ProgramAbstract Research experiences for undergraduates have increased in availability at universities andgovernment laboratories throughout the nation. Government agencies, universities and privatedonors support these activities with a variety of expectations, including providing a more skilledworkforce, creating a greater emphasis on graduate education and increased retention of studentsin highly technical fields. While the value of these programs has been well-established, there is apaucity of empirically-based research on the various models and practices of these experiencesthat have the greatest impact on the students. The focus of this study was a National ScienceFoundation funded Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program at a 4
. Page 23.417.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 Development of A Mechatronics Studio Course in Mechanical EngineeringAbstract: This paper reports the development of a mechatronics studio course in MechanicalEngineering (ME) undergraduate program at Georgia Southern University. The course coversthree broad areas: mechatronic instrumentation, computer based data acquisition and analysis,and microcontroller programming and interfacing. This is a required 2-credit course in the MEprogram. The course is delivered in studio format for four contact hours per week with one hourof lecture and three hours of interactive session of problem solving and laboratory
andperformed several experiments with the aim of using them in mechanical engineering courses.During these activities, the URF was supervised by the second author. The aim was to use theseexperiments as parts of a laboratory program for courses like Strength of Materials and Design ofMachine Elements. In this way, students would gain necessary hands-on and real-worldexperience about concepts that would otherwise be abstract and intangible. These activities arecontinuations to those performed in the past1.The value of hands-on experiments and how they strengthen learning has been discussed in manyresearches. In a large scale, multi-year, randomized study the learning activities and outcomesfor hands-on, remotely operated, and simulation based
time we expressed our concern that thelaboratory work retains a hands-on experience, which was made possible with the CPLDadapter module that we designed, that allows for the use of a breadboard. We were alsoconcerned that our students quickly learn to use the CAD tools, which was made possible withthe tutorial7 that we authored.For our recent work, new lecture material involving hierarchy, propagation delay, and thepresentation of a CPLD structure was developed. New laboratory material was also developedto make use of these principles. The tutorial was expanded regarding these new topics, so thetutorial is not only useful in getting our students using the CAD tools, but it now serves as anindispensable reference throughout the semester. Our
Paper ID #8093Exploration of a Student Project in a Materials Processing CourseProf. Somnath Chattopadhyay, Georgia Southern University Page 23.577.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 EXPLORATION OF A STUDENT PROJECT IN A MATERIALS PROCESSING COURSEABSTRACTAs a part of the laboratory module for the junior level course in Materials Processing, a projecthas been introduced where the students work two hours every week for one semester. They areeach expected to fabricate a hacksaw from the
lower for women andunderrepresented minority students.Computing is becoming part and parcel of every industry, and industries need a trained workforce tomanage this new development. Engineering and technology graduates must have a comprehensivebackground covering a wider range of technical subjects. The graduates must be proficient in the use ofcomputers, engineering and scientific equipment, conducting experiments, collecting data, andeffectively presenting the results 4, 5, 6, 7. In addition to having a good training in their respectivedisciplines, all graduates must be well-trained in courses and laboratories dealing with computerprogramming; computer aided design; computer organization and architecture; and others
developed a two-semester course sequence for entry-level engineering students (i.e.freshmen and sophomores). The first semester is a 2-credit course, consisting of a 1-creditclassroom lecture and a 1-credit laboratory element; the second semester is a 1-credit laboratorycourse. The classroom portion is a seminar-style presentation of systems engineering tools suchas requirements flow, work breakdown structures, design drivers, trade studies and riskassessment. For the laboratory portion of both semesters, the students apply these tools inongoing student-led space projects: high-altitude balloon experiments, microgravity tests and aseries of student-built spacecraft. We believe that blending a subset of systems engineering toolswith small but real
State Berks Dr. Rungun Nathan is an associate professor in the division of engineering at Penn State-Berks. He got his B.S. from University of Mysore, his DIISc from Indian Institute of Science, his M.S. from Louisiana State University and his Ph.D. from Drexel University. He has worked in electronic packaging in C-DOT in India and then as a scientific assistant in the Robotics laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, India. He worked as a post-doc at University of Pennsylvania in the area of Haptics and Virtual Reality. His research interests are in the areas of unmanned vehicles particularly flapping flight, mechatronics, robotics, MEMS, virtual reality and haptics, and teaching with technology
” engineeringcourses throughout their entire engineering curriculum represents a new “authentic-learning”approach toward teaching engineering to students. Medical Schools and Law Schoolspredominantly use authentic learning, or experiential learning, techniques to teach our futuredoctors and lawyers.3 Engineering education has been slow to follow their lead in this regard,basing almost all instruction on lecture-based and laboratory-based teaching methodologies,rather than authentic learning methodologies. However, in the Spring semester of 2010, aneducational initiative was begun to determine the value of integrating semester-long, Project-Based Design Streams (PBDSs) into the entire electrical engineering curriculum. Due to theexceptional response by the
ofintegrated water distribution system education by providing laboratory modules and kits coupledwith a computational modeling tool for hydraulics and water quality simulation in waterdistribution systems. Seven function-adaptable kits and modules (4 basic and 3 integratedmodules) have been developed and tested. Using modules and lab exercises, students have hadthe opportunity to synthesize and interpret multiple information sources from lab exercise kitsand to utilize them in the building and calibrating of water quality simulations.IntroductionWater distribution systems are designed to provide water in sufficient quantities and acceptablequality to individual households, commercial properties, and industrial clients. Recently, theAmerican Water
engineering technical electives, one participated in a capstone designproject, and nearly all students conducted research in a faculty laboratory; no studentsparticipated in an engineering service project, industry internship, or formal clinical rotation asyet.The program supports eight (two at each of the four institutions out of country) studentexchanges per institution, 48 student exchanges total over the 4 year project duration. Theprogram is in its third year; none of the partner institutions have met this target allocation as yet.This may be attributed, at least in part, to the delayed completion of the MOU, personnelchanges affecting incoming student placement as well as recruitment of outgoing students,curriculum revisions affecting
, exploration, conclusion,and reflection. The four inquiry activities are designed to explore key relationships in batchdistillation involving pressure, heating rate, column internals, and reflux ratios, and to alsoconsider the safety and economic factors in batch distillation design and operation. The tutorialand activities (complete with suggested solutions) will be made available to faculty membersupon request while in the refinement and testing stages during fall 2013.IntroductionAs computers have become more capable of accurately simulating complex physical activity,traditional engineering laboratories have moved away from the laboratory and towards the virtualrealm. Using simulation, an exploratory approach to learning is not hampered by
students in authentic, ill-structured engineering tasks facilitates the development oftheir engineering skills.1-3To facilitate students’ authentic practice of these skills we have developed a learning systembased on virtual laboratories. In this learning system, student teams take on the role of processdevelopment engineers. They are tasked with finding suitable input parameters to be released tohigh volume manufacturing through experiments that are completed virtually. When studentsperform experiments, the lower cognitive demand affords them the opportunity to build a richexperimental design. While not instructed to do so, most student teams inevitably resort tomodeling as a tool to progress towards completion.Student team modeling practices are
analytical and theoretical background in these areas, she has also significant experience in laboratory Page 23.161.1 testing and instrumentation of resilient modulus and unsaturated soil characterization. Her contributions to pavement design has allowed for practical implementation of novel and complex approaches to fluid flow theory on unsaturated porous materials. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013An Engineering and Educational Technology Team Approach to IntroducingNew Unsaturated Soils Mechanics Material into Introductory Undergraduate Geotechnical
opportunities that cannot be taught in a class or laboratory. Cost andspace issues can be addressed by the current trend in engineering for miniaturization and micro-scale systems, systems that can be readily designed and prototyped by students.This paper discusses the development and implementation and educational outcome assessmentof two student projects using micro fluidic devices, involving a number of junior and seniorundergraduate students at our engineering technology program. The goal of the design projects isto explore and enhance students understanding of the fundamental engineering principles, andhands-on demonstration of system prototyping. Here we report two micro-fluidic projects whichexplore the principles of heat transfer as well as
NanomaterialsWe have recently developed a one-credit course designed for first-year students considering thenew major in Microsystems and Nanomaterials Engineering. It is based on a successful“Engineering Projects” course offered through our General Engineering department, which hassubsequently been made into a popular summer program for prospective students. The goal ofthis new course, which meets two laboratory hours per week, is to expose students to several ofthe important ideas and concepts in microsystems and nanotechnology, and to give them hands-on projects that will help them learn these multidisciplinary ideas. Further, the “ulterior motive”of this course is to inspire students to stay in engineering, and to give them a flavor of
: A Multidisciplinary Course in Mechanical Engineering Electrical EngineeringAbstractThis paper presents pedagogy and experiences in teaching system modeling and analysis as wellas feedback control systems in the engineering curriculum. The course is a requiredmultidisciplinary course to be offered at the junior level for both electrical and mechanicalengineering students. In addition, electrical engineering (EE) students and mechanicalengineering (ME) students who pursue an electrical engineering (EE) minor are required toconcurrently complete a laboratory course. But regular ME students who do not pursue an EEminor are not required to take the laboratory course. The motivation for offering thismultidisciplinary
EDUCATION Dhananjay Kumar, Devdas Pai, Courtney Lambeth, Robin Liles, Narayan Bhattarai North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC 27214ABSTRACTThis National Science Foundation supported Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE)project takes into account the need for a better integration of theory, experiment, andapplications. We have reported three different approaches toward enhancing undergraduatenanoscience and engineering education with an emphasis on devices and systems. We are usingthe practical approach of direct engagement of the students in ongoing research in our advancedmaterials laboratories. Our first activity for enhancing nanoscience and nanoengineeringeducation was to introduce simple concepts of
Tool, Die and Mold Making. The second year laboratory waslocated in a different, much newer facility than the original machining laboratory. The two yearassociate degree in Tool, Die and Mold Making was important to local industry, and therefore tothe college. Even though the need for Tool, Die and Mold Makers was a critical one, thenumbers were not large. Shortly after this program was implemented the largest employer ofprogram graduates had significant cutbacks. This did not cause the enrollment numbers to shrinkdramatically, but it did suggest that enrollment growth in this program would be limited. Inorder to best leverage available resources for the program, a complete redesign of thecombinations of course offerings, the physical
Paper ID #8225One Last Tool for Their Toolbox: Preparing Students for Capstone DesignDr. Barbara E. Marino, Loyola Marymount University Barbara E. Marino received the B.S.E.E. degree in 1989 from Marquette University, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1993 and 1996, respectively. In 1996 Dr. Marino joined the faculty at Loyola Marymount University where she currently serves as Associate Professor. Concurrent to this academic appointment Dr. Marino has been involved in research with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her interests are in the area of image processing
the individualcomponents and fabricate the PLC modules themselves.This manuscript discusses the need for including PLCs into the curriculum, and how thePLC modus modules discussed here are used in a course entitled Applied Process ControlEngineering which can briefly be described as a study of the fundamental concepts,devices, and applications of electronic components and controllers utilized on industrialequipment. Laboratory sessions focus on instrumentation, programming, downloading,and wiring discrete input / output devices.Specific Course Competencies of the course include the ability to: 1. Identify major applications of programmable logic controllers in industry, transportation, construction, and environmental
BerkleyNational Laboratory the importance of the energy efficiency services sector (EESS) to the U.S.economy is growing rapidly 3. Climate changes, issues regarding energy supply, a desire andperceived security need for energy independence, and uncertain but rising energy prices have ledto an increase in interest, funding and policies that support and promote energy efficiency inresidential, commercial and industrial buildings. The federal government and a number of stategovernments have also valued energy efficiency as an economic recovery strategy 4.As a result there has been significant growth in the energy efficiency services sector (EESS) inrecent years. According to a 2010 study the growth is projected to continue and to accelerateover the next ten
Paper ID #6680Waves of Engineering: Using a mini-wave flume to foster engineering literacyMs. Alicia L Lyman-Holt, Oregon State University Ms. Lyman-Holt has been the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory since 2005. She manages and leads the diverse outreach and education programing at the laboratory which serves over 5000 visitors per year, including K-12 students, undergraduate, graduate students, media outlets and the general public. She also takes the mini-flume ”on the road” to large public events, such as Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Engineering Week Family day
, decorations and sometimes non-player characteristics (NPC) to strengthen the environment’s immersive characteristics. The‘Hammer’ map editor, which is part of the ‘Source’ SDK, can resolve this issue. The map editorallows game developers to create their own game maps (in our context, the assembly factory orassembly training laboratory).The game engine layer for the virtual assembly environment is laid out by ‘Lua’ scripts toflexibly code the mechanical parts and assemblies, by modeling software to construct precisemechanical parts, and by the map editor to build a customized and professional environment.Figure 1 shows the software that was applied to develop the virtual assembly environment
, instructional goals, personal preferences, and educationalresources.The POGIL approach relies on inquiry-based, student-centered classrooms and laboratories thatenhance learning skills while insuring content mastery.7 POGIL is designed to replace traditionallecture-only methods by encouraging students to discuss course materials, rather than listening tothe instructor. Literature in the field of student learning indicates that the POGIL approach hasbeen effectively used in disciplines such as mathematics, biology, and chemistry for post-secondary education.3,4,7The innovative POGIL approach is a nationally tested and proven pedagogical strategy thatincorporates recent educational research on how students learn from kindergarten through post-secondary
schools: New Jersey Institute of Technology, PurdueUniversity and University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez). The goal of this educational partnershiphas been to develop and disseminate undergraduate materials related to pharmaceuticaltechnology and to seek ways to integrate this into the undergraduate engineering curriculum.1-3Pilot testing at X University, including the use of some of the materials in the FreshmanChemical Engineering course at the State University of New York-Stony Brook,4 has yieldedpositive assessment results. This work has resulted in the development of classroom problems,laboratory experiments and demonstrations that can be used throughout the undergraduateengineering curriculum and for K-12 outreach. The results have been
collegestudents interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science and engineering. Created in 2012,this multi-disciplinary summer undergraduate research program is hosted by three centers fundedby the National Science Foundation, Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science (E3S),Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems (COINS), and Synthetic Biology EngineeringResearch Center (SynBERC) at UC Berkeley. Together, these NSF-funded centers programobjectives are to provide TTE REU participants: 1) challenging science and engineering researchprojects in leading edge research laboratories; 2) advising to prepare students to transfer tocompetitive 4-year colleges/universities in science and engineering majors; 3) enrichmentactivities to build
to gain an in-depth, meaningful understanding of students’experiences. Data was analyzed from pre- and post-surveys and an exit interview to construct thecase study. A constant comparative method was used to develop conceptual themes thataddressed the research question. The community college students experienced self, perspective,support, knowledge, and relationship gains. This study concluded that the main reason for thegains were the multilevel support systems that was in place for them in the laboratories andreceived by their families throughout the duration of the program. Study implications are thatmore research universities should target community college students to apply to their REU.However, future studies are critical to develop
) research.Course BackgroundThe research project was integrated within BME 432 – Lab on a Chip, an upper-level electivecourse at Western New England University that introduces students to the theory and applicationof microfluidic systems in medicine and biology. In the first iteration of the course-basedlearning model, a standard lecture and laboratory approach was utilized to follow a logicalprogression from core concepts to applications of this emerging technical field (Table 1). Oncesufficient course material had been covered, a laboratory project was implemented that allowedstudents to design and fabricate a microfluidic mixer, which was one of the concepts introducedin the microfluidics section of the course. While the original laboratory project
incorporate new technologies throughout their career. The paperrelates not only the professor’s view of the experience but a student view as well.IntroductionNew paradigms are required for undergraduate teaching in Engineering and EngineeringTechnology that are “student centered” [1]. In forming these new directions within the laboratoryexperience, we need to rethink traditional methods to become more flexible and challenging tothe individual student. Accomplishing this requires a new method of delivery that is differentfrom the traditional laboratory instruction [2, 3, 9 and 10]. Allowing the student to use higher orderleaning including problem development, experimental planning and most importantimplementation all though the use of active learning