Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alejandro Salado, The University of Arizona; David Herring, The University of Arizona

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

courseAbstractThis paper presents an innovative educational approach used in a sophomore systemsengineering course, where LEGO Mindstorms robots are integrated to accelerate theunderstanding of complex systems engineering concepts. While hands-on learning tools likeLEGO Mindstorms are often used in engineering education, our approach uniquely emphasizesthe unpredictability and complexity inherent in real-world systems engineering. Rather thanfocusing solely on technology or project completion, we incorporate controlled disruptionsduring exercises, such as modifying project requirements, changing team compositions, orremoving key components from the kits. These disruptions simulate dynamic environments,requiring students to adapt, manage resource limitations

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shamsnaz Virani Bhada, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Sarah E. Stanlick, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

support an engineering conceptdevelopment from cradle to grave. For SE students, that full life cycle planning and designhappens in their capstone course. The Systems Engineering Capstone class is usually taught asthe last course for any Master of Systems Engineering program. Within the class, students pursuea team project where they apply systems engineering methods to a specific problem. They thencreate the final deliverable with a systems engineering management plan. While students receivestrong technical training within this experience, ethical and justice-oriented skillsets andmindsets are lacking if not non-existent. For example, decolonization strategies – the ability tocritically examine systems and power differentials through systems

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 1

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rafic Bachnak, Marymount University; Abhilasha Mishra, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, The Capital College

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

. Therefore, the course included several systems engineering topics: thesystems engineering process; conceptional systems design; design requirements; integration andprototyping; testing, evaluation, and validation; design for reliability; design for maintainability;and design for affordability. The remainder of the course was organized to focus on thefollowing topics: Logical foundations of systems thinking; the Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD)technique; systems thinking for control systems; and systems thinking applied to problemsolving. Course activities included homework assignments, in-class essays, group discussions,and a final research project. The following table shows how student performance was evaluated.What sets this course apart from other

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Khadija Ishfaq Rana, University of Toronto; Emily Moore, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

, OntarioAbstractSurveys of bioengineering facilities within the bioeconomy highlight a limited diffusion ofsocio-technical knowledge and expertise about new innovations at the pilot and demonstrationscales, compared to technical knowledge. To improve on this, it is critical to develop awarenessamong new technology developers about different stakeholders within the bioeconomy, as wellas about the non-technical impacts of their work within a broader context. This paper describes aworkshop with graduate bioengineering researchers. The use of system mapping tools forimproving socio-technical knowledge diffusion at their bioengineering institute are evaluated.Participants were asked to describe the impacts of their research projects on non-technicalstakeholders using

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Abul K. M. Azad, Northern Illinois University; Jim Goodell, INFERable and IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee; Aaron Kessler Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Scotty D. Craig; Hamadou Saliah-Hassane ing., TELUQ University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

actively participates in various professional organizations, including IEEE, IET, ASEE, ISA, IAOE, and the CLAWAR Association. He has chaired numerous conferences and workshops in these fields. Additionally, he has served as a program evaluator for ABET and is involved in assessing research and development projects for funding agencies across the U.S., Europe, and Australia.Jim Goodell, INFERable and IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee Jim Goodell is editor and co-author of Learning Engineering Toolkit and Chair of the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee. He is founder of INFERable, a Public Benefit Corporation. He was Director of Innovation at Quality Information Partners where he helps lead

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Garrett Goodman, Miami University; Suman Bhunia, Miami University; Peter Jamieson, Miami University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

solve introductory problems.Then, at the Analyzing level, students must examine their output to determine if it matches theexpected output of the test cases as well as analyze why either it did or did not. Finally, at theCreating level, students must combine multiple principles, such as nested for loops within afunction, to address real-world problems. Thus, this course’s assessments nourish criticalthinking, problem-solving, and coding principles.Assessments in this course are all hands-on and are designed to coincide with the topic beingpresented immediately. Furthermore, each Lab and Project has a premise, such as “Creating anOnline Business Customer Management Program,” to provide real-world context for a particularprogramming principle

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 1

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Mendoza-Garcia, University of Florida; Andrea Goncher-Sevilla, University of Florida; Mengyu Li, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

. He teaches and investigates the development of professional skills such as problem-solving, systems thinking, and design thinking. He worked in Industry before transitioning to academia.Dr. Andrea Goncher-Sevilla, University of Florida Andrea Goncher is an Instructional Assistant Professor in Engineering Education at the University of Florida. She earned her PhD in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech and focuses on teaching and learning projects in human centered design and humanitarian engineering.Dr. Mengyu Li, University of Florida Mengyu Li is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at the University of Florida (UF). She teaches numerous

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 1

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark David Bedillion, Carnegie Mellon University; Laura Ochs Pottmeyer, Carnegie Mellon University; Karim Heinz Muci-Kuchler, Texas State University; Lynn Kojtek, Carnegie Mellon University; Anahita Emami; Cassandra M Birrenkott, South Dakota Mines

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

Seagate Technology. His research interests are in STEM education and control of mechatronic systems.Dr. Laura Ochs Pottmeyer, Carnegie Mellon University Laura Pottmeyer is a Data Science Research Associate at Carnegie Mellon University’s Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation. She consults with faculty members and graduate students on implementing educational research projects. SDr. Karim Heinz Muci-Kuchler, Texas State University Dr. Karim Muci-Kuchler is a Professor and Mechanical Engineering Program Coordinator at the Ingram School of Engineering of Texas State University. Before joining Texas State University, he was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Experimental

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 1

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amin Azad, University of Toronto; Emily Moore P.Eng., University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

Centre of Canada scaling up new materials and processes from the lab to manufacturing. In her 11 years at Xerox, Emily learned a great deal about leading teams and developing new products, becoming a manager and Principal Engineer. Emily then spent 10 years at Hatch, a global engineering firm serving the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors. Emily led international teams to develop new product and service offerings and to deliver major projects, first as the Director of Technology Development and then as Managing Director, Water. Emily was also the inaugural chair of Hatch’s Global Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Emily holds a Bachelor Degree in Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University and completed a

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division (SYS) Technical Session 1

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Micah Lande, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; Cassandra M Birrenkott, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; Hannah Benes, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; Annelise Larson, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; Mark David Bedillion, Carnegie Mellon University; Karim Heinz Muci-Kuchler, Texas State University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Division (SYS)

and reflection. Theseelements ensure that students move beyond passive learning to actively engage with the material.For example, in the paper airplane activity, students reflect on their design iterations to identifyimprovements, while in the Titan Submersible case study, they revise their stakeholderarguments based on peer feedback and initial outcomes. This process mirrors engineeringpractices, where iterative testing and stakeholder engagement are vital to project success.The scalability of these activities is another crucial feature of the framework. Designed to beadaptable to various classroom sizes and setups, the activities use low-cost materials, makingthem accessible to institutions with varying resources. For example, the wind-up