Conference Session

Mechanics, Hands-on Demo - Show & Tell!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sinead C. MacNamara, Syracuse University; Joan V. Dannenhoffer P.E., Syracuse University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

courses have onstudents’ perceptions of engineering. This paper presents the results of this evaluation,alongside student performance data, student response data and faculty observations.1. BackgroundStudies into acculturation of engineering students are rare, but studies of retention offer aglimpse into the aspects of engineering education that most impact students’ happinesswith their choice of major, and into the student characteristics and skills that mostinfluence persistence and success for students in engineering programs. It is generallyacknowledged that high math and science barriers in the first two years of undergraduatestudy contribute to attrition, but it is also argued that more creative students becomefrustrated by a lack of “big

Conference Session

Mechanics, Hands-on Demo - Show & Tell!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carrie J. McClelland P.E., Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

issues, at a global scale. In addition, technology and other aspects of society arechanging rapidly. Therefore the skills and knowledge that students attain in college need toprovide a foundation that will allow for them to be competent in a globalized, challenging, fluidprofession.1 Therefore, not only will they need to be competent with current knowledge, theyneed to also learn how to learn so that they can continue to stay up to date as technology andother aspects of society continue to rapidly change. These challenges in combination withenrollment that continues to increase caused the author to re-structure how a large, lecture-based,sophomore level fluid mechanics course was being taught.The philosophy of the re-structured course centers on

Conference Session

Mechanics, Hands-on Demo - Show & Tell!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edward J. Berger, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

. Enterprise solutions for knowledge management presentapproaches to capture and archive an organization’s institutional knowledge from its systems,employees, and partners, and to operationalize that knowledge in the organization’s everydaypractice (Shahnaqaz et al. 1 , and the explosion of knowledge management journals in the past 10years 2 ). But a more accessible example of genomic thinking comes from pop culture: the MusicGenome Project 3 . Page 23.753.2About ten years ago, a group of music performers, experts, and enthusiasts came together with thegoal of creating “the most comprehensive analysis of music ever.” They defined hundreds ofmusical

Conference Session

Statics - They can move at constant velocity!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sean Moseley, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Shannon M. Sipes, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Engineering Education, 2013 Initial Investigation into the Effect of Homework Solution Media on Fundamental Statics ComprehensionIntroductionSolutions to homework assignments are provided in many engineering science classes as amethod of helping students see a “correct” solution procedure for the assigned problems. Thiswork describes an initial investigation into the effectiveness of providing homework solutions indifferent media. Specifically, homework solutions are presented as either static PDFs of acompleted analysis (Treatment 1) or annotated videos (sometimes called “screencasts”) of theanalysis being developed (Treatment 2). Student performance on a pre/post Statics ConceptInventory and self-reported survey results

Conference Session

Dynamics - Wow! They accelerate

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University; James M Widmann, California Polytechnic State University; Michael J. Prince, Bucknell University; Jeffrey Georgette

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

based courses resulted in an 8.5% largernormalized gain on the DCI than traditional instruction (see Table 1). Additionally, activeengagement methods of instruction may not only result in higher conceptual understanding, buthave also been shown to result in equivalent or sometimes better quantitative problem solvingskills14-16. Page 23.761.3Table 1. Total pre and post DCI scores for Active Learning and Traditional classrooms. Overall Overall # of Students Post Average

Conference Session

Statics & Strength of Materials - A nice couple

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Boedo, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE); Elizabeth A. DeBartolo, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE); Matthew Kasemer, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

on specimens that are subjected to relatively low stress situations where the cyclicdeformation is entirely elastic. Cyclic loading in the plastic region results in low cycle count tofailure. Low cycle fatigue is a strain based theory that better represents the behavior of materialssubjected to cyclic loading resulting in plastic deformation. Low cycle fatigue theory takes intoaccount both the elastic and plastic strain, while high cycle fatigue theory ignores plasticity. Atypical strain-life plot is seen in Figure 1, with the elastic strain (Δεe), plastic strain (Δεp), andtotal strain(Δε) curves shown, along with a line marking the transition life, where the fatiguefailure mode changes from elastic-dominant to plastic-dominant

Conference Session

Statics - They can move at constant velocity!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Y Tsai, University of Colorado at Boulder; Daria A Kotys-Schwartz, University of Colorado Boulder; Michael Patrick Hannigan, University of Colorado - Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

, clamps, trees, desk chairs, and other objects.In fall 2012, the pilot year of study implementation, the following two research questions wereamong those examined: 1. Does the use of body-based vs. traditional examples affect student confidence? 2. Does the use of body-based vs. traditional examples affect student conceptual knowledge?This paper presents the overall methodology and logistics for the study in its pilot year includingdetails on approach implementation, examples of active learning lesson plans of both Body-Based and Traditional recitation tracks, and preliminary findings based on gross comparison ofpre-/post- concept inventory and selected attitudinal survey categories.BackgroundThe details of course structure as well

Conference Session

Statics & Strength of Materials - A nice couple

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Aidsa Ivette Santiago Roman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Genock Portela-Gauthier, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Arturo Ponce, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Page 23.866.2“curricular strand”, which is a set of consecutive courses within a major. Although ourinterventions will take place only in Statics and Mechanics of Materials I, we will measurestudent progress in the subsequent courses Mechanics of Materials II and Structural Analysis toassess the lasting effectiveness of our approach.2. Description of New Course ModulesSeveral experts both at our institution and at others were polled as to what types of issues andproblems are important to address in the mechanics courses for students in the CivilEngineering/Structural Engineering track. Based on their responses and on practical issues, wedeveloped three new modules, summarized as follows:  Module 1: Slope of Road. In this module, assigned

Conference Session

Potpouri - A Mix

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Oai Ha, Utah State University; Ning Fang, Utah State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

conference proceedings, wereemployed to identify relevant papers.This paper presents definitions of the terms “computer simulation” and “computer animation.”Three important aspects of CSA modules and programs are described in great detail, including 1)web-based CSA modules and programs developed for engineering mechanics; 2) cognitiveaspects of interactive learning with web-based CSA modules and programs; and 3) developmentof interactive web-based CSA modules and programs. Based on relevant studies published in theliterature, this paper analyzes nine characteristics among published studies, including 1)commonly-reported student learning outcomes; 2) sample sizes; 3) area of study; 4) authoringtools, development software, and proprietary software on

Conference Session

Dynamics - Wow! They accelerate

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey L. Newcomer, Western Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

. This outcome has been clearly demonstrated by student performance on conceptual ques-tions.1-8 Too often students are either fixated on either force or moment equilibrium and applyonly that one equilibrium condition, react to contextual cues and apply the condition that contextinvokes, or conflate force and moment equilibrium into a single condition. It would seem tostand to reason that a student who understands what would happen to a rigid body under loadwhen it is not constrained to be static would have a better foundation upon which to build an un-derstanding of rigid bodies under load that are constrained to be static, and therefore would showimproved performance on traditional and conceptual statics problems.The belief is that if a

Conference Session

Dynamics - Wow! They accelerate

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sudhir Kaul, University of Mount Union; Pattabhi Sitaram, Baker College, Flint, MI

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

ABET1 outcomes ‘b’ and ‘k’. Although it may be arguedthat the inclusion of more learning outcomes may overburden the students and require them toallocate more time for this course, the feedback from students for the last two semesters has beengenerally positive. This paper provides the details of the curriculum and explains the rationalebehind the changes in a critical course for ME and CE students. It is expected that the curriculumwill lead to a broader discussion on the need to revamp critical courses in the engineeringcurriculum in order to enhance student engagement, and in an attempt to improve studentretention in engineering.Keywords: Curriculum, Statics, Dynamics, Scaffolding.1. Introduction The relationship between student

Conference Session

Statics - They can move at constant velocity!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sirena C. Hargrove-Leak, Elon University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

are often introduced in statics courses.Referring to the example of a computer programming class in their book Overcoming Barriers toStudent Understanding: Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge, Meyer and Landaccurately summarize what happens as, “…students may grasp the concepts of class, objects,tables, arrays and recursion, but they may not appreciate the deeper threshold conception, theunderlying „game‟ as it were, of the interaction of all these elements in a process of ever-increasing complexity.” In a typical statics class, my experience has been that 1 of every 5students demonstrates a strong ability to solve complex problems, 1 of every 5 studentsdemonstrates a strong inability, and the rest fall somewhere in between. In an

Conference Session

Statics & Strength of Materials - A nice couple

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jamie Douglas, University of Wisconsin Colleges; Mark H Holdhusen, University of Wisconsin, Marathon County

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

aboutimplementation of the lab and its helpfulness in understanding mechanics of materials topics.IntroductionEngineering education is increasingly moving to nontraditional delivery modes, especially onlinedelivery. During the fall of 2009, over 5.6 million students were enrolled in at least one onlinecourse, a 21% increase over the previous year.1 As online education expands it is increasinglyimportant to ensure the quality of instruction is at least equivalent to that offered via traditionalmethods. In the online environment it is not only difficult to present complex engineeringconcepts, but it is a huge challenge to offer any experimental laboratory experiences. This paperreports on the development of a set of low-cost, hands-on lab experiments that can

Conference Session

Statics & Strength of Materials - A nice couple

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Somnath Chattopadhyay, Georgia Southern University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

using Styrofoam specimens ofsquare cross-section in which square grids were drawn along the faces of the specimen. Upontwisting the specimens take the shape as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Demonstration of warping in Styrofoam specimens in torsionWarping was further demonstrated by using the membrane analogy. Steel plates with a squarehole as well as a round hole were used. Rubber sheets were rigidly clamped at the edges of theholes and made to bulge by applying pressure from beneath the plate. The resulting bulges(torsional hills) for the circular and the square holes are shown in Figures 2 and 3 respectively. Page 23.115.3

Conference Session

Potpouri - A Mix

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Franco Capaldi, Merrimack College; Devin R. Berg, University of Wisconsin - Stout

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

manner in which education is delivered. Despite this, it has been found that engineeringprograms have adapted to online educational methods at a significantly lower rate than otherdiscipline areas2. This may be attributed to the deficiencies of existing online learning systemsincluding 1) constraining student responses to quantities the system explicitly asks for, 2)constraining the way in which students must enter their answers, and 3) an inability to discernthe incorrect components of a student’s answer.A next generation online learning system has been developed at Merrimack College with thegoal of revolutionizing online engineering education by “understanding a subject” rather thansimply delivering content. The software delivers content in an

Conference Session

Potpouri - A Mix

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott F. Kiefer, York College of Pennsylvania; Stephen N Kuchnicki, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

describes the details of usingproject-based learning. It explains through examples how project-based learning can be aneffective way to better connect good students to mechanical engineering and produce highquality mechanical engineers ready to solve mechanical design problems. Second, it discussesthe issue of insuring that the project-based learning projects are achieving the desired outcome—good design engineers not tinkerers. Assessment is provided in the form of student feedback andindividual student project evaluation as judged by faculty and industry representatives. Ahistorical perspective of using project-based learning in two different mechanical design coursesis used to provide evidence as to some of the pitfalls that can arise.1

Conference Session

Statics - They can move at constant velocity!

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Abhijit Nagchaudhuri, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; Rajnish Sharma, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

) system and more recently (2007 fall) into an independent 4-year degree programoffering a bachelor of science degree with specialization options in aerospace, computerelectrical, and mechanical areas. Significant efforts were made to align the Statics course atUMES to integrate mechanics of material and design aspects following the reform efforts atUMCP [1] during the years that UMES offered a 4-year collaborative program with UMES.While the approach helps to frame Statics in the broader framework of engineering mechanicswith a design emphasis, with the development of the new independent engineering curriculum atUMES it was decided given the non-uniform preparation level of freshman and sophomoreengineering students at UMES to focus more on the

Conference Session

Dynamics - Wow! They accelerate

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Brown Bankhead III, Highline Community College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

one ofthe most diverse in our state. Over 70% of the engineering students who enrolled in engineeringmechanics for fall quarter 2012 spoke more than one language fluently. Many from this groupare immigrants and first generation college students. As a collective group, they have had verylittle exposure to mechanical systems. This limited exposure allows for conceptual gaps in theirunderstanding of mechanical systems. To address these conceptual gaps, we implement twoInteractive Engagement strategies. These strategies “promote conceptual understanding throughinteractive engagement of students in heads-on (always) and hands-on (usually) activities whichyield immediate feedback through discussion.” 1 The positive impact of student engagement

Conference Session

Potpouri - A Mix

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Franco Capaldi, Merrimack College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

record of effort involved or of partialprogress made in the solution of the problem. Determining the exact format expected by the software isdifficult. An informal discussion with professors using the online software systems indicated that manyprofessors found that scores for online homework did not correlated with student exam scores.Software DescriptionThe SGS system focuses on 1) providing three dimensional explorable problems, 2) providing students theability to test an intermediate step, solution, or extraneous hypothesis related to a problem, 3) automaticallygrading and assessing solutions.First, the ability to explore problems interactively in three dimensions is extremely important in anintroductory course. Students who graduate will go