Conference Session

Focus on African-American and Hispanic Engineering Students’ Professional and Academic Development

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Denise Rutledge Simmons P.E., Virginia Tech; Glenda D. Young Collins, Virginia Tech; Stephanie G. Adams, Virginia Tech; Julie P. Martin, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

management experience working with public utility companies, a project management consulting company, and a software company. She is a registered professional engineer, project management professional and LEED accredited professional.. Her research interests are in in- vestigating students’ development of leadership skills and other professional competencies and in student involvement in co-curricular activities. Dr. Simmons is a NSF CAREER award winner for her research entitled, ”Investigating Co-Curricular Participation of Students Underrepresented in Engineering.”Ms. Glenda Young, Virginia Tech Glenda Young is a PhD student in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. She received a masters of

Conference Session

Addressing the NGSS, Part 3 of 3: Supporting High School Science Teachers in Engineering Pedagogy and Engineering-Science Connections

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erin Shaw, University of Southern California; Minh Tuan La, University of Southern California; Richard Phillips; Erin B. Reilly, University of Southern California Annenberg Innovation Lab

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

since high school when he attended Center for Advanced Technologies in Florida. His passion leads him to constantly ponder on how evolving technologies can be deployed to find it’s applicable usage. After completing his studies in USC, Minh pursues a career in Software Engineering.Richard Phillips Richard Phillips, University of Southern California Richard Phillips is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California majoring in Computer Science and Business Administration. He was a sophomore when he wrote this paper, and is expected to graduate in 2016. He plans on getting his Masters in Computer Science as part of USC Viterbi Engineering School’s progressive degree program in 2017. After

Conference Session

FPD 1: The Path to Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Noah Salzman, Purdue University, West Lafayette; George D. Ricco, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University and Central Queensland University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

differentactivities, some reported participating in as many as nine different pre-college engineeringprograms or activities.BackgroundThe National Academy of Engineering report Engineering in K-12 Education – Understandingthe Status and Improving the Prospects1 identifies five main benefits of K-12 engineeringeducation. These are 1) improved learning and achievement in science and mathematics, 2)increased awareness of engineering and the work of engineers, 3) understanding of and theability to do engineering design, 4) interest in pursuing engineering as a career, and 5) increasedtechnological literacy. This study focuses on pursuing engineering as a career, which typicallyrequires a 4-year college degree in engineering. While the other benefits of K-12

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tess Anne Hegedus, The University of North Carolina, Greensboro; Heidi B. Carlone, The University of North Carolina, Greensboro; Aundrea D. Carter, University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

’ perceptions of how they are positioned in relation to school’s definitions ofsmartness impact their longer-term interest and affiliation.Problematic perceptions of smartness have critical consequences for K-12 engineering. Manystudents and teachers have limited understanding of engineers’ work. For instance, some think ofengineering as more of a vocational career (e.g., people who train to be mechanics to work oncars or machinery)4. Others consider engineers as those with unusual skill and talent inmathematics and science versus those who have considerable creativity, ability to work well withothers, and communication skills5. Other literature points to “nerd” and “academic-achiever”identities as gatekeepers among student engineers at the university

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zhiqiang Wu, Wright State University; Bin Wang, Wright State University; Chi-Hao Cheng, Miami University; Deng Cao, Central State University; Ashraf Yaseen

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Wright State University in September 2000, where he is currently full professor of computer science and engineer- ing. His research interests include optical networks, real-time computing, mobile and wireless networks, cognitive radio networks, trust and information security, and semantic web. He is a recipient of the US Department of Energy Career Award. His research has been supported by US Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Research Laboratories, Ohio Supercomputer Center, and the State of Ohio.Prof. Chi-Hao Cheng, Miami UniversityDr. Deng Cao, Central State University Dr. Deng Cao received his Ph.D in Computer Science from West Virginia University

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacy S. Klein-Gardner, Harpeth Hall School and Vanderbilt University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Paper ID #8493STEM Summer Institute Increases Student and Parent Understanding of En-gineeringDr. Stacy S Klein-Gardner, Harpeth Hall School and Vanderbilt University Dr. Stacy Klein-Gardner began as the Director of the Center for STEM Education in April 2011 just as the Center began. An engineer by training and in her ways of thinking, she received a BSE in biomedical and electrical engineering from Duke University in 1991. She then earned her M.S. from Drexel University in 1993 and her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University in 1996. Dr. Klein-Gardner’s career focuses on K-12 science, technology

Conference Session

Developing the Design Skillset

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ibrahim Mohedas, University of Michigan; Shanna R. Daly, University of Michigan; Kathleen H. Sienko, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

healthcare challenges in resource-limited settings. Prof. Sienko has led efforts at the University of Michigan to incorporate the constraints of global health technologies within engineering design at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is the recipient of a CAREER Award from the National Sci- ence Foundation, a Teaching Innovation Prize from the UM Provost, and a UM Undergraduate Teaching Award. While at MIT, she was a winner of the MIT $50K Entrepreneurship Competition. Page 24.1126.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Student use of design ethnography

Conference Session

Gainful Employment: Preparing Technicians to Satisfy the Needs of Industry

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel M. Hull P.E., OP-TEC; Chrysanthos Andreas Panayiotou, Indian River State College

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

and department chair of the electronics and electrical power technology programs at Indian River State College and Brevard Community Col- lege where he created new courses and programs, updated curricula, and increased enrollment to full capacity. Chrysanthos authored two textbooks and six laboratory manuals in the areas of analog and digital electronics, and schematic capture and printed circuit board layout. Panayiotou started his career in industrial controls and automation and then transitioned to the telecommunications industry where he designed VHF and UHF networks. Panayiotou received his undergraduate electrical engineering degree from Higher Technical Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus. With the support from a

Conference Session

Laboratory Experiences with Signal Processing and Controls

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean Jiang, Purdue University, North Central

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

80% 3 - good 20% 2 - fair 0% 1 - unsatisfactory 0%As shown in Table 2, 80% of students gave an “excellent” rating during the evaluation while theremaining percentage obtained a “good” rating. The evaluation data shows promising results inwhich students continue to apply their gained DSP knowledge to their career development. It isvery encouraging to teach the real-time DSP in the engineering technology program. Real-timeimplementations play a great part in our ECE and ECET programs, therefore, our real-time audioproject showed the significant benefit to students, since they could experience the theoreticalmath being applied and

Conference Session

Curriculum & Student Enrollment II

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J. William White AIA, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Veto Matthew Ray, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Dan D. Koo, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

campusIntroductionThe demographics of students pursuing an undergraduate college degree within an urban-basednon-residential campus setting are remarkably different from those attending a traditional,residential campus. This is because not only does the student population reside almost entirelyoff-campus – scattered throughout a typically large, metropolitan area – but it often consists of agenerous portion of nontraditional students. Both of these defining characteristics present a“double edged sword” conundrum for the undergraduate college program. On the one hand, theypresent distinct attributes: the nontraditional student can enrich a classroom with his/her diverselife perspectives and career experiences. The non-residential student won’t be distracted by

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeremy Kingma, Washington State University; Eve A. Riskin, University of Washington; John B. Schneider, Washington State University; Robert G. Olsen, Washington State University; Sonya Cunningham, University of Washington; Dawn Wiggin, University of Washington ; Kirk A. Reinkens, Washington State University; Scott Winter, University of Washington

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

-Learning Community (LLC) yields a 25% better retention rate in STEM disciplines than other residence halls6. Both WSU and UW have LLCs in Engineering. All STARS students are encouraged to live in an Engineering LLC • Career Awareness and Vision: Activities designed to promote STARS students’ understanding of the engineering profession and a vision of themselves as engineers are integral to both the curricular and extracurricular components of STARS. • Financial Aid: At WSU, the 2012-2013 budget for an on-campus student is $27,302, of which $12,300 is for tuition and mandatory fees. At UW, the 2012-2013 budget for a student who lives on campus is $26,066, of which $12,383 is for tuition and mandatory

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary R. Anderson-Rowland, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

and retention. A SWE and ASEE Fellow, she is a frequent speaker on career opportunities and diversity in engineering. Page 24.1275.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Transfer Students: Lessons Learned Over 10 YearsAbstract.This paper will summarize the accomplishments of an NSF sponsored S-STEM program fortransfer students. This program had 97 students: 41.2% underrepresented minority, 28.9%female, and 60.8% either female and/or underrepresented minority. Therefore, this programoverrepresented minority engineering and computer science students in the university by

Conference Session

New Course Development Concepts in ET II

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tim Brower, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

single umbrella. The first two years of thecurriculum associated with the ME and MET programs are nearly identical, providing flexibilityto students who might be unsure of their career paths. The second cohort of MET students isgraduating in May 2014.The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of the collaboration between the E and ETprograms, particularly highlighting the curricula, and how a partnership such as this might beused as a template and extended into other venues.IntroductionColorado Mesa University (CMU), formerly known as Mesa State College, and the University ofColorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) entered into a partnership in February 2008 to deliver amechanical engineering (ME) program in its entirety in Grand Junction

Conference Session

College Industry Partnerships Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tim Dallas P.E., Texas Tech University; Tanja Karp, Texas Tech University; Brian Steven Nutter; Yu-Chun Donald Lie, Texas Tech University; Richard O. Gale, Texas Tech University; Ron Cox; Stephen B. Bayne, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

College Industry Partnerships

results collected during the internship are analyzed, written-up, and presented for the thesis.Although this is an ideal arrangement in many respects, when the subject matter is competition-sensitive, it can place obstacles in the path of student publication. We have reached a workablesolution by embargoing select thesis publication on a year-by-year basis with companyoversight. PSPE students enroll in a seminar that has been designed to better prepare them forcorporate culture and expectations. Two of the PSPE related faculty had extensive careers withTI prior to joining the faculty at TTU. Their insights and experiences are conveyed during theseminar. In addition, students who have already interned present their experiences to the newstudents

Conference Session

Summer and Cohort Programs for Minorities: Student Success

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tonya Lynette Smith-Jackson, NC A&T State University; Brianna Shani Benedict, Industrial & Systems Engineering; Garner Ted Stewart II, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering; Elaine Smith Vinson, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

the POs were one female senior and one male junior; both wereAfrican American and ranked in the top 5% of their respective cohorts (the GPA requirement toparticipate in ISEAmP is 3.0 or higher). Both possessed great ‘people skills,’ had previousinternship experience, registered with Career Services, and held leadership positions in theInstitute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), Alpha Pi Mu (ISE's Honor Society), Society of WomenEngineers (SWE), and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Active participation inorganizations or professional societies are a requirement to serve as an ambassador in ISEAmP.Training.The Undergraduate Advisor and Department Chair met with the POs weekly for anhour. The POs kept a journal of all meetings and

Conference Session

Summer and Cohort Programs for Minorities: Student Success

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Walter C. Lee, Virginia Tech; Christina Seimetz Wade, Virginia Tech; Catherine T. Amelink, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

high school seniors to college freshmen, the first year of engineering iscritical. In an attempt to facilitate this transition and motivate students as they begin theiracademic careers, many colleges provide summer bridge programs [1]. Summer bridge programsaim to provide incoming students with early contact and enriching experiences believed tofacilitate the acquisition of the skills needed to be successful in college. However, students canhave varying experiences even if they participate in the same activities. Since studies focusing onsummer bridge programs are typically quantitative and primarily focus on academic performanceand retention [2, 3], we know little about how these experiences vary and the many different waysstudents may

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven W. Villachica, Boise State University; Donald Plumlee, Boise State University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

the one hand, effective onboardingimproves time to productivity, customer satisfaction, and retention rates[7]. On the other hand,one-third of organizations in the U.S. do not even provide even minimal orientation programs fortheir new employees[8]. Only 30 percent of surveyed global executives reported that they aresatisfied with their employers’ onboarding processes for new hires[9].Faced with less than adequate onboarding support, freshouts often experience anxiety anduncertainty with regard to their roles, tasks, and career prospects in the organization[5]. Whilethe rate of annual freshout engineer turnover in the U.S. is unknown, survey results indicate that,within four years of graduation, 64 percent of graduates remain in engineering

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Programs and Curricula

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert W. Fletcher, Lawrence Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

, career services and employers are also reviewed.Lastly, documented feedback from students is also provided that give their perspective on theprogram.Introduction:In the fall of 2011 Lawrence Technological University launched a new Bachelor of Science inRobotics Engineering degree. This degree is currently managed and administered in the A. LeonLinton Department of Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Tech, and was done so because themechanical engineering department has the most experience at the university with administeringnew engineering programs, has the most faculty involved in robotics research, and was formally Page 24.1195.2asked by the

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William E. Howard, East Carolina University; Odis Hayden Griffin Jr. P.E., East Carolina University; Ihab Ragai, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

from an Internet sourceand write a reflection summarizing the article and relating it to their careers. We have foundMachine Design magazine’s website12 in particular to be an excellent source for this type ofarticle. For outcome i, we found a white paper on non-linear analysis from SolidWorksCorporation13 to be appropriate. After completing the non-linear analysis assignment, we gavethe students the assignment as follows: In this assignment, we used tabulated results that have been available for many decades along with non-linear software that was not readily available to engineering graduates of only a few years ago. Without a doubt, you will need to keep learning throughout your career. Besides formal classes, trade

Conference Session

Continuing Professional Development Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farrokh Mistree, University of Oklahoma; Jitesh H. Panchal, Purdue University; Pradeep Kashinath Waychal, Innovation Centre, COEP

Tagged Divisions

Continuing Professional Development

, Berkeley in 1974. He has co-authored two textbooks, one monograph and more than 350 technical papers dealing with the design of mechanical, thermal and structural systems; ships and aircraft. His design experience spans the areas of mechanical, aeronautical, structural, and industrial engineering. He has taught courses in engineering design, naval architecture, solid mechanics, operations research and computer science. He has supervised 28 doctoral students and more than 50 master’s students, all of whom are well-placed around the world; 12 of his doctoral students are pursuing highly successful careers in academia. In addition, he has mentored two students, one master’s and one doctoral, who now own several for-profit

Conference Session

FPD 9: First-Year Projects

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Scott Moor, Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne; Stephen Heindel, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne; Yanfei Liu, Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

’ abilities but challenge them to reach for the top of that range” and 3. “Make connections to students’ interests and intended careers.”4In addition to key preparation for engineering practice, these three practices are also key formotivating students and preparing them for the rigors of studying engineering.The project described in this paper is designed to utilize these three approaches. The topic ofenergy harvesting from ambient renewable sources is very contemporary and of interest to mostbeginning engineering students. The hands on nature of the project and use of LEGO®s are alsoappealing to students. The project is conducted over six weeks using both in and out of classactivities. The diversity of topics, activities and settings utilized in

Conference Session

California on the Move: A Robust Array of Student Success Initiatives

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amelito G Enriquez, Canada College; Catherine Baker Lipe; Brandon Price

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

review Student Educational Plans, to discuss Page 24.529.6academic progress and problem areas, to help devise strategies to improve student performancein their classes, to help students get connected with resources, to provide career counseling, andto help students in completing applications for transfer to a four-year university, as well asapplying for scholarships and internships. At the end of the school year, students are asked toevaluate their faculty mentor to assess the mentor’s ability to help them with their educationaland career endeavors as well as to rate the mentor’s accessibility. Transferring students areinterviewed in depth about

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kemper Lewis, University at Buffalo, SUNY; Deborah A. Moore-Russo, University at Buffalo, SUNY; Ann F. McKenna, Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus; Phillip M. Cormier, SUNY - University at Buffalo; Amy M. Johnson, Arizona State University; Adam R. Carberry, Arizona State University; Wei Chen, Northwestern University; David W. Gatchell PhD, Northwestern University; Timothy W. Simpson, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Conrad Tucker, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Gül E. Okudan Kremer, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Sarah E. Zappe, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Steven B. Shooter, Bucknell University; Charles Kim, Bucknell University; Christopher B. Williams, Virginia Tech; Lisa D. McNair, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech; Joe Tranquillo, Bucknell University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Education, 2014 Paper ID #8971 Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1994. His research interests include product family and product platform design, product dissection, multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO), and addi- tive manufacturing, and he has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers to date. He teaches courses on Product Family Design, Concurrent Engineering, Mechanical Systems Design, and Product Dissection, and he serves as the Director of the Product Realization Minor in the College of Engineering. He is a recipient of the ASEE Fred Merryfield Design Award and a NSF Career Award. He has received

Conference Session

Industrial Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul C. Lynch, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA; Cynthia Bober, Penn State University; Jennifer Louise Mines, The Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering

agree at all)- 10 (I agree completely). A. The class topics interested me. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 B. The class focused material on “real-world” applications. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C. The skills I learned will be applicable to my future career. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 D. The course material was understandable. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 E. Grading procedures were clear. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 F. I received timely and productive feedback on my work. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 G. I knew my grade throughout the semester

Conference Session

Pedagogical Approaches in Construction Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jiong Hu, Texas State University, San Marcos; Araceli Martinez Ortiz, Texas State University, San Marcos; Vedaraman Sriraman, Texas State University, San Marcos

Tagged Divisions

Construction

career in engineering working with companies such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Microsoft, she pursued a Master’s degree in Education from Michigan State University. Later, Araceli completed a PhD in Engineering Education from Tufts University. She is also experienced in education policy and prior to joining the Professoriate, she was Director of Educator Preparation - focusing on STEM education projects at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In 2013, she was named Director of the Texas State University LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Re- search. Her research interests include studying the role of engineering as a curricular context and problem- based learning as an instructional

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez ; Aidsa I. Santiago-Román, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez ; Genock Portela-Gauthier, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

of manual or spreadsheet calculations to verify the resultsfrom simulations in SAP2000. Overall, we believe that from a the perspective of “engineeringculture”, it is important to engage students at the earliest stage possible with the “real” tasks andhabits of engineers and engineering analysts at the earliest possible stage in their careers. Weintend that our project is an advance in eliciting such mature behaviors from students.2. Description of Simulation & Design Projects in MoM We expose students to simulation software and design codes in a sequence of four MoMprojects that are completed in groups of 3-4. The following is a description of each project.Project 1: This project is a re-visitation of a project initiated in the

Conference Session

Integration of Engineering and Other Disciplines (Including Liberal Arts)

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine Hennessey Wikoff, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Cynthia Wise Barnicki, Milwaukee School of Engineering; James R. Kieselburg II, Grohmann Museum at Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Multidisciplinary Engineering

into freshman-level humanities course and a junior-level technical course allowed students to make connections with what they learned earlier in their college careers. • Not insignificant is the fact that this interdisciplinary project brought together three people from very different academic areas to exchange ideas.The Museum - Contributions to the Synthesis of Art and EngineeringWhile the seeds may have been planted much earlier, the synthesis of art and engineering atMilwaukee School of Engineering formally began in 2001 with the gift of the Eckhart G. Page 24.784.2Grohmann Man at Work collection to the University

Conference Session

DEED Melange

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Courtney Pfluger, Northeastern University; Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

misconceptions, the overall benefit of gaining this technicalknowledge will have longer term benefits. The ability of students to familiarize themselves withcurrent technical advances through research will be a valuable tool moving forward in anyengineering career. Figure 6 provides a graphical visualization of the results from Question 3.Figure 6: Question 3 Assessment ResultsQuestion 4: Based on your experiences so far, do you think you have the ability to become anengineer?The goal of this lone first-year engineering course was to introduce students to engineeringdesign and how it utilizes talents from all aspects of a student’s academic repertoire. Manystudents come in apprehensive about their abilities to succeed and this question aimed to

Conference Session

FPD 7: Beyond Course Content

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan F Freeman, Northeastern University; Beverly Kris Jaeger, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

pieces are most effective in influencing,inspiring, and/or guiding our students into their particular pathways of engineering.At NU, the first-year engineering curriculum is fundamentally common for all majors andstudents take an Engineering Design course and a Problem Solving and Computation course in atwo-semester sequence. There is pressure for these two introductory engineering courses toaccomplish a myriad of things alongside content delivery, such as prepare students for thedemands of college, expose them to the engineering majors, provide relevant hands-on and real-world projects, develop algorithmic and critical thinking skills, and get them excited about theirengineering career path. There are a number and variety of projects

Conference Session

Teaching and Pedagogy Issues in Graduate Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Shaurette, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Randy R. Rapp, Purdue Building Construction Management Dept.

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

courses. It is likely that the synchronous nature of the courseworkhelps to pace the student’s work which in turn leads to course completion. On the other hand, thedirected project is a self-paced independent project without a pacing mechanism. The studentsenrolled in the distance MS program have family and career obligations competing for their time.After four semesters of intense coursework the students see the directed project as an obligationwithout a firm deadline. Distance education appeals to busy people. However, the burden can beoverwhelming. “Distance-education students tend to leave us because they are very busy, theirlives are crammed full of things, and suddenly they find themselves in a situation of having torethink their priorities