Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Jianyu Liang; Terri Camesano

April 27-28, 2012and failures. Faculty also provided students with additional information related tonanobiotechnology and the procedures and equipment used. Teaching assistants helpedstudents implement the lab experiences. At the end of the term, each group gave a PowerPointpresentation on their experience, summarized the steps that they went through to answer thequestion, reported results, and discussed implications and recommendations. Each group alsocreated a brief video on one of the lab experiences. Four different lab videos were created.In this presentation, the challenges and experience on offering such an interdisciplinaryundergraduate laboratory course will be summarized. The evaluation results and students’feedbacks will be

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Yakov Cherner; Gary Mullett

Simulation-based Customizable Virtual Laboratories for Teaching Alternative Energy, Smart Grid and Energy Conservation in Engineering & Technology Programs Yakov Cherner 1 and Gary Mullett 2Abstract – The paper presents multilayered, highly interactive, simulation-based, integrated, and adjustablevirtual laboratories for engineering and technology education in the areas of renewable energy, sensors, smart grid,and energy conservation. These labs are designed to enhance the understanding of technical concepts and underlyingfundamental principles, as well as to help students master certain performance-based skills online. The virtual labscan be

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Olga Lepsky; Michael Werner

Teaching Algorithms by Tweaking Algorithms Olga Lepsky1 [Michael Werner2]Abstract This paper describes an approach to teaching algorithms that requires students to do experimentationand think about ways to improve/apply the algorithms. They program and benchmark the algorithms on inputs ofincreasing size and compare the results to the predicted complexity curve. They then attempt variations (tweaks) onthe algorithm to see if they can improve performance, or apply it to a different input. The approach was tested intwo computer science courses: Algorithm Design and Analysis, and Bioinformatics Algorithms.Keywords: Algorithms, Bioinformatics 1

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

A. Ieta; R. Manseur; M. Hromalik

Active Learning by Lecture and Laboratory Integration in an Emerging Engineering Program A. Ieta1, R. Manseur1, and M. Hromalik1Abstract – The development of a new Electrical and Computer Engineering program provides an opportunity fordesigning and implementing an innovative curriculum. In terms of teaching methods, a combination of lecturing andhands-on learning is selected. Studio-style teaching is reported to enhance student learning, compared to theclassical lecture and lab formats. However, course organization is different and requires adaptation and innovation incourse design, content, and delivery. A studio lab was organized and new equipment was acquired for laboratorystations that

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Lisa Shatz

students to be creative in explaining their work and their research with the ability to incorporate media into their reports and also allows them to learn from the work of other students in the class. The last month of the course is spent working in teams, on designing a laboratory exercise for another Suffolk classthat relates to the science of sustainability where the students of Sustainability at Suffolk serve as the instructors for that lab to other Suffolk students in another class. The teams develop a handout for the lab where they ask students to record and analyze their findings. The teams also give ten minute power point presentations to both theSustainability at Suffolk and the class that they teach. All the work having to

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

James A. Lee; Michael J. D'Agostino

for SustainabilityThe estimated volume of concrete produced in 2011 in the U.S. was 500 million cubic yards. In terms of rawmaterials, this volume represents the consumption of 900 million lbs. of stone, 600 million lbs. of sand, 300 millionlbs. of cement and 18 million gallons of water. The Portland Cement Association, (PCA), estimates that the cementindustry is responsible for 1% of mankind’s carbon footprint, while others claim it is as high as 5%. As a teachinginstitution that has numerous degree programs preparing graduates in construction and related built environmentcareers, it is necessary to both teach and practice principles of sustainability in regard to construction materials.While an academic laboratory consumes very small

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Carlos Luck

engineering students. The students learn thatdifferent team members have different skill sets and that their backgrounds are complementary for the goals of theproject – a practice that is commonplace in industry and is emphasized by ABET. Finally, the array of upper-division technical electives includes several courses that were designed to be attractive to both EE’s and ME’s, suchas controls, robotics, and MEMS. The options of pursuing minors and double-majors between EE and ME with arelatively low additional effort reinforce the interdisciplinary approach. An important asset to both our programs isthe delivery of laboratory-integrated courses – as opposed to theory classes, followed by separate lab classes, oftenin a different semester, which

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

David O. Kazmer

strengths and opportunities for UML. This exercise proved to be clarifying, with thecommunicated strengths including: 1) balance of practical training with engineering education, 2) geographic nichewith local access, 3) excellent value proposition, and 4) highly collaborative environment. Faculty proposed manyopportunities for advancing teaching/learning including project “maker” space, new engineering minors, more socialevents, and greater alumni involvement. Some of the suggested research opportunities included rationalization ofresearch spaces, establishment of graduate student offices, improving the quality of doctoral students with standardoffers, and development of larger research centers. Faculty also suggested administrative initiatives

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Keith M. Gardiner

graduate with a goodengineering degree without ever sketching something out and physically making it in a laboratory or workshop.After several experimental courses and much student feedback a new course was developed and finally approved asmandatory for all first year engineers. This was offered every fall and spring starting in 2003. A new feature was theincorporation of two 5-6 week ‘Engineering Practice’ lab sessions spread across the seven departments in theengineering college [14]. In fall 2011 as result of other associated curriculum changes it became possible to offerthis course in the fall semester for the whole entering class of 331 students. Several new features were able to beincorporated exploiting Project-Based Learning with ‘Virtual

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Jacob Cox; Jason Cody; Jesse Fleming; Matthew Miller

of peer interaction when theinstructor is engaged with another student. Often, when a teacher in a computer lab stops to assist one student, thatteacher is totally engaged with helping that student address his/her issue. While the instructor is engaged in this way,other students can only wait for assistance or question their peers—this may or may not be encouraged in class andthat peer may not be the best student for the individual to query.To address the benefit of peer assistance, many computer science courses have seen a rise in the number ofeducators opting to use "pair programming" as a means of teaching students and staff [9]. Neha et al. found, in astudy conducted at North Carolina State University, that a student's perception of