Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Waidley, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Jason Bittner, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

commitments are in effect, personnel with expertise in those fields will be employed, as applicable.This description of disciplines and their responsibilities is an extensive one, though not entirelyexhaustive (especially if you consider modes other than highway). Some of the other disciplinesnot mentioned but that are still integral to the overall successful operation of a multimodaltransportation system include researchers, law enforcement officers, vehicle and systemoperators, and managers of port authorities, among others.While it is absolutely critical for these parties to be involved to provide a transportation systemof high quality, getting these parties to work together can be a very

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Teams

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Dong, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

courses which incorporate multi-disciplinary teaching teams formultidisciplinary studios or labs, as well as, participated in and observed the effects other modelsof team teaching.This paper will explore the advantages and disadvantages in team teaching to enhance studentlearning in a multi-disciplinary environment. Using new and existing courses as case studies fordescribing the pros and cons of the two team teaching models, the paper will highlight howmulti-disciplinary teaching teams have helped encourage students to participate in design studioswhich promote an integrated delivery approachUni-disciplinary Teams – Uni-disciplinary Class Page

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zachary Gutierrez, University of Wyoming; Charles Dolan, University of Wyoming

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. First, the general rubric identifiescharacteristics that apply to all of the problem sets. The general rubric organizes the informationto ensure each specific rubric follows the same format and preserves the integrity andconsistency of the project results. Information that applies to an individual problem issummarized and captured in a specific rubric. Both rubrics are essential to the success of theassessments. All problem sets are based on a 1.8 kW residential wind turbine. The residential turbinewas selected because there is considerable data available to provide background information,actual sizes for comparison, and the students can relate to this size project. Alternative problemsmay be developed for ranch windmills and commercial

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald Kander, James Madison University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

to Engineering” course and continuing through six semesters of a longitudinally integrated design curriculum.• contains integrated business courses designed specifically for engineers. Two required business/management courses have been designed exclusively by the College of Business (COB) for the School of Engineering. COB representatives are also involved in the design and delivery of the “Introduction to Engineering” course, the “Systems Analysis” course, and the entire “Engineering Design” sequence.• provides an integrated focus on sustainability and sustainable design processes. Sustainability and sustainable design concepts are not limited to the two capstone “Sustainability” courses, but rather are incorporated

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Ciaraldi, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; David Cyganski, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Michael Gennert, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Michael Demetriou; Fred Looft; William Michalson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Bradley Miller, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Eben Cobb, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Lance Schachterle, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kenneth Stafford, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Yiming Rong, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Gretar Tryggvason, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; James Van de Ven, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

who believe strongly that robotics is just about to change our lives. Thegroup sought input from a wide range of other individuals, both in industry and academe, beforedeciding to develop the new major. The main reasons for going ahead are summarized below:Interdisciplinary: It seems obvious that designing devices that marry sensing, computing, andacting requires individuals who have a background in electrical and computer engineering,computer science, and mechanical engineering. Such individuals are rare and, just as obviously,not every topic usually taught in these disciplines is as important as others for the design ofrobots. Furthermore, design of robots requires emphasis on system integration that goes beyondthat usually included in an

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Willis, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; James Conrad, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

AC 2008-1727: DESIGN OF INTELLIGENT SPACECRAFT: ANINTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING EDUCATION COURSEAndrew Willis, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Andrew Willis is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. He received his B.Sc. in Computer Science and B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic University in Worcester, Massachusetts. After working in industry for four years, Andrew attended graduate school at Brown University where he obtained a Sc.M. in Applied Mathematics and a Sc.M. in Electrical Engineering completing a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences in 2004. He is a member of the ASEE, IEEE

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design Constituents

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Walsh, California Polytechnic State University; Robert Crockett, California Polytechnic State University; Zahed Sheikholeslami, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

projects at the institution. These include thecapstone design courses that are an integral part of each departmental curriculum, the seniorproject and thesis requirements for students, and the individual interests and efforts of bothstudents and faculty. In the current nascent stage of the PBLI there are a range of activitiesacross the spectrum of departments. Unit requirements for the capstone design experience rangefrom 4 to 9 quarter units, senior projects are occasionally integrated with capstone design, butmany are stand-alone classes or individual study experiences. Single student experiences are thenorm, with a few departments offering “interdisciplinary” experiences. Projects range frominstructor selected activities across an entire course

Conference Session

Experiential and Service Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jim Chamberlain, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

university begin in the General EngineeringProgram (GEP). The two primary objectives of the GEP are to provide students with asound academic preparation for engineering study and to give them an opportunity to Page 13.913.3explore various engineering fields. Most students spend two to three semesters in thiscore curriculum as they learn the basic tools and fundamentals of engineering[3] whilebeing introduced via departmental presentations to the various engineering disciplinesthat are available on campus. As part of its overall mission, the GEP offers generaladvising, career counseling and engineering education.Students who leave the GEP and choose NOT to

Conference Session

Research in Multidisciplinary Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary Halada, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Mary Frame, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Chad Korach, State University of New York at Stony Brook; David Ferguson, State University of New York-Stony Brook

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

York 11794-3760 Page 13.414.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 An Interdisciplinary, Research-Intensive Minor in Nanotechnology StudiesAbstract:At Stony Brook University, we have developed a multidisciplinary minor in NanotechnologyStudies unique in its ability to attract undergraduate students from a broad range of academicbackgrounds, to integrate into existing majors and programs through mentored research, and tofoster professional development through teamwork, communications and active learning. TheMinor in Nanotechnology Studies (NTS) is an interdisciplinary, research

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Rabb; David Chang, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. Connect and integrate topics from Thermodynamics, Statics, Dynamics, CAD, Fluids, Vibrations, EE Fundamentals, Circuit Theory, Basic Electronics, Linear System Theory, and/or Signal Representation Techniques.AdvantagesThe engineering curriculum at USMA attempts to bring real world experiences for the student,and part of this includes integrating various engineering disciplines. It is highly encouraged tohave interdisciplinary senior design teams and projects, because when the students leave theacademic environment they are expected to work in diverse teams. So, this course gives thestudents an initial step to working with other faculty and students. The students are subjected toan interdisciplinary course and the faculty must

Conference Session

Experiential and Service Learning

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Odon Musimbi, Colorado School of Mines; Barbara Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; David Munoz, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

newundergraduate Humanitarian Engineering Program. The purpose of this program is to prepareengineering students for careers that will interface with and directly benefit the underservedglobal community. Given this, it was anticipated that one outcome of the revised curriculumwould be improved attitudes on the part of participants with respect to community service. Thecurrent paper compares student attitude data collected in a sophomore required course in 2004,before students had participated in the revised Humanitarian Engineering curriculum, to that ofdata collected from seniors in 2007, after students completed, or at least became aware of therevised curriculum. The results of this investigation indicate a difference in the students’attitudes between

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Waldron, Grand Valley State University; Pramod Chaphalkar, Grand Valley State University; Shabbir Choudhuri, Grand Valley State University; John Farris, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. Oliva and W.K. Waldron Jr., “Virtual Design Competitions in a Computer Aided Engineering Course,” Proceedings of 2004 ASEE/NCS Conference, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan (2004).2. W. Waldron, P. Chaphalkar, S. Choudhuri, J. Farris, “Teaching Design and Manufacture of Mechanical Systems,” 2007 ASEE National Conference and Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 24-27, 2007.3. S.J. Noble, “An Approach for Engineering Curriculum Integration for Capstone Design Courses,” Int. J. Engng Ed. Vol. 14, No. 3, p. 197-203, 1998.4. L.S-B King, T. Lin, “Interdisciplinary Integration of Courses – Automation and Quality Control, International Conference on Engineering Education, Gainesville, Florida, October 16-21, 2004.5

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Teams

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samantha Jacques; Deepti Suri, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

amongst them are(i) Assigning “tasks” to team members that tend to be outside their specialty and (ii) Creatingteams in which students of two closely related majors are placed on a capstone design team for ashort duration (typically a semester). These approaches are definitely steps in the right directionbut have limitations.This paper describes an innovative and sustainable framework to provide “multi-disciplinary”experience between the Biomedical Engineering (BE) and Software Engineering (SE) students atMSOE. The approach is neither an “after-thought”, nor an “add-on” to one of the existingcourses. It is a well-thought out plan for vertical and horizontal integration of this experiencewithin the curriculum. This interaction not only provides

Conference Session

Sustainability and Environmental Issues

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Rosentrater, USDA-ARS; Elif Kongar, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

; Exhibition.49. Alford, E. and T. Ward. 1999. Integrating ethics into the freshman curriculum: an interdisciplinary approach. Session 2561. 1999 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exhibition.50. Marshall, J. and J. Marshall. 2003. Integrating ethics education into the engineering curriculum. Session 1675. 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exhibition.51. Davis, M. 1992. Integrating ethics into technical courses: IIT’s experiment in its second year. 1992 ASEE Frontiers in Education Conference Proceedings, p. 64-68.52. Leone, D. and B. Isaacs. 2001. Combining engineering design with professional ethics using an integrated learning block. Session 2525. 2001 American Society

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Teams

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Denine Northrup, Western New England College; Steven Northrup, Western New England College

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

students totruly engage in teamwork interaction as part of their multidisciplinary team. Previousresearchers of the pedagogical aspects of teamwork have discussed the challenges engineeringeducators have in motivating students to interact effectively on team-based projects. They statethat little in the professors’ backgrounds or experiences provide a basis for knowing howstudents might show an ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.4 Manyresearchers have offered advice regarding this problem. It has been proposed that that teamteaching one integrated course results in the best opportunity for interdisciplinary interactions5.In the course used to evaluate the assessment instrument described in this paper, the professorsdemonstrated

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Dolan, University of Wyoming; Ovid Plumb, University of Wyoming

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

assesses the project concept, discusses the professional involvement,institutional constraints, administrative support and the results of the five semesters work.Recommendations for improvements for implementation of similar projects at other institutionsare included.IntroductionEngineering projects are increasingly complex due to client needs, system integration efforts,advances in technology, and computer aided design tools. A common concern of nationaladvisory boards is that students must function better in team projects and improvecommunication skills. This is reflected in ABET requirements for multidisciplinary seniordesign activities. In many situations, these objectives are met by defining “multidisciplinary” asusing different skill sets

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brent Nelson, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

inherent in teaching a multidisciplinary course, coursecoordinators should represent the disciplines in the class and should have equal input to thevision, goals, and expectations of the course, and having co-coordinators is preferable to aprimary coordinator. Teaching a design course with multidisciplinary students requires amultidisciplinary educational approach.Bibliography1 Ronald L. Miller and Barbara M. Olds, "A model curriculum for a capstone course in multidisciplinary engineering design," Journal of Engineering Education 83, 1-6 (1994).2 N Yu and P.K. Liaw, "Ceramic Matrix Composites: an integrated interdisciplinary design curriculum," Journal of Engineering Education 87, 539-544 (1998).3 Jeffrey L. Dalsin