Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University; Jennifer Vernengo, Rowan University; Thomas L. Merrill, Rowan University; Mary Staehle, Rowan University; Jennifer Kadlowec, Rowan University; Johannes Strobel, Texas A&M University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

, and senior electives. Exposure tobiomedical topics will provide excellent preparation for interested students to pursue graduatestudies in related disciplines such as biomedical engineering or medicine. Because the modulesare rooted in fundamental engineering principles, they will be equally valuable to students whopursue careers in other engineering areas. Once developed, the modules could be adopted byclassic engineering programs such as Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, as wellas specialized Biomedical Engineering programs, and could be implemented by faculty who donot have specialized biomedical expertise. A previous paper by Farrell et al. 3 focused on thedescription of the course modules. This paper focuses on the

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Bartus, Stevens Institute of Technology; Frank T. Fisher, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering

Program (www.stevens.edu/nano) at Stevens. He has been awarded the NSF CAREER award, the ASEE Mechanics Division Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnson Jr. Outstanding New Educator Award, and the 2009 Outstanding Teacher Award from the Stevens Alumni Association. Page 26.1213.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 Outcomes of a Systems Engineering Project for K-12 TeachersIntroductionPresident Obama’s Educate to Innovate initiative set a goal of preparing 100,000 new andeffective STEM teachers over the next decade.(1) Concurrently, the publication of the NextGeneration

Conference Session

Fifty Shades of Grey Literature

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael J White, Queen's University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

allow their faculty to retain full ownership oftheir intellectual property. Faculty engaged in contract research may be required to assign all orpart of their patent rights to their corporate or government sponsors, which further obscures theactual number of patents arising from academic research.As interest in patenting has increased among academic researchers, some U.S. universities havebegun to reconsider the role of patents in career decisions such as tenure and promotion. In 2006,the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted unanimously to recognize faculty Page 26.1214.2patents as scholarship during the tenure review process.2

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division: Retention of Undergraduate Students

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer I. Clark, Montana State University ; Sarah L. Codd, Montana State University; Angela Colman Des Jardins, Montana State University; Christine M. Foreman, Montana State University; Brett W. Gunnink, Montana State University; Carolyn Plumb, Montana State University; Katherine Ruth Stocker

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

can really help these girls either get ahead in their planning for school and career. • It has given me a fresh perspective on the challenges the students go through during their first year. • I feel like a great role model. I feel respected and praised for the work I do. It makes me feel like a vital piece to the COE and this university as a whole. • I really enjoyed meeting the younger female students and feeling like I was making a difference for some of them. I like to believe that it was encouraging to them to talk to someone who has been where they are now and made it through the frustrations of transitioning from high school to college life and the

Conference Session

Best Practices and Lessons Learned in Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zhenhua Wu, Virginia State University; Nasser Ghariban, Virginia State University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

pursue manufacturing careers. Table 1 Students' scorings on the course outcome S1 S2 S3 S4 Ave.1a. This course improved my mathematical skills in solvingengineering problems. 2 3 4 3 31b. This course enhanced my understanding in physics and/orchemistry. 2 3 2 3 2.51c. This course improved my engineering skills in solvingproblems. 3 4 4 5 42. This course improved my ability to analyze problems bydesigning and conducting experiments. 5 4

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University; Susan Bobbitt Nolen, University of Washington; Simone E Volet, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia; Marja M.S. Vauras, University of Turku; Debra May Friedrichsen, Unaffiliated; Gavin Tierney, University of Washington

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

. Candidate at the University of Washington. He received his B.A. from TheUniversity of Puget Sound and his M.A. from The University of Denver. He is currently a LIFE (Learningin Informal and Formal Environments) Center Research Assistant on The Knowledge In Action Project.He is also an Early Career Researcher, working in collaboration with Oregon State University and TheUniversity of Turku in Finland, looking at engagement across virtual and project-based environments. Hisresearch focuses on engagement and identity development and the role of designed and alternative envi-ronments on these processes. His dissertation focuses on students entering into alternative high schoolsand explores students’ re-engagement in school and re-negotiation of their

Conference Session

Integrating Social Justice in Engineering Science Courses

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donna M. Riley, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

preparationsignificantly.Motivating Social Justice Topics. Helping students understand why questions of social justiceare being posed in the course is crucial. Connecting to student experience, contemporary issuesof interest to a variety of student backgrounds and career aspirations can broaden the receptiveaudience. Outside authorities who represent destinations to which students aspire, or whom theyrespect, can carry more weight than the course instructor many times. Helping them connect tostudents in other majors, or faculty in future courses they might take, can be motivational. Inboth Mass and Energy Balances and Thermodynamics, students were asked to reflect regularlyon their learning, which created opportunities for students to find within themselves a place

Conference Session

Best of Computers in Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew West, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Mariana Silva , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Geoffrey L. Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

Mathematics from the University of Western Australia. His research is in the field of scientific computing and numerical analysis, where he works on computational algorithms for simulating complex stochastic systems such as atmospheric aerosols and feedback control. Prof. West is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award and is a University of Illinois Distinguished Teacher-Scholar and College of Engineering Education Innovation Fellow.Mariana Silva , University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignDr. Geoffrey L Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Dr. Geoffrey L. Herman is a visiting assistant professor with the Illinois Foundry for Innovation in En- gineering Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Division Technical Session 8

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrea L. Welker, Villanova University; Kathleen Louise Nazar; Paul Bonfanti, Villanova University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

# Climate#for#minority#students#on#campus# Campus#safety# Cultural#and#fine#arts#programming# Men# Career#Services# Women# Library#services# Computer#services#and#supports# Study#abroad#programs# Student#interac>on#with#faculty# Faculty#availability#outside#of#class# Major#advising

Conference Session

Design Throughout the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David C. Jensen, University of Arkansas; Dennis Beck, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

multiple and sometime conflicting requirements, and 2) Following a systematic approachsuch that those decision and their effect on the final design can be communicated. This has beensummarized by some employers as “lacking the feel” for engineering. The motivation for this workis that by providing opportunities to develop these skills, students will be better prepared for theirengineering careers. While innovative methods for providing students with those skills is the central focus ofthis research. Evaluation of the effectiveness of those skills is critical for furthering this researchand providing metrics and goals for future curriculum changes. Therefore, in this paper we present

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 7: The Transition from High School to College

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert W. Whalin, Jackson State University; Qing J Pang, Jackson State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, MS). He has authored/co-authored over a hundred technical papers and reports during his career in private industry, government and academia. His current research interests are nearshore wave trans- formations, coastal structures, tsunami inundation, hurricane surges, high performance computing, and engineering education.Ms. Qing J Pang, Jackson State University Ms Qing Pang is Instructor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Science, Engineering & Technology, Jackson State University. She earned her MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000. She worked for several private companies before joining Jackson State University in 2007 as an

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Development

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jodi Reeves, National University; Brian Arnold, National University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

universities and community colleges as part of a $5.0 million technical workforce development initiative funded by New York State. She has pub- lished diverse articles on topics ranging from engineering education to high temperature superconductors and has spoken at many national and international conferences. Her doctorate in materials science and engineering is from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and she holds five patents.Mr. Brian Arnold, National University Assistant Professor and Lead Faculty for National University’s Digital Media Design Program, Brian is also a hybrid PhD student in Michigan State University Educational Psychology and Educational Technol- ogy Program. Career highlights include a five year

Conference Session

Novel Teaching Methods in a Multidisciplinary Context

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer R. Amos, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Troy J. Vogel, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Princess Imoukhuede, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

empathy across disciplines coupled with deep knowledge in specific areas1. One keyaspect of the T-shaped individual is the ability to see opportunity and bring it into their owndiscipline2. Facilitating an environment where students studying different disciplines can worktogether should enhance cross-discipline thinking later as well as a greater sense of their ownstrengths in the common career paths of the two disciplines3, 4.The fields of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering have historically worked together5, 6.The US Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies these disciplines as similar, and some overlappingemployment opportunities include: biosciences equipment and supplies manufacturing; scientificresearch and development services

Conference Session

Using Technology and Research-based Instructional Practices in BME

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean-michel I. Maarek, University of Southern California; Brittany Kay, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

and undergraduate courses. She received her B.S. (2006), M.S. (2012), and Ph.D. (2012) in the field of Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern Califor- nia, focusing on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling during her graduate career. Page 26.263.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 Assessment of performance and student feedback in the flipped classroom1. Background:The flipped classroom approach inverts the traditional “teaching/lecture – learning/homework”model by presenting the course content outside of classroom ahead of the traditional lectureperiod and

Conference Session

Additive Manufacturing Practices

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tzu-Liang Bill Tseng, University of Texas; Aditya Akundi, University of Texas; Juan Alejandro Saavedra, University of Texas; Eric D. Smith, University of Texas

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

a scale of 5.0. Also, 66% of the studentsfound 3D Printing and Design Of Experiments to be more appealing. Based on their hands-onexperience with Design of Experiments, SolidWorks and 3D printing and the comments receivedby the program participants it was found that: (a) All the students demonstrated basic level ofunderstanding (through their assigned project) on how to use basic engineering skills to tackle areal world problem based on the tools available to their disposal; (b) Educational environmentprovided to them in university setting motivated 45% of the participants with a positive impacton their career choices towards STEM.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors of this paper would like to thank the NSF (Grant No: NSF DUE-TUES-1246050)and the

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division – Tactical Approaches to Entrepreneurship Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edward Pines, New Mexico State University; Patricia A. Sullivan, New Mexico State University; Luke Nogales, New Mexico State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

usually full to capacity within one (1) day of Page 26.295.13 announcement; As a member of the first cohort of the NSF funded Pathways to Innovation program, ledby the Epicenter at Stanford University and VentureWell, New Mexico State has been effectivein leveraging external academic and industry partners from across the country to advanceprogram offerings within the facility and work towards a plan for long-term sustainability.Further, the development of public-private partnerships ensure relevance across the curriculumtowards student career readiness. During the upcoming year, the leadership team will be focusing on

Conference Session

Software and Programming

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Priya Manohar, Robert Morris University; Sushil Acharya, Robert Morris University; Peter Y. Wu, Robert Morris University; Ali A. Ansari, Virginia State University; Walter W. Schilling Jr., Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

mid-career employees and military personnel [4]. In order that the onlineeducation is at least equally effective (if not better) than face-to-face education in traditionalclassroom in all aspects such as academic quality, rigor and outcomes, appropriate teaching toolsmust be developed to suit the online teaching / learning media. In this regard, we believe the casestudy based education is one of the superior tools to deliver an equivalent laboratory experiencefor the online students!The process for developing case studies in described in section 2, a fully developed case study inthe domain of software testing is presented in Section 3, the instructions and teaching notes aregiven in Section 4, pedagogy and educational outcomes are discussed

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Fabien R Durand, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jin Woo Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dorian Henao; Joanna Tsenn, Texas A&M University; Daniel A. McAdams, Texas A&M University; Julie S Linsey, Georgia Institute of Technology; Michael Helms, Georgia Institue of Technology

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

-groups analysis. The only task-specific self-concept that did not have a significant difference in either the within-subjects andbetween-groups comparisons was motivation; this was seen in both the overall data(Fmotivation(3,219) = 1.7, p = 0.2) and the within-subjects data (t(11) = 0.6, p = 0.5). Thisdemonstrates that freshmen, sophomore, juniors, and seniors experience similar motivationlevels when it comes to engineering design. This may be due to the fact that engineers begintheir undergraduate career with a high level of motivation, and there is not much room forimprovement in that area. The within subject pairwise results also showed the same trends fromfreshman to senior with high statistical significance for self-efficacy, expectancy

Conference Session

Assessment of Engineering Leadership Skills

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Scott Rebentisch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stephen Townsend, Project Management Institute; Edivandro Carlos Conforto, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Leadership Development Division

their careers, many, if not most mayreasonably expect to play a leading role in an engineering or product development effort at somepoint. Will they have the necessary preparation and skillset? And where should this preparationtake place? These issues are the focus of this paper, which is based on a study of engineeringleaders and the skills and roles that are essential to the work they do. What skills will be required of an engineering leader? In a typical matrix organizationleadership roles might involve permutations around project or functional, or technical ormanagerial (1). In a program, a program manager would fill the managerial role while a chiefsystems engineer might fill a technical role (although in some cases both roles might

Conference Session

Curricula Innovations in Engineering Economics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul J. Kauffmann P.E., East Carolina University; Joseph Wilck, East Carolina University; Paul C. Lynch, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy

Paper ID #11778Comparison of Engineering Economics Learning Outcomes and Student Per-ceptionDr. Paul J. Kauffmann P.E., East Carolina University Paul J. Kauffmann is Professor Emeritus and past Chair in the Department of Engineering at East Car- olina University. His industry career included positions as Plant Manager and Engineering Director. Dr. Kauffmann received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and MENG in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Penn State and is a registered Profes- sional Engineer in Virginia and North Carolina.Dr. Joseph Wilck, East

Conference Session

Best Paper Presentations

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Smitesh Bakrania, Rowan University; Kaitlin Engle Mallouk, Rowan University; Krishan Kumar Bhatia, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

. Page 26.400.5Project OutcomesAmong the various benefits of implementing a student-driven project like CRP, below are fewthat highlight overall freshmen engineering learning objectives that CRP addresses. These are inaddition to the general focus of introducing freshman students to the engineering profession.1. Measurement and Data Analysis. For CRP, students measure, collect, analyze and interpret data from their tests. Students become inherently familiar with the important role of measurement and data analysis in their tasks. Furthermore, the students have the opportunity to recognize sources of errors in their experiments, which serves as an excellent foundation for their engineering career.2. Teamwork. Students must work within

Conference Session

Teaching and Learning Strategies I

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Hagge, Iowa State University; Mostafa Amin-Naseri, Iowa State University; Stephen B Gilbert, Iowa State University; John Jackman, Iowa State University; Enruo Guo; Gloria Starns, Iowa State University; LeAnn E Faidley, Wartburg College

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Paper ID #11330Decision based learning for a sophomore level thermodynamics courseDr. Matthew Hagge, Iowa State University Matt Hagge is a Senior Lecturer at Iowa State University. He has spent his career talking to students to figure out how students think and learn. The result of these talks has been the development of a course-wide decision framework for a thermodynamics course that allows students to solve previously unseen problems while building their expertise. This pedagogy is called Decision Based Learning, and has received tremendous student feedback and results. Students are able to solve complex problems

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amelito G Enriquez, Canada College; Erik N Dunmire, College of Marin; Tom Rebold, Monterey Peninsula College; Nicholas Langhoff, Cañada College; Eva Schiorring, EduData4Action

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Conference Session

Ocean and Marine Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Delorme, Stevens Institute of Technology (SES); Michael Giglia; Ethan Hayon; Joseph Huyett; Donald Montemarano; Mark Siembab

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Ocean and Marine

9 10If for instance you were pursuing a mechanical engineering (ME) degree and through the courseof the Perseus II project you gained significant new ME relative knowledge and reinforcedinformation from classes throughout your UG career relative to ME that enhanced your abilityto apply ME knowledge you would select something on the higher end of the spectrum torepresent what you feel is a significant educational impact. ii. In a discipline/s of your Perseus II teammates : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10If for instance you were pursuing a mechanical engineering (ME) degree and through the courseof the Perseus II project you gained significant new naval engineering relative knowledge, forexample the knowledge and ability to assess and design

Conference Session

Aerospace Technical Session 3

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hank D Voss, Taylor University; Jeff F Dailey; William A Bauson, Taylor University; Bill Chapman, Taylor University

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace

prepare graduates well. Traditional“small stepping” lab and project classes serve a real purpose but can be limited and geared morefor workforce literacy (“Cubicle” engineers). Challenging projects give students freedom andownership while driving and amplifying their problem solving skills with some failure andcreative feedback solutions. Appropriate and inspiring big projects better prepare students foradvanced leadership by doing advanced engineering and “swimming with the Big Boys” innational competitions, peer reviewed publications, and selective job interviews.AdvantagesReal world and challenging experiences for students have many advantages: • improved student resume and career opportunities • are significant for attracting top students

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ning Gong, ECE Department of Temple University ; Brian P. Butz, Temple University; Saroj K Biswas, Temple University; Li Bai, Temple University; Daniel J Douglas, Temple University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering at Temple Univer- Page 26.1714.1 sity. He is interested in research opportunities involving machine learning, power systems, and software applications. His long term goal is a career in power and energy systems engineering. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 WEB BASED SCALABLE INTELLIGENT MULTIMEDIA VIRTUAL LABORATORY FOR POWER ENGINEERINGAbstract A laboratory practicum is considered a key component of engineering education. However ahands-on approach is often ignored for courses involving electrical machines

Conference Session

Perspectives on Degree Completion and Graduate School Application

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir Karimi, University of Texas, San Antonio; Randall D. Manteufel, University of Texas, San Antonio; Lynn L. Peterson, University of Texas, Arlington

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. There are a number of ways to create such a community, and no single solution is sufficient. Thebest recommendation is for the university to have a holistic approach employing multiple strategiessuch as: tutoring, mentoring, learning centers, first-year student programs, at-risk student programs ,strong academic advising, and career awareness7.Over the years, much has been done to understand and improve the retention of students8-12.Universities use problem solving recitations, and the integration of math/science/engineering intomore exciting engineering courses with more active design projects for students. Many of theseefforts have had limited success and are often overwhelmed by changes in the student bodyattending the university, changes in

Conference Session

Assessing Social Responsibility & Sustainability

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nathan E Canney PE, Seattle University; Angela R Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder; Mikhail Russu

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods, Engineering Ethics, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

like this were very uncommon, however. This could point to a missing link withrespect to developing a professional sense of social responsibility in engineers that could drawfrom the existing HSS influences that students reported. One student actually discussed howtheir humanities class influenced them negatively with respect to their views of engineering,saying: “Mostly the humanities, the engineering classes I took made me realize how irrelevant my major (mechanical engineering) is to making a difference in the world. I don't plan on using my major for anything in the future- planning on shifting my career path to the humanities/social sciences.”This response came from a female, senior engineering student who

Conference Session

Examining Social Ties and Networks

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Megan Kenny Feister, Purdue University; Carla B. Zoltowski, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Patrice Marie Buzzanell, Purdue University, West Lafayette; David Torres, Purdue University; William C. Oakes, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Lafayette Patrice M. Buzzanell is a Professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication and the School of Engineering Education (courtesy) at Purdue University. Editor of three books and author of over 150 articles and chapters, her research centers on the intersections of career, gender communication, lead- ership, and resilience. Fellow and past president of the International Communication Association, she has received numerous awards for her research, teaching/mentoring, and engagement. She is working on Purdue-ADVANCE initiatives for institutional change, the Transforming Lives Building Global Commu- nities (TLBGC) team in Ghana through EPICS, and individual engineering ethical development and team ethical

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 8: Project-based Learning and Cornerstone Courses

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mike Elmore, Binghamton University; Sharon B Fellows, Binghamton University; Koenraad E Gieskes, Binghamton University; Lee A Cummings, Binghamton University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

make important decisions during their first year that affect their Page 26.751.11educational career. The decision to reject engineering is often based on the complexity of thecurriculum and the lack of engagement3. Based on the research and current experience it is clearthat the need for change exists, especially in the first year, which is the corner stone of anyacademic program. Implementing innovative approaches to first-year design projects, can betime consuming and risky, but necessary to address the fundamental paradigm shift inengineering education. It requires that both students and teachers acquire pedagogical skills thatare not