Conference Session

Methods and Techniques in Graduate Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pauline Johnson, University of Alabama; Philip Johnson, University of Alabama; Beth Todd, University of Alabama; Joan Barth, University of Alabama; Bettie Aruwajoye, University of Alabama; Hannah Beatty, University of Alabama; Kendrick Gibson, University of Alabama; Sarah Dunlap, University of Alabama

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

globalizing profession, the challenges facingengineers in a developing country, the development of professional “soft skill” learningoutcomes not easily taught in traditional classrooms and to get first-hand experience inwhat engineering is ultimately about: building things that make people’s lives better.Components of the program include service learning project development, managementand installation and the development of leadership, teaming and communication skills setwithin a developing country - Peru. The service learning component was the installationof 18 solar panels in three remote Peruvian Amazon villages. The service part of thegraduate course, built upon previously established UA-Peru connections, involved theconception, planning and

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark McDermott, University of Texas, Austin; Jacob Abraham, University of Texas, Austin; Mihir Ravel, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

requires the student to apply the knowledge of the three laboratory assignments to a realworld application. These applications include generating functional elements and libraries thatcan be used as building blocks in a larger VLSI implementation. The project is reviewed by thecourse instructor(s).Course 2 - Advanced VLSI DesignThe second course focuses on the “Early Design Planning” of complex SoC platforms andfeasibility analysis of critical circuits in the design. The students are required to do a class projectin lieu of individual lab assignments. The class project is designed to be as “real-world” aspossible utilizing a synthesizable open source Verilog model of a SoC as the design platform.The design platform undergoes detailed power and

Conference Session

Professional Graduate Education and Industry

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roger Olson, Rolls-Royce Corporation; Donald Keating, University of South Carolina; Thomas Stanford, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

-driven economy, the vast majority ofengineering innovations are needs-driven and market-focused, requiring deliberate engineeringproblem solving ability and responsible leadership. Engineering for creative technologydevelopment and innovation is a purposeful and systematic practice. It is not a linear orsequential process that follows basic research as portrayed by Vannevar Bush in 1945. 1Creative engineering projects in industry frequently drive the need for directed strategic researchefforts at universities, when necessary, or when anticipated, to gain a better understanding of thenatural phenomena involved.The need to prepare future leaders within the engineering profession has truly changed.Teaching them improved skill sets is becoming

Conference Session

Outcomes of Cooperative Education Assignments

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bryan Dansberry, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

value of outcomesproduced by their programs to the benefit of their organizations.In 2008, the Undergraduate Student Research Project, NASA’s largest agency-wide internshipprogram, revised its student and mentor evaluations, gathering new data on outcomes whosevalue had not previously been captured. This paper presents a preliminary discussion of the datacollected through these new survey instruments. It includes data connecting the learningproduced to many of the ABET a-k demonstrated abilities criteria as well as data on the changesin professional self-image, confidence, and commitment to career path. In addition, implicationsof the metrics which can be calculated from the raw data are discussed in regards to the valueplaced on that learning

Conference Session

Investigating Alternative-energy Concepts

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Faruk Yildiz, Sam Houston State University; Keith Coogler, Sam Houston State University; Dominick Fazarro, Sam Houston State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

electrical energy.Sources of ambient (environmental) energy were determined prior to design of the house in orderto construct a house of maximum efficiency from ambient energy sources as a purpose of thisresearch. This paper served to explain the first phase of the project which was to identify ambientenergy sources and group in specific categories. The sources identified and listed in the table wassupported by the literature review in academia and industry. The research works have beenconducted so far, support the idea of having specific energy sources to power the house. Theambient energy collected from different sources was characterized as high, medium, and lowpower sources. Energy generation from solar, wind, and hydroelectric power sources

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Hanson, California Polytechnic State University

video conferencing andasynchronous video communications were used between the partners. The conferencingactivities included guest lectures and exchange of assignments. New assignments developed inthe study included role-playing whereby one class acted as a client on a project that was orderinggeotechnical testing to be completed by the students at the other university acting as a consultingfirm. New assignments also included a practitioner from Japan and practical design problems.Students were required to complete assignments in unconventional formats that included videocomponents. The student video productions were created for universal accessibility (e.g.,captioning used for videos). Having students formulate practical design scenarios in

Conference Session

Structural Education Methods

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anne Nichols, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

presentation of the report by theteam. The mechanism for feedback commonly consisted of written marks or grades on theassessments by the instructor or grader, all but for three exercises that generated peer reviewonly.Software or web-based tools to facilitate peer based writing have been initiated at universities(e.g. PRAZE at the University of Melbourne2) and for use within internet-based coursedevelopment packages (e.g. Waypoint Outcomes3 with Moodle4.) Other applications canautomate the grading of writing assignments for traits, spelling, and grammar based on aninstructor’s rubric without peer involvement (e.g. Intelligent Essay Assessor5). Through theMolecular Science Project supported by the National Science Foundation at the University

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ping Ren, Virginia Tech; Janis Terpenny, Virginia Tech; Dennis Hong; Richard Goff, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

importance of robot-related projects inengineering curricula had already been well recognized by educationists2, especially as a tool inthe early stage of engineering programs to foster students’ motivation and provide engineeringdesign-oriented experience.Currently, complete robotics curricula are only available at a few US universities or instituteswith expertise in robotics research, such as University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), CarnegieMellon University (CMU) and so on. At UPenn or CMU, by taking robotics and robotics-relatedcourses, graduate students can fulfill the requirements on course hours towards their doctoraldegrees3,4. Most recently, UPenn announced a master’s degree in robotics5. However, in otherinstitutions, robotics courses and

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship Education: Experiential Learning and Economic Development II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Raviv, Florida Atlantic University; Moshe Barak, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Timothy VanEpps, Florida Atlantic University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

skills” and encourages trust and respect for individuals and ideas. The most relevant skills are clustered in four categories: (a) Problem solving, (b) “Big picture”, (c) Personal, and (d) Social. Following these skill “list”, we describe multiple hands-on activity-based innovation modules, each ofwhich aims at specific skills, with focused objectives and outcomes. The modules are divided into tencategories, specifically: Community, Camps, Short Courses, Competitions, Projects, Challenges, Puzzles,Workshops, Meetings, Beyond Engineering, and Business and Industry. Each module is detailed anddiscussed. Implementation of a program that deals with the above skills has begun. The College ofEngineering and Computer Science began the first

Conference Session

DEED Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

Universal Eye Speculum with Vibrational AnesthesiaAbstractIn these days of universities encouraging interaction between students and the community,faculty members sometimes need look no further than their own personal lives to find suchopportunities. This professor was undergoing a simple ophthalmological procedure when shenoticed the discomfort related not to the procedure itself, but to the eye speculum used to holdback her lashes during the procedure.Discussions began immediately with the ophthalmologist regarding the causes of the discomfortand other limitations of what appeared to be a simple, mechanical device; from these discussionsa senior capstone design project was proposed. The goal of the project was

Conference Session

Integrating Design into the BME Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristine Csavina, Florida Gulf Coast University; James Sweeney, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

. Page 14.822.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Jumpstarting the Capstone Experience Through a Bioengineering Product Design CourseIntroductionFaculty at Florida Gulf Coast University have developed Bioengineering Product Design (BME4800C) specifically to introduce concepts and skills in bioengineering product design in thesemester prior to our capstone experience – thus, jumpstarting students into their senior designprojects. Our intent has been to use a reverse engineering, semester-long project to familiarizestudents with FDA regulations, intellectual property issues, and design with SolidWorks, amongother topics, in their junior year so more attention can be paid to the design

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Holden, California Maritime Academy

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

AC 2009-1016: THE UBIQUITOUS MICROCONTROLLER IN MECHANICALENGINEERINGMichael Holden, California Maritime Academy Michael Holden is an assistant professor at the California Maritime Academy, a specialized campus of the California State University. He teaches instrumentation and controls. Professor Holden also works as an engineer in the autonomous vehicle field. Page 14.1258.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 The Ubiquitous Microcontroller in Mechanical EngineeringIntroductionThis paper will describe a project aimed at integrating the teaching of microcontroller skills inseveral classes

Conference Session

Engineering Collaboration: Faculty and Student Involvement in K-12 Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Eschenbach, Humboldt State University; Mary Virnoche, Humboldt State University; Lonny Grafman, Humboldt State University; Forrest Stamper, Hoopa Valley High School; Laura Atkins, Humboldt State University; Rebecca Raymond, Humboldt State University; Katie Mills, Humboldt State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

diversity of engineering students and improving education for all engineering students. Two of Beth’s current projects are an NSF sponsored S-STEM grant and the project described in this paper.Mary Virnoche, Humboldt State University Mary Virnoche is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Humboldt State University. Mary collaborates with colleagues in STEM areas to increase interest and diversity in those fields. She is currently working with a team on an NSF S-STEM project. In recent past her action research focused on the Expanding Your Horizons conference designed to generate and retain girls' interest in science and engineering. Mary completed her doctoral work at

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bijan Sepahpour, The College of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

areunaware of its existence and its associated possibilities in the research, development, andapplication areas. This paper provides two practical and interesting examples of applications ofMEMS. The first one discusses the “Design of a Two-Stage Accelerometer for AutomobileAirbags” and the second focuses on the “Design of a Micro-Actuator” that triggers/closes aMEMS Circuit when a change in temperature of T occurs. These projects have been designedfor sophomore level students. Pedagogical measures have been taken for their realisticeffectiveness (nation-wide). Therefore, the framework of the projects has been set at a levelthat sophomores may succeed in understanding them and developing interest in MEMS. Theirimagination will also be challenged. A

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Freudenthal, University of Texas, El Paso; Mary Kay Roy, University of Texas, El Paso; Alexandria Ogrey, University of Texas, El Paso; Ann Gates, University of Texas, El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

plan at UTEP (“CS-1”), a large fraction of incoming freshmen mustattend several semesters of preparatory “pre calculus” math courses. Most of these students willhave limited if any prior exposure to programming or engineering. The initial implementation ofour course was intended solely to provide an engaging first experience with programming, andfollowed Mark Guzdial’s “Media Computation” curriculum. Dr. Guzdial’s curriculum hassuccessfully engaged Liberal Arts students in programming through the creation of aestheticallymotivated multimedia projects. Attendees in pre-engineering and pre-professional programsreported lack of interest in these aesthetically- focused projects and requested more practicalprojects and assignments. The course has

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Moore, Petroleum Institute; lana El Chaar, Petroleum Institute; Lisa Lamont, Petroleum Institute

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2009-1197: PRACTICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN COURSES: A BAROMETERFOR THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF FEMALE EMIRATI ENGINEERINGUNDEGRADUATES?David Moore, Petroleum Institutelana El Chaar, Petroleum InstituteLisa Lamont, Petroleum Institute Page 14.963.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009Practical Engineering Design Projects: A Barometer for Future Success of EmiratiFemale Engineering Undergraduates?The Petroleum Institute is a fledgling engineering university located in Abu Dhabi in theUnited Arab Emirates. Set up in 2001by ADNOC (one of the richest oil companies in theworld), and managed by Colorado School of Mines (one of the most celebratedengineering colleges in

Conference Session

Trends in Construction Engineering Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gouranga Banik, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Construction

buildingconstruction is for the formwork (ACI 347 report). The collapse of a temporary structure duringconstruction involves a high risk of serious injuries, deaths and substantial property loss. A clearunderstanding of the design and construction of temporary structures is a critical function notonly for the designers but also for developers, contractors, suppliers of construction equipment,inspectors and all users of temporary structures. These temporary structures may pose substantialchallenges for the contractors since the projects design professionals rarely mention them in theproject documents. The lack of clear design, plan and specifications for these structures leaves alarge number of choices open to the contractor. Since no typical plan and

Conference Session

Freshman Experience in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harry Franz, University of Houston, Downtown; Recayi 'Reg' Pecen

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

complete agroup project using various software packages. The focus of this paper is on the teachingtechniques and the subjects presented in the course. The varied topic choices for the studentproject work are also discussed.Many engineering and technology programs have added and deleted a first year course thatpresents the fundamentals of engineering and technology. This type of course is usually addedwhen the students entering an engineering technology program are found to lack the necessarypreparation for the program courses. On the other hand, this type of fundamentals course is oftendeleted when programs are streamlined to reduce the total number of required program credits.Learning strategies and teaching methods used in the fundamentals

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Education Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katie Cadwell, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Greta Zenner, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Naomi Chesler, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Wendy Crone, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

, successfuldesigners require proficiency in an auxiliary set of skills related to the design process. We havecreated professional development training materials on topics associated with auxiliary designskills for students within this design course series. Topics include working in teams, interactingwith clients, presentation skills, design ethics and regulations, and global design. The trainingmaterials consist of an online video archive of experts speaking on such topics and associatedactive learning exercises. Using online, pre-recorded expert lectures makes class time availablefor conducting the active learning exercises, including working on design projects. The trainingcontent is modular, allowing small or large portions to be incorporated in a range of

Conference Session

Sustainable-energy Education: Lessons Learned

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Bass, Oregon Institute of Technology; Thomas White, Oregon Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

AC 2009-689: CURRICULUM CHANGES RESULTING IN A NEW B.S. INRENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERINGRobert Bass, Oregon Institute of Technology Dr. Robert Bass is an assistant professor at the Oregon Institute of Technology, where he directs the Renewable Energy Engineering bachelors degree program (BSREE), the first engineering program of its kind in North America. He is also a member of the Oregon Renewable Energy Center, OREC, where he participates in undergraduate research projects concerning microhydro power generation, solar thermal absorption chillers and electrochemical production of hydrogen. In addition to running the BSREE program, Dr. Bass also specializes in teaching courses in

Conference Session

Instrumentation and Measurement Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farid Farahmand; Leela Mohan Kesireddy, Central Connecticut State University; Mark Lynch, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

their hardware/softwaredesign issues. As a result, these students will be in disadvantageous position in thecurrent competitive job market.In this project we introduce an introductory multi-disciplinary-based laboratoryexperiment, which provides basic theoretical knowledge about various types of sensingdevices. The laboratory experiment and related lectures are primarily for studentsenrolled in different undergraduate science (biology, physics, bio molecular, etc.),engineering, and technology courses possibly with limited background in electronics. Theproposed experiment can be utilized as an add-on component to courses with laboratoryactivities covering physical computing, instrumentations, computer-based measurementtechnology, or related

Conference Session

Aerospace Workspace: Current and Future 2

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Guerra, NASA; John A. Christian, University of Texas, Austin; Wallace Fowler, University of Texas, Austin

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace

the students was thelead systems engineer for the in-house satellite build project, called Texas2Step, sponsored bythe Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). An added bonus to the pilot class was theparticipation of the capstone design professor, as well as a graduate teaching assistant with aMaster’s degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech with an emphasis on SystemDesign and Optimization. The participation of all these many perspectives provided continuousimprovement on the course content and delivery. {Note that current offerings of the SE Courseare available to all students in the space track of the aerospace engineering degree program.}The SE Course content is based on numerous systems engineering handbooks and primers fromNASA1

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Reid Bailey, University of Virginia; Benjamin Choo, University of Virginia; Heather Rowan-Kenyon, University of Virginia; Amy Swan, University of Virginia; Marie Shoffner, University of Virginia

systemslevel and a component level are needed for the U.S. to remain competitive. Most engineeringschools fail to meet the growing need for engineers skilled in multiscale design: they educateengineers to handle systems issues or component issues, but not both. Furthermore, engineeringeducation focuses on designing static, “point” solutions, not agile solutions that can adapt tochange. Specifically, this project proposes the development of Technology Leaders, atransportable interdisciplinary program that will prepare engineers and technicians to lead teamsin the designing and building of multiscale agile systems.Building on prior work at the University of ___A___, ___B___ Community College, and theLearning Factory at Penn State, the Technology Leaders

Conference Session

Software and Hardware for Educators I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Fuller, Auburn University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University; P.K. Raju, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

LITEE lab has been producing case studies for many years, such as Lorn Textiles, DellaSteam Plant, STS-51L and others (www.litee.org), but they have always focused on events thatoccurred in or involved companies in the United States. In 2007, LITEE was awarded an NSFgrant to send students from American Universities to India to live, work and finally produce acase study. Before the group of five students ventured to India, the project leaders of the LITEE lab were in communication with multiple private companies located in Indiaand IIT Madras asking them for projects that students may work on. This paper describes theexperiences of a graduate student who travelled to India to develop a case study with a largeconstruction company.1.1 Project

Conference Session

Implementation of Experiments in Manufacturing Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

George Gray, Texas Tech

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

.” ≠ “really enjoyed the welding, machining was also very useful and interesting.” ≠ “the more focus on practical manufacturing methods, the better. ME courses already provide plenty of theory. Good practical knowledge is important for engineers.” ≠ “I only wish we had more time.”These hands-on manufacturing activities can also be very valuable as recruiting and retentiontools within the engineering disciplines, as students seem to relate better and stay focused withintheir chosen engineering fields when they are actively engaged in hands-on projects early on intheir curricula. The hands-on lab in a supportive learning environment helps to develop a senseof involvement and fun for the

Conference Session

Faculty Development and Research in ET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Khan, DeVry University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Wireless Engineering, Network Engineering, Fiber Optic Communications, Technology and Society, and Project Management. He also advises students on their senior design projects. He is the author of “The Telecommunications Fact Book, 2E” and co-author of “Technology and Society: Crossroads to the 21st Century,” “Technology and Society: A Bridge to the 21st Century,” and “Technology and Society: Issues for the 21st Century and Beyond.” He is a member of ASEE, and a senior member of IEEE. Page 14.627.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Faculty Scholarship and Professional Currency: A Self

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carl Shek, Virginia Tech; Kathleen Meehan, Virginia Tech; Robert Hendricks, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Theadvantage of podcasts is that students can view the tutorials while their computers are runningthe oscilloscope program, enabling real-time instructional support as they work on their labswhile on or off campus. The podcasts are a mixture of still images and screen shots imported intoa Powerpoint presentation with an audio track added. Currently, tutorials are compatible withthree platforms: iPod nano, iPod Classic, and the iPod Touch. An explanation of the techniquesapplied during the development of the tutorials and a brief review of the current tutorials areprovided.IntroductionA project known as Lab-in-a-Box (LiaB) was developed at Virginia Tech as one of the outcomesof a department-level reform of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship Education: Experiential Learning and Economic Development II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Barbara Karanian, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Gregory Kress, Stanford University; Joel Sadler, Stanford University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

trying to figure out a way to structure exercises to access story as a methodologyand explorative form for a graduate engineering and design methods class. To do this I reflect back onwhat I already know, what I am learning from graduate student co-creators, and how my participantobservation as instructor for the class will impact the developmental stages of their projects.We know that collaborative design thinking is a social activity [1]. Members work together in teamsin the workplace and increasingly in engineering schools in project-based design courses. While thesecourses give an experience of working in teams, the elements of how insights help individuals createnew approaches, sustain engagement and inspiration well into a project and

Conference Session

Women in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joy Watson, University of South Carolina; Jed Lyons, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

class, and thus do not try8. Both males andfemales need to learn to work in a group environment. It has been suggested that by usingteaching strategies that accommodate gender-related differences, one will see increases in middleschool females’ self-esteem in science and males’ willingness to try through competition9. Insingle-gender classrooms, middle school students are able to focus more on learning and less onthe opposite gender. There can be a sense of additional security for students, emotionally andintellectually. Females can ask more questions or answer a teachers question correctly withoutfear of being laughed at by the males. Males, on the other hand, enjoy the competition andgames that can be played in the classroom8.Project

Conference Session

Research and Education in Radiation and Radiologic

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mitchell Pryor; Sheldon Landsberger

Tagged Divisions

Nuclear and Radiological

and industry. A course structure and timeline is outlined andmapped to the proposed curricula and project development. Students in the program areadditionally mentored by DOE personnel to complete interdisciplinary research projects relevantin nuclear application areas.Background and MotivationThe idea of automating the multitude of hazardous tasks associated with all phases of the nuclearfuel cycle (whether it be weaponized or energy producing) is not a new one. The positive impactof successful automation for safety and security is clear, yet the few successes have been costlyand time consuming. A review (as examples, Y-121, LANL2, INL3, ORNL4, SNL5, 6, andAcademia7) of the multitude of projects teaches an important lesson. Automation in the