Paper ID #34918Make Assessment Straightforward: A Case Study on the SuccessfulImplementation of ABET Student Outcomes 1-7Dr. Anthony Battistini, Angelo State University Dr. Anthony Battistini is an Assistant Professor in the David L. Hirschfeld Department of Engineering at Angelo State University. He received his BSCE (2007) degree from Lehigh University and an MS (2009) and PhD (2014) degree from The University of Texas at Austin. His expertise is in structural design, with an emphasis in steel bridge structures and connections. Prior to his current institution, Dr. Battistini also held assistant professor positions at
well theexisting teaching and learning model applied to the vastly different environment of online versusin-person education. This inspired the faculty to a thorough examination of the living document.During the subsequent fall term, formal faculty discussions about the model were facilitated.Topics from these discussions were grouped as follows: (1) aspects of the model that can beapplied unchanged in the online environment, (2) aspects of the model that are difficult orimpossible to apply in the online environment, and (3) ideas that need to be included in themodel to support the online environment. The discussions included topics unrelated to the onlineenvironment, highlighting important aspects of the model that deserve additional
, TeamManagementIntroduction ABET [1] stipulates that all engineering programs require students be “…prepared forengineering practice through a major design experience based on the knowledge acquired inearlier course work and incorporate appropriate engineering standards and multiple realisticconstraints…”. Adding to this statement, ASCE [2] established a vision for the future that framesfive critical learning outcomes to consider in an academic delivery [3,4]: (1) master builders, (2)stewards of natural environment, (3) innovators and integrators of ideas and technology, (4)managers of risk and uncertainty, and (5) leaders in shaping public policy. In reviewing thesevision outcomes, capstone courses are well-suited to provide simulated experiences. As such
instruction of structural engineering courses for three different coursesand student populations: (1) introduction to steel design and (2) indeterminate analysis forstructural engineering concentrators, and (3) steel and concrete design for engineeringconcentrators in other sub-disciplines.Across these courses, initial teaching strategies included a mixture of flipped classroom, traditionallectures, and interactive group problem solving. Collectively, the instructors determined throughongoing formal and informal student surveys, as well as additional unstructured feedback, thatproposed teaching strategies required adjustments as the semester progressed. Some technologicallimitations were discovered after rigorous testing with live students, while
decades ago, however italone no longer closes the gap in knowledge that civil engineers must attain and maintain,through education, mentored experience, and self-development for responsible charge – asdocumented in the current edition of the CEBOK.In 2019, ASCE completed work on the third edition of the CEBOK [1]. This CEBOKdemonstrates that the gap continues to expand at the pace of change – and civil engineers need topursue post-graduate education along with structured mentorship, self-development, and life-long learning to first attain and then maintain the competencies required for responsible charge.Hence the need for a certification program and credential to attest to a civil engineer’s fulfillmentof the CEBOK. Like certification programs
c Society for Engineering Education, 2021 The Role of Prior Knowledge in the Performance of Engineering StudentsAbstractIn engineering, students’ completion of prerequisites indicates an understanding of fundamentalknowledge. Recent studies have shown a significant relationship between students’ courseperformance and their prior knowledge. Weak knowledge retention from prerequisitecoursework can present challenges in progressive learning. This study investigates therelationship between prior knowledge and student performance with a focus on 1) levels ofpreparedness, 2) perception of preparedness in subjective and objective metrics, and 3) theirpotential impact on performance. More specifically, the study places students into three
“mapped” onto a learner by a content expert [1].Linking new knowledge to previous knowledge learned experientially has been shown to createmore durable learning [2], [3]. Typical STEM instruction follows a tell-practice framework thatconsists of the instructor sharing key information and the student practicing, which requiresstudents to attempt to link what the instructor is saying to their previous knowledge prior to gainingexperiential knowledge. The past experience of students can vary greatly and fundamentalinstruction that does not address existing misconceptions or current gaps in a student’s experientialknowledge can lead to inaccurate interpretations and further reinforce misconceptions makingthem even more difficult to correct [4
virtualclassroom environment within a 3-day period as a response to the emergency stay-home order inMarch of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The courses learning objectives were modifiedfor two civil engineering courses (Environmental Engineering and Water & WastewaterEngineering). The pedagogic approach in the F2F environment used the six elements of theExCEEd Teaching Model. The transition to the virtual classroom utilized the ExCEEd TeachingModel and emphasized synchronous interaction with students to build an effective onlinelearning environment.A formal assessment of whether the approach was effective in a virtual format was conducted.The hypotheses evaluated included 1) the prediction that the learning objectives could be metregardless of
; the second activity (“Graph Theoryand Gratitude”) was carried out over a two-week period at the end of the Spring 2020 semester.An (Infinitesimal) Glossary of Relevant Graph Theory VocabularyWe begin by very briefly introducing graph theory vocabulary relevant to the discussion below;as we could not possibly begin to do justice to this enormous subject in a single paragraph, werefer the interested reader to one of many introductory texts on the matter [1].A graph is a mathematical structure that features a collection of nodes (each representing someobject), some pairs of which are connected via edges. A graph may be undirected (in which caseeach edge simply establishes a symmetric connection between two nodes) or directed (in whichcase an
voltmeter which displays voltagereadings upon beam displacement. The applied displacement was first converted to force andthen to the maximum moment which was finally converted to bending stress and strain. Resultsfrom the descriptive and quantitative analysis conducted based on the quantitative data obtainedfrom a pre-test and post-test survey administered to the students in the civil engineeringdepartment as well as students from other STEM discipline show that there are someimprovements in students’ motivation level due to hands-on learning implementation at theauthors’ institution.1. IntroductionHands-on experiential learning has increasingly gained attention over the years because it hasbeen shown to be a more efficient learning style for
transportation engineering with lecture and laboratorycomponents at the Pennsylvania State University. Specifically, the study seeks to determine howthe transition to remote instruction impacted student perceptions of the learning environment asit relates to the development of their professional expertise. Students’ perception on the learningenvironment was measured using the Supportive Learning Environment for ExpertiseDevelopment Questionnaire (SLEED-Q) [1]. The SLEED-Q was administered to students in Fall2018 and Fall 2019 (normal instruction) and compared with responses obtained from Fall 2020(remote instruction). Prior data (2018, 2019) was collected for baseline comparison as part of alarger curricular revision project to examine the impact of
-yearengineering students, signifying entry into the discipline. While surveying is not as integral tothe modern civil engineering curriculum as it once was, it continues to be instrumental inunderstanding the difference between training and education [1].In 2020, the COVID pandemic forced educators to pivot to an online teaching modality in themiddle of a spring semester. As the pandemic raged throughout the summer, educators werefaced with the prospect of delivering courses online for the foreseeable future. This presented avery real challenge for the venerable survey laboratory which is by nature very hands-on. Inpreparation for a summer offering of a surveying and geomatics class in the Civil Engineeringprogram at Northern Arizona University, faculty
to practicethe entire writing process (e.g. drafting, revising, and proofreading) and facilitating instructors tograde manageable reports to provide timely feedback. The specific objectives of this study are to(1) assess the effectiveness of one-page letter report assignments and associated activities, suchas technical writing instruction, individual practice, peer review, faculty feedback, and use of agood writing sample to improve students’ technical writing and (2) assess the improvement ofthe new ABET outcome 6 by using the one-page letter report at a Hispanic Serving Institution(HSI). Direct measurements were assessed based on scores of students’ reports following arubric, which was created according to the ABET outcome 6 and basic
them. CIT-E has remained active since the conclusion ofthe grant. Through the organization of yearly workshops, it has been welcoming new membersand providing participants an opportunity to grow as educators, increase their professionalnetwork, and develop new materials collaboratively. This paper describes the results of an impactanalysis of CIT-E through the lens of a community of practice.IntroductionThe Center for Infrastructure Transformation and Education (CIT-E, pronounced “city”) is anexisting, thriving community of practice (CoP) with a shared domain of interest in supportingmore effective Civil and Environmental Engineering education [1]. The CIT-E CoP exists in bothphysical and cyber environments. In-person workshops have been held
(herein referred to as interactive applets or tools) havebeen developed in the open-source web-based and mobile device-compatible platform GeoGebra[1]. Objects in GeoGebra can be programmed to follow mathematical relationships of physics anddynamics or any other the developer desires. Each parameter involved in the simulated scenariocan be controlled by the user, allowing them to manipulate the item and visually gain familiaritywith the relationship each parameter has with the mechanism being demonstrated.The teaching and study tools that have been developed by the authors are interactive applets thatfollow AISC specification equations and other structural engineering concepts needed to expresskey concepts in structural steel design. Students
. When using the lens of learning transfertheories, which describe the processes and the effective extent to which past experiences affectlearning and performance in a new situation, we can classify engineering students in three writingtransfer modes: 1) concurrent transfer, which occurs when a rhetorically-focused technical writingclass is taken concurrently or prior to engineering labs in the major; 2) vertical transfer, whichoccurs when a rhetorically-focused general education writing class is taken prior to engineeringlabs in the major; and 3) absent transfer, which occurs when no rhetorically-focused writing classexists (rather literature-focused) or writing-intensive courses are not required in the generaleducation curriculum. This study
; the most uniform component within the licensure process iscurrently the examination requirement.IntroductionProfessional engineering (PE) licensure is necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare ofthe public as advocated by many professional societies including the American Society of CivilEngineers (ASCE) and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) [1, 2]. However,there is no universal licensure law in the United States, because the 10 th Amendment to theUnited States Constitution authorizes every state and territory to establish laws and rules notspecifically delegated to the federal government. More recently, the United States SupremeCourt clarified that states have regulatory licensing authority for the protection of
experiment allowed students to physically comprehend howthese structural components are assembled and behave under loading.IntroductionIn most civil engineering programs, timber design is listed as a graduate course allowingenrollment from upper-division undergraduate students given certain pre-requisites and GPA.The curriculum covers the analysis and design of timber buildings, specifically: (i) determinationof gravity and lateral loads using ASCE 7-16 [1] and the International Building Code (IBC) 2018[2], (ii) gravity system design (tension, compression, and beam members), and (iii) lateral systemdesign (beam-columns, horizontal diaphragms, and shear walls). Typically, the focus is on thestructural element and connection, rather than the entire
useful opportunity to capture individuals’ communicativeperformance during collaborative problem-solving, thereby ultimately supporting learning.The Citadel takes its mission for leadership development very seriously. In the past decade, it hasresourced a Leadership Center that developed an entire leadership model and program for allstudents [1]. The Leader Development Program consists of four stages of leader development –PREPARE as freshmen, ENGAGE as sophomores, SERVE as juniors, and finally, as seniors,LEAD the student body. Additionally, The Citadel created an entire Department of Leadership todevelop formal instruction during all four years and has expanded into a graduate curriculum, aswell. Various leadership proponents on campus, in
goals for the course. The balance of a hybridcourse’s components was variable for (3) courses offered at UTK allowing the professors to createthe most effective teaching and learning experiences uniquely distinct for each course’s objectives.A “Rotating Face-to-Face” hybrid structure and a “Synchronous Simulcast” offering were twohybrid course modalities defined by the university beginning in Fall 2020 and extending throughSpring 2021. Professors were provided the opportunity to offer hybrid course experiences in eitherof these structures, among other modalities, to develop the balance of formal learningopportunities. As shown in Table 1, the engineering communications course design struck a precisebalance between face-to-face engagement and
structural laboratory demonstrations. While the lecture component covers thetheoretical concepts and derivations using diagrams and simplified drawings, laboratorydemonstrations are known to improve students’ understanding of the concepts through observationand experimentation [1]-[2]. Nevertheless, traditional modes of course delivery leave a gapbetween classroom depictions of idealized structural diagrams and a first-hand experience andperception of the structural members and their load-deformation behavior. This gap can result inreduced understanding of the physical phenomena and can be an obstacle to structural mechanicseducation and learning [3]-[6].An example of classroom drawings of deformation behavior of a simple cantilever beam is shownin
tactics, the first being restructuring the Civil Engineeringcurriculum to create unique opportunities for nontraditional faculty-student interactions andrelationships [1].One of the central components of the restructured curriculum is the creation of a sequence ofcourses (Springer 1, Springer 2, Junior Studio, and Keystone Design) that incorporate skills andconcepts presented in the traditional Civil Engineering courses offered at Clemson. However,these courses differ from the norm in that they employ a project-based learning approach,thereby exposing students to a collaborative environment consisting of their peers, teams offaculty members, and stakeholders from the greater community. This sequence of coursesculminates in a Keystone Design
Engineers (ASCE) has employed a methodicalapproach to aligning its standards for education and practice with the needs of the civilengineering profession [1]-[9]. The primary tools involved in this approach are the CivilEngineering Body of Knowledge and the Civil Engineering Program Criteria (CEPC) which areapplicable to all baccalaureate-level ABET EAC-accredited civil engineering programs [10].Both are periodically updated through a rigorous process incorporating input from a broad cross-section of practicing civil engineers, civil engineering educators, and accreditation experts. Toenhance predictability and promote effective change management, these updates are performedon a published eight-year cycle [11].The most recent iteration of this
Engineer of 2020 attributes. This study will also be ofinterest to educators considering how the attributes described in 2004 remain relevant in 2020and may spark conversation about how these attributes may need to be adjusted in the future.The study will be of particular interest to those responsible for recommending and implementingcurricular changes in engineering programs.BackgroundThe report titled The Engineer of 2020, published in 2004, is a product of the National Academyof Engineering[1]. The committee responsible for writing the document included 18 people: 12affiliated with academic institutions, 4 affiliated with technology-based companies (IBM, HP,Telcordia, and Reliant Energy), 1 affiliated with a national laboratory (Sandia), and 1
qualitative feedback onproject-centric learning before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The three capstone projectsinvestigated were the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Concrete CanoeCompetition, the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Student Steel BridgeCompetition (SSBC), and a partnered project with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)investigating sustainable solutions for lock and dam components. The study revealed that, in themidst of a pandemic, effective use of PBL will enable students to (1) capitalize on collaborativetechnology to efficiently and successfully solve complex engineering problems, and in doing so,improve student time management skills, (2) improve their critical thinking and engineeringjudgement, (3
neurodiverse students as well as all students with differentlearning styles and disabilities.1. IntroductionThe goal of undergraduate engineering programs is to teach how to solve problems [1] withcritical thinking and other necessary skills. Engineering programs typically have had a narrowfocus and rigid adherence to traditional instruction and assessment [2]. Blickenstaff [3] reportedthe lecture format that was adopted in most engineering courses can be detrimental in that itpotentially creates a barrier between students and instructors. Felder et al. [4] and Suresh [5]found that performance in key introductory undergraduate courses is related to engineeringpersistence. Even long after Seymour and Hewitt’s earlier study about students
education. Instructors must consider elements of course design, such asmodality, pace, means of communication, and student feedback [1].The University of Pittsburgh adopted a HyFlex teaching model called Flex@Pitt The Flex@Pittmodel was designed to maximize the in-person educational experience, while still allowinginstructors and students to engage in the course instruction method for which they feel the mostcomfortable. The classes at the University of Pittsburgh include a mix of synchronous andasynchronous. This flexibility allows for classes to meet in-person, when safety protocols andsocial distancing protocols are met, while the class is also available to students who wish toattend fully online via livestream videoconferencing. Under the Flex
: Traffic Engineering, Engineering Statistics, and Transportation Planning. Dr. Abadi serves as a member of several national and regional committees including TRB Standing Committee on Workforce Development and Organizational Excellence (AJE15), and ITE Transportation Education Council. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2021 Understanding the Academic Shock of COVID-19: How are Students' Perceptions of the Online Learning Evolving over Time?1. IntroductionCOVID-19 outbreak was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic inMarch 2020 [1]. Being an infectious disease, COVID-19 is easily transmitted through person-to-person
Paper ID #33229Using the SWIVL for Effective HyFlex Instruction: Best Practices,Challenges, and OpportunitiesDr. Ronald W. Welch, The Citadel Ron Welch (P.E.) received his B.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Military Academy in 1982. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1990 and 1999, respectively. He became the Dean of Engineering at The Citadel on 1 July 2011. Prior to his current position, he was the Department Head of Civil Engineering at The University of Texas at Tyler from Jan 2007 to June 2011 as well as served in the