Conference Session

Faculty Development and Research in ET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary Bertoline, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

times but alsoopportunities for collaboration. Pure applied research is furthest removed from pure basicresearch and is characterized as being extremely sophisticated and narrowly focused onimmediate results. Technology’s role in research is primarily focused on pure applied researchbut there is some overlap with other disciplines including engineering and science, which alsooffers additional opportunities for collaboration.Our strength in research is related to pure applied research projects in each of our technologydomains in colleges of technology and engineering technology. There are opportunities forresearch in all traditional technology departments that is unique although related to disciplinesand departments outside the colleges of

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexandre Probst, Colorado School of Mines; Aarthi Krishnaswamy, Colorado School of Mines; Vinita Singh, Colorado School of Mines; Barbara Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; Cyndi Rader, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the internet but so do their teachers. Additionally, their teachers have years of experience teaching through a lecture format, reinforcing lectures as an established habit for instruction. Furthermore, many of the software programs currently available to support secondary instruction contain examples which are culturally irrelevant to Ugandan students. According to Hodson [12], efforts to make science education more learner-centered must build on knowledge and experiences of the learners, which requires an understanding of the impact of different perspectives and experiences of dissimilar cultural groups. The purpose of the project described here is to develop a simulated science laboratory experiment, as a pilot for future software

Conference Session

The Ever-Changing Course

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathleen Harper, Denison University; Richard Freuler, Ohio State University; Stuart Brand, Ohio State University; Craig Morin, Ohio State University; Patrick Wensing, Ohio State University; John Demel, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

betterperformance (10%) on equivalent final examination problems than the LabVIEW students. Asecond result showed that both groups of students performed equally in MATLAB programmingexercises – their ‘second’ programming language. A third result compared the programmingbeliefs of the pilot and control groups with the instructors’ beliefs. The beliefs survey wasadministered at the beginning and end of the quarter. The pilot group of students exhibited ashift to more expert-like beliefs. This paper provides details about the processes and problemsused in this investigation. The work described here began in early 2007 and was completed in2008. This project was funded by the National Instruments Foundation.IntroductionOhio State’s First-Year Engineering

Conference Session

Student Learning

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Prince, Bucknell University; Margot vigeant, bucknell; Katharyn Nottis, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

14.469.3Temperature Change tells you something about the rate or amount of energy transferred.5. Radiation Students are often confused about the effect of surface properties on the rate of radiative heat transfer.In the initial phase of this research project, a concept inventory was developed whichsought to measure conceptual understanding in each of these targeted areas.MethodologyPhase 1The concept inventory was composed of 28 multiple choice questions, several with open-ended segments which asked students to explain their thinking in more detail. Theseopen-ended questions were intended to provide both richer assessment of students’conceptual understanding and to provide possible distractors on multiple choice

Conference Session

New Learning Paradigms I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren Hull, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Warren Waggenspack, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Lillian B Bowles, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; David Bowles, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Tiffany Walter Choplin, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. This core groupof eleven faculty members prepared for a leadership role in the communication project byattending a CxC-sponsored Faculty Institute during the summer of 2005. The engineering teamreceived a comprehensive orientation to the campus-wide CxC program and explored how theirparticipation could lead to the integration of communication goals in the COE curriculum. Theyworked on their individual syllabi, as well as college-wide plans for a COE CommunicationStudio. They shared their ideas about an engineering graduate’s need for communication skillsand their newly-revised syllabi with faculty members representing all colleges, who provided aninterdisciplinary audience for their perspectives. In many cases, the necessary communication

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Chiou, Drexel University; Michael Mauk, Drexel University; Sweety Agarwal, Drexel University; Yueh-Ting Yang, Drexel University

in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1983.She received her Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Sikkim, India in 2005. She has received M.S in Electrical Engineering at Drexel University in 2008. Her interests in working with various quality control automated devices like Smart Image sensor. She is presently working on a E-quality control project and a 3d Online lab project.Yueh-Ting Yang , Drexel University In order to carry his interests into the academic realm, Yueh-Ting Yang did his Bachelor from Department of Power Mechanical Engineering at National Tsing Hua University. He is pursuing M.S. in Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics at

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Constantin Ciocanel, Northern Arizona University; Suzanne Pieper, Northern Arizona University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering at the OhioState University redeveloped the freshman engineering classes into a combined course withhands-on laboratory elements2. Teamwork, project management, report writing, and oralpresentations were the main parts of this program.Another recent study3, focused on the classroom-based pedagogy of engagement, recognizedactive and collaborative learning as better ways for students to learn by being intensely involvedin the educational process. These learning methods can further be implemented by encouragingstudents to apply their knowledge in many situations. The study attempts to highlight thesuperiority of problem-based learning over subject-based learning by contrasting the twoapproaches in Figure 1. Problem based learning (PBL

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andre Butler, Mercer University; William Moses, Mercer University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Method of Assessment to Examine Experimental Design in Mechanical Engineering LaboratoriesStudents in the mechanical specialization at Mercer University are currently required to take twogeneral mechanical engineering laboratory courses—one in the third year of the curriculum andthe other in the fourth year. The first of these courses begins with seven or eight single periodlaboratories in which the students are directed to complete a well-defined set of procedures andperform simple analyses. In an effort to more formally introduce experimental design into thelaboratory experience, this course ends with a three project sequence in which students areprovided with an experimental objective (e.g., determine the coefficient of

Conference Session

Innovative Methods to Teach Engineering to URMs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir Mobasher, Alabama A&M University; Mohamed Seif, Alabama A&M University; Kenneth Fernandez, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; Showkat Chowdhury, Alabama A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

, might “drop off” the school altogether, might find jobsand abandon their educational objectives or perhaps discontinue for a short period of time andstart again later. Although it is nearly impossible to eliminate loss of students from the program,it is possible to minimize this loss by implementing several tactics. Critical factors affecting theretention of the students within the mechanical engineering program at AAMU are classattendance and participation, early exposure of potential students to mechanical engineeringtopics, advising, student competitions, participation in summer internship programs, participationin externally funded research projects, and utilization of multimedia and other technologies forunderstanding of topics.Class

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nabil Lehlou, University of Arkansas; Nebil Buyurgan, University of Arkansas; Justin Chimka, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

. Amongstthe encouraged work, there is the I-ATMUS project (Integrated Auto-ID Technology forMultidisciplinary Undergraduate Studies) that involved developing a remotely controllable RFIDlaboratory system. Technological resources can now be accessed by learners through the Webtechnology to apply appropriate configurations to the system, conduct experiments using RFIDtechnology, and perform statistical analysis on the acquired data. Furthermore, the developededucational tool was used by a class of student that showed improvements in their confidence,knowledge, and skills.IntroductionFor some technologies, the supply of their qualified users struggles to match the pace of theassociated growing demand. In other words, the growth of the skilled-user

Conference Session

Tricks of the Trade II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jerry Samples, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

conspicuous, preparing for and conducting good classes, meeting with students individually, supervising individual research projects, serving on committees. This is inherent in the job: college teaching offers tremendous freedom to structure time and channel energy, but it requires commensurate levels of internal motivation, personal organization, self-discipline, and ability to pursue multiple goals.”He goes on to say that faculty have a difficult time deciding how to spend their time and energywhen it comes to their various requirements. He adds that: “It is not the workload per se that most creates discomfort among college instructors but the necessity of deciding how to spend time. To borrow a thought from

Conference Session

BME Laboratory Courses and Experiences

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Melissa Micou, University of California, San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

to the graduate students and post-doctoral researchers who were directlyinvolved in the REU projects. The workshop included topics and activities selected fromEntering Mentoring: A Seminar to Train a New Generation of Scientist, a series of eightseminars providing an intellectual framework for mentoring and a forum to discuss and solvementoring dilemmas 6. Specifically, the workshop included a discussion of what qualities make agood mentor, examples of mentoring philosophies, motivation for being a good mentor, definingmentor and mentee expectations, elements of a good research project, diversity issues, andstrategies for dealing with challenges. Workshop activities included developing a personalmentoring philosophy, defining the mentee’s

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Michalson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Gregory Fischer, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Taskin Padir, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Gary Pollice, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

the crux of the problem. Students tend to learn facts in their, inthis case Physics, classes but, like the researchers referred to in the above quote, they don’tnecessarily learn how those facts are relevant to their chosen discipline. This phenomenon wasactually observed during an internal bi-annual review of the capstone design projects in theElectrical and Computer Engineering Department at WPI where it was observed that studentswere having a difficult time synthesizing designs.3 To correct this problem, a radically differentcourse in ECE Design was developed to teach the fundamentals of designing electrical systemsto students at the end of their sophomore year. With this course we were able to reach studentsimmediately after foundational

Conference Session

Information and Network Security

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kyle Lutes, Purdue University; John Springer, Purdue University; Kelly Howard, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Information Systems

Pathology in Washington, D.C. She has a Master's degree in Technology from Purdue University, and her research interests are in data privacy and software security. Page 14.123.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 A Survey of Embedded Database Technology for Mobile ApplicationsAbstractA recent project required us to develop a software application that runs on mobile devices ofvarious form factors. Almost all non-trivial software requires data persistence of some sort, eventhose running on small mobile devices. For very small amounts of data, a simple sequential

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Bahr, Washington State University

projects, particularly at the underclassman level. In particular,one of the major problems is misunderstanding of the role of independent research projectswithin a larger research organization, and disconnected expectations of workloads and faculty –mentor roles. However, faculty members that have mentored students from the freshman yearonward report outstanding relationships and successes occur by the junior year. Another keyfactor noted by faculty participating on campus was that there is an initial “incubation” periodfor each student where their research productivity is relatively low, while their requirements forfaculty time are high. While this is true for all students, there was a perception that this might bea larger challenge for younger

Conference Session

Curriculum Development and Teaching Models in NRE

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brenden Mervin, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Guillermo Maldonado, University of Tennessee

Tagged Divisions

Nuclear and Radiological

of the fundamental principlesbehind cross-section processing, reactor physics, criticality safety, and other related applicationsby demonstrating how these computational packages are used in these specific areas. This willalso open a gateway for national laboratory initiatives as well as university-laboratory-industrypartnerships for the professional development of future nuclear engineers. Figure 1 illustrates thetimetable associated with this educational project. Figure 1: Overview of US NRC Project led by University of Tennessee and Texas A&M The modules outlined in Figure 1 will be structured into “standalone” educational toolsable to independently provide substantial fundamental and interactive information on the

Conference Session

Micromachining in Manufacturing Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Clifford Mirman, Northern Illinois University; Andrew Otieno, Northern Illinois University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

, especially for steels, and cutting conditions are stilluncertain and work continues to be done in these areas [2, 9, 10]. In addition to these factors, themechanics of micro-cutting is still a relatively new area, not well understood. In micro-cutting,there is no formal explanation of scaling effects (also referred to as “size effects”), for example,in the relationship between material removal rate and the specific cutting energy [5]. Thus, thereis a need for continued research in this area.Through funding provided by the U.S. Army, TACOM, Northern Illinois University (NIU)engineering and technology researchers developed a new generation low cost machine tool. Inthe same project, studies were conducted to examine material removal rates for different

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ming-Chien Hsu, Purdue University; Monica Cardella, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

multiple approaches to deal with theuncertainty and we would like to investigate how engineering students respond to theuncertainty.We used a framework of mathematical thinking to examine how engineering students deal withuncertainty in design. Currently, in many engineering curricula, the first three years consist ofmathematics and science courses. In the fourth year, a capstone design project is added toprovide a chance for students to deal with complex real-world problems. Determining howstudents use mathematical thinking in this capstone design project will potentially informengineering educators on integrating engineering science and practical design tasks.Theoretical frameworkIn order to investigate how engineering students learn and use

Conference Session

Developing New Instrumentation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Akram Hossain, Purdue University, Calumet; Vijay Mahajan, Influx Software Solutions

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

Applications Department of IEEE/IAS. He authored more than 25 refereed journal and conference publications. From 2003 through 2006, he was involved with Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL in developing direct computer control for hydrogen powered automotives. He is also involved in several direct computer control and wireless process control related research projects. His interests are in the area of industrial transducer, industrial process control, wireless controls, statistical process control, computer aided design and fabrication of printed circuit board, programmable logic controllers, programmable logic devices and renewable energy related projects.Vijay Mahajan, Influx Software Solutions

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

outlines and textbooks for all courses required for graduation. Sufficient examples of student work in technical, mathematics, and science courses must be available to the visiting team for the entire campus visit. The examples should show a range of grades for assignments, including homework, quizzes, examinations, drawings, laboratory reports, projects, and samples of computer usage in technical courses. Examples must also be presented to demonstrate compliance with the requirement for student competence in written and oral communications.1To meet this directive, student assignments such as quizzes, homework assignments, laboratoryreports and tests, related to a particular course, were typically duplicated and

Conference Session

Trends in Construction Engineering Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Virendra Varma, Missouri Western State University

Tagged Divisions

Construction

and feel connected to the profession through theexperiences of these practitioners. The author has had the privilege of working with and utilizingadjunct clinical professors from industry in the areas of mechanical and electrical systems ofbuildings, materials testing, structural design, construction management and project scheduling.This paper cites select case histories, describes areas in which senior level courses in design andconstruction can be delivered more effectively by adjunct clinical professors. Practitioners, asadjunct clinical professors, bring technical relevance and currency to engineering curriculums,and students benefit from their experiences. In addition, participation of adjunct clinicalprofessors opens up opportunities

Conference Session

Innovative Teaching Strategies in Engineering Graphics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Bedward, North Carolina State University; Eric Wiebe, North Carolina State University; Lauren Madden, North Carolina State University; James Minogue, North Carolina State University; Mike Carter, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Design Graphics

graphics. This study providesinsight into the process of improving graphic pedagogy by leveraging semiotic analysis ofstudent notebooks, in-class observations and ongoing support, the introduction of graphic tools(e.g., graphic taxonomy and master images), and formative assessment strategies to facilitatestudent science and technology learning. It is not enough to create representations; students mustwork through and revisit their graphics in context of the inquiry and problem solving cycle.IntroductionResearch in elementary graphic literacy is an emergent area of study, just as the integration ofelementary science1 and elementary engineering education research is a relatively new area ofinvestigation. One such project is Engineering is Elementary

Conference Session

Automation and Robotics Subjects in Manufacturing Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arif Sirinterlikci, Robert Morris University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

-Integral-Derivative (PID) controls illustrated in Figure 44. This isassociated with a current research project on Real-Time PAC based controls. Figure 2.a NI LabView Model of a simple digital logic example .b NI ELVIS circuit for the model Page 14.1341.3 Figure 3. PLC Ladder logic for a mixer application written in RS Logix 5003Up to this point, the schedule of the course includes hard-wired controls based on ladderdiagrams and PLC systems programmed by ladder logic. The crucial role of ladder diagrams andladder logic in controls has been covered in detail with the utilization of two these areas. On

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Programs and Curricula

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joanna DeFranco, Pennsylvania State University; Colin Neill, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

incorporate team projects as both active learning components ofcourses and for student assessment. Research indicates, however, that actually working within ateam generates a new set of problems, referred to as Problem B: managing the diversity of theproblem solvers in contrast to Problem A: solving the actual problem the team is working on.Given the presence of Problem B, there is a risk that student learning will actually sufferbecause of the team. To mitigate this risk, we propose the use of the Cognitive CollaborativeModel (CCM) in team system design exercises.The CCM is a six-stage cognitive model that takes into consideration the cognitive and socialactivities that occur during collaborative problem solving by facilitating problem formulation

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Freudenthal, University of Texas, El Paso; Brian Carter, University of Texas, El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

practice areprovided through in-class exercises. After just a few lectures, students are competentlytranslating C code snippets into assembly and machine language. Typical projects, which arefirst practiced in groups and then individually, are illustrated in the first two examples in Table 2. Table 2. Example of early arithmetic code snippet translation projects that use only absoluteaddressing mode. On this processor, operation codes for two-operand instructions are specified by the most significant nibble and 0x292 specifies that both operands are “absolute” direct-mode addresses stored in extension words. C Source Code Assembly Language Machine Code short a, b

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Benson, Clemson University; Sherrill Biggers, Clemson University; William Moss, Clemson University; Matthew Ohland, Purdue University; Marisa Orr, Clemson University; Scott Schiff, Clemson University

AC 2009-1358: ADAPTING AND IMPLEMENTING THE SCALE-UP APPROACHIN STATICS, DYNAMICS, AND MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUSLisa Benson, Clemson University Lisa Benson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University, with a joint appointment in the Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Benson teaches first year engineering, research methods, and graduate engineering education courses. Her research interests include student-centered active learning in undergraduate engineering, assessment of motivation, and how motivation affects student learning. She is also involved in projects that utilize Tablet PCs to enhance student learning. Her education includes a

Conference Session

New Research and Trends Related to Minorities in Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Willie Ofosu, Pennsylvania State University, Wilkes-Barre

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

applications.Student InvolvementSolar technology is a well established technology that is employed in sophisticatedsystems by highly advanced organizations such as NASA. In the article “NASA TeamSuccessfully Deploys Two Solar Sail Systems”8, “unique propulsion technology thatcould enable future deep space missions” is discussed. This suggests the opportunitiesthat are available for student research starting from small scale individual or personalapplications to highly sophisticated systems. A nation such as Ghana situated well withinthe equator and the Tropic of Cancer can therefore engage students in development andresearch in solar technology. Students at Penn State and their Ghanaian counterparts willbe involved in cooperative projects that will be based

Conference Session

Using Technology to Enhance Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Chen, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

-learning because of fears of poor learning, but in areview of 355 comparative studies across a variety of disciplines, Russell5 found no significantdifference in learning outcomes (as measured by common outcomes such as examination scoresor course grades) between traditional and e-learning courses.Project Design and ImplementationThe setting for this admittedly limited-in-scope study is a large, public, technical university.Even given the large student population on campus (>20,000), though, class sizes in this studyare relatively small (<40 students per section). This project was implemented in the fall 2008term in Applied Thermodynamics, a junior-level course for mechanical engineering students thatbuilds on the fundamentals learned in a

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

existingpartnerships and initiatives, as well as making a concerted effort to engage new partners and tosupport and participate in other exciting projects both nationally and internationally. Crawley,et.al. in Rethinking Engineering: The CDIO Approach, have taken an international approach toengineering education reform and contend that “every graduating engineer should be able toConceive-Design-Implement-Operate complex value-added engineering products, processes, andsystems in a modern, team-based environment. More simply, we must educate engineers whocan engineer.”2 The CDIO Initiative held their CDIO Region of the Americas meeting at theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder in March, 2009, organized around the theme of “InvolvingIndustry in Project-Based

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Miller, Michigan Technological University; Leonard Bohmann, Michigan Technological University; William Helton, Michigan Technological University; Anna Pereira, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Teaming ability 4.42 0.69 The candidate has done many team projects and works well with others. Hands-on ability 4.35 0.88 The candidate has tinkered with machinery or electronics as a hobby or job, or grew up in an environment where these skills were required (such as a farm). Creative ability 4.13 0.70 The candidate “thinks outside the box”, has worked on inventions, or is involved in artistic pursuits. Leadership ability 3.90 0.82