Conference Session

NSF Grantees' Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elaine P. Scott, Seattle Pacific University; Denise Wilson, University of Washington; Rebecca A. Bates, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

are imminent in the student’s career but courseobjectives broaden well beyond professional development. The “Mini” modules are briefoverviews or subsections of the full module topics, and consist of four or five slides for easyintegration. This paper focuses on the development and summary of these “Mini” modules.Professional Development “Mini” Modules“Mini” modules have been developed around three major topics: Educational Context;Professional Development; and, Engineering Ethics. The Educational Context “Mini” modulesexplore the development of engineering education through its history, the relationship betweenthe missions of the university and individual engineering departments, and the overallphilosophy of higher education. These modules

Conference Session

Community Engagement in Engineering Education: Program Models

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shoba Krishnan, Santa Clara University; Tonya Lynn Nilsson P.E., Santa Clara University

Tagged Divisions

Community Engagement Division

; providesinterdisciplinary projects of the students’ choice; and includes structured reflection as a keycourse component.This paper presents a case study on a global project where the students gained experienceworking for real world clients on problems with real world constraints and insight on howengineers impact and influence the world around them. The project was developed by theEngineers Without Borders (EWB) Student Chapter. The EWB students involved in this projectenrolled in the course to prepare for the non-technical components of the task including ethics,communication, and leadership. The course also addresses the engineering design process toassist students in applying their technical skills on the project.Through the use of study surveys and student

Conference Session

Assessment and Accreditation in Engineering Management

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maxwell Reid, Auckland University of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering

AC 2012-3134: ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT WITHIN AN UNDER-GRADUATE BACHELOR’S OF ENGINEERING (HONOURS) PROGRAMMEDr. Maxwell Reid, Auckland University of Technology Maxwell Reid lectures in telecommunications engineering, computer network engineering, engineering management, ethics, and sustainability. He has researched and published on ethics and sustainability in engineering education, technology education, the role of a university as a critic and conscience of society, the need for an engineering code of ethics, and the principles of ethical and values-based decision-making in engineering. He has also published on effective teaching methodologies for engineering education in the post-modern period. Reid is the Deputy

Conference Session

Before and After: Matriculants and Alumni

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Irene B. Mena, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Sarah E. Zappe, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Thomas A. Litzinger, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

research interests include integrating creativity into the engineering curriculum, development in- struments to measure the engineering professional skills, and using qualitative data to enhance response process validity of tests and instruments.Dr. Thomas A. Litzinger, Pennsylvania State University, University Park Page 25.1062.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Preparing the Engineer of 2020: Analysis of Alumni DataThe College of Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University aspires to educate engineers of2020: engineers who are innovative, ethical, and good

Conference Session

Student Learning and Teamwork

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan H. Sarapin M.A., Purdue University; Marilyn A. Dyrud, Oregon Institute of Technology; Marvin I. Sarapin, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

activities.Dr. Marilyn A. Dyrud, Oregon Institute of Technology Marilyn Dyrud is a Full Professor in the Communication Department at Oregon Institute of Technology and regularly teaches classes in business and technical writing, public speaking, rhetoric, and ethics. She is part of the faculty team for the Civil Engineering Department’s integrated senior project. She is active in ASEE as a regular presenter, moderator, and paper reviewer. She has also served as her Campus’ Representative for 17 years, as Chair of the Pacific Northwest Section, and as section newsletter Editor. She was named an ASEE Fellow in 2008, and two years later received the McGraw Award. Currently, she is on two division boards, Engineering Technology

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment III

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig W. Somerton, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

at Michigan State University strives for its graduates toacquire the abilities and attributes listed below by integrating the knowledge and skills acquiredin a diverse set of courses, through the culture of the program, and the attitude of the programfaculty. a. Apply the knowledge of basic mathematics, science, and engineering b. Design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data c. Design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability d. Function on multidisciplinary teams e. Identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems f. Understand

Conference Session

International Engineering Education: Developments, Innovations, Implementations, and Pedagogical Challenges in Engineering Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Muge Mukaddes Darwish, Texas Tech University; Ali Nejat, Texas Tech University; Tewodros Ghebrab, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

International

UniversityDr. Tewodros Ghebrab, Texas Tech University Assistant Professor of construction engineering Page 25.674.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Globalization and the New Challenges for Construction Engineering EducationAbstractThe world has been transformed in past decades by a phenomenon affecting us all, what we callglobalization. Globalization brought a critical inquiry into the shifting ground of ethical thoughtin the changing climate of the global economy. The need to educate engineering students on howto work in a globalized

Conference Session

ECE Curriculum Improvement

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip A. Mlsna, Northern Arizona University; Niranjan Venkatraman, Northern Arizona University; Sheryl L. Howard, Northern Arizona University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2012-4405: ECE CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT TO INCORPORATEGLOBAL LEARNINGDr. Phillip A. Mlsna, Northern Arizona University Phillip Mlsna is currently an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Northern Arizona University. His primary research interests are in image processing, computer vision, engineering education, and academic ethics. He has extensive experience as a Computer Hardware Engineer at Hewlett-Packard.Dr. Niranjan Venkatraman, Northern Arizona University Niranjan Venkatraman obtained his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 2004, and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical

Conference Session

Panel: Infusing Professional Skills Development into Co-op Student Work Assignments

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John (Jack) Anthony Selter, University of Central Florida

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

2 categories: “Engineering Skills” and “Professional in the WorkplaceSkills.”Engineering Skills Professional In the Workplace Skills• (a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, • (d) an ability to function on multidisciplinary science, and engineering; teams;• (b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, • (f) an understanding of professional and ethical as well as to analyze and interpret data; responsibility;• (c) an ability to design a system, component, or • (g) an ability to communicate effectively; process to meet desired needs within realistic • (h) the broad education necessary to understand constraints such as economic

Conference Session

FPD VIII: Crossing Bridges and Easing Transitions into the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amber Kemppainen, Michigan Technological University; Gretchen L. Hein, Michigan Technological University; Ruth Archer, Michigan Technological University; Meral Jackson, Michigan Technological University; Mary A. Fraley, Michigan Technological University; Crystal Lynn Payment, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

/model/test process in ENG1100. The course topics (statistics, ethics,communication, etc) are often tied into the design project to create continuity in the courses. Page 25.129.3 Enter Michigan Tech First-Year Engineering Program Pre-Calculus-Ready Engineering Track Calculus-Ready Engineering Track ENG1001 Topics ENG1101 Topics  Technical Communication  Technical Communication  Engineering Design (Project

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; John-David S. Yoder, Ohio Northern University; Briana B. Morrison, Southern Polytechnic State University; Fong K. Mak, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Page 25.755.7approach had the unwanted side effect of making these component elements appear to berequired portions of the FCAR document, regardless of whether or not the course in questionaddressed this material. In particular, in a study of FCARs retrieved via an internet search, it wasobserved in several cases the example FCAR document presented at the two aforementionedvenues was copied verbatim, including the Ethics and Communications Components. Althoughthe given conference presentations stated that components were to be included only when therewas something to report, these programs would mention these components, then state that thesecomponents did not apply to the course; it is also possible that some components that shouldhave been

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development and Distance Learning Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig G. Downing, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Continuing Professional Development

possessing active certificates to complete thirty (30)hours of continuing education in order to renew his or her Professional Engineer registration. Inaddition, the legislation stipulated that continuing education acquired every biennium mustinclude at least one hour of instruction on ethics as well as Indiana statutes and rules applicableto the practice of professional engineering.During the fall of 2010, in response to alumni in search of options for satisfying the newrequirement, the Department of Engineering Management (EMGT) at Rose-Hulman Institute ofTechnology (RHIT) presented a solution and began offering a short course entitled EngineeringEthics: An Overview of Ethics and Indiana Statutes and Rules for Professional Engineers

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Isabel Huff, Smith College; Glenn W. Ellis, Smith College; Lucy McAuliffe, Smith College; Sonia K. Ellis, Smith College; Beth McGinnis-Cavanaugh, Springfield Technical Community College

Tagged Divisions

Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

selectivemutism that prevents her from talking about what she knows. Sadina works with her friends todesign a robotic cat that can communicate with and Maddie record her answers to questions Page 25.531.4about the crime. In the process of building the cat and solving the mystery, Sadina and herfriends learn about brainstorming, respect, teamwork, and communication. They also findthemselves involved in ethical dilemmas that parallel the kinds of situations that professionalengineers and technologically literate citizens might face.11The novel introduces middle school students to different kinds of technology (such as artificialintelligence) and also to

Conference Session

Accreditation and Outcomes-based Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donna M. Riley, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

AC 2012-4282: AIDING AND ABETING: THE BANKRUPTCY OF OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION AS A CHANGE STRATEGYDr. Donna M. Riley, Smith College Donna Riley is Associate Professor and a founding faculty member in the Picker Engineering Program at Smith College. Her research interests include liberative pedagogies, engineering ethics, engineering and social justice, and exclusionary structures of power in engineering education. Page 25.141.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Aiding and ABETing: The Bankruptcy of Outcomes-Based Education as a

Conference Session

Engineering Management Applications

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gene Dixon, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering

studentdevelopment. Those student development areas are: Knowledge (Critical Thinker), Relationships(Mentor), Ethics (Active Citizen), Well-being (Healthy Individual), and Service (Catalyst forPositive Change). By identifying these development areas, in the framework the university seeksto nurture personal leadership development within individuals as they interface with and interactwith their peers and the community, university and civic. The adapted model is shown in Figure3. The “pillars” serve as linkages between the university’s values and leadership identitydevelopment in a way that reflects the mission of the university in preparing students for their

Conference Session

NSF Grantees' Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Larry J. Shuman, University of Pittsburgh; Mary E. Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Karen M. Bursic, University of Pittsburgh; Natasa S. Vidic, University of Pittsburgh; Nora Siewiorek, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

AC 2012-3847: CCLI: MODEL ELICITING ACTIVITIESDr. Larry J. Shuman, University of Pittsburgh Larry J. Shuman is Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and professor of industrial engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on improving the engineering education experience with an emphasis on assessment of design and problem solving, and the study of the ethical behavior of engineers and engineering managers. A former Senior Editor of the Journal of Engineering Education, Shuman is the Founding Editor of Advances in Engineering Education. He has published widely in engineering education literature, and is co-author of Engineering Ethics: Balancing Cost

Conference Session

Expanding Access and Opportunities for M/30

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela R. Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

, and math; or based on the maximum rank minus minimum rank were:sustainability, ethics, math, and breadth. Finally, among environmental engineering students thegreatest differences of opinion based on the standard deviation of the average ranking were forthe natural science, material science, math, and mechanics; or based on difference in themaximum and minimum rank were: math and communication. Differences in the perceptions ofsenior students based on Likert-scale ratings were also determined from graduating seniorsurveys administered by the College of Engineering. In addition, the Fundamentals ofEngineering (FE) exam is required for students in all three majors, and the results werecompared. Recognizing similarities and differences points to

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Victor P. Nelson, Auburn University; John Y. Hung, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

design systems containing both hardware and software. Inaddition, there is significant emphasis on interpersonal skills needed for professional practice,including written and oral communication, documenting engineering work, multidisciplinaryteamwork, and engineering ethics. The EE and CPE courses were originally taught separately.However, three years ago it was determined that the two courses had evolved to where they hadsimilar goals, projects, and outcome assessments. Therefore, the decision was made to combinethese into a single course, in which EE students are normally paired with CPE students in two- Page 25.1183.2person teams. The separate

Conference Session

Accreditation and Outcomes-based Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amy E. Slaton, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

. ABET has often stated its commitment to such socially desirable aims.Drawing on the sociology of knowledge and related methods of studying the institutionalconservatism of performance standards, we may recognize the challenges to change inherent inoutcomes-focused education and increase the likelihood of achieving those aims.IntroductionThis paper considers a tension inherent in higher engineering education in the United States. Onone hand, the discipline has for many generations stated its commitment to societal betterment,ethical responsibility, and democratic ideals. The improved health and safety of the public,responsible business conduct, and more recent issues such as environmental sustainability areamong such ideals. These are the aims

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sara Hooshangi, George Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Continuing Professional Development

skills that are desired in a competitive jobmarket.We have created a curriculum that couples a series of foundation courses in science andtechnology with complimentary courses in business/entrepreneurship, energy/environmentalsciences and technology ethics. Students also have the opportunity to take specialized courses inInformation Systems Technology or Biotechnology tracks during their senior year. Figure 1represents a comparison view of a traditional academic program versus a more multidisciplinaryapproach to a technical education.(A) (B)   Biology   Engineering Science

Conference Session

Accreditation and Outcomes-based Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jens Kabo, Chalmers University of Technology; Xiaofeng Tang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Dean Nieusma, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; John Currie, University of Sydney; Hu Wenlong, Beihang University; Caroline Baillie, University of Western Australia

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

/interpersonal skills”). • Each document includes capabilities related to what we classify as “social analytic skills,” such as ethical reasoning, understanding of global and local contexts, or political awareness.As our main interests are how a) “the social” and b) the relation between “the social” and “thetechnical” are represented, our attention now shifts to an assessment of how these features aremanifest in the accreditation documents. For the most part, professional/interpersonal skills areconceptually straightforward in the accreditation documents, and there is agreement that goodcommunication and teamwork skills are core competencies for engineers (even if the attributesof these skills are less-clearly specified). While we acknowledge

Conference Session

Stakeholder Perspectives on Community Engagement in Engineering Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nathan E. Canney, University of Colorado, Boulder; Angela R. Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Community Engagement Division

of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engi- neering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, since 1996. She has taught first-year introductory courses, senior capstone design, and specialty senior-level/graduate courses in environmental engineering. Her research interests in engineering education have focused on service learning, sustainability, and ethics. Page 25.558.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Engineering Students’ Views of the Role of Engineering in SocietyAbstractA developed sense of social responsibility

Conference Session

Going Viral: Effective Instructional Techniques in an Online Environment

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Norb Delatte, Cleveland State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

Engineering Education, 2012 Educational Materials Development and Assessment for Engineering History and HeritageAbstractThis paper summarizes the development and the first offering of a new course at Cleveland StateUniversity, ESC 200 Engineering History and Heritage. The student response to the first courseoffering was highly encouraging. Student survey results indicated that the course seemed to beeffective at addressing a number of important ABET student outcomes. Rather than teachingengineering history per se, the course teaches engineering through historical case studies. Thecourse provides an opportunity to integrate professional and ethical responsibility, impacts ofengineering solutions, sustainability

Conference Session

Model Eliciting Activities

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary E. Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University; Larry J. Shuman, University of Pittsburgh; John Anthony Christ, U.S. Air Force Academy; Ronald L. Miller, Colorado School of Mines; Tamara J. Moore, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

study of the ethical behavior of engineers and engineering managers. A former Senior Editor of the Journal of Engineering Education, Shuman is the Founding Editor of Advances in Engineering Education. He has published widely in engineering education literature, and is co-author of Engineering Ethics: Balancing Cost, Schedule and Risk - Lessons Learned from the Space Shuttle (Cambridge University Press). He received his Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University in operations research and a B.S.E.E. from the University of Cincinnati. Shuman is an ASEE Fellow.Dr. John Anthony Christ, U.S. Air Force AcademyDr. Ronald L. Miller, Colorado School of Mines Ronald L. Miller is a professor of chemical engineering and Director

Conference Session

STS Perspectives on Engineering Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wesley Marshall P.E., University of Colorado, Denver; Michael Tang, University of Colorado, Denver; Stephan A. Durham, University of Colorado, Denver

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

step into questions of how we transition from a very abstract,linear, literate type of medium to the medium that we are dealing with today, which isinteractive, multimedia, and multisensory. For example, how is the message of multimediadifferent that the message of a printed book? The course was also developed to highlightmulticultural diversity in order to help satisfy the core curriculum and ethics requirements ofmany engineering majors. This component of the course directs student focus and inquiry intotimely issues such as: • How do diversity, science, and technology interrelate; • How do gender, science, and technology interrelate; and • How do science, technology, and creativity interrelate? The second course

Conference Session

FPD IV: Innovative Curriculum Elements of Successful First-year Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John C. Moosbrugger, Clarkson University; Jan DeWaters, Clarkson University; Melissa Carole Richards, Clarkson University; Elisabeth A. Chapman, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

on Engineering and Society for First-Year Engineering Students and Non-MajorsAbstractA course designed for first-year engineering students and non-majors was conceived, piloted andtaught over the course of two semesters. The course addresses the engineering design process,including a hands-on project, engineering ethics, and engineering and society content. This paperdescribes the course and the instructors’ experience teaching it, and reports on an initial study ofchanges in student perceptions in the course using a single group, pre-test/post-test design.Background and IntroductionClarkson University is a small, technologically-focused, research university comprised of threeschools – Engineering, Arts and

Conference Session

Capstone Courses in Construction

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vivek Sharma, Texas State University, San Marcos; Vedaraman Sriraman, Texas State University, San Marcos

Tagged Divisions

Construction

industry. This new capstone course’s focus is on commercial construction.BackgroundBefore the design could be undertaken we sought the input of the IAB, consulted with the criteriaof accrediting agencies, and reviewed prior work in this area so as to be informed by “bestpractices” elsewhere. A survey of other reported capstone courses revealed the followingemphases in other programs: • student awareness of ethics and environmental issues in the industry3, • development of critical thinking, leadership, and communication skills4, • understand new business process, understand concepts of research and innovation to improve a business, put together a construction services proposal, and use information technology in

Conference Session

Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah Kathryn Bauer, Rowan University; Andrea Rose McFarland, Rowan University; Mary M. Staehle, Rowan University; Kauser Jahan, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

semester is focused on engineeringmeasurements, introductory engineering principles, and transitioning to the universityenvironment. Common lecture topics include: unit conversion, note taking, problem solving,engineering judgment, and ethics. Laboratory components in the fall semester expose students tothe four major engineering disciplines offered at Rowan University. Ideally, students in eachsection perform three laboratory activities in each discipline, although each individual instructormay select experiments in alternate proportions. Examples of laboratory activities that Freshman Page 25.1467.4Engineering Clinic I students have completed

Conference Session

Expanding Access and Opportunities for M/30

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brock E. Barry P.E., U.S. Military Academy; Scott M. Katalenich, U.S. Military Academy; Brad C. McCoy, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

AC 2012-3050: STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE CIVIL ENGINEER-ING BODY OF KNOWLEDGEDr. Brock E. Barry P.E., U.S. Military Academy Brock Barry is a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy. His primary teaching responsibilities are in the areas of engineering mechanics and soil mechanics. Barry holds a Ph.D. in engineering education from Purdue University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and has 10-years of professional experience. Barry’s areas of research include applied professional ethics, identity development, non-verbal communication, and education policy.Major Scott M. Katalenich, U.S. Military Academy Scott Katalenich is an instructor in the Department

Conference Session

Engineering Education Ties and Engineering Programs in the Middle East and Latin America

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lourdes Gazca, Universidad de las Américas, Puebla; Aurelio Lopez-Malo, Universidad de las Américas, Puebla; Enrique Palou, Universidad de las Américas, Puebla

Tagged Divisions

International

graduates ofundergraduate programs.Of the thirteen learning outcomes established by the ES15, eleven are the ABET Criterion 3 (a-k)program outcomes and the other two were added by the school. Then the thirteen learningoutcomes that were evaluated in this research are: 1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering. 2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data 3. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs. 4. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams 5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. 6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. 7. An ability to communicate effectively