Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacob R. Grohs, Virginia Tech; Timothy Kinoshita, Virginia Tech; Brian J. Novoselich, Virginia Tech; David B. Knight, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

enroll in specialized classes of a particularengineering discipline. Further, the mechanized nature of instructional and assessment methodsin large lecture courses can decrease both satisfaction and engagement for students and facultyalike. It is thus no surprise that these fundamental mechanics courses are a major barrier forstudent persistence and success in engineering 1.In considering means of improving teaching and learning in mechanics courses, delivery methodis a common target. Halpern and Hakel 2 claim that lecture-style approaches can be “one of theworst arrangements for in-depth understanding” since “understanding is an interpretive processin which students must be active participants” (p. 40). Interventions such as increased hands

Conference Session

Flipped Classrooms in Mechanics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keri Ryan, University of Nevada, Reno; Adam Kirn, Univeristy of Nevada, Reno

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

problem solving practice during these discussions, rather thanworking problems at board, which leads to a very passive mode of learning. However, a highlevel of quality control has not been implemented. In Fall 2013, the instructor experimented withteam-based learning as formally defined by Michaelsen8-10. About 1/3 of the content wasdelivered team-based learning style, which was concluded to be a sub-optimal approach for thespecific objectives of this course.In Fall 2014, the solid mechanics course was significantly re-designed using a flipped classroomapproach. The cornerstone of the approach was to use class time for student teams to solveproblems at whiteboards with instructor guidance. The objectives of this paper are to evaluatestudent

Conference Session

Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Barry T. Rosson P.E., Florida Atlantic University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Page 26.212.2closed-form reduced rigidity equation for solid circular shafts under elasto-plastic torsionalresponse is developed, and examples are used to illustrate the ease with which this relationshipcan be employed to analyze inelastic deformations due to torsion. Simple to use closed-formformulas are presented to obtain the angle of twist of shafts with yielding conditions of constantand linearly varying torque.Reduced Rigidity of Rectangular Elasto-Plastic BeamsA beam will experience a reduction in flexural rigidity when the normal strains due to beambending are greater than the yield strain, y. For a beam that has elastic, perfectly-plastic materialbehavior as shown in Figure 1, the stress distribution in Figure 2 will develop for

Conference Session

Flipped Classrooms in Mechanics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yufeng Hu P.E., Western Michigan University; Javier Martin Montefort P.E., Western Michigan University; Edmund Tsang, Western Michigan University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

is critical to get students engaged in active learningthrough activities such as solving problems, working with each other, asking questions andgetting feedback.To enhance student learning in Statics, researchers at various institutions have explored othermethods for teaching Statics, such as developing concept map and quantifying students’conceptual understanding[1, 2], developing on-line homework or learning modules[3, 4], peer-led-team-learning[5], project-based learning[6], emporium-based course delivery[7]. Among them, theflipped classroom method[8, 9, 10] has gained popularity. In a flipped classroom, the class time isdevoted to guided instruction where students work through problems with the instructor presentto provide assistance and

Conference Session

Flipped Classrooms in Mechanics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaobin Le P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology; Gloria Guohua Ma, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Anthony William Duva, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

and students could still test the approach and had much deeper understanding of theapproach.1. IntroductionEngineering education is a student-centered learning process in which students learn a specifiedset of knowledge, techniques and skills with the guidance and help of instructors. Even thoughnumerous pedagogical approaches have been and will be created and implemented in this nobleprocess, the ultimate goal of the engineering education was, is and will be always the same,which is to prepare them for practice in the field of their chosen careers.In the engineering education process, there are four key elements. The first key element is the setof knowledge, techniques and skills which is specified by higher levels of engineering

Conference Session

Explorations in Mechanics Pedagogy

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Graves P.E., U.S. Military Academy; Young Hwan Chun, U.S. Military Academy; James Ledlie Klosky P.E., U.S. Military Academy; Brock E. Barry P.E., U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Page 26.1741.2that carryover from one course to the next is unreliable at best. This is especially true over thesummer and is particularly challenging for most students transitioning from statics tointroductory mechanics. The work described in this paper was undertaken to quantify the extentof that deterioration of knowledge and to attempt to establish linkages between that deteriorationas it relates to both past and future performance.With that in mind, the authors have developed two basic research questions about the statics andmechanics sequence at the United States Military Academy, which is very similar to theprograms of instruction at other institutions: 1. Do students retain sufficient mastery of the basic material to enable effective

Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peggy C. Boylan-Ashraf, Stanford University; Sarah L. Billington, Stanford University; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

coursecovered essential topics contained in most traditional statics courses, but also includedseveral topics covered in introductory mechanics courses. Table 1 describes weeklytopics, student hands-on activities, as well as learning outcomes.Table 1 – Topics, Student Activities, and Learning Outcomes in Introduction to Solid MechanicsWeek Topics Hands-On Activities Learning Outcomes1 Forces Lab: Card Towers Hands-on design & testing experience with constraints2 Moments Lab: Jenga Analysis Identify moments created by

Conference Session

Computer Tutors, Simulation, and Videos

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edward J. Berger, Purdue University; Edward A. Pan, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

belongs to the class of foundationalcourses for mechanical, aerospace, and civil engineering students, and their mastery of these coreconcepts is crucial for future success in the curriculum as well as the workplace. Developingmastery often involves a combination of actually solving problems (live, on paper), as well aswatching experts solve problems (via pre-recorded videos). Solving problems is both an intuitiveand well-worn idea whose value is not disputed, and engineering students are constantlysharpening their problem solving skills by actually solving problems on homework assignmentsand exams.The other part of this dyad, watching experts solve problems, leverages the worked exampleeffect[1]–[3] (WE). In brief, WE contends that students can

Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Devin R. Berg, University of Wisconsin, Stout

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Participation in the Engineering ClassroomIntroductionThe use of Twitter (http://www.twitter.com), a micro-blogging platform, in the higher educationclassroom has expanded in recent years as educators come to realize the benefits of social mediause as a tool for faculty-student communication or for inter-student communication 1 . While theliterature on the use of Twitter in the classroom is emerging, recent studies have found theplatform functional for promoting concise expression of ideas, critical reading and writing skills,stronger student-teacher relationships, self-learning in an informal environment, andaccountability among other benefits 2 . Further benefits have been found in relation to askingstudents to communicate the content of a given

Conference Session

Dynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Devin R. Berg, University of Wisconsin, Stout

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

incorporated into an engineering dynamicsclass with a total student population of 47. Students were divided into small groups ranging from Page 26.1639.2three to five members, resulting in a total of 11 project groups. Each project group was assigned atopic from the course curriculum. These topics included: 1. Relative motion 2. Fixed-axis rotation 3. Potential energy 4. Kinetic energy 5. Newton’s 2nd law 6. Projectile motion 7. General planar motion 8. Impulsive motion 9. Instantaneous centers of rotation 10. Natural frequency of vibration 11. Damped vibrationThe structure of the project was such that students were given freedom

Conference Session

Computer Tutors, Simulation, and Videos

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew G. Green, LeTourneau University; Benjamin W. Caldwell, LeTourneau University; Michael Helms, Georgia Institute of Technology; Julie S. Linsey, Georgia Institute of Technology; Tracy Anne Hammond, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

and qualitative comments from userssuggest the software system is effective and has great potential if further developed. Students inthe experimental group performed as well as the control group, more than 90% of students choseto use the new software (rather than opt-out), and most students self-reported a positive learningexperience.1 Introduction and Background1.1 Mechanix1 Sketch Recognition Online Tutoring SystemBoth engineering education and engineering practice depend upon simple hand-sketcheddiagrams to frame and solve many engineering problems. Free Body Diagrams are one suchhand-sketched diagram used in many engineering courses and areas of professional practice. Forexample, the vast majority of engineering students learn to

Conference Session

Dynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hirohito Kobayashi, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

that was captured at timet. Later, the same pixel moved to a new location (x+dx, y+dy) in the adjacent image frame thatwas captured at time t+dt without changing the pixel intensity. By assuming the small spatialand temporal changes, Taylor series of the pixel intensity at t+dt is given by ( ) ( ) . (1)Since the pixel intensity I is assumed to be constant at all time in this method, above series willbe simplified to . (2)Here, ( ) and represent the measurable gradients of the intensity and the known timeincrement between image frames. eq.(2) is unsolvable due to the two

Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jamie Douglas, University of Wisconsin Colleges Online

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

in online classes continues to grow.1 Surveys from 2011 and2012 indicate that between 5.5 million and 6.7 million students take at least one online class.1,6Though there remains some skepticism about online classes among faculty and administrators1, agrowing body of evidence suggests that students in online classes learn at least as well as, orbetter, than their face-to-face counterparts.3,4,7 Additionally, studies have found that onlinestudents spend more time with the material than face-to-face students and this may be a benefitto online learners.7However, studies have also noted that online and distance education students have lower coursecompletion rates than face-to-face students.2,3,5 Some of the factors that influence persistence

Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul S. Steif, Carnegie Mellon University; Anna Dollár, Miami University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

applied to intelligent tutoring systems. Namely, rather than look at performanceover an entire course, we consider successive opportunities to apply various concepts and skills,whether practice improves the likelihood of correct application.1. Summary of Past Studies of Effectiveness1.1 Studies of learning gainsStudents in a traditional statics courses were assigned to use OLI modules, each containing manyinteractive exercises. The goal was to isolate the effect of working through the modules settingany influence of lecture or written homework on the same topics. To that end paper and pencil Page 26.724.2diagnostic

Conference Session

Computer Tutors, Simulation, and Videos

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Moe Tajvidi P.E., Utah State University; Ning Fang, Utah State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Animation (CSA) in Teaching and Learning Engineering MechanicsAbstractUse of computer simulation and animation (CSA) in higher education is growing rapidly and hasbecome a major trend in undergraduate engineering education. This paper conducts acomprehensive and critical literature review regarding the use of CSA as a learning aid to teachengineering mechanics courses. The paper addresses two main topics: (1) pedagogicalinnovations in the instruction of engineering mechanics, and (2) using CSA as a learning tool inengineering mechanics education. Representative pedagogical innovations are clustered intothree categories: (1) altering the engineering mechanics curriculum, (2) active learning strategies,and (3) the application of

Conference Session

Dynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brianno Coller, Northern Illinois University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

the fall semester of 2014, a total of 50 students completed my engineering dynamics courseand provided consent to use their data for research purposes. Figure 1 shows a scatter plot ofstudents’ test scores. The horizontal axis shows the average of students’ scores on the sixproblem-solving questions they encountered on their midterm and final exams. The vertical axisshows the average of students’ scores on qualitative concept test questions. There were a total of53 multiple choice concept questions on the final exam. Some of the questions came from theDynamics Concept Inventory. Other concept questions came from a pool that I have developedover the past several years. The fact that some students are indicated with a red x will bedescribed in

Conference Session

Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt C. Gramoll, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

time.The paper also discusses developing engineering mobile apps as a non-computer scientist. Thework determined that Abobe AIR development framework allows relatively easy development ofweb and mobile apps when compared to native programming or HTML5 with JavaScript. AIRalso avoids programming the same app three times (web browsers, Android and iOS).Programming with AIR framework requires using ActionScript which is similar to JavaScript orC#, and is reasonably easy to learn. Unlike traditional desktop (and laptop) computers, mobiledevices generally must download software through specific web sites such as Apple's iTunesApp Store and Google's Play Store.1 Introduction and Purpose of Torsion HPCBasic undergraduate aerospace and mechanical

Conference Session

Computer Tutors, Simulation, and Videos

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; Aidsa I. Santiago-Roman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; Genock Portela-Gauthier, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; Emmanuel Francisco Oquendo, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; David Candelario Suarez; Christian Gabriel Hernandez-Negron, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; Manuel Jose Perez-Vargas, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

provides many benefits, enablingstudents (1) to solve problems that are both intensive (e.g., that require the solution of manyequations), (2) to perform “experiments” (e.g., “what if” or sensitivity analysis), and (3) to attemptelementary design exercises2. As students engage in such activities, they also progress in theirunderstanding of fundamentals such as Free Body Diagrams, sign conventions, and the necessity tocheck the reasonableness of a final answer. A detailed literature review of philosophies andattempts to incorporate simulation in the introductory mechanics courses in provided in Authors,20123.Our general concept of incorporating simulation in Statics (and other mechanics courses) is toprovide a setting in which students can develop

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roelof Harm deVries P.E., University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; Randy Dean Kelley P.E., University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

materials, and how materialsrespond to loads. A typical textbook and course that teaches solid mechanics presents insequence a variety of loading conditions, including the calculation of stresses associated withthose loading conditions. For example, Beer et al.1 presents pure shear, axial loading, torsionshear, and bending in that order. Problems and examples are presented within each chapter.This means that, as students are learning the appropriate equations for calculating stress, they donot need to consider what type of load is being applied. If they are learning about torsion shear,it is given that the load is a torsion load, and that they will use the equation 𝑇𝑐

Conference Session

Dynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yan Tang, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Haiyan Bai, University of Central Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

complex learning tasks. We willshare details of applying deliberate practice in teaching dynamics. Both attitudinal and objectiveassessment will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this teaching practice. The widelyadopted Dynamic Concept Inventory (DCI) Version 1.0 will be used in our study as the objectiveassessment tool.1. IntroductionDynamics is one of the most difficult subjects for engineering students. It requires a solidfoundation of mathematics, a good understanding of physical systems, and effective problemsolving skills. However, some students are not well prepared with respect to these requirements.Therefore, developing effective instruction strategies to help these underprepared students learnhas been a central topic within

Conference Session

Computer Tutors, Simulation, and Videos

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Colin Engebretsen, U.S. Air Force Academy; Paul S. Steif, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

instruction to lead to equivalent outcomes13, and in some cases even improved outcomes14.In this paper we describe a controlled study testing how students who used truss tutor forhomework performed on examinations in comparison with peers who did handwrittenhomework.  1. Description of computer tutorThe tutor has been described previously8. As seen the screenshot in Figure 1, the user can definemultiple subsystems, by selecting bars, partial bars, and pins.   Page 26.384.2   Figure 1. Screen shot of full display of tutor for

Conference Session

Dynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacob Michael Wild, James Madison University; Robert L. Nagel, James Madison University; Robert J. Prins, James Madison University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

combined course and a design course (Engineering Design 2). Statics &Dynamics introduces applied mechanics from an engineering standpoint and is the first of fiverequired "engineering science" courses in the curriculum. The statics and dynamics course hasthree class meetings each week and one lab meeting each week. Course labs have been designedto pair with course classroom content and involve activities such as learning to take forcemeasurements with load cells. Engineering Design 2 is the second design course in a two coursesequence (Engineering Design 1 and Engineering Design 2) and introduces students to process-based design in preparation for their capstone sequence.6-10 For the past five years and for theforeseeable future, Engineering

Conference Session

Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William E. Howard, East Carolina University; Rick Williams, Auburn University; Sarah Christine Gurganus, NAVAIR Fleet Readiness Center East

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

theaerospace, automotive, medical/dental, and consumer products industries.1 The ASTMInternational Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing Technologies currently classifies AMprocesses into seven categories based on the techniques used to deposit the layers and themethods in which the layer are bonded. These seven types of AM processes are VatPhotopolymerization, Material Jetting, Binder Jetting, Material Extrusion, Powder Bed Fusion,Sheet Lamination, and Direct Energy Deposition.2Since its inception, AM has been used as a tool to facilitate engineering education and as afocused topic within design education. More recently, AM has become the central topic ofindividual courses within both engineering and engineering technology programs.As a

Conference Session

Flipped Classrooms in Mechanics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Komarek, University of Colorado, Boulder; Angela R. Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

leave science, mathematics, and engineering fields ofstudy was pedagogical – the mode of assessment and the design of curriculum were notadequately supporting students in learning8. A follow-up study is underway to learn why therehas been minimal improvement in the retention of students in these fields, despite efforts forinstructional improvement9. Retention improvements are consistent with the goals of the Engageto Excel report, which strategizes how to produce 1 million additional graduates with degrees inSTEM10.It is also important to note that while instructors may try to adopt evidence-based teachinginnovations, the quality with which they implement the innovation may vary significantly andtherefore may not result in improved student

Conference Session

Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jenn Stroud Rossmann, Lafayette College; Clive L. Dym, Harvey Mudd College; Lori Bassman, Harvey Mudd College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

theconnections between solid and fluid mechanics by developing a spectrum of material behavior,as shown in Figure 1. This spectrum has the limiting behavior of Hookean solids and Newtonianfluids at its extremes, and all the complexities of “real” engineering materials, includingnonlinearity and viscoelasticity, in between. Students can thus recognize the extremes of thespectrum as representing idealizations (rather than the “norm,” as they might expect after twotraditional courses in “strength of materials” and “fluid mechanics”), and can see that thespectrum itself is continuous, explicitly connecting the various behaviors addressed in the course.This perspective is particularly valuable for students interested in biological applications, as thecomplex

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Somnath Chattopadhyay, University at Buffalo, SUNY

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

-section in which square grids were drawn along the faces of the specimen. Upon twistingthe specimens take the shape as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Demonstration of warping in rubber specimens in torsionWarping was further demonstrated by using the membrane analogy. A steel plate with a squarehole was used. Rubber sheet was rigidly clamped at the edges of the hole and made to bulge byapplying pressure from beneath the plate. The resulting bulges (torsional hills) for the squarehole is shown in Figures 2. Page 26.1712.3 Figure 2 Torsion Hill for Square Cross Section

Conference Session

Statics Online

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carisa H. Ramming, Oklahoma State University; John J. Phillips, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

rising and the need for flexibility at theforefront, the professors decided it was time to embrace the task of establishing an online course.This enrollment trend for the course is outlined in Figure 1 where data from the last five years isreflected. It can be seen that the enrollment is trending upwards, and this continued growthovercame the resource capabilities of the university for presenting this course in a single setting.The facilities available allowed for enrollments of 330 in the fall semester and 216 for the springsemester. Markers are shown where separate offerings were introduced that allowed foradditional increases. Five Year Enrollment Trend 450

Conference Session

Explorations in Mechanics Pedagogy

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

required mechanics sequence in a new integrated format to sophomores beginningwith the Fall 2009 semester. As shown in Table 1, the classical sequence of coursework insubjects of Statics, Dynamics, Mechanics of Solids, Fluid Mechanics, and Civil EngineeringMaterials was replaced with a series of three four credit courses. An overview of this curriculumrestructuring process is provided by Glynn et al.1 and Wadzuk et al.2 A Body of Knowledge(BOK) approach was used to identify the key concepts to be included in the three new courses.3 Page 26.780.2  Table 1 – Old and new mechanics curricula in CEE at Villanova University

Conference Session

Flipped Classrooms in Mechanics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Luke S. Lee P.E., University of the Pacific; Rachelle Kisst Hackett, University of the Pacific; Hector Estrada, University of the Pacific

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

addressed in this study. (1) Do students participating in a flipped instructional delivery section of an engineering course learn more than those in a traditional lecture-based section of the same course? (2) After controlling for prior academic achievement (in general, using college GPA upon course entry) and initial levels of content-specific achievement (using pre-quizzes associated with each topic), do students participating in a flipped instructional delivery section of an engineering course perform better on content-specific achievement measures than those in a traditional section of the same course? Page

Conference Session

Explorations in Mechanics Pedagogy

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Burkhardt Ph.D., U.S. Naval Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

EM211-core students and 86 EM211-like students. The academic characteristics of the EM211-Core, EM211A and EM211-Like studentswere compared and are shown in Table 1. The table shows the mean data for the five academiccharacteristics considered in the logistic analysis as well as the statistical significance of thedifferences observed between the values of the at-risk groups (Sig). The data clearly show thepronounced difference between the entry and performance characteristics of the core not-at-riskgroup and the at-risk groups. Also importantly, the data show that the two at-risk groups(shaded) are significantly similar (Sig > 0.05) in 4 of the 5 categories. The characteristic with asignificant difference, SATM, is not surprising