Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Engineering Technology: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Barbara Christe, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Elaine Cooney, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

grouped in bindersas display items for ABET evaluators. Each course would contain examples of poor, averageand exceptional student work gathered in a tabbed binder. This was provided to ABET programevaluators as an illustration of the achievements of students, proof of student learning.Then came the shift in ABET criteria to a more assessment driven process. Now there is anexpectation to demonstrate student learning and active engagement. Clearly, Xeroxed copies oftraditional assignments are not adequate evidence of group work, experiential learning and otheractive instructional techniques. Simply providing these traditional assignment samples does notadequately reflect student-student interactions, learning which occurs through group

Conference Session

Project-Based Student Learning: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Everly, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

reverse connections to Ports 1 and 2 to determine S21 and S12.Each S-parameter is a complex number and is expressed in both rectangular and polar formsdepending on the use. Unless the device under test is perfectly matched at a given frequency,there will be a reflected voltage that is not in phase with the incident or applied voltage.Similarly, the voltage b2 has been altered either because of gain/loss and group delay through thenetwork such that it is also out of phase with voltage a1. The difference between a vector networkanalyzer and a scalar network analyzer is that the VNA can measure both the magnitude andphase components and displays the S12 (input reflection loss) and S21 (forward transmissiongain/loss) in those terms. As a matter of

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nripendra Sarker, Prairie View A&M University; Mohan Ketkar, Prairie View A&M University; Cajetan Akujuobi, Prairie View A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

suggest any improvements. This survey captures their opinions on the quality of theprograms reflecting the students, faculty and laboratory facilities (Figure A.3.)Intern/Co-op Supervisor SurveyOpinions of the Intern/Co-op supervisors on the skills and performance of the continuingstudents form another important feedback to a program. The ABET a-k outcome tool can beused in this survey (Figure A.4)Alumni SurveyAlumni with at least two years of professional experience are the valuable source of informationto judge the strength and recommend ways to enhance the programs. Their performance in theindustry is the major indicator of achievement of the program objectives. As shown in FigureA.5, a one page questionnaire is prepared on the basis of

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Electronics and Electrical ET Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Employer Survey Triennially Center/SoT Staff Input from Industrial Advisory Board Faculty AnnuallyJob Placement DataData from the University Career Center on our graduates’ job placement reflects how successful ourgraduates are in securing a job in a related field.Alumni SurveyThe alumni survey is a written questionnaire which our alumni are asked to complete. Data will be collectedevery three years. The data will be analyzed and used in continuous improvement. A sample copy of thesurvey is included in Appendix A.Employer SurveyThe employer survey is a written questionnaire which

Conference Session

Laboratories in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Grant Richards, Purdue University; John Denton, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

University in 1995. His areas of interest and expertise are analog electronics, RF electronics and electronic materials. He is the author or co-author of over 50 journal articles and conference proceedings. Page 14.38.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 A Laboratory Experience in Impedance Matching using Transmission Line StubsAbstractImpedance matching is a fundamental concept of RF circuit design. The proper application ofimpedance matching circuits allows for maximum power transfer between devices withminimum reflection of input signals. This concept is traditionally

Conference Session

Innovative and Nontraditional Curriculum in IT/IET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Hata, Portland Community College; James Dockendorf, Normandale Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

manufacturing process.The cost of implementing these experiments would range from inexpensive to Page 14.1165.6costly, requiring outside funding.Two pieces of equipment are critical to implementing the breadth of laboratoryexperiences. The first instrument, the MFJ-259B SWR analyzer shown in Figure1, is a low-cost meter used by ham radio enthusiasts to troubleshoot and maintaintheir equipment. It has the capability of measuring impedances in bothrectangular form (R and X) and polar form (Z, and σ ). In addition, it alsomeasures the standing wave ratio and reflection coefficient. The MFJ-259B SWRanalyzer can be used to support a variety of transmission line and

Conference Session

Engaging Students in Learning

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Marshall, University of Southern Maine

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

” or “loose it” brain. Activities designed to engage the brain canhelp grow dendrites, which is the wiring that connects brain cells. The more ways we find toprocess information the stronger learning (i.e., neural connections between brain cells) becomes.Research is proving that to enhance learning, we should be involving students in lessons byproviding a non-threatening environment which allows them time to ask questions, seek Page 14.380.2solutions, reflect, share thinking about a theme or topic, and respond to other's viewpoints.In short, as teachers, we need to be able to accomplish learning by doing. Action helps to growthe brain. The

Conference Session

Project-Based Student Learning: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Richter, Eastern Washington University; William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

products (devices, environments, systems, andprocesses) which are usable by people with the widest possible range of abilities, operatingwithin the widest possible range of situation (environments, conditions, and circumstances8."Together these definitions clearly show the intent and focus of the universal design process.A group of seven principles form the foundation for universal design. They are1, 2, 6 equitable use,flexibility in use, simple and intuitive, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physicaleffort, and size and space for approach and use. These principles reflect designs that are usableby a wide variety of people for a wide range of applications. These aspects are on top of the otherconsiderations that must also be

Conference Session

Issues and Direction in ET Education and Administration: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Spang, Burlington County College; Vladimir Genis, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

educational methods such as role-play (a non-traditional technique for a technologyeducation program) have been identified as helping improve difficult writing skills, such asargumentation and synthesis. Of particular importance cited by the authors is the necessity tofacilitate any writing assignments in such a way as to allow students ample time to receivefeedback, reflect on their learning, and appropriately revise their work. Another effortspecifically focused on writing improvement by Grose [10] involves role-playing and debates astools to sharpen student’s writing abilities. In this study, writing is considered as a creative formof designing.While educators are arguably more experienced in delivering pedagogy that relates to technicalskills

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xuefu Zhou, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

, andhow to select an operating system for a particular application (i.e., real-time industrialcontrollers).Though OS is one of the fundamental and core courses of computer science or computerengineering disciplines, it is not commonly offered in CET programs. This paper describes anoperating system course taught to CET/EET students. The remainder of this paper is organizedas follows. Section two discusses course development, including course context, courseobjectives, course content and laboratory exercises. Section three presents our teachingexperience and reflection, and Section four gives the conclusion.2. Course Development2.1 Curriculum Context and Course ObjectivesIn our CET curriculum, Computer Architecture, Object Oriented Programming

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chao Li, Florida A&M University; G. Thomas Bellarmine, Florida A&M University/Florida State University; Leon Prosper, Florida A&M University/Florida State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

students agree or strongly agreethat the new instructional system has a positive impact on their learning. Over 90% of studentsfeel that they become more active in the classroom and there are more interaction between Page 14.573.6students and instructor. All the students agreed that they are relieved from the burden of notestaking and can concentrate more on the lecture. As far as the usability, over 90% of students feelthe system is easy to use; they can write the answer using the pen of Tablet PC and submit theanswer easily. It seems that the students are excited about the new instructional system. This isalso reflected by the increase in

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention in Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Wendel, Sinclair Community College; Walter Buchanan, Texas A&M University; Shep Anderson, Sinclair Community College; Robert Mott, University of Dayton; Gilah Pomeranz, Sinclair Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

manufacturing, but the acquisition ofNETEC has brought about an expanded scope, and the NCME now serves a much broaderaudience of educators in existing (mechanical, civil, electronics, aerospace, quality, etc.) andemerging (nano, bio, green, etc.) engineering technology fields. The merger of MERC Onlineand NETEC puts the NCME in position to be a facilitator of cross-disciplinary endeavors at alllevels. Sheppard, et.al. in Educating Engineers: Designing for the Future of the Field, indicatesthat the new model for engineering education should move student thinking to engineeringthinking, reflective judgment, and analytic problem solving: “…The ideal learning trajectory is a spiral, with all components revisited at increasing levels of

Conference Session

Issues and Direction in ET Education and Administration: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Enrique Barbieri, University of Houston; Wajiha Shireen, University of Houston; Farrokh Attarzadeh, University of Houston; Raresh Pascali, University of Houston; Miguel Ramos, University of Houston; William Fitzgibbon, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

industrialized nation, engineering education at virtually all USinstitutions still follows a traditional model that dates back to the middle of the 20th Centurydesigned to emphasize theoretical content reflecting a postwar embrace of science byengineering programs. A glaring exception is perhaps Olin College, which opened in fall 2002to an inaugural freshman class www.olin.edu/about_olin/olin_history.asp after creating andtesting “an innovative curriculum that infused a rigorous engineering education with businessand entrepreneurship as well as the arts, humanities and social sciences. They developed a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach that better reflects actual engineering practice.” Many feel thatthe transition from engineering applications to

Conference Session

Laboratories in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Edwards, Pennsylvania State University, Erie; Gerald Recktenwald, Portland State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Figure 11 – Installed Power Supply 12After all of the data is collected the students plot each of the curves. There are two types ofcomparisons the students are asked to make. First, the intersection of the fan and impedancecurves for the power supply is compared with the data for the actual operating point. Secondly,the fan curves for the series and parallel configurations are compared to theoretical curves. Thestudents are asked several reflection questions to try and make sense from the results.It is fairly obvious from the size of the flow bench that it is not easy to bring it into a classroomfor a short demonstration. Figure 12 shows a device

Conference Session

Innovative Curriculum and Practices in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary Mullett, Springfield Technical Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

step further when theyessential threw out a course on electronics devices that had a really heavy emphasis on Op-Ampsas the basic active device building block component. In an effort to provide the Verizonemployees with a course that would be more reflective of their world of work and at the same Page 14.1236.10time give them a useful course on maintaining and troubleshooting electronic systems used in thetelecommunications industry, a course titled “Electronic Systems” was conceived by the groupand is in the process of being developed for implementation in the Fall of 2009. The majorcourse topics are listed here while a more detailed outline

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shiyoung Lee, Pennsylvania State University, Berks

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

project report.≠ Conclusions – The conclusions section should also summarize what students learned by executing the project and should identify problems encountered other than equipment problems during the lab session.≠ References – The references should be any resources relevant to the assigned lab topics.≠ RSLogix500 Project Report – The RSLogix500 report should reflect the following options in the configuration and ladder options dialog: Page 14.776.8 Figure 8. RSLogix500 project report options Figure 9. RSLogix500 ladder setup option ≠ RSLogix500 File - The ladder logic diagram

Conference Session

Distance and Web-Based Learning in Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Mutter, Bluefield State College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Sponsor Groupsand the CCLE Assessment Taskforce. This decision will now be carried through UCLA's ITgovernance process in order to build even broader campus consensus and to define a campusimplementation strategy.The decision to choose Moodle over Sakai as UCLA's convergence platform was based on manyfactors that, over time, led us to believe it to be a better match for UCLA's current needs. Thedecision to remain engaged with the Sakai community reflects our support for the Sakai visionand our desire to promote CMS interoperability solutions.”Graphic MaterialDrawings and other graphic materials make up a major portion of the course content assigned infour of the six required MIET courses in the BS degree curriculum. Drawings will need to

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren Hill, Weber State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

moreappropriately reflect that these outcomes apply to our students, not to the program.Criterion 5 – Curriculum Page 14.155.6To match up with the changes that were made in the outcomes criterion, in particular todifferentiate between two and four-year degree programs, there were also several changes thatwere made in Criterion 5 dealing with curriculum. The current criterion requires that associatedegree programs cover algebra and trigonometry and include an introduction to mathematicsabout the level of algebra and trigonometry. For an associate degree program, the proposedcriterion requires only algebra and trigonometry at a level appropriate to the program

Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Electrical and Computer ET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Grant Richards, Purdue University; John Denton, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

allowed to select the type of project,create specifications and develop test plans. Students were then grouped into teams that weremaintained throughout the course.The project initially progressed slowly as students selected overall specifications, determinedfunctional blocks and developed block designs. Weekly project team meetings required teams tocommunicate their progress and any discoveries to the remaining teams. As the projectprogressed, initial designs and test criteria were updated to reflect student discoveries relating tocomponents, manufacturing and measuring capabilities. All specifications, test procedures, anddesigns for the entire project were completed individually by each team and submitted to allother teams. Submissions were

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Electronics and Electrical ET Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Youakim Al Kalaani, Georgia Southern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

change? Course Outcome: -Design of motor control circuits using standard relays and/or dedicated solid state devices -Investigate the transformer action of dc-to-dc switching circuit including voltage, current and reflected impedance Course Outcomes: -Design a half-bridge converter to reduce reactive power consumption and

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Muhammad Hasan, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

tosignify the benefits of being at par with the lectures and to encourage solving problems inconsultation with others. The HWs were designed to prepare the students well for the tests.Laboratory reports were due following the completion of every experiment. Such report mainlyincluded the working VHDL code written for that experiment along with the answers toquestions testing the understanding of the experiment in general. These reports carried a weightof 10 points. Full laboratory attendance credited the students with 5 points. Performance of eachstudent in the laboratory was assigned 7 points. This was based on their level of effort and theoutcome of the experiments.At this point, we can reflect quantitatively on the students’ performance. First

Conference Session

Issues and Direction in ET Education and Administration: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carmine Balascio, University of Delaware

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Page 14.921.2holding 2-year ET associate degrees from regional community colleges. The 4-year general ETdegree obtained TAC of ABET accreditation by around 1987.Because of demographic shifts in the state, the AET program was attracting only a few studentsper year and was no longer sustainable by the mid to late 1990s. By this time, also, theuniversity had evolved into a top-tier research institution. In 1997, the name of the departmentwas changed to Bioresources Engineering (BREG) to reflect a wider research emphasis beyondagriculture. The AET program was discontinued and the general ET program was modified toaccept incoming freshmen. In 2002 the ET program was revised further to increase its rigor andto include two concentrations: (1) Applied

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention in Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Asad Yousuf, Savannah State University; Mohamad Mustafa, Savannah State University; Lin Shinemin, Savannah State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

nature, extensive use of the Internet andWeb software tools, and a team-teaching format. As the main project of this course, small teamsof students design, build, program, and test an autonomous mobile robot using LEGO® parts,sensors, and the Robotic Command eXplorer (RCX) controller 3. A study conducted at ColoradoSchool of Mines reports on the long-term results of a two-year experiment in which a group of“average” engineering students was recruited for a first-year program that integrated curriculaand fostered a learning community. Students who participated in the Connections programgraduated at a significantly higher rate than their peers and reflected retrospectively that theprogram had a strong positive effect on their college careers 4

Conference Session

Distance and Web-Based Learning in Engineering Technology: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Immanuel Edinbarough, University of Texas, Brownsville; Jesus Martinez, University of Texas, Brownsville

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

technology. He is planning for a career in engineering industry. Page 14.1361.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Web Based Control for Mechatronics Laboratory ExperimentsAbstractMechatronics programs all over the country are gaining popularity and the student base isincreasing everyday. This field of engineering brings a multi disciplinary approach toengineering education reflecting the complex nature of common products that we come across indaily life such as cell phones, airbags and myriad of appliances. In other words, mechatronicproducts are the fusion of mechanical devices, sensors, actuators and

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Engineering Technology: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Braun, Western Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

questions of the test were changed to reflect this new content and expanded to18 multiple choice questions. The main course learning objectives did not change, however, and Page 14.1278.3Table 1 addresses how the test questions aligned with these objectives for each term.Corresponding post-course tests were then administered at the end of the terms to determine ifthe course learning objectives were being met. Assessment such as this is an importantresponsibility of the faculty member in the continuous improvement process1. Learning Objective Term 1 Term 2 Description of Changes Understand the emissions of 4 7 Term 2

Conference Session

Laboratories in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carl Spezia, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

limit. A thermostatically controlled burner heats fluid for a predefinedtime. At the end of the time interval, the drain valve opens and the tank empties. The valve,pump, and pipeline symbols change color to reflect their on/off state. Tank fluid color changeson the display as the temperature changes. Strip charts record tank fluid level and fluidtemperature over time. The simulation implements hysteresis in the thermostat and level control.Hysteresis is a range of insensitivity in a control device that increases stability and decreasenoise. Contact symbols change for both level and temperature control to indicate contact state.Users modify simulation parameters through the control panel before starting the simulation andconduct “what if

Conference Session

Freshman Experience in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Meyer, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Stephen Hundley, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; H. Oner Yurtseven, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

of developing purpose our pedagogy diverges. With the engineering sections ourgoals are to engage and excite students about engineering. There are different areas ofengineering but the field is not as broad from “an information about careers” perspective astechnology. In the technology sections while we likewise want to engage and excite them aboutthe technology majors, we offer a variety of different degree programs and need to include themall. In engineering we direct students to explore the web sites of the various engineeringprofessional societies and ask that they write a short reflection about what they found interesting.There are not the same types of opportunities for all of the technology majors. Finding careeropportunity

Conference Session

Industry Collaborations in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jorge Alvarado, Texas A&M University; Michael Golla, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

laboratory. The list may contain laboratory equipment, computers, furniture, and allother items necessary to be to have a complete and functional laboratory. Depending on the agreement,some of the resources may come from the university, and others will either be donated by industrypartners, or purchased by using the interest generated by the established endowment. A critical phase ofthe laboratory development is the selection of equipment that reflects the needs of the students andindustry partners. A significant effort is put on identifying the most relevant hardware and laboratoryexercises to make sure the students get the most up to date equipment and training. Proper coordination isrequired to make sure the hardware arrives in timely fashion and

Conference Session

Critical issues in IT and IET: Focus Group

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Scachitti, Purdue University, Calumet; Juan Salinas, Purdue University, Calumet; Deepthi Karanam, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

. Exercises reflect lessons learned in real world applications to incorporatefacility support efforts such as process flow optimization and staffing level determinations aswell as basic layout issues. Examples of exercises with intended learning outcomes will also beincluded.IntroductionProcess simulation software has proven itself to be a key problem solving tool in developingvalue minded graduates of engineering technology programs. Whether students findemployment in manufacturing, healthcare or service industries, they will all be faced withdecision making and problem solving involving increasingly complex systems and rapidlychanging technology. With this in mind, theoretical concepts such as queuing theory, regressionanalysis, takt

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Irwin, Michigan Technological University; Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Page 14.149.10with the help of the University Career Services and Alumni Relations to contact formerstudents. Notice that these measures are not collected every year, because the collectionof this data still takes significant amount of time to analyze.The Student Rating of Instruction (SRI) used here is an early student feedbackmechanism prior to student graduation. This is a 20 question instrument with eachquestion rated on a 1-5 scale with 1 as “Strongly Disagree” and 5 as “Strongly Agree”.Items 1-18 are intended to be formative in nature and are based on contemporary “bestpractice” models derived from higher education research and reflection. Items 19 and 20are intended to elicit responses from students as to their overall assessment of