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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Migri M. Prucz

"freshman experience" in the first semester [7]. The three essential attributes identified by theEngineering Deans Council and the Corporate Roundtable of the ASEE [8] for a modernundergraduate program of engineering education, are well reflected in the information presentedthrough CEMR’s recruiting material:• "Relevant" – educational experiences that are relevant to the lifelong career and personal Page 5.127.2 interests of specific students.• "Attractive" – intellectual abilities are stimulated and developed through exciting knowledge, state-of-the-art facilities, and hands-on projects.• "Connected" – regular contacts

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Matthew Ohland; Richard Layton

structure can be found in Layton and Ohland.III. Peer rating proceduresPeer evaluations are performed at the conclusion of each of two design projects assigned duringthe semester. The evaluations at the end of the first project, usually due by the fifth week of thesemester, accomplish several goals:• Students learn about the peer evaluation procedure.• Students reflect on the evaluation criteria.• Students get feedback on how the group assesses each member’s work to date.• The instructor is alerted if groups are not functioning.This first evaluation allows the groups to identify both “hitchhikers” and “overachievers,” that is,group members that are contributing either too little or too much to the group effort. The

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert H. Mayer

in the spring semester, two class sections (of approximately 20 studentseach) have been necessary to meet student demand in each of the past two years.Although both foundation courses deal primarily with environmental issues in the marinebiosphere, the many models used in class lectures and laboratory exercises have evolved fromand have a direct counterpart in more traditional environmental engineering curricula. Also,nearly 50% of course enrollments are students from majors other than ocean engineering,reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of course materials.Capstone Design ProjectsAll engineering majors at the U.S. Naval Academy are required to complete a capstone designcourse that requires preparation of a conceptual or detailed design

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Kenneth D. West; Craig W. Smith

previously taken aphysics course4. Notice that in the 1996-1997 academic year there is only a little improvement.This was the year before we reformed the course when lectures mostly consisted of derivationsand example problems. The greater improvement of the calculus-based Physics 241 studentsundoubtedly reflects their better academic preparation. The shaded post test scores are after wereformed the courses. With the exception of the 97-98 year in Technical Physics, there is asignificant improvement in the students’ scores, which presumably reflects their improvedconceptual learning. The 97-98 Technical Physics class showed disappointing improvementbut it was an unusually undisciplined group that took physics from 3:30 to 5:30 PM after theyhad been

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Sharon A. Jones; Indira Nair

. However, including the students in thisprovides a rewarding environment and models the participatory decision making process.Concept Maps and Other Useful Representations: Inherent to representing and reflecting ona systems view of the subject in question are ways of drawing relationships among concepts.Diagrams for representing knowledge frameworks, or logical sequences have been used invarious disciplines under names such as concept maps, flowcharts, mind maps, and mentalmodels. Such diagrams are a central part of learning that encourages students to construct theirworldviews or “mental models” and reflect upon relationships and systems. The model ofteaching students to construct their knowledge is generally called a constructivist model

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Rosa Buxeda; Ramon Vazquez Espinosa; Jorge I. Velez; Lueny M. Morell

scientific UPPER LEVEL u 30% d methodology, e 20% n t RS/GIS literature 10% s search, how to 0% sensory intuitive visual verbal active prepare and present a reflective sequential global PERCEPTION INPUT MODALITY poster. Activities

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert S. Thompson

-robin” designs where eachmember of a group rates each other member of the group. Self-evaluations are excluded in theround-robin design. Montgomery 25 partitioned the source of variance in a group peerevaluation study using an early version of Kenny’s round-robin statistical program. In theMontgomery study, when the sources of variation are categorized into potential assessment error(rater) versus those that reflect the actual behavioral variation, only 9% of the source of errorwere assigned to potential assessment error. As reported, these are measures of consensus(agreement) and are not a measure of validity. Validity in the Montgomery study was high. Thisis based on the correlation of the average of the peer ratings with the average of

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Zheng-Tao Deng; Abdul R. Jalloh; Amir Mobasher; Ruben Rojas-Oviedo

adaptability in the design of engineering curricula. Page 5.571.3Some engineering programs here in the U.S., still debate the wisdom of the proposed changesgiven that: It worked before, nothing has fallen off the table, if it isn’t broke don’t fix it ,principles are non-changing, why should we. However, if the engineering program is viewedas part of a dynamic system and every thing changes around it, then it would be reasonable toexpect reflections of these changes in the curricula. Paradoxically in some nations of thepacific rim engineering programs are more aggressive in promoting rapid innovation and earlyspecialized training.ABETBy December of the

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Michael Mackay; George DeLancey; Richard Cole; Bernard Gallois; Keith Sheppard; Gerald Rothberg

-W. halogen spot lamp to simulate solar radiation and an infrared-reflecting film (tominimize infrared heating of the cells) add an additional dimension to the experiment. To Page 5.174.7determine the efficiency of conversion of radiation from the lamp into electrical power, it isnecessary to integrate the radial variation of light intensity over the rectangular area of the solarpanel. This is a worthwhile, practical, and non-trivial application of integral calculus. Theexperiment is intended to emphasize energy flow and conversions but is too early in the se- Halogen

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Robin H. Lovgren; Michael J. Racer; Anna P. Phillips

, distribution, service industries, manufacturing, and communications, to name only a few.2. The existence of this program will also be of benefit to other programs in the Collegeof Engineering.3. Recognize the special needs of an urban university. Be aware as well as responsive.The success of the program hinges on the quality of the faculty. It is these who will beasked to ensure that the previously mentioned goals are met. In this regard, theevaluative measures employed within INSE will be developed with this vision in mind.The quality of each faculty member will reflect his contribution to this vision of INSE. Page 5.311.3Our statement was

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Valana Baxter; Mark R Henderson; Jim Baxter; Alan de Pennington

success of this project and the experience, in general. Because of great distances and times and also because of large schedule differences between the US and UK academic calendars, the teams lost track of some of the project milestones and subtasks. As can be seen from the abbreviated schedule above, each project update reflected that the team was behind its original design and manufacturing plan. The reasons were many, but the overall problem was communication. When the schedule began to slip, at one location, that part of the team was hesitant to admit it and increased their efforts to catch up. The schedule slippage, though, is sometimes due not to amount of work, but amount of coordination. For example, the two halves of the

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Zheng-Tao Deng; Abdul R. Jalloh; Amir Mobasher; Ruben Rojas-Oviedo

Session 1566 Implementation of a Systems Approach For Curriculum Design Ruben Rojas-Oviedo, Z.T. Deng, Amir Mobasher, A. Jalloh Mechanical Engineering Department Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AL 35762 E-Mail: rojaso@asnaam.aamu.edu; aamzxd01@asnaam.aamu.edu; amobasher@aamu.edu; ajalloh@aamu.eduAbstractNowadays, engineering professional practice has reached a substantial level of sophisticationdistinct from the old practices, that reflected compartmentalization . This progress has cameabout by a better understanding of a

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Manuel D. Rossetti; Harriet Black Nembhard

5.687.2philosophy and a statement of your expectations of the students. You should make it clear thatthe students’ participation during class activities is expected and that participation is an integralpart of the learning experience in your course. Depending on the level of the students you maywant to include some sort of bonus system to reward those students who enthusiastically engagein the process. talking/ listening writing reading reflecting Figure 1: Elements of active learning.Cooperative Learning BackgroundSmith (1994) describes cooperative

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Nicole DeJong; Ken Van Treuren; Don Farris; Cindy Fry

in the fall of 1999 indicated they had word processing experience with a 4 rating for theirability. In addition to design project submittals, the students use word processing for twolaboratories and some homework assignments. Usually, the students divide the task of writingvarious report sections for the design submittals, and the team leader is then responsible forintegrating the report. The quality of the report is generally a reflection of the team’s planning.Teams that allow themselves adequate time to finish the report generally do a good job. Someteams are busy trying to compile the report minutes before it is to be turned in. These teamsgenerally do not have a coherent report. Teams are encouraged to have several team membersread

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Natasha Balac; Daniel M. Gaines

students build a line following robot. In fact, they have been using mobilerobots for several years now. We are also discussing the possibility of using mobile robotsin the introductory AI class.The students were in unanimous agreement that they had learned things through the useof mobile robots that they would not have learned otherwise. 42% strongly agreed withthis statement.5.5 Question 6: Suggestions for Using Mobile RobotsThe final question asked students if they had any suggestions for using mobile robots inthis course.Three students suggested changing the project so that it consisted of a series of smallerassignments or labs that reflected recent topics in the course. We agree this is a good idea,but it does detract from the objective of

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Kristin L. Wood; John Wood

illustrates further motivation for promoting hands-on activities. The figure showsKolb’s model of learning, embodied by a cycle that begins with concrete experience, proceedswith reflective observation and conceptualization, and ends, before restarting, with activeexperimentation. By studying and dissecting current machines, the physical components may bedirectly experienced with all senses. Design methods may then be used to hypothesize currentfunctions, and conceptualize new functions and/or solutions to the current configuration.Observation and active experimentation with the current and refined concepts may then beexecuted, realizing mental ideas into physical embodiments. The process may then begin again,where further iteration enhances and

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Scott Danielson; Sudhir I. Mehta

) areimportant tools for monitoring learning. Several CATs like the Minute Paper, Muddiest Point, Page 5.469.3and One Sentence Summary are suggested by Angelo and Cross (1993). Mehta and hiscolleague have also developed several classroom assessment methods for getting quick feedback(Mehta, 1993, 1995, 1997; Mehta & Schlect, 1998).8. Incorporate service learning. Service-learning has been defined as “a form of experientialeducation in which students engage in activities that address human and community needstogether with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning anddevelopment. Reciprocity and reflection are key

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Kenneth Kelly; Etienne Khayat; Fouad T. Mrad

temperature measurement, the second to errors in strain measurement, andthe third to errors in voltage source measurement. These three panels are analogous as far asthe menu bar and various functional buttons and display boxes are concerned. Somefunctional differences arise due to differences in the intrinsic properties of the specifictransducers used (Figure 19).The user selects a complete circuit, starting with the transducer itself including its type, thetype of terminal block used, if any, the type of SCXI module and ending with the type of dataacquisition card used. These selections are made from a menu bar lining the top of all threepanels (Figure 19).A status bar continuously reflects the selections being made by the user from the menu

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Thomas Hall

favor of the hardware lab after six of the eight lab exercises, their attitudeswere reflected in their performance, but not to the same degree.IV. The Qualitative ResultsDuring the semester, there were several opportunities to discuss the different laboratoryenvironments with the students. These discussions were designed to help determine the causesof statistically significant differences between the treatments and to determine differences notuncovered by the statistical analyses. At the end of the research period, two formal focus groupdiscussions were conducted.Recorded below are highlights of the focus group dialogue. Specifically, the points listed herewere used as bases for some of the conclusions and recommendations given later

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Jason Puzniak; Flora McMartin; Alice Agogino

, 4depends upon interaction with peers and a shared community of practice, reflected through acommon language, set of methods, and perspectives.As learners, faculty interact with multiple learning communities, in multiple ways, and formultiple purposes. They attend conferences and meetings sponsored by professional societies,academic and government institutions, and industry. At these events they participate in formaland informal discussions — all of which are critical to their ability to meet their professionalobligations. Faculty as members of disciplinary professional societies focus on innovation intheir areas of expertise and research; they participate in organizations such as ASEE (AmericanSociety for Engineering Education) and the FIE

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Wade Kenny; Kevin Myers; Heather Cornell

achieved in the MEB classroom: teachingstudents how to “think like a chemical engineer,” and the behavioral processes, or teachingstudents how to “act like a chemical engineer.” In his December 13th reflection on how the classwas going, the professor expressed his fears that students had not learned how “to break down aproblem into smaller, more manageable parts,” which is certainly a key (if not the key) way thatchemical engineers are taught to think about the problems with which they deal. Performanceson tests tended to support this statement, as the test average between the first test, whereproblems were very simple and required little in the way of being “broken down,” and thesecond test, which did require such skills, fell approximately

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Yi Shang; Michael Jurczyk; Hongchi Shi; Anupam Joshi

/server computing, hypertext transfer protocol,Web server installation and configuration, Web security, Java applets, Java servlets, Java Swing,extensible markup language, and XML and Java based e-commerce [1-6,11,12,14,16,17,19].To explore the forefront of WWW technology, the students are assigned significant hands-onwork, which is reflected in four small class projects and one term project.The four small class projects are as follows:1. Extending browser’s functionality. The students are asked to write an application program (maybe script) that wraps a standalone mpeg2 video player "mpeg2player" that a few command-line options. The application program should take from the standard input a list of options and pass the options to the

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Richard W Freeman; Carl J. Bern; Steven Mickelson

. The course meets twice a week and is a one credit gradedcourse. In the fall semester of 1999, the curriculum for ENGR 104 was changed to reflect achange in instructional philosophy and course goals. The published objectives for the course areas follows:Engineering 104x is designed to assist LEAD students in making a successful transition to IowaState University (ISU) and the College of Engineering (COE). 104x will also help make thebridge between coursework and real work. Students will learn about more about the engineering Page 5.424.8profession and the skills needed to be successful in engineering at ISU. Students will have theopportunity

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert K. Christianson; Jeffrey F. McCauley; Denny Davis; Michael S. Trevisan; Kenneth L. Gentili

activity engages students in a team design activity and producesworksheets that report team roles, the design process used, design requirements, and the designproduct. A reflective essay provides more information on the team's design process andcommunication performance and on member understanding of teamwork and communication Page 5.446.4processes. 4Table 2 presents an example to illustrate the framework for the mid-program assessment.(Additional detail is found on the TIDEE web page). Note the relationships among performanceindicators, assessment questions, and scoring. There are

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Ronald K. Goodnight; Gary B. Randolph; Dennis O. Owen

and proposal experiences through their workplace. The adultlearners also take a personal ownership in their project. This motivates them to elevate thequality of their proposals and presentations since they see this as a direct reflection onthemselves.The capstone project has allowed the measurement of comprehension, application, analysis,evaluation, and synthesis skills at a level that was impossible when conventional examinationswere used. Based upon this alone, the faculty feels that the methodology has improved studentpreparation for the workplace. Students also seem to apply themselves more willing to a projectthan to a conventional exam evaluation mechanism. Further, skills mastered at the upper levelsof Bloom’s cognitive domain are

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Matthew Ohland; Richard Layton

ratings. (KFF used a maximumfactor of 1.10.) The peer evaluation instrument varied from semester to semester as improve-ments were tried. The results from the different instruments are normalized to a common 0-100scale for comparison. (In a companion paper, it is shown that reliability coefficients for two ofthese instruments are similar enough to be normalized for comparison4.) Our students, like thosein KFF, never asked how these ratings are used to adjust their project grades.Peer evaluations are performed at the conclusion of each of the two projects. The evaluations atthe end of the first project accomplish several goals:• Students learn about the peer evaluation procedure.• Students reflect on the evaluation criteria.• Students get feedback

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2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Steven H. VanderLeest

actually represents progress. In works such as Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson,"'Repent Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison or in the film THX-1138, we seeindividuals subverting a culture that has succumbed to technology. Their acts of subversion puttechnology back in its place as a tool of humanity. Science fiction highlights the fundamentalnature of humanity and the reflection of that nature on the technology created by man. We cansee this interplay of humanity and technology influencing each other in Laura Anne Gilman’s"Clean Up Your Room!" as well as in Larry Niven’s "Cloak of Anarchy" where human depravityis no longer kept in check when technology fails. Lest we think that one can easily and simplydiscern between good and evil

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Andrzej A. Markowski; Harry Petersen

designingoffice, and on a management level. To meet the mission of these programs, and the expectationsof graduates and industries, universities need to prepare “industry-ready” students as much as itis possible. This is not an easy task, because of the wide variety of different industries in whichgraduates may be employed. Recent surveys show [1] that knowledge of new processes andtechnologies, and the ability to work in teams, are the most often mentioned competency gaps ofengineering and engineering technology graduates. Some reasons are obvious. In traditionalclassroom teaching, industrial projects can be analyzed theoretically but simulated only to acertain extent, never fully reflecting the complexity of conditions existing in industry.Additionally

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Sheila R. Curl; Leslie J. Reynolds; Brent Alan Mai; Alexius E. Smith

enabled the instructors to monitor the participation ofstudents on their respective teams. Mid-semester, the teams were realigned to reflect the level ofengagement. The students who were active in the course appreciated the realignment becausethey were now working within a team where everyone was vested in the success of the team andits work.Time CommitmentIt is a misconception to think that an online course takes less instructor time to either develop orto teach. In a traditional classroom, the instructor can arrive for the day’s class and “wing it,” theinstructor in the virtual classroom must have all materials completely prepared. Any briefpresentation or tangential remarks that may have occurred in the traditional classroom must bereplicated

Collection

2000 Annual Conference

Authors

Wesley P. Lipschultz; Jean Landa Pytel; Jayne Klenner-Moore

several modules of discovery that results in two or three possible solutions.The final decision thus remains for the students to make, but the program has already allowed thestudents to make many decisions, so the students’ comfort level with making decisions should Page 5.643.3improve upon completion of the program. This process reflects the real world when lifedecisions need to be made without a mandate from a parent or a teacher. Working through theprocess allows students to practice making decisions on their own and adapting to theconsequences.3. The environment should include a number of related cases to enable case-based reasoning