Conference Session

Student Development and Assessment in IE Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mahesh C. Aggarwal, Gannon University; Karinna M. Vernaza, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering

. Universities must continue to take an active role tostrengthen and grow these partnerships which provide benefits to all involved. Thispaper will focus on models established at a medium size Master’s I Institution. GannonUniversity has established programs in collaboration with local industry that have provento achieve the following objectives: (1) to establish an academia-industry collaborativegraduate program and a Graduate Research Program (GRP), (2) to demonstrate theeffectiveness of programs as a strategy to build up a talent pool of engineeringprofessionals, and (3) to extend the pipeline for engineering professionals who enterexisting leadership programs at local industries.This paper presents general models by which universities approach these

Conference Session

Projects in Instrumentation and Control

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Akram Hossain, Purdue University, Calumet; Tanima Zaman, Purdue University Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

should always be taken under consideration, (1) the screen must be able to holdoperator’s attention with maximum display clarity and (2) the design must allow a person withno training or little experience to be able to successfully operate a machine.In this paper we are focusing on a few fundamental factors critical to HMI touch-screen displaydesign. The objective here is to provide design guidelines to accomplish an effective HMI whichwill enable its operators to operate in a very user friendly way with maximum operationalsimplicity.Screen LayoutProper screen layout is very important for a good HMI display. Generally, a human operatorscans an HMI screen, as any other regular screens, starting from top left corner to right and thendown the

Conference Session

Research Informing Teaching Practice II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Flora P. McMartin, Broad-based Knowledge, LLC; Joseph G. Tront, Virginia Tech; Sarah Giersch, Broad-based Knowledge, LLC

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

graduate students and young faculty members. Analysis of the awardees’dossiers revealed the challenges associated with evaluating the impact of innovations on teachingand learning as well as issues surrounding the dissemination of innovations in engineeringeducation.1. IntroductionIn this paper we report on preliminary results of a study undertaken to determine the impact ofthe Premier Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware on the culture ofengineering education. NEEDS, the precursor to the Engineering Pathway(http://www.engineeringpathway.com/ep/about/index.jhtml) developed the Premier Award “torecognize high-quality, non-commercialcourseware designed to enhance Figure 1: Courseware Defined

Conference Session

Best of Computers in Education Division

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xin Chen, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Adithya Raghavan; Ji Soo Yi, Purdue University; Krishna Madhavan, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

method. It also serves as a qualitative evaluation of the iKNEER platform.Providing a better understanding of how this research tool influences novice researchers’decision-making process, results of this study could inform further development and futuredesign of such tools.1. IntroductionEngineering Education Research is a newly emerging and highly interdisciplinary field ofresearch1–5. Many researchers in this field come from an engineering background. They mayencounter difficulties of shifting mindset from solving specific engineering problems toconducting rigorous educational research using educational and sociological methodologies6.Novice researchers in a new field usually encounter intellectual and social challenges at the pointof maximum

Conference Session

Integration of Research and Education in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aharon Gero, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology; Wishah Zoabi, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology; Nissim Sabag, Ort Braude College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

written text in spatial proximity to the animation, andavoided the use of excess items distracting the learner from the point. The screenshot in Fig. 1describes a BJT in its forward-active mode.In addition, we developed a parallel learning unit engaged in the same contents as the learningunit described above, only it does not include computer animation but uses static diagrams drawnon the blackboard. The research compares the academic achievements and attitudes of studentswho studied the different units. Fig. 1: Screenshot describing the processes electrons (marked as blue balls) undergo in the transistor in forward- active mode. The holes are marked as hollow balls

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Research in Physics or Engineering Physics I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

AC 2012-3390: HOW MUCH PHYSICS THE FIRST-YEAR ENGINEER-ING STUDENTS REALLY NEED: A STUDY AND SURVEYDr. Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University Bala Maheswaran, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115. Page 25.701.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 1 How much Physics the First Year Engineering Students really need: A Study and Survey AbstractFreshmen engineering courses are the eye opener for engineering students in

Conference Session

Problem-based and Challenge-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Holly M. Matusovich, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech; Brett D. Jones, Virginia Tech; Philip R. Brown, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

perceived the usefulness of their course towards anengineering degree. Even though there were differences between the two sites that extendedbeyond the pedagogies used in first-year courses that could influence student motivation, thedifferences in instructional methods appears to have played a key part in how studentsexperienced their first-year coursework and developed ideas about engineering work.Introduction and Purpose of the ResearchProblem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical practice that has been shown to be effective inscience and engineering courses for promoting student learning 1-11. This approach is alsogaining traction as a possible way to promote student motivation and retention in engineeringprograms 12-14, although research

Conference Session

ChemE Potpourri

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David L. Silverstein, University of Kentucky; Lisa G. Bullard, North Carolina State University; Margot A. Vigeant, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

% of schoolsresponding had one course.Course TimingThe most common timing for the first course in MEB within a program’s curriculum was at thestart of the sophomore year. The distribution of the timing of course offerings is given in Figure1 below. Table 1 reports the course timing on a historical basis. Term of First Course % of responding schools 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Second First term, Second First term, Third term term, First- Second-year term, Senior senior

Conference Session

Innovative Energy Projects

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alamgir A. Choudhury, Western Michigan University; Jorge Rodriguez P.E., Western Michigan University; Jian Peng He, Western Michigan University; Ryan Kamm; Saleem Hason Hinton; Brandon De Young

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

efficiency race.1. Introduction History of human powered transportation goes back as far as 3500 BC when wheels wereused to pull carts in ancient civilizations. Advent of steam engine and internal combustion enginein the 17th century propelled development of modern transportation system on the wheels. Page 25.704.2Availability of inexpensive source of energy gave rise to mass transportation system in thefollowing centuries. In recent years, rise of energy cost, awareness on depleting fossil fuelreserve, and concern for environment has generated awareness in developing more eco-friendlyand sustainable technology in transportation across the globe

Conference Session

Aerospace Technical Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lulu Sun, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Matthew Kindy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Caroline Liron, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Christopher D. Grant, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Shirley Anne Waterhouse, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace

significantchanges was switching from programming in C to programming in MATLAB in the fall of 2009,since MATLAB has become the major language used in various engineering disciplines forproblem solving [1, 4, 5]. Following this, the course changed its meeting time from three times aweek to four times a week. It now uses a 2+2 format: two days of lecture per week, with eachlecture day followed by laboratory time to facilitate material understanding by hands-on practice. Page 25.705.2Approximately 120 students will attend one-hour lecture in an auditorium. The following day,students attend a small lab session, usually 26 students, to allow more contact with

Conference Session

Integrating Research

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kellie Grasman, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Suzanna Long, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Sean Michael Schmidt, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering

instructor-directed environments. While generalized results, these findingsencouraged the Instructor’s hybrid/buffet approach to the course.In order to offer students a buffet of learning resources, a variety of course components wereutilized. The course components were categorized as: 1. Online Resources a. Instructor-Created Modules, consisting of Introduction videos with learning objectives, Lessons in both PowerPoint™ and video form, and Example problem videos. b. WileyPLUS3, the online learning environment associated with Principles of Engineering Economic Analysis 5e by White, Case and Pratt4, consisting of a digital copy of the text as well as Reading and graded Practice

Conference Session

Engineering Design

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; Victoria E. Goodrich, University of Notre Dame; Jay B. Brockman, University of Notre Dame; Jay Caponigro, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

worthwhile by the fifthgrade customers. The best designed robotic pets from each section of the first-year engineeringcourse, as voted on by their peers, were invited to attend a follow-on event at the intermediateschool where the fifth graders evaluated the designs. The fifth graders then completed anassignment to create an advertisement for their favorite pet. Figure 1, below, is an example of aPenguin Robot designed by a team of First-Year Engineering Students (right) and theadvertisement developed by a Fifth Grade student. Figure 1. Penguin: First-Year Design (right) & Fifth Grade Advertisement (left)For the Freewheeling Derby, the long term goal was to spur the thought process for science fairprojects for the fifth graders. The

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship Teaming and Collaboration

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chad Milewicz, University of Southern Indiana; Zane W. Mitchell Jr., University of Southern Indiana; Kerry S. Hall, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

final presentations. To build on an adjustment from 2010,engineering faculty were further encouraged to participate in the workshops for studentsinvolved in the competitions. As we highlight in Table 1 and in the next section, one of thetraining sessions was completely led by an engineering faculty member using engineeringfacilities. Also, engineering students were actively recruited and encouraged to participate in thechallenge, and this year students accepted the invitation. Some students used their entries into theIdeation Challenge as projects for their engineering classes. The engineering students whoparticipated in the Phase I challenge were sophomores and juniors. Two engineering seniorsfollowed the teams in Phase I of the program to be

Conference Session

Mechanics Concepts I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shawn P. Gross, Villanova University; David W. Dinehart, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

skills.Recent work has focused on evaluation of problem solving skills in statics courses and areas ofdifficulty (Newcomer and Steif 1, Newcomer 2). Additionally, evaluations of conceptualunderstanding and problem solving skills have been studied and concept inventories have beendeveloped and pre-tests and multiple choice questions analyzed to highlight typical studentshortcomings (Douglas et al. 3, Steif and Dantzler 4, Steif and Hanson 5). Follow up studiesfocused on improving problem solving performance by assessing pre-post tests and written andverbal protocols (Steif, et al. 6). It was shown that problem solving could improve if studentsdevelop strategies for recognizing when and how to apply techniques.There has been significant educational

Conference Session

New Research and Trends for Minorities in Engineering

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelly J. Cross, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

attracting and retaining a diversepool of engineering students,1 diversity is still limited throughout engineering. Data from the2000 census reported by the National Academy of Engineering, for example, reports that whileAfrican-Americans made up 12.1% of the U.S. population, they made up only 2.5% of the U.S.engineering workforce.2 Moreover, retention rates for African-American students are lowest(42.1%), and retention rates for Native Americans (52.9%) and Hispanics (62.5%) still remainbelow those of non-Hispanic whites (73.7%).2 Minority doctorate numbers and minority facultynumbers also remain low, especially in the leading research institutions. Data on science,engineering, and health (SEH) doctorate recipients show that Blacks, Hispanics, and

Conference Session

Developing Young MINDS in Engineering, Part II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ruba Alkhasawneh, Virginia Commonwealth University; Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves, Virginia Commonwealth University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

strength of qualitative research comes from threemain points 1) “exploration and discovery” in which it aims to learn about a specificgroup of people, 2) “context and depth” by providing an insight into people’s behaviorsand experiences, 3) “interpretation” where it gives an understanding of the reasoningbehind people’s behaviors12. Qualitative research includes several strategies for datacollection such as observations, content analysis of existing sources, interviews, andfocus groups. This study will employ focus groups as a strategy for collecting data to gaininsights into the STEM students’ experience at Virginia Commonwealth University(VCU) and identify participant characteristics that may prevent him/her from continuingin a STEM

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Geoffrey L. Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Michael C. Loui, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

betweenlevels and types of abstractions.1 Introduction With the development of concept inventories and other conceptual assessment tools,engineering educators have become increasingly aware of the importance of teaching studentsabout concepts and conceptual frameworks rather than rote skills or lists of facts1. Students whopossess a consistent core conceptual framework are better able to recall knowledge, applyknowledge, and learn new knowledge, because the framework helps students synthesize theirknowledge into a manageable cognitive unit. In the context of long-established disciplines such as physics and chemistry, instructorscommonly agree upon a core conceptual framework for the discipline (e.g., Newton’s three lawsfor mechanics; and

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Seyed Hossein Mousavinezhad, Idaho State University; Paul J. Benkeser, Georgia Institute of Technology; Pamela Bhatti, Georgia Institute of Technology; Burton Dicht, IEEE; Douglas Gorham, IEEE; Chris Macnab, University of Calgary; Sadiq Mitchell, IEEE; Cherrice Traver, Union College; Stephen M. Williams P.E., Milwaukee School of Engineering; Loren Wyard-Scott, University of Alberta

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

underpinnings of engineering. The problem is that in the early part of the programstudents don’t see any demonstration of what the practice of engineering is all about; thatengineers create the solutions that serve humanity and improve the quality of life. So they areleft with the impression that, “this is not what I signed up for” and they move to another major.The RWEP is intended to address this ‘first-year’ gap.It is widely known that we will need many more science, technology, engineering, andmathematics graduates in the coming years and there will be many job openings in these fields.As reported in the US News & World Report [1], there will be approximately 8M jobs in thesehigh technology disciplines within next 8 years. The shortage of

Conference Session

Energy Education Courses, Labs, and Projects II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hamid Arastoopour, Illinois Institute of Technology; Mohamed Shahidehpour, Illinois Institute of Technology; Joseph Clair P.E., Illinois Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012   1 IIT Campus as a Sustainability Living Laboratory for Student Education and Research Abstract As one of its key initiatives, WISER has developed a collaborative program with IIT academic colleges and the Office of Campus Energy and Sustainability (OCES) to achieve its mission of making IIT the most sustainable urban campus in our nation and utilizing the IIT campus as a living laboratory for education and research for both graduate and undergraduate students. At IIT campus, we are committed to significantly

Conference Session

Technology and Equipment to Improve IE Instruction

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard A. Pitts Jr., Morgan State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering

. These environments are generally automated, complex systems withcomponents such as conveyors, computer-numerically controlled (CNC) machine workstations,automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robots. Industrial automation can be classified into threeclasses: (1) fixed automation, (2) programmable automation, and (3) flexible automation. Withfixed automation, specially designed equipment is utilized to produce a single product only.Programmable automation uses equipment to make batches of products at a time. Once a singlebatch is finished, the equipment can be reprogrammed to make another batch of products. Onthe other hand, flexible automation allows for the manufacture of different parts to be made atthe same time within the same manufacturing

Conference Session

Linking K-12 to Post-secondary

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Letrece Dillihunt, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Derrick Wayne Smith, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Phillip A. Farrington, University of Alabama, Huntsville

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

employer of engineers in the country, predicts that by June 2012, the portionof their STEM workforce eligible to retire will more than double to 69.5 percent. Likewise,NASA is seeing similar trends in its workforce.5 The National Research Council’s 2007 reportentitled, “Building a Better NASA Workforce: Meeting the Workforce Needs for the NationalVision for Space Exploration,” reported that the NASA workforce has been steadily aging sincethe early 1990s.17 As of 2007, the average age of a NASA scientist or engineer was 45.8 years asshown in Figure 1. In contrast, during the Apollo years, when the nation was developing thevehicles needed to begin our initial lunar exploration campaign, the average age of a NASAscientist or engineer was 26.1 Locally

Conference Session

Teams and Teamwork in Design

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Derrick Wayne Smith, University of Alabama, Hunstville; Monica Letrece Dillihunt, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Phillip A. Farrington, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Michael P.J. Benfield, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Matthew William Turner, University of Alabama, Huntsville

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

Huntsville (UAHuntsville) College of Engineering has established acapstone senior design sequence that provides real-world design experience. The concept ofusing a capstone design course as a summative activity within an engineering program is rootedin the constructivist theory of authentic learning. Authentic learning is a process of creatingknowledge through meaningful experiences, such as real-world problem-based activities.5Authentic learning experiences can be distilled down to 10 design elements: (1) real-worldrelevance, (2) use of an ill-defined problem that cannot be easily solved, (3) the need forsustained investigation, (4) the need for multiple sources and perspectives, (5) collaboration, (6)constant reflection, (7) interdisciplinary

Conference Session

Undergraduate Recruitment

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia R. Backer, San Jose State University; Rona Tamiko Halualani, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

. Page 25.718.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Impact of Self-Efficacy on Interest and Choice in Engineering Study and Careers for Undergraduate Women Engineering StudentsAbstractSelf-efficacy refers to the belief in a persons’ ability to perform a specific task. Starting inmiddle school, girls tend to underestimate their abilities in STEM. This confidence gap amonggirls persists through high school into college [1]. This gap is presumed to be partiallyresponsible for the gender gap in engineering and other STEM fields (e.g. computer science,physics). In 2006, women only earned 19.5% of the undergraduate BS engineering degrees in theU.S. Using the Life Course Expectancy Framework, this

Conference Session

Linking K-12 to Post-secondary

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alok K. Verma P.E., Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

creative thinking and keep students engagedin shipbuilding and repair processes. The teacher training component of these projects hasprovided training in using and implementing these modules. The paper presents the results fromcommunity college faculty workshops and from the survey of SBRCD events.Key wordsProject Based Learning; Workforce Development; STEM Education; Shipbuilding Industry.1. Introduction Old Dominion University in collaboration with three community colleges i.e. MountwestTechnical and Community College, South Lousiana Community College and Mid AtlanticMaritime Academy along with marine industry and local school systems are attempting toimprove STEM preparation using innovative experiences for students and teachers in

Conference Session

International Research Experience, Quality Improvement, and Programs/Curriculum Around the Globe

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lorraine N. Fleming, Howard University; Jennifer O. Burrell, Howard University; Wayne Patterson, Howard University; Afiya C. Fredericks, Howard University; Mohamed F. Chouikha, Howard University

Tagged Divisions

International

that engineering students are well preparedto navigate the new challenges that arise as a result of the changing dynamics in the growinglyinterconnected global community. In the book, Educating Engineers: Designing for the future ofthe field, Sheri D. Sheppard et al. (2008) 20 highlight that engineers cannot continue to functionas a “neutral problem-solver” because the work of engineers has a global impact. In a similarvein, Miller (2007) 14 makes an argument for engineers to be prepared beyond technology andtechnical skills. Twenty-first century prepared engineers will need competencies “in teamwork,communication, entrepreneurial thinking, creativity and design, and cross-disciplinary thinkingin a global context” (Miller, 2007, p. 1) .A range

Conference Session

Energy, the Environment, and Nano Technology

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dhananjay Kumar, North Carolina A&T State University; Devdas M. Pai, North Carolina A&T State University; Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa; Robin Guill Liles, North Carolina A&T State University; Mainul Kader Faruque, North Carolina A&T State University; Courtney Lambeth, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

‘Fundamentals of Nanoscience and Engineering.’The NUE project (2009-2010, NSF-EEC 0939344) refers this course as Nanotechnology-I.The Nanotechnology-I offered as aspecial topic course in the first year of 20project has now become a regular coursein the Department of MechanicalEngineering, with the aforementioned 15 No. of studentscourse title. This course is now plannedto be offered every fall semester in theDepartment of Mechanical Engineering. 10Fig. 1 shows a continuous increase in thenumber of student enrollment eachsemester with substantial increment in 5the student enrollment in the Fall-2011.It is not clear if

Conference Session

NSF Grantees' Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Paterson P.E., Michigan Technological University; Chris Swan, Tufts University; Kristine Louise Guzak, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

. Participating students were recruited from four institutions: small private, mediumpublic, small technical, and large public universities. A fifth pool was comprised of students en-gaged in Engineers Without Borders – USA at more than twenty universities across the nation.Participants were randomly assigned to one of two methodological groups: (1) online survey of150 questions (n=254), or (2) online survey plus 30 minute interview (n=120). Participation isplanned for three years, biannually; this paper shares some findings from the first year, Springand Fall 2011. The online survey collected demographic information along with a self-assessment on several topics: self-efficacy, motivation, satisfaction, retention, engineer identity,attitudes on learning

Conference Session

Capstone and Design Projects

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve C. Hsiung, Old Dominion University; Cory Terell Gleason, Old Dominion University; Lacides Agustin Osorio, Norfolk Ship Support Activity Regional Maintenance Center; Charles H. McGinn, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

or active devices that have nointelligence but provide either resistance, voltage, or current signals per sensing conditions andmost of them require conditioning circuits to deliver the needed signals. Thanks to the wirelessand digital technologies, those sensors can now become intelligent with the assistance ofmicrocontroller in an embedded system design. The smart sensor applications have become anew trend of design in product development. There are different standards such as Cellular,Bluetooth, Proprietary ISM, WiFi, ZigBee, Z-Wire, etc. in an embedded smart sensor design tomeet the application objectives that are based on the power consumption, communication range,data rate, reliability, and cost. Table 1 presents these comparisons1.The

Conference Session

Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning through Laboratory Experiences

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sushil K. Chaturvedi, Old Dominion University; Jaewan Yoon, Old Dominion University; Rick McKenzie, Old Dominion University; Petros J. Katsioloudis, Old Dominion University; Hector M. Garcia, Old Dominion University; Shuo Ren, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

in laboratory courses come to physical lab sessions withoutadequate preparation, often not knowing even the main objective of the experiment. This isdespite instructions to students to review the details of experiments from the lab book providedto all students in the course. Due to their highly visual and immersive nature VR labs areexpected to remedy this situation and improve students’ preparedness for the physical labsessions. Students’ exposure to an experiment in both physical and virtual domains is expected toreinforce students’ learning. Since majority of current engineering students are technology savvyvisual learners [1], the highly visual nature of the VR labs is also expected to make students’ labexperience engaging and exciting

Conference Session

Capstone Design Projects and Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Miller, Michigan Technological University; John K. Gershenson, Michigan Technological University; Amilcar Alejandro Rincon-Charris, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon; Carlos A. Alvarado, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico; Jose A. Rojas, Universidad del Turabo

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering

done, mostly by teams composed of electrical and mechanicalengineering students.One of the co-authors from a collaborating mainland university previously developed modularcourse content of this type. This systems engineering based multi-disciplinary course, depictedin Figure 1, incorporates best practices in content and structure.1,2 It had not been tested inwidespread implementation previously. The course was designed to be modular so that relevantmodules could be selected, allowing programs to adapt the content to their course requirements.This flexibility accommodates the different course durations, project team sizes, and engineeringdisciplines. The course includes detailed instructional material for each project step shown in thefigure