Conference Session

ELD Technical Papers Session

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Barbara Williams; Paul Blowers

2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2003, American Society for Engineering Educationinformation literacy across curricula, in all programs and services, and throughout theadministrative life of the university, requires the collaborative efforts of faculty,librarians, and administrators.”12Deconstruction of the syllabus Syllabi serve many functions to different groups of users13. Students view asyllabus as a contract14-18 with the professor that describes how they should behave, whatthe class schedule is, and how they need to perform in order to receive a passing grade.While faculty often use the syllabus to organize their thoughts about the course, to

Conference Session

Internet Programming and Applications

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Mark Wickert; Gregory Plett

address, the student may send an email message directly from her webbrowser to the instructor. Below the course description is a listing of supplements that she maydownload. These are divided into categories (e.g., ANNOUNCEMENTS, CHAPTER 1. . . ) asassigned by the instructor. Page 8.1288.5 Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright c 2003, American Society for Engineering EducationIn the figure, we see that this student has downloaded the syllabus and the first chapter of thelecture notes. Furthermore, she is assured that she has the most

Conference Session

Computers in Education Poster Session

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Larry Goolsby

Session xxxx CONVERTING A TRADITIONAL LECTURE/LAB PROGRAMMING COURSE TO AN ONLINE COURSE Larry K. Goolsby Tennessee Technological UniversityAbstract:A traditional lecture/lab format computer-programming course can be converted to an onlineequivalent using the WebCT online course authoring software. Existing course materials that arein use with the traditional course can be used in the online course by converting the materials tothe HTML format that is required by WebCT. The conversion can be accomplished with relativeease using

Conference Session

Curricular Issues in BAE

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

William Hart; Mike Williams; George Grandle; Alvin Womac

stated that the technology isjust a vehicle. Various forms of web-based assessment methods do raise relevant issuessuch as access, rights, security, scheduling, delivery and some difficult issues such asstudent identity validation, performance certification, and academic integrity for university-level courses taught online for credit. Driscoll (1999) suggested a needs-assessment with themes related to how peoplelearn on the web and noted the following: (1) the importance of the systemic design of theinstruction model, (2) the centrality of self-directed learning, (3) the strong relationshipbetween educational themes, and (4) the identification of distinct kinds of web-basedtraining. Web-based instruction raises questions on the

Conference Session

Engineering Economy Frontiers

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Phillip Rosenkrantz

and side-by-sidecomparisons are available in the literature and on the Web. Cal Poly Pomona has adopted WebCTas a campus supported course management system. This presentation will limit itself toexperiences with WebCT.Advantages of WebCT1. WebCT offers a lot of features that can be used to manage an on-line course. Some of these features include: • A public page to advertise the course or display course information • Instructors can structure their course in many ways. Assignments can be listed via syllabus, calendar, or assignment pages. • There are many communications options available for the instructor, students, and teams. Email, discussion boards, team work areas, white board

Conference Session

Technology, Communication, & Ethics

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Paul Ross

Technical Leadership:A Preliminary Survey of MEPP Student MotivationSubmission: 2003 ASEE Annual ConferenceEducational and Research Methods DivisionPaul L. Ross 608 262-5171 pross@engr.wisc.eduTechnical Communication Program, Engineering Professional Development.College of Engineering/UW-MadisonAddress: Paul L. Ross M1050D Technical Communication Certificate Program 1550 Engineering Drive Madison, WI 53706Abstract“Communicating Technical Information “ (CTI) is one course in the Master ofEngineering in Professional Practice (MEPP) offered online through the College ofEngineering, UW-Madison. The participants in MEPP are mostly early and mid-careerengineers seeking a technical

Conference Session

Technology in Environmental Engineering Courses

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Jennifer Wise; Nicholas Scambilis

becreated using templates of software packages developed for on-line instruction delivery. SinclairCommunity College is one of many schools utilizing an on-line instruction software packagecalled Web CT. This software package includes templates, tools and graphics to facilitate thedevelopment of educational materials for higher learning environments. WebCT was implementedat Sinclair to develop both on-line courses and enhancements.WebCT uses icons to guide the student through the enhancement program. The primary iconsused in E&IT course enhancements include: • Start Here • Syllabus • Course Material • Calendar • Discussions • Mail • LinksOther course enhancements

Conference Session

Improving Communication Skills in ME

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Theresa Jones

participation as being composed of being physically present, being willing to askquestions and make comments, and having a good attitude. He further commented that “a badattitude will get you a bad grade… a good attitude will get you a good grade.” He defined a badattitude as not participating, trying to get around doing work, and leaning too much on others. Henoted that arguing with the instructor was not indicative of a bad attitude because “I love it.”On the first day of class, the instructor handed out a four-page course syllabus which explicitlypointed out that his course objectives were both to introduce the students to solving open-endedproblems as well as to address the technical content. The syllabus also explicitly stated that thecourse would

Conference Session

Curricular Change Issues

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Kathleen Harper; Robert J. Gustafson; John Merrill; John Demel; Richard Freuler

quarterlybasis for the teaching and for the course organization and implementation. Their attitudes aboutthe courses and toward engineering are surveyed as well.9Materials Provided for Faculty – When the faculty members agree to teach with the FEP, theyreceive a notebook with the course syllabus, a paper copy of all of the lecture notes, a paper copyof the problems the students will solve along with the answer keys, and a CD or Zip disk with anelectronic copy of all of the lecture materials. They also receive textbooks and a copy of any CADor analysis software that is used in the course. The faculty members and graduate students worktogether to develop the midterm and final exams.Workshop for the Teaching Teams – The faculty along with the graduate and

Conference Session

Web-Based Instruction

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Abi Aghayere

supervise the tests and final exam; proctors might bethe local librarian or the student’s boss at work.Our objective in this online course was to model the on-campus classroom experience as closelyas possible. The web-based Prometheus (or myCourses) platform was used as the interface ormedium for this course. As shown in Figure 1, the myCourses platform is divided into severalsections namely: Syllabus, Grade Book, Messages, Files, Discussions, and Utilities.The SYLLABUS section is the first screen seen by the students after they log on to the coursewebsite in myCourses; this section shows general course information, instructor information, andcourse description. A short biography, general introduction to the course, and links to the coursesyllabus

Conference Session

Computers in Education Poster Session

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Steven Braddom; Charles Campbell; Shad Reed; Robert Floersheim

supported by other current research. Poindexter, Heck and Ferrarinifound that putting course administration documents online was beneficial by assisting studentswith their organization. Whereas paper copies of administrative documents were quickly lost orburied in folders, electronic copies could be accessed at will and were reviewed weekly by moststudents.7 Schweitzer and Reed found that for administrative documents (assignments, syllabi,etc.) engineering students typically preferred to receive them in electronic rather than paper form.This study shows that the format of documents such as the syllabus is extremely important interms of how useful they are to students. A poorly organized electronic syllabus is no better thana paper copy.8

Conference Session

Programming and DSP Issues in Education

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

David Schwartz; K-Y Daisy Fan

syllabus that teaches both MATLAB and Java with depth, our evaluationof this new course, and our plans for improving the programming course in a common first-yearengineering curriculum.IntroductionThe “Introduction to Programming” course is an essential part of the first-year engineeringcurriculum that helps students develop expertise in some programming language, beyondspreadsheet computation. This first programming course is a service course, teaching computingskills that students will need in upper division engineering courses. Given the wide-ranging needsof different engineering disciplines, some undergraduate programs offer introductoryprogramming courses within the different departments. Such a model allows the computing needsof the upper

Conference Session

Ethical & Industrial Issues in BME

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Emily Mowry

positionsindicates an increased awareness of issues in clinical research ideas after viewing the film4. We attempted to create a backbone for the course structure by looking at existingbioethics courses at various universities. Some course descriptions were available online at JohnsHopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, University of Virginia,and Vanderbilt University. We observed the undergraduate philosophy course, Introduction toEthics, at Vanderbilt University and interviewed engineering students enrolled in the course. Further ideas for case studies and course content were supplemented by web researchfrom various institutions. The World Medical Association5 provided us with historical documentssuch as the

Conference Session

Virtual & Distance Experiments

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Zhixue Wang; Guangpi Lai; Feiyue Wang; A. Terry Bahill; Jeff Goldberg

course syllabus, lectures, homework/exams and solutions, grades, lab reservations, group discussion, "ask TA," "ask Professor," and feedback/comments. With these modules, students and the instructor can conduct the course process in a largely online fashion, however there are on-campus classes, and the WAVES system is currently being used as a class supplement. • Experiment implementation - Currently, the Inverted Pendulum is implemented in this section and Figure 5 contains the real time sensor data and streaming video of the equipment. Students design an algorithm for control using the concepts and methods of the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) state feedback design. The

Conference Session

ASEE Multimedia Session

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Gustavo Bolaños

double purpose. First, It allows oneto maintain a quick and easy communication with students for administrative issues related to thecourse, such as presentation of the syllabus, grading reports, course news, and delivery of usefulinformation, as articles of interest, the PowerPoint® presentations of lectures (which are postedin advance), web links related to the course, etc. Second, the web page provides a quickconnection to selected internet resources, such as databases and online software for estimation ofphysical properties, databanks with information on material safety data sheets (MSDS), patents,and freeware for chemical process design. The web page is maintained by a graduate teachingassistant.We also provide the students with access to

Conference Session

Engineering Technology Poster Session

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Mukasa Ssemakula

, we have usedvarious levels of logistical and technical support to ensure smooth running of the course. The keyelements of this are the internet, the telephone, and the fax machine. WSU has adoptedBlackboard as its standard web-based course delivery system. In the course under discussion,Blackboard is utilized to disseminate a variety of course information such as the syllabus, classnotes, handouts, and homework assignments. Students can then review these at their leisure. Itypically post notes and handouts on Blackboard for students to download prior to the start ofclass. All students (local and remote) pick up and submit their homework online, and the gradedhomework is returned online as well, using Blackboard’s Digital Drop Box function

Conference Session

TC2K Issues and Assessment

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Paul Lin; Harold Broberg

Copyright  2003, American Society for Engineering Education finalized design, (2) oral presentation to faculty and other interested parties, (3) standard- format written technical report. Figure 1 Capstone Course Descriptions.To support this capstone course, the ECET department reserves a dedicated PC-basedworkstation with a scanner, digital camera, and software including MATLAB andElectronic Workbench, etc. The course web site (http://www.etcs.ipfw.edu/~lin) includessuch information as a course syllabus with course description and outcomes, assessmentforms, design reference materials (design practices, system emulation/simulation, systemprototyping, system integration, system testing and validation, system

Conference Session

New Approaches in Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

John Doherty; Gerald Gannod

evaluation of student learning through tests, written reports, and other assessment techniques. 6. Prepare a syllabus based on the considerations above. Figure 1: Course Development Guidelines 32.3 A Concentration Track in Embedded Systems At Arizona State University, we are completing the implementation of a novel infrastructure fora concentration track in embedded systems that combines important aspects of academic content Page 8.1237.3 Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition

Conference Session

Assessment Issues

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Joni Spurlin; Jerome Lavelle; Sarah Rajala; Mary Clare Robbins

Session 3230 Assessment of Introduction to Engineering and Problem-Solving Course Joni E. Spurlin, Jerome P. Lavelle, Mary Clare Robbins, and Sarah A. Rajala Office of Academic Affairs College of Engineering North Carolina State University Campus Box 7904 Raleigh, NC 27695-7904AbstractAt North Carolina State University, the freshmen’s first course in engineering is E101

Conference Session

ET Distance Learning

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Marty Frisbee; Deborah Sharer

systems using these devices. These courses encompassphysics, solid-state concepts and conventional transistor circuits and systems.A variety of synchronous and asynchronous delivery methods, chosen to provide support andenable students to comprehend and appreciate this crucial component in the study of electricalengineering technology, were employed in the Active Networks I course.2,3,6,7 Asynchronousmaterial was made available through WebCT in the form of a detailed course syllabus, anextensive course schedule with links to individual assignment write-ups, lecture notes, examples,homework solutions, test solutions, and computer simulations.8 Synchronous delivery wasachieved through Centra in the form of office hours, problems sessions and

Conference Session

Issues in Computer Education

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

M. Sharma

(CD-ROM,World Wide Web/Internet, Online Synchronous/Asynchronous, Compressed Video, and hybridsof these tools) and assessing the effectiveness of their integration on teaching and learning bystudents in terms of depth of knowledge learned, dexterity/skill of problem solving,motivation/attitude, achievement, and retention of knowledge. Researchers of teaching andlearning phenomena and processes, and educational psychologists, are investigating thesephenomena based on different perspectives, theories, and hypotheses. Supported by a grant fromthe National Science Foundation, the authors of this paper have developed computer-based-instruction modules for an introductory thermodynamics course that incorporate active learningexercises within them

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Stan Harris

processing purposes on a gradually accelerating basisfor about 25 years. Keyboarding skills have been learned without formal typing or keyboardinginstruction. Touch-typing proficiency has not been achieved.For approximately two decades the author has encouraged student use of electronic means toboth author course assignments and submit them for grading.The author began using Blackboard’s Online Gradebook feature when the University firstintroduced Blackboard. In the fall of 2002, the following features of Blackboard were added: Page 8.1101.2course documents to provide students with an electronic course syllabus, course information and“Proceedings of

Conference Session

Web-Based Instruction

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Lauren Neal; Jr., Robert J. Clougherty; Ismail Fidan

-based course supplement to the complete delivery of courses online. The choices that facultymay consider range from simply posting a syllabus to creating web-based content to enhanceclassroom instruction to full online delivery. While the primary focus of web-based delivery has been in the development of standaloneweb-based distance education courses, more faculty are beginning to use the web to supplementand enhance classroom instruction, creating “hybrid courses.” The authors have chosen to supplement a traditional face-to-face on-campus CNC (ComputerNumerical Control) course with an online component. WebCT-based CNC materials weredeveloped in Spring 2002 and started being implemented in Fall 2002. The materials arecurrently used in a

Conference Session

Topics in Mechanical ET

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

B. Sridhara

with corrections, commentsand/or grades. Fig. 5. Digital Drop Box A welcome statement with a note to look for new announcements regularly was postedunder Announcements. Course syllabus was posted under Course Information providing a link toappropriate MS Word files. Creating and modifying announcements and folders, uploading files,and providing links were done using the Control Panel. In the first one or two classes, theinstructor gave a virtual tour of CourseInfo and briefly described how it would be utilized inDynamics. Students were helped with setting up their user name and password, and login andlogout procedure. As the semester progressed, many new announcements were posted whichincluded

Conference Session

NSF Opportunities for Undergraduate Engineering Education

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

J Hines; Fred Weber; John Prados; Kurt Gramoll

courses are located at www.eCourses.ou.edu and are open for others toview and use. The eCourses web portal contains course content (an eBook) similar to a textbookthat is viewed online. The eBook uses hundreds of simulations and animations to help studentsgrasp technical concepts. Other resources for the students include Flash-based lectures for thefull course. These are 8-12 minute mini-lectures from actual classroom lectures that present asingle concept or example. Since they are done in Flash, they have small file sizes and can bescaled for easy viewing. There are also over a thousand online homework problems that can beassigned to the students. The assigned problems can also be graded online.Each course at UT will be subdivided into a series

Conference Session

Computers in ME

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Davin Swanson; Christopher Lynch

style.Reports are graded by teaching assistants. Graded reports are provided to the student for reviewafter lab sessions and during office hours, but they are not permitted to keep graded labs in orderto discourage the circulation of graded labs among future students.Relevant URLs for the course (class webpage and ABET syllabus) may be found in thebibliography.1,2Moving the course onlineWith the introduction of a central WebCT server at Georgia Tech, ME3056 was investigated todetermine which parts of the course could be implemented online to improve the learningexperience for the students and to streamline the teaching and grading process for the professorand teaching assistants.Originally the only part of the coursework implemented using computers

Conference Session

Innovation in Design Education

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Thomas Corradeschi; Raymond Carr; Lewis Natiello; Donald Carlucci; Albert Messano; Keith Sheppard

various threads in teaming,project management, communications and economics of design. The 3rd semester also includes anintroductory Circuits course and laboratory. This is followed in the 4th semester by a lecturecourse in Electronics and Instrumentation coupled to a design laboratory, Engineering Design 4,which is the focus of this paper.Engineering Design 4 – Electronics and InstrumentationThe Engineering Design 4 core laboratory is taken concurrently (co-requisite) with a 3-creditlecture course in this topic. The syllabus for the lecture course is one that builds on a traditional 3-credit Introduction to Circuits course (pre-requisite) taken in the 3rd semester. It consists of

Conference Session

ASEE Multimedia Session

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Theresa Jones

a textbook, the desired studentlearning gains may be obvious. They may even be stated in the textbook. But with project-centered courses, the intended student learning outcomes may not be so clear. Yes, thereis technical content to be learned, but there may be other less explicit skills we wish forstudents to acquire. Projects provide an opportunity for students to develop theirprofessional skills such as project management, communication, and working with othersin a group. They are also an opportunity for them to practice being an engineer throughopen-ended problem solving. As part of our ABET accreditation process, all mechanicalengineering courses will be required to have the student learning outcomes listed on thecourse syllabus

Conference Session

ASEE Multimedia Session

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Julie Sharp, Vanderbilt University

engineering professorfor both labs, we had the opportunity to redesign this two-course sequence. Consequently, Imade some extensive changes for the technical communication segment for both courses, butparticularly in the senior lab. This paper details some successful strategies for teachingcommunication in the senior chemical engineering laboratory, ChE 229w. Specifically, I report onin-class and online activities to enhance integrating technical communication and technicalinstruction in the lab, helpful forms for evaluating written and oral reports, and an instrument forstudent assessment of course results. For those strategies already described in other papers, Ibriefly summarize them and cite the sources containing more information. For strategies

Conference Session

Mentoring Women and Minorities

Collection

2003 Annual Conference

Authors

Angela Linse; Rebecca Bates

behaviors). The students in theclass worked in small groups to develop lists of possible objectives. Some of the objectiveswere incorporated into the class syllabus, although this had to be balanced with the fact that itwas only a two-credit course. The entire set of objectives is available online.13 During the first Page 8.936.5class, the students were told about a "hidden agenda": the students should learn to be focused on Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Educationstudents and students learning the