andschools. As it has been stated in a report, student mentoring, and the references therein, mentoring isa sustained one-to-one relationship between a caring adult and a child who needs support to achieveacademic, career, social, or personal goals. Unlike natural mentoring, planned mentoring, requiresmatching between mentees, students receiving mentorship, and mentors through a structured 1program with specific objectives and goals in mind.In order to address low undergraduate retention rates, a common problem faced by engineeringprograms, some universities have established various mentoring programs for incoming freshmanstudents. The common goal of these programs is to help students to cope with
Physics, with 1 hour per week extra forstudents needing Calculus-based Physics. Spring semesters tend to attract fewer studentsbecause many majors require only one semester of Physics.Further WorkWe are continuing to develop a detailed syllabus, but do not have any immediate plans forformal assessment of the methods described in this paper, primarily for lack of a comparativeaudience. With a detailed curriculum in place, we will approach some larger universities, withmultiple sections of calculus-based physics, to invite collaboration with the assessment.Bibliography1. Milne, Esther (1971) “Spiral Approach” School Science and Mathematics 71, 1, p12-162. Harden, R.M.; Stamper, N. (1999) “What is a Spiral Curriculum?” Medical Teacher v21 n2 p141
that severalof previous students of the new course have contacted me for input on their current designprojects. This demonstrates an acknowledgement that physics concepts are practical toolsoffering an advantage to the design process and their future careers. To generate morequantifiable metrics over time, I plan to compile surveys on student satisfaction and perceivedutility of the course as they continue through their Design studies.ConclusionConceptual Physics at WIT has undergone a novel transformation toward a project-basedapproach. The course uses the engineering of a complex RGM system as a learning tool andattempts to align the curricula with the learning style of design students. These changes werelargely successful in improving both
colorsMDM structure vs. MDM filters made with multiple layers. Ellipsometric analysis has revealedmuch more information regarding the non-idealities present in the MDM structures (e.g., surfaceroughness, interfaces, etc.). We plan to publish a technical report based on these results in thenear future. 3. Conclusions In conclusion, we have presented a proposal for a hands-on lab project that incorporatesmany of the key characteristics that are viewed as desirable in an EP curriculum. The projectrelies on interdisciplinary teams that have to work together in a timely manner to design anddeliver a product that can be benchmarked against real-world counterparts. In doing so studentswill not only be exposed to the entire design, improvement, and
from the M&I collaboration effort (see Acknowledgements) was used tosupplement the professor’s summer salary. Reactions from these faculty members to M&I hasbeen very positive, and other faculty members have expressed interest in trying the curriculum.We plan to use this apprenticeship model, including the co-teaching approach, in futuresemesters. Table 1. Expansion of M&I sections. M&I Intro Physics I M&I Intro Physics II Semester (mechanics) (electromagnetism) Summer 06 1 section, 40 students None Fall 06 1 section, 120 students 1 section, 45 students Spring
Mathematica can be used, by instructors and by students, to helpstudents make these connections and to use them once they are made. Benefits that accrue to upper-classstudents able to make effective use of a computer algebra systems provide a further rationale forintroducing student use of these systems into our courses for those who plan to major in physics or othertechnical fields.1. IntroductionPhysics is guided by simple principles, but for many topics the physics tends to be obscured in theprofusion of mathematics. As interactive software for computer algebra, such as Maple, MathCAD,Mathematica or MATLAB can assist educators and students to overcome the obstacle of mathematicaldifficulties or to improve the lecture presentations via power
introductory physics course-sequence. Additionally, there has been minimal physics education research (PER) on MLMs within the setting of smaller terminal bachelor’s degree engineering programs, as most PER research occurs at large research institutions. Our study’s goal is to test the efficacy of incorporating commercially available web-based MLM content into introductory physics courses at Wentworth Institute of Technology, a small program that offers terminal bachelors in engineering. The study will be separated into the following two stages: stage one will consist of two professors instructing calculus-based Engineering Physics I and II, both with and without MLMs from various providers. In the fall term, we plan to
level, and coauthored a senior level laboratory in acoustics. He recently served as an AP Reader for the AP Physics exam, and is interested in developing materials to help K-12 teachers with units on sound and waves, and to incorporate crash safety topics into their physics curriculum. Page 26.1554.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 The Introductory Physics Laboratory as a Consulting FirmAbstractMany students in our calculus-based introductory physics courses plan to pursue careers in hightechnology industries. The laboratory curriculum entitled Mechanics, Inc. is
experience in follow-oncourses. The course serves the departmental plan to better integrate instruction in electrical andcomputer engineering topics and to facilitate flexible degree content through more accessibleelectives, minor programs, and dual-degree options. In particular, many students are pursuingthe dual-degree option that is promoted in part by this course. Students seem to readily use thecontent for projects, senior design, etc. Future work is planned in providing additional courseresources such as on-line problem examples and design content in the laboratory. The OpAmplectures are being revised for more clarity and for added examples. The course is a prerequisitefor proposed upper-level course work in device physics, sensor
For the last lab, the analysis of the pre-test results (Fig. 15), revealed that, on average, 48 % of theanswers to the ten questions were correct. In contrast, the Post test results (Fig. 16) showed that, onaverage, students, answered 78 % of questions correctly. Students were satisfied with this new way of teaching. In fact, their feedback shows 82 %satisfaction. It should be noted that, a more detailed assessment study of the learning effectivenessof virtual physics lab is planned in spring 2013 semester. If this a l s o shows positive results,then further extensions of the virtual physics lab will be planned in the future. Conclusion This paper examined the potential of a game based virtual laboratory environment (both game
students decided to change theirmajor, however after taking some other classes they decided to switch their major back toengineering and planning to take the next Physics course either in Summer or Fall 2013. Summer Physics Jam (with 2012 Physics Jam credit) Results Number of Participants 4 Number Completed 4 Completion Rate 100% Number of Physics Jam Students 1 Enrolled in Physics in Fall Semester Success Rate in physics classes 100% Table 5. Summary of Physics Jam (with credit) results
difficulties in learning materials science. Page 23.1169.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 The case for individualized-instruction: Preconception-Instruction-InteractionIntroductionThere has been much debate about the need for and the effectiveness of planning instruction arounddiffering learning styles (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic). For example, when studied in controlledenvironments, it has been shown repeatedly that instruction aligned with learning styles does appreciablycorrelate with increased understanding 1
. As a result, students obtain job ready skills and project abilities in 2years that can greatly leverage their early learning and focus.In a multi-university collaboration, all participants gain in shared information including:articulation agreements, ABET start-up templates and shared consultant advice, summerinternships, legal forms, competitions, joint projects and other synergistic areas. Using acollaboration mesh network strategy coupled with hybrid technology and proven teachingstrengths, a more efficient program is planned for pilot testing for SCU consortiums towardfurther feasibility assessment.1.0 IntroductionMajor advances can be made at the undergraduate level in STEM education. Large gains areexpected in program quality and
, how engineering students come to understand and practice design.Dr. Michael M. Hull, Wayne State College Assistant Professor of Physical Sciences Page 26.1499.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 Tensions and trade-offs in instructional goals for physics courses aimed at engineersAbstractIn planning and teaching courses for engineering majors, physics instructors grapple withmultiple instructional goals: extensive content coverage, quantitative problem solving,conceptual understanding, motivation, and more. The temptation is to treat
students and can adjust course content. Further, there will be evidenceto examine the extent to which students are prepared in physics mechanics to begin a coreengineering science course. Finally, the paper will also present changes that some facultymembers made in the course plans to apply what they learned about the extent of their students’preparation in physics near the beginning of the course.IntroductionEngineering faculty members have long assumed that student knowledge and skill with respectto physics is a major part of the foundation for their progress in studying many engineeringdisciplines, including mechanical engineering. ABET Engineering Criteria require that at leasttwenty-five percent of the credits for an engineering program be
a period of 6 years (including the planned changes for the upcoming offering). The FCI assessment test was administered each year (pre-‐ and post-‐class) as the changes were incorporated. The FCI test consists of 30 multiple choice questions that examine conceptual knowledge of mechanics (i.e. there are no quantitative questions). According to Hake14 who has studied application of the FCI test in over six thousand students, the best metric for presenting the results is the normalized gain given by !"#$ !"#$$ !"#$!%# !(!"# !"!"" !"#$!%#) 𝐺
2001, as a research assistant at SFB609 in Dresden from 2002-2004, and is now part of the Team of the MuLF-Centre (Multimedia Center for eLearning, eTeaching & eResearch at the TU Berlin). In the past two years, Olivier Pfeiffer focused on the organization and coordination of the involved teams and contributed to several other eLTR related projects. He is also involved in the planning and application of future eLTR projects at the Berlin University of Technology. His research interest focuses on the development of interactive mathematical objects especially supporting the visualization of complex mathematics and physics related problems. Contact Information
thing at a time. Design challenges help studentsdevelop skills in planning, construction, and testing”. As research indicates, the practice ofdesign projects generated engagement and excitement among students which is not alwayspresent in science classrooms. Several research initiatives showed the positive impact of designbased learning on student’s enthusiasm about the science content. 15, 9, 24Based on the research about learning science concepts through engineering design approaches,we think that engaging students in engineering projects that present them with real life problemsshould provide students with a rich learning environment for application of textbook scienceknowledge.MethodsTo determine how the work on this wireless sensor
Kanti Prasad Ph.D., P.E., F.ASEE Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept. Founding Director Microelectronics/VLSI Technology, University of Massachusetts Lowell During my teaching of the State-of –Art courses for the last 30+ years, I have realized that thefoundation of any Hi-tech course lies in the fundamentals. The fundamentals are derived from Physics,Chemistry and Mathematics. Nevertheless, Physics plays a crucial role in Engineering. I plan to depictthis role in all my state-of-art courses. I am teaching at the moment i.e., 1) EECE 5020 VLSI Design, 2)EECE 5040 VLSI Fabrication, 3) EECE 5170 MMIC Design and Fabrication through detailed examples.In addition, I also reiterate the
students continue to apply theconcepts learned in the first half of the semester. In this paper we will describe how focus onquality of measurement has affected students’ ability to design and analyze experiments, and willdiscuss plans for future improvement.IntroductionThe Engineering Physics (EP) program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville includes a two-credit laboratory, “EP Lab,” that is typically taken in a student’s fifth semester. It is one of twocourses that typically form a student’s first formal coursework in EP. As such, it is one of thefirst courses in which EP majors are not outnumbered by other majors and they can begin toform an “identity” as EP, which includes the ability to design and conduct open-ended,multidisciplinary
supportlearning.Final considerationsThe use of multiple forms of learning support is satisfactorily perceived by students and teachers,corroborating significantly to the teaching-learning process. Balancing support activities fordirect or indirect learning support proved to be a wise option. According to the authors’perception, the most successful results are related to students’ motivation and commitment inPhysics class. Students’ commitment must always be encouraged, throughout the academic year.Implementing similar activities in others schools will demand planning efforts and commitmentfrom teachers’ teams.References[1] CUTRI, R.; STEM, N.; MATTASOGLIO NETO, O.; SILVA CAMPOS, L. DA; MARTIN, P.A.; SOUZA,K.P.V. DE. Student’s perception of actions to support
of the project, they see a 3D virtual model of the MAGLEV and learn details ofthe construction of the train and the control module. A phrase in the living room wall catchestheir attention: ―No brain, no gain..‖ When they leave, they are excited because they haveassisted in a direct application of the concepts of electromagnetism they had learned in Brazil.They are also reminded that the Brazilian government plans to build a high-speed train linkingRio de Janeiro to São Paulo.1) Watch a video on youtube about the Maglev.2) Visit the film at: http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/physics/levitator.html - Copyright © 1991,1996 By the UC Regents. Explain physically what happens in each film.3) Demonstrate mathematically the Biot-Savart Law in a
necessary skills and comprehension. Page 26.1520.3 Lesson Plan and suggested teachings in all Electronics Engineering Programs: This mini syllabus was piloted with our physics 320 class students in the College of Engineering and Information Sciences at DeVry University. The outcomes of the teaching were very positive and contrary to their expectations, all students found that the subject was not very difficult to understand. No quantitative analysis is presented here because of the small number of participating students. These results will however be presented along with another survey in our next delivery of phys320 class
questions on the final exam are somewhat more challenging, there aregains made especially by female students. We believe that part of the gains for the femalestudents is that they had an opportunity to reason and discuss, out loud, how they thought about aparticular problem. First Exam Final Exam Females 32% 38% Males 40% 41% Table III Comparison of female and male students and percentages of correct responses from the first exam and from the final exam.We plan to further investigate
/injerahowto.htm.18. “Injera Electric Baking: Energy Use Impacts In Addis Ababa Ethiopia”, Dave Sood, World Bank funded study, 10 May 2010. http://www.ethioenergyauthority.gov.et/attachments/article/62/Ethiopia_Injera_May_17_201 0_FINAL_Report1%20(1)%20DAVE%20SUD%202007.pdf19. "Windshield Shade Solar Funnel Cooker", Windshield Shade Solar Funnel Cooker, 2004. http://solarcooking.org/plans/windshield-cooker.htm.20. Kreith, F., Kreider, J.F., “Principles of Solar Engineering”, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1978.21. Kenisarin, M., Mahkomav, K., “Solar energy storage using phase change materials”, 2007. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032106000633.22. “Hitec heat transfer salt”, 2013. Retrieved from http
shows that in a some questions the was a significant drop between the post-and delayed post-test. In any case, the author plans to investigate this effect in the future.The finding that the 3rd Law is the one with which the students have more difficulty is consistentwith the finding of Hestenes et.al1. and of the author of this paper, who has given this pre/posttestto hundreds of teachers, who have participated in the professional development programs overmore than 20 years, and retired science and engineering professionals who have participated inthe RE-SEED Program. (RE-SEED – www.reseed.neu.edu – recruits, trains, and places retiredscience and engineering professionals in STEM classrooms to support teachers and students asvolunteers. Since
problem solvingstrategies. Moreover, we are planning on following the students to observe whether some of thestrategies learned in the Fis-Mat course are still being used and we hope to reunite students foranother interdisciplinary experience in some other of their courses.AcknowledgementsThe authors acknowledge the support received from our Institution through a research chair grantCAT140 and the School of Engineering. We also recognize and express our appreciation to EricBrewe and his Physics Education Research Group for sharing material they have developed assupport for teaching a Physics course using Modeling Instruction.Bibliography1. M. W. Ohland, R. M. Felder, M. I. Hoit, G. Zhang, T. J. Anderson, “Integrated Curricula in the SUCCEED
moreprecise measurement of power dissipation.We did not fully implement the concept of traceability, since the rapid implementation meantthat we did not have time to purchase reference standards other than a calibrated, NIST-traceablevoltmeter (none of the original lab equipment had been calibrated since its initial purchase).Plans for the next offering of the course will be discussed below.For similar reasons, we did not do much with a key third metrology term, calibration. The VIMdefines calibration as operation that, under specified conditions, in a first step, establishes a relation between the quantity values with measurement uncertainties provided by measurement standards and corresponding indications with associated
severalthe benefits of hands-on activities in promoting subprojects and areas as illustrated by thelearning in science courses relative to the traditional organizational chart in Figure 1.lecture-only approach at the elementary, middle andhigh school level [1][2][3][4]. Studies at theuniversity level have also suggested improvedlearning outcomes in engineering courses whenhands-on activities are a part of the lesson plan[5][6]. Moreover, these outcomes are in agreementwith what current theories of learning would predict[7]. Project-based learning involving hands-onactivities has been introduced into engineeringcourses to improve student motivation andengagement. A challenge has been to identifyprojects at the freshman level
AC 2012-3544: TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF THE ENERGY GAPOF INP QUANTUM DOTS: A SOPHOMORE-LEVEL NANOMATERIALSEXPERIMENTMs. Jennifer Rose Annoni, University of St. Thomas Jennifer Annoni is currently an Undergraduate student studying Electrical Engineering and Physics at the University of St. Thomas. She will graduate in May of 2012. Her plans are to pursue graduate school in the field of Engineering.Dr. Adam S. Green, University of St. Thomas Adam S. Green is an Associate Professor of physics at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. He received his B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College and his M.S. and Ph.D. in atomic, molecular, and optical physics at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He works with