; Michael Parke, Ohio State University; John Merrill, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

addition to his teaching activities, he has started several successful electronics companies in Columbus, OH.Michael Parke, Ohio State University Dr. Parke has been teaching courses in the First-Year Engineering Program at The Ohio State University for the past eight years. He earned dual B.A. and B.S. degrees in Mathematics and Physics from Humboldt State University and a Ph.D. degree in Physical Oceanography from U.C. San Diego. He worked for 12 years at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on satellite missions and the design of satellite missions. He then worked at the Center for Space Research at the University of Colorado and later at The Ohio State University, on global applications of

Conference Session

FPD2 - First-Year Advising and Transition

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Romkey, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

) Course instruction 5) Laboratories 6) Teaching assistants 7) Class size (i.e. large class sizes) 8) Interactions with instructors 9) Working in groupsThe interviews provided meaningful comments on the greatest challenges in the transition andthe first year experience. All interviews were transcribed, and the transcripts carefully reviewedand coded. Three main themes emerged from the examination of the interview transcripts:Social LifeStudents defined how elements of the social atmosphere impacted their experience as a first yearstudent: “Before, you could introduce yourself…Like, I’d want to know other people and they’d want to know me, but now, it’s more like I know the people I know, and I don’t feel that other

Conference Session

FPD7 - Global Warming & Sustainability for First-Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair Rowley, Wright State University; Kumar Yelamarthi, Central Michigan University; Thomas Bazzoli, Wright State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Yelamarthi, Central Michigan University KUMAR YELAMARTHI, M.S. is currently a Ph.D. student, and holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Wright State University. He serves as the lead Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Freshman Engineering and Computer Science Program. He was honored as the most outstanding Graduate Student in 2004, most outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant in 2005, and also has been nominated for excellence in teaching awards several times. He is currently an author on over fifteen publications. His research focus is low-power VLSI methodologies, and engineering education.Thomas Bazzoli, Wright State University THOMAS L. BAZZOLI, M.S. is Assistant Dean for Fiscal Affairs

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Swanbom; David Hall, Louisiana Tech University; Kelly Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the regular class period are required to come back to the classroom after hours tocomplete the project. The faculty members teaching the course team up to monitor the work ofthese stragglers. The assembly steps can be completed outside of class. Figure 9 – Assembled PumpWith a class size of 40 students and a group size of 2, half of the class can work on their pumpsat the same time since 10 fabrication stations are available in the classroom (Figure 10). Theother half of the class works on drawing other pump parts (the barbed fittings, DC motor, andscrews) and create an exploded assembly of the system in Solid Edge®. Figure 10 – Integrated Lecture / Laboratory / Shop Classroom

Conference Session

FPD7 - Global Warming & Sustainability for First-Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amber Kemppainen, Michigan Technological University; Gretchen Hein, Michigan Technological University; David Shonnard, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

to sugar and 85-92% conversion of sugar to ethanol leads to anoverall process efficiency of approximately 50%.2,3,4 When looking at this kind of processefficiency, two major questions arise: is a biomass-to-ethanol process using lignocellulosicbiomass as a feedstock a sustainable solution? If not, what can be done to make this process aviable long-term alternative to fossil fuels? As part of their ENG1102 experience, MichiganTech students will answer these questions.Biomass-to-Ethanol FacilityThe basic design for the biomass-to-ethanol facility for the alternative fuel design process isbased upon an ASPEN Plus Simulation developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL) in 1999. This process, shown in Figure 1, uses yellow poplar as a

Conference Session

FPD6 - First Year Curricula Development

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana; Richard Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana; Eric Sprouls, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Engineering) and ENGR 108 (Intro to Design). Other courses she is teaching are Dynamics, Dynamics of Machinery, and Engineering Materials. She is a member of ASEE and is developing a biomechanics laboratory as a center for research in bone and joint care.Richard Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana Richard Ruhala earned his BSME from Michigan State in 1991 and his PhD in Acoustics from The Pennsylvania State University in 1999. He has three years industrial experience at General Motors and three years at Lucent Technologies. He has been an Assistant Professor rank in the Engineering Department at USI since 2002, and has taught several of the freshmen engineering courses, including ENGR 103 and

Conference Session

FPD7 - Global Warming & Sustainability for First-Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair Rowley, Wright State University; Kumar Yelamarthi, Central Michigan University; Thomas Bazzoli, Wright State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, Central Michigan University KUMAR YELAMARTHI, M.S. is currently a Ph.D. student, and holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Wright State University. He serves as the lead Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Freshman Engineering and Computer Science Program. He was honored as the most outstanding Graduate Student in 2004, most outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant in 2005, and also has been nominated for excellence in teaching awards several times. He is currently an author on over fifteen publications. His research focus is low-power VLSI methodologies, and engineering education.Thomas Bazzoli, Wright State University THOMAS L. BAZZOLI, M.S. is Assistant Dean for Fiscal Affairs and

Conference Session

FPD5 - Teaming and Peer Performance

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arlisa Labrie Richardson, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

complexities of cooperative learning group work in order toadequately provide an equitable access for all students. Critical parameters involved in settingup successful groups include preparation to work as a group; group size, student abilities, race,gender and previous experience 30. Teams should engage in teambuilding exercises before thecooperative learning exercise. Research studies have shown that teaching students cooperativebehaviors such as task-related interaction skills, sharing of ideas and information, staying on taskand helping others to understand what was being taught has a significant impact on improvingthe learning experience for everyone in the group 25,35. Some research has found that studentteams should consist of three to six

Conference Session

FPD5 - Teaming and Peer Performance

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Claribel Bonilla, University of San Diego; Leonard Perry, University of San Diego

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Graduates and Their Impact on Curriculum Design," J. Engr. Ed., 82(4), Oct 1993 4. R. A. Guzzo and M. W. Dickson, "Teams in organizations: recent research on performance and effectiveness," Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 47, pp. 307, 1996. 5. J. R. Katzenbach and D. K. Smith, The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High Performance Organization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1993. 6. J. S. Byrd and J. L. Hudgkins, "Teaming in the design laboratory," Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 84, pp. 335, 1995. 7. E. Seat and S. M. Lord, "Enabling effective engineering teams: a program for teaching interaction skills," Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 88, pp. 385, 1999. 8. Personal Strength

Conference Session

FPD1 - Early Success and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donna Reese, Mississippi State University; Robert Green, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

or introduced them to another engineering major which was more interesting to them.Even the students who decide not to major in engineering value the course for helping them tomake that decision. One student wrote on his evaluation form “I learned a great deal about themajor I chose. And I also learned that I didn’t want to do engineering but am thankful that youhelped me make up my mind.” The most common comment from students on whatimprovements could be made to the class were suggestions dealing with having hands-onprojects, segregating the class at times to focus on particular majors, and having actual visits tothe departments to see facilities and laboratories rather than having the departmentalrepresentative come and make a presentation