Conference Session

ETD Freshmen Students

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rex C. Kanu, Purdue Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

. While this course uses active learning approaches and team projects, the scope of theircontents distinguish them from similar courses that seek to achieve improved graduation andretention rates. For instance, in this course, soft skills such as technical writing, use of Excel,developing an individual academic plan of study, cooperative education, internships, culturaldiversity, quality, safety, and ethics are covered. Basic technical skills covered include math,mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering technology. The rationale for this course is toexpose students to these subjects and topics before they enroll in core engineering technologycourses such as applied statics.Assessment of learning:While the author plans to conduct this

Conference Session

New Directions for ET

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sean Glen Wood, University of Houston, Downtown; Sergio Pena Diaz; Victoria Valencia, University of Houston, Downtown; Vassilios Tzouanas, University of Houston, Downtown; Lisa Deane Morano, University of Houston, Downtown

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

project. They had to manage their timeeffectively to meet tight project deadlines. They also commented that they would not have beenable to complete this project unless they had to rely on the strengths of each team member andsupport one another. Finally, students felt that the weekly project status updates and variousreports and presentations required by the class helped them improve their technical writing andpresentation skills.IV. ConclusionThroughout this project students demonstrated the skills they have learned throughout their studies.By successfully completing the objectives of this project, students demonstrated competencies(technical as well as soft skills) in the field of instrumentation and control systems engineering.This senior

Conference Session

ET Curriculum & Programs

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aimee T. Ulstad, Ohio State University; Kathryn Kelley, Ohio State University; Teresa A. Johnson, Ohio State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

mechanics, installers, and repairers. And,given the strength of the polymer and chemical industries in the Midwest, focus groupparticipants called attention to the importance of workers with process engineering skills. Ingeneral, manufacturers also revealed concerns over a broader base of engineering-relatedoccupations and concerns over basic workforce readiness skills at a time when top-tierengineering schools have largely veered away from engineering technology or appliedengineering programs.At the same time, manufacturers demand workers who not only demonstrate prowess in technicalskills but also exhibit interpersonal aptitude and other soft skills [3]. More and more, atriumvirate of skills, mobility, and leadership will be seen as critical in

Conference Session

ET Curriculum and Programs I

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Kathryn Kelley, Ohio State University; Aimee T. Ulstad, Ohio State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Technology Processes I Calculus for Engineering Engineering Engineering Graphics 2 Technology 1 Graphics 1 Calculus for Engineering Electrical Circuits 1 Physics 2 Technology 2We also negotiated with the respective colleges to offer special sections of physics,engineering fundamentals, Excel and chemistry to engineering technology students.The extent of the adaptation ranged from changing a final assignment to offering anentire section geared toward engineering technology students.In addition to math, science, and engineering, ABET requires that students accomplish“soft” skills upon graduation so that they have the ability and understanding to do thefollowing: work as a member of a team, communicate in

Conference Session

Electrical ET Curriculum and Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Dutko, Bloomsburg University; Cathy Auburger, Bloomsburg University; Patrick Anderson, Bloomsburg University; Biswajit Ray, Bloomsburg University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

for program accreditationvisits. Project Learning Objectives Project Teaching Objectives‚ Gain experience in interpreting technical ‚ Foster discovery, self-teaching, and encourage specifications and selecting sensors and transducers desire and ability for life-long learning for a given application‚ Understand terminologies associated with ‚ Provide experience in designing instrumentation instrumentation systems system based on specifications‚ Gain experience in developing computerized ‚ Develop soft skills including teamwork, open- instrumentation systems for industrial processes

Conference Session

Student Learning and Teamwork

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charlie Edmonson, University of Dayton; Donna Summers, University of Dayton

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. She obtained her Doctorate in Industrial Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. Page 12.927.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 Session Integrating Teamwork Across the CurriculumAbstractThe ability to work on teams is a very important business skill. Some educators chooseto call it a “soft skill.” However, our Industrial Advisory Committee members and thebusinesses hiring our graduates choose to call it a “critical skill

Conference Session

Factors Affecting Student Performance

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Omer Farook, Purdue University, Calumet; Chandra R. Sekhar, Purdue University, Calumet; Jai. P. Agrawal, Purdue University, Calumet; Ashfaq Ahmed, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

the course is based on Outcome Based Education6, and utilizes theinteractive model of learning. All the students maintain an online portfolio of their work. Thesystem designed in the laboratory to perform a specific task is the core measurement as thelearning outcome of the course. The laboratory performance of the course is performed inteams of three students. This mode provides a platform for horizontal learning through activeand engaged discourse and discussion. Students are empowered to charter their learning andfeed their curiosity. The course culminates in a Final Project which is assessed based upon itscomprehensiveness and originality. Students are required to master the soft skills ofcomprehensive report writing on a weekly basis and

Conference Session

Topics Related to Electrical Engineering Technology

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Omer Farook, Purdue University, Calumet; Paul Lapsansky, Purdue University, Calumet; Chandra Sekhar, Purdue University, Calumet; Jai P. Agrawal, Purdue University, Calumet; Ashfaq Ahmed, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

platform for horizontal learning through active and engageddiscourse and discussion. Students are empowered to charter their learning and feed theircuriosity. Students are required to master the soft skills of comprehensive report writing on aweekly basis and of Technical Project Report writing and project oral presentation based uponthe Team’s Final Project. These classroom practices and laboratory environment provides achallenging and invigorating environment that prepares them for a lifelong learning process andcareer path. Page 25.514.15VI. Outcome Measurement RubricThe following outcomebased grading rubric was utilized in the measurement of

Conference Session

Green Renewable Energy and Engineering Technology

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Saeed D. Foroudastan, Middle Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

design and engineering problems1. Students utilize their classroom knowledge of engineering principles while simultaneously developing valuable soft-skills such as teamwork and communication3. The overall effect of the project is an enjoyable, educational, and engrossing experience for the students

Conference Session

Assessment Methods and Learning Pedagogy II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farrokh Attarzadeh, University of Houston; Deniz Gurkan, University of Houston; Mequanint A. Moges, University of Houston; Victor J. Gallardo, University of Houston; Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi; Morteza Sameei, Houston Community College Northeast

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

grant were students with high levels of accomplishmentsand good communication skills, hence a small increase in these soft skills have been observed asa result of mentoring experience;(iii) Due to the demographics of students at the University Houston’s College of Technology,where most students in CET work at least part-time as shown in Table 1, mentees were better offwith on-target tutoring and mentoring of courses in combination with personalized supportmechanisms; Page 22.1059.6(iv) All students agreed on the interaction with their peers as being valuable experience.Table 1. Summary of Working Hours for Students in Capstone Project Class

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Projects and Applications

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chandra R. Sekhar, Purdue University, Calumet ; Omer Farook, Purdue University; Jai P. agrawal, Purdue University Calumet; Essaid Bouktache, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

connection isrequired. The GUI Application is designed using Embarcadero’s C++ Builder XE6 , which enables studentsto rapidly build native Windows applications using the C++ language and libraries. This allowsthe students to develop applications faster with pre-built components and drag-and-drop visualdesign.6) Final System Design ProjectsThe course culminates in a Final Projects which are assessed based upon theircomprehensiveness, originality and execution. Students are required to master the soft skills ofcomprehensive report writing on a weekly basis and of technical project report writing andproject oral presentation based upon the Team’s Final Project. Typically there are 3 to 4 separatefinal projects are performed in the semester depending

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Industrial Technology

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wesley Stone, Western Carolina University; Zachary Kuhn, Western Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

-wavelength, five-axis laser machining centerfrom Oxford Lasers in Oxford, England has provided those Engineering Technology students theopportunity to learn and practice high-tech skills related to laser machining, part marking, datamatrices, and computer-aided design and manufacturing. Additionally, the data from this multi-faceted machine can be used to develop soft skills that are transferable across industrial fields,such as those practiced in the six sigma quality methodology. The results presented in this papershow some of the capabilities of this machine, as well as two DOEs (design of experiments).The DOEs illustrate the relationship between data matrix quality (2-D barcode) and process inputparameters, namely pen style, power, hatch, and

Conference Session

Critical issues in IT and IET: Focus Group

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Scachitti, Purdue University, Calumet; Juan Salinas, Purdue University, Calumet; Deepthi Karanam, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

layout concepts and conceptualized important soft skills such as“selling” their ideas to management. Ultimately five simulation assignments were developed forthe course. These five assignments focus on the main topics that faculty had found to beimportant during their real life experiences with simulation modeling. The objectives of eachassignment are as follows: Objectives for Assignments Assignment #1: • Identify components required to create a basic process simulation model. • Implement graphics to appropriately visualize process changes. Assignment #2: • Test what-if scenarios for increasing throughput of process flow. Assignment #3: • Collect and validate existing data in a simulation model

Conference Session

ETD Freshmen Students

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Omer Farook, Purdue University Northwest (College of Technology); Jai P. Agrawal, Purdue University Northwest; Athula Kulatunga, Purdue University Northwest; Ashfaq Ahmed P.E., Purdue University Northwest (College of Technology); Wangling Yu, Purdue University Northwest; Yoonill Lee, Purdue University Northwest; Hassan Abdullah Alibrahim, Purdue University Northwest

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

learningoutcome of the course. The laboratory performance of the course is performed in teams of twostudents. This mode provides a platform for horizontal learning through active and engageddiscourse and discussion. Students are empowered to charter their learning and feed theircuriosity. The course culminates in a Final Project which is based on students own research froma set of selected topics of interest in the field of Electrical and Computer EngineeringTechnology. These projects were assessed based upon its comprehensiveness and originality.Students are required to master the soft skills of comprehensive report writing on a weekly basisand of Technical Project Report writing and project oral presentation based upon the Team’sFinal Project. These

Conference Session

Engineering Technology Division Poster Session

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wangling Yu, Purdue University, North Central; Omer Farook, Purdue University Northwest; Jai P. Agrawal, Purdue University Northwest; Ashfaq Ahmed P.E., Purdue University Northwest

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

learning. The students maintain an online portfolio of their work. The microcontrollerbased system designed in the laboratory to perform a specific task is the core measurement of thelearning outcome of the course. The laboratory exercises are performed in teams of two students.This mode provides a platform for horizontal learning through active and engaged discourse anddiscussion. Students are empowered to charter their learning and feed their curiosity. The courseculminates in a Final Project using AVR microcontrollers to make closed-loop control systems,and demonstrate knowledge learned in the course. These projects are assessed based upon itscomprehensiveness and originality. Students are required to master the soft skills ofcomprehensive

Conference Session

Computer-related Issues

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wangling Yu, Purdue University Northwest; Omer Farook, Purdue University Northwest; Jai P. Agrawal, Purdue University Northwest; Ashfaq Ahmed P.E., Purdue University Northwest

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

CoursesThe origin of OBE as an established pedagogical methodology was set forth by the signing of the1989 Washington Accord, and the faculty members in our department subscribe to OBE. Thebasic philosophy of OBE is in an instructor’s design and delivery of a course. In order to be fullyoutcome-based, the instructor has to be cognizant of the fact that a course must be organized,such that (1) outcomes are fixed and (2) time and other resources have to be accordinglyarranged. The department’s courses have culminated in a Team Final Project which is assessedbased upon its course outcomes, comprehensiveness and originality. Students are required tomaster (1) the soft skills of comprehensive report writing on a weekly basis, (2) TechnicalProject Report

Conference Session

Software Applications in ET Programs

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Omer Farook, Purdue University Calumet (College of Technology); Jai P Agrawal, Purdue University, Calumet (College of Technology); Ashfaq Ahmed, Purdue University Calumet (College of Technology); Athula Kulatunga, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Naveen Kumar Koyi, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Hassan Abdullah Alibrahim, Purdue University Calumet; Mohammad Almenaies, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Based Education6, and utilizes the interactivemodel of learning. All the students maintain an online portfolio of their work. The systemdesigned in the laboratory to perform a specific task is the core measurement as the learningoutcome of the course. The laboratory performance of the course is performed in teams of threestudents. This mode provides a platform for horizontal learning through active and engageddiscourse and discussion. Students are empowered to charter their learning and feed theircuriosity. The course culminates in a Final Project which is assessed based upon itscomprehensiveness and originality. Students are required to master the soft skills ofcomprehensive report writing on a weekly basis and of Technical Project Report

Conference Session

Issues Affecting Engineering Program Development

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Miguel Angel Ramos, University of Houston; Lauren Chapman, Boston College; Mac Cannady, Boston College; Enrique Barbieri, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

utilization  Minority education  Support courses  Soft skills (e.g. communication)When asked whether they had taken any actions regarding any of the issues and ideas discussedin the forum, a majority of respondents (11/14) answered yes. One person stated that “[t]heforum increased my desire to enhance my scholarship of engineering teaching and assessment, toimprove the engineering courses that I teach (and perhaps influence other colleagues to do thesame)” while another suggested “the primary overall benefit was the encouragement to look tohow to be more effective in our combined work”.Although the forum evaluation found minimal impact in terms of concrete activity in support ofthe proposed models, the long-term value of

Conference Session

Capstone Projects and Experiential Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chip W. Ferguson, Western Carolina University; Phillip A. Sanger, Western Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

integrated PBL curriculum to address this need. Additionally, the “soft skills” learningthat have been previously presented during the capstone sequence will now be delivered in thePBL curriculum. We have learned that faculty mentors are key role players in achieving successwith the project in terms of meeting the learning outcomes. The faculty member has to develop abalance between meeting the needs of the customer, a completed product, and the experimentallearning that must take place over the course of the project. Finally, student teams who engagethe customer frequently throughout the progression of the project meet the requirements of theproject more frequently. The 2010-2011 capstone year now requires faculty and industry mentorsto meet one

Conference Session

Graduate Education and Undergraduate Research in ET

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wei Zhan P.E., Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Page 22.279.2something in common, as well as something unique, for REU in different majors. No study wasfound for engineering technology (ET) majors.For ET majors, only a very small percentage of students went on to get graduate degrees. MostET graduates pursue careers in engineering and technology related industries. Research skillsand soft skills such as teamwork and communication are very important for ET graduates.As Hunter pointed out8, the design of student research projects is critically important to success.This is particularly the case for ET programs. Typically, ET students have strong hands-oncapability, but they are not motivated to conduct theoretical analysis. For ET students in a twoyear program, most of them will be hired as

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rocio Alba-Flores, Georgia Southern University; Youakim Al Kalaani, Georgia Southern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

of AC vector analysis, transientresponse, and resonant RLC circuits were expanded to allow students to grasp a betterunderstanding of these concepts. However, major changes were made to the laboratorycomponent of this course for which a lab manual was developed with a completely new set ofexperimentations dealing with renewable energy and instrumentation.Since this course is used in the assessment process for ABET accreditation, the learningoutcomes were also expanded to include soft skills such as commitment to quality, timeless, andcontinuous improvement. These new learning objectives and summary of topics are listed inTable 1 and Table 2 respectively

Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Leonard, Rochester Institute of Technology; Robert Merrill, Roch Inst of Tech; Elizabeth Dell, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

experienceCurrently, there are a series of core courses in which our integrating experience has beenimplemented with enough detail as to ascertain a reasonable experience as to the effectiveness ofthis new ‘backbone’ process.Benefits: 1. Can cover more and have more face time with instructor. Capstones are usually 20 weeks with minimal student/ instructor time and a great deal of independent/group time. 2. Exposure to several instructors through several courses. 3. Allows greater detail of topics such as the student being responsible for independently designing an experiment, statistically validating the results and presenting their findings. 4. Integrates not only the technology of the courses but also greatly enhances the soft skills. 5. Gives

Conference Session

Engineering Technology Progress Reports: Part I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Stier, Illinois State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

program outcomes. This provides the possibility of gettingdisciplinary norms on the group summary report that is provided for each course. The secondassessment instrument under consideration for addressing the sustainability issue was a Page 15.1280.12questionnaire survey given to the graduating seniors in the capstone course. Additionalquestions with regard to the soft skills or professional outcomes could be added to this surveywithout increasing the work involved in the data collection process.Summary and lessons learnedThis paper overviews how Engineering Technology faculty at a university in the Midwest (calledMU in the paper) transitioned

Conference Session

Importance of Technical & Professional Writing in Engineering Technology Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peilin Fu, National University; Shekar Viswanathan, National University, San Diego; Ronald Uhlig, National University, San Diego; Howard Evans, National University, San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Graduates,” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 43.2 (June 2000), 137-1524. http://abet.org/Linked%20Documents-UPDATE/Criteria%20and%20PP/E001%2010- 11%20EAC%20Criteria%2011-03-09.pdf5. Silyn-Roberts, H. “Using Engineers’ Characteristics to Improve Report Writing Instruction,” Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, vol. 124, no. 1, January 1998, pp 12-166. Tharp, H.S. “Improving Writing Skills through an Upper-Division Course,” 28th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference, 1998. FIE '98, Nov 19987. Sinha, B. private communication8. Platt, J.R. “Eight Unusual Ways to Improve Your Soft Skills,” http://www.todaysengineer.org/2008/Aug/soft_skills.asp9. Fenton, N. “Improving Your technical

Conference Session

Distance Learning and Online Teaching Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aleksandr Sergeyev, Michigan Technological University; Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

. Homework assignments are not graded but must be worked thoroughly by the studentsto prepare for a follow up quiz given to the students in one week upon receiving the relatedassignment. This approach of assessing student's knowledge has been tested for severalconsecutive years and proved to be very effective in student’s comprehension of a subject taught.The other assessment tools used in the EM course are the midterm and final examinations, andstudents presentations. Due to globalization, the development of the student soft skills isbecoming an integral part of the curriculum in most universities. In most of classes offered in theSchool of Technology at Michigan Tech, students are required to research and present atechnical journal paper on topics

Conference Session

Focus on ETAC Accreditation

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Qudsia Tahmina, Ohio State University; Kathryn Kelley, Ohio State University; Aimee T. Ulstad, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

new programs and buildingpartnership with area manufacturers to identify and address specific needs. These partnershipswill not only support students but also help colleges develop new certificate or associate degreeprograms.Graduates from this engineering technology programs will be expected to work inmanufacturing, product design, testing, construction, or technical services and sales. Somegraduates might consider engineering entrepreneurship, facilities management, or operationsmanagement. Offering a four-year engineering technology degree program would be a stepcloser to providing manufacturers with highly skilled, technically adept employees. The degreeprogram would offer the foundation of analytical and soft skills to help them move up

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jay Porter, Texas A&M University; Joseph Morgan, Texas A&M University; Wei Zhan, Texas A&M University; George Wright, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

) ≠ What attributes are necessary to be a successful product/system developer? (ie, technical skills, “soft” skills, personality) ≠ What educational components would serve the future product/system developer best? (While we know that companies will probably not hire new graduates directly into product/system development roles, we want to prepare them with an interest in this area, and the skills to maximize the likelihood of success.) Page 14.1101.2An immediate action that resulted from working with these industrial experts was the need todevelop a more holistic approach to product development. It was recognized that for

Conference Session

Utilizing Digital Technologies in Classroom and Distance Learning in ET Programs

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aleksandr Sergeyev, Michigan Technological University; Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

weekly and the solutions to the problems areprovided. Homework assignments are not graded, but must be worked thoroughly with thestudents to prepare for a follow up quiz given to the students in one week upon receiving therelated assignment. This approach of assessing student's knowledge has been tested for severalconsecutive years and proved to be very effective in student’s comprehension of a subject taught.The other assessment tools used in the EM course are the midterm and final examinations, andstudents’ presentations. To make students more well-rounded engineers, the development of thestudent soft skills is becoming an integral part of the curriculum in most universities. In most ofclasses offered in the School of Technology at Michigan

Conference Session

TC2K Methods and Models

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Watkins, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Nan Byars, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Deborah Sharer, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

require projects were identified. For eachcourse measurement, a student opportunity, in terms of an assignment, test question, laboratoryresult or observation, or a portion of a project, was explicitly defined. Care was taken to ensurethat for each outcome, measures were taken from a variety of different sources, for example, atest question, a laboratory observation and a peer evaluation, rather than three different testquestions.This was effective for most performance criteria, and also most competencies within Criterion 2.But it was determined that the so-called soft skills, such as a recognition of the need for, and anability to engage in lifelong learning, and a respect for diversity and a knowledge ofcontemporary professional, societal and

Conference Session

Robotics and Automation

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aleksandr Sergeyev, Michigan Technological University; Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

tools used in the EM course are the midterm and final examinations, andstudents presentations. Due to globalization, the development of the student soft skills isbecoming an integral part of the curriculum in most universities. In most of classes offered in theSchool of Technology at Michigan Technological University, students are required to researchand present a technical journal paper on topics related to the class subject followed bysubmission of a comprehensive technical written report. The student performance is gradedbased on several factors such as: the ability to extract the key technical concept of the paper, thetechnical knowledge of the subject matter, proficiency and confidence in presenting, and thequality of the written report