Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

was done to see how much the motor design project motivatedour students to learn the course materials. About hundred students participated in the survey. Thedata was analyzed using a spreadsheet and the outcome will be reported in this paper.IntroductionProject based teaching is an interesting concept and is in practice at several institutions1-2. Howmuch these activities influence learning is always a varying opinion3-5. Like other colleges, at ourinstitution most of the engineering students take Engineering Physics 1 and 2. As part ofEngineering Physics 2 course requirement6, a design project to build Electric Motor7 wasassigned, (details given in appendix1). In order to build the motor, students have to understandthe function of the motor

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angeles Dominguez, Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM); Genaro Zavala, Tecnologico de Monterrey; Juan Antonio Alanis

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

implemented. The major topics covered in theFis-Mat course are presented in Table 1.Table 1.Topics covered in Fis-Mat corresponding to Physics I, Calculus I, and some from Calculus II(courses for engineering majors). Physics content Calculus content • Vectors • Linear model • Motion at constant speed • Quadratic model • Motion with constant acceleration • Derivatives • Constant acceleration, quantitative • Euler’s method • Motion in two dimensions • Noncontinuous functions • Energy • Integral • Work • Line

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Carleton College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. In a small liberal artscollege without any follow-up courses in MSE, we decided that the two overarching objectivesfor this course were to enable students to 1) assess whether a particular material is appropriatefor a particular application through consideration of the structure, properties, and processing of amaterial, and 2) to research and evaluate a material and its appropriateness for potentialapplications and present their findings to a specified audience. We also wanted to use this courseto develop ancillary skills in written communication, including communication of quantitativeinformation.Content. Originally, course content was selected primarily based on what is typically covered inan introductory materials science and engineering

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marie Lopez del Puerto, University of St. Thomas; Adam S Green, University of St. Thomas; Jeffrey A. Jalkio, University of St. Thomas; Marty Johnston, University of St. Thomas; Paul R Ohmann, University of St. Thomas (MN)

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Association ofPhysics Teacher’s “Statement on Computational Physics” says, “Computational physics hasbecome a third way of doing physics and complements traditional modes of theoretical andexperimental physics.” 1 Computation should be an important component in the physicsundergraduate curriculum, and ideally it should merge seamlessly with the rest of the curriculum.Throughout the past 15 years, the University of St. Thomas physics department has beenimplementing an integrated physics curriculum where students gain the theoretical, experimental,computational, and communication skills they will need to succeed in their careers. Thecomputational work in our department began with an NSF-sponsored effort (DUE-0311432) todevelop computational modules in

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David K. Probst P.E., Southeast Missouri State University; Yumin Zhang, Southeast Missouri State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

. IntroductionThermodynamics has a long history of development and now it is applied to many disciplinesbeyond science and engineering.1-3 In the 17th century people investigated the relationshipsbetween temperature, pressure and volumes of various gasses; in addition, the prototype of thesteam engine was invented. In the 18th century the steam engine became practical, andthermodynamics is the theory behind this new machine that powered the industrial revolution. Inthe 19th century the laws of thermodynamics were formulated, and the concept of entropy wasintroduced. In the 20th century the theory of thermodynamics was expanded into many differentfields, such as information theory, economics and sociology, etc.Unlike courses such as Engineering Mechanics, Engineering

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert A Ross, University of Detroit Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

physics course or a more advanced laboratory course oncircuits. The pedagogical value of the activity is two-fold. First, it provides a clear visualrepresentation of the power factor, and second it serves as a springboard for further discussion ofthe nature of the phase relationship of reactive circuit elements.IntroductionA common introductory physics text book definition of the power factor is something along thelines of: “the voltage v has some phase angle φ with respect to the current i….The factor cosφ iscalled the power factor of the circuit.”1 A more practical definition is adopted in advancedtexts. There the power factor is defined as the cosine of the phase angle of the compleximpedance. However it is defined, the power factor has

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harold T. Evensen, University of Wisconsin, Platteville; W. Doyle St.John, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Physics (EP) Lab” – istypically taken in a student’s third year. It has advanced prerequisite courses, enabling more in-depth studies of physical phenomena and more sophisticated numerical analysis. Indeed, manyPhysics programs have a similar type of course. While an important part of the curriculum, ithas lacked a “unifying idea” that helps explain the course to employers and students: it largelyconsisted of student groups rotating among challenging, but unrelated, experiments. Metrology,the science of measurement, is a core competency of STEM fields and plays a key role inmodern engineering practice. It deals with several aspects that are common to (or readilyadapted to) our laboratory course: (1) uncertainty in measurements (and its

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve E. Watkins, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

Electronic Devices course.A. Change to EE and CpE CurriculaSelected courses in the prior curricula for B.S. degrees in electrical engineering (EE) andcomputer engineering (CpE) are shown in Figure 1. Although the degrees were offered withinthe same department, the EE degree requirements and the CpE degree requirements had limitedoverlap. Common in-department requirements were limited to basic circuit analysis andcomputer engineering content, i.e. Circuits I EE 151, Circuits II EE 153, and Introduction toComputer Engineering CpE 111, and associated laboratories. (The EE and CpE course numbersare designated such that the first digit refers to the year, e.g. 1XX course for sophomore level;the second digit for the area, e.g. 12X for devices and 15X for

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Varun Kumar Karingula, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Hazim A El-Mounayri, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Tamer M. Wasfy, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Hatem M Wasfy, Advanced Science and Automation Corp.; Jeanne Michele Peters, Advanced Science and Automation Corp.

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the VPL. In general, a consistent improvement due to the training and practice in the virtual lab is observed. The VPL presents itself as a viable tool for high school students to better prepare for college physics in cost-effective, easily accessible, and effective way.     Introduction  Having grown with different kinds of digital technology, today’s student is aware of most technologies; as a result, he/she is being referred to as the ‘Digital student’ or part of the ‘Net Generation’ 1 , 2 . Information technology has brought unique capabilities to learning spaces, whether stimulating greater interaction through the use of collaborative tools, videoconferencing with

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Baha Jassemnejad, University of Central Oklahoma; Scott Tracewell StJohn; Evan C. Lemley, University of Central Oklahoma; Kevin Rada, University of Central Oklahoma, Department of Engineering and Physics; Juan Camilo Orozco

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

of life. This style of hands-on introductoryengineering curriculum course has been advanced as one approach to improving retention1.Introduction courses are important because freshmen engineering students “have unclear goalsand values”, “are apprehensive and anxious about their unfamiliar surroundings and newexperiences”, and “are not well versed about the culture and expectations of engineering studyand are unaware of optimum strategies for approaching it”1. It is believed that the introductorycourses are a crucial part of addressing these psychological challenges for freshmen engineeringstudents1. This is borne out by some data; intro courses with an emphasis on hands-on learning,helping students become accustomed to their new setting

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Polin Yadak, Cañada College; Amelito G Enriquez, Canada College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

, the percentage of students who reported anxietyabout studying physics dropped from 61% to 42%. However, an accurate assessment will bedone by comparing the rate of success among physics jam participants to nonparticipants at theend of their first semester physics course.1. Introduction:Several studies show correlations between good high school grades in mathematics, academicpreparation, and success in introductory physics courses in college.1,2 Although our societysupports the model of preparing students for some kind of education after high school, studentsare often not ready to take college level classes once they graduate from high school.3 Manystudies have found that college preparatory courses in high school are associated with

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Frank V. Kowalski, Colorado School of Mines; Susan E. Kowalski, Colorado School of Mines; Patrick B. Kohl, Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines; Hsia-Po Vincent Kuo, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

the Engineer of 2020, the first sentence in chapter one (p. 7) is:“Engineering is a profoundly creative process.”1 Later in the report, creativity is targeted as oneof a handful of essential qualities that are indispensable for engineers, growing in importancewith the complexity of the challenges of the 21st century (p.55). Creativity manifests itself inengineering innovations that arise from it, and few would disagree with the desirability ofcreativity and innovation in engineering graduates. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of 70 studies ina variety of disciplines unequivocally concluded that well-designed creativity training can beeffective.2

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Mark Scaife, University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Andrew F Heckler, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

difficulties in learning materials science. Page 23.1169.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 The case for individualized-instruction: Preconception-Instruction-InteractionIntroductionThere has been much debate about the need for and the effectiveness of planning instruction arounddiffering learning styles (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic). For example, when studied in controlledenvironments, it has been shown repeatedly that instruction aligned with learning styles does appreciablycorrelate with increased understanding 1

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teresa L. Larkin, American University; Jessica Uscinski, American University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

hiring of an experimental physicist was one outcome ofthese efforts. The addition of the experimental physics position has increased the number oftenure-line faculty in the department to 5 (1 full professor, 3 associate professors, and 1 assistantprofessor). We also have two full-time faculty members in term positions as well as a full-timedirector of our physics labs.One of the fundamental purposes for engaging in our original study was that we had been seeinga decline in our enrollments (e.g. we had just one physics major graduate in the 2001 – 2002academic year, three in the 2002 – 2003 academic year, and two in the 2003 - 2004 academicyear). As a result of the changes made in our program since 2007, we have seen a steady rise inour