Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Anne Stephan, Clemson University; Edward Randolph Collins Jr. P.E., Clemson University; Chris Porter, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

cohort graduation rate in an engineering major after (a) fouryears; (b) five years; and (c) six years.Future WorkThe current format of integration of recruiting and first-year choice of major activities has had astrong, positive correlation on retention and graduation rates. Future work will include trackingstudents from original choice of tour during the prospective student phase through their ultimatechoice of major upon graduation. For students who do not attend any class required tours duringthe first-semester course, an intervention program will be developed to attempt to increase theretention of this at-risk group.Bibliographic Information1. www.clemson.edu.2. http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/TotalGroup-2012.pdf

Conference Session

FPD 5: Transitions and Student Success, Part I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Patrick Walton, Michigan State University; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University; Timothy J Hinds, Michigan State University; Carmellia Davis-King, Michigan State University; Thomas F. Wolff P.E., Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Paper ID #7410Building the Whole Engineer: An Integrated Academic and Co-CurricularFirst-Year ExperienceDr. S. Patrick Walton, Michigan State University S. Patrick Walton received his B.ChE. from Georgia Tech, where he began his biomedical research career in the Cardiovascular Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. He then attended MIT where he earned his M.S. and Sc.D. while working jointly with researchers at the Shriners Burns Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. While at MIT, he was awarded a Shell Foundation Fellowship and was an NIH Biotechnology Predoctoral Trainee. Upon completion of his doctoral studies, he joined

Conference Session

FPD 9: First-Year Engineering Courses, Part III: Research, Sustainability, and Professionalism

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert L. Nagel, James Madison University; Kyle G. Gipson, James Madison University; Jonathan Howard Spindel, James Madison University; Elise M. Barrella, James Madison University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

offering of the courselacked cohesive integration. These prior course iterations were team taught with individualfaculty having responsibility for four to six week modules taught simultaneously across allsections, and faculty assigned to teach the course were not consistent from year to year. Thispaper represents an initial effort at executing an integrated course offering where course topicareas are interwoven throughout course, and faculty instructors are common throughout theentire semester. The new version of the course was taught experimentally to three coursesections during the Spring 2012 semester.The Introduction to Engineering course is laid out in modules: Engineering Science (ES),Engineering Design Process (EDP), and Components of

Conference Session

FPD 4: First-Year Engineering Courses, Part I: Multimedia, Large Classes, and TAs

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kimberly C. Huett, University of West Georgia; Barbara B. Kawulich, University of West Georgia; P.K. Raju, Mechanical Engineering Dept, Auburn University,Al; Chetan S Sankar, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Paper ID #7390Use of Multimedia Case Studies in an Introductory Engineering Course atTwo Southeastern Universities: A Qualitative Evaluation StudyMs. Kimberly C. Huett, University of West Georgia Kim C. Huett is an instructor of technology integration at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia. She holds an Ed.S. in Instructional Technology, an M.S. in Secondary Education, and B.A. degrees in English and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin. Currently a doctoral student in School Improvement, Kim’s research interests include the design of distance learning environments, teacher education, and STEM

Conference Session

FPD 3: Research on First-Year Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Claudia Elena Vergara, Michigan State University; Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University; Renée S DeGraaf M.A., Lansing Community College; Louise Paquette, Lansing Community College; Ruth Heckman, Lansing Community College; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Thomas F. Wolff P.E., Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

specific approaches to problem solving. Over the last decade, Dr. Sticklen has pursued engineering education research focused on early engineering with an emphasis on hybrid course design and problem-based learning; his current research is supported by NSF/DUE and NSF/CISE.Dr. Daina Briedis, Michigan State University Dr. Diana Briedis is a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University and Assistant Dean for Student Advancement and Program Assessment in the College of Engineering. Dr. Briedis has been involved in several areas of education research including student retention, curriculum redesign, and the use of technology in the classroom. She is a co-PI on

Conference Session

FPD 8: Engineering Math Issues

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tanya D Ennis, University of Colorado Boulder; Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, University of Colorado, Boulder; Beverly Louie, University of Colorado, Boulder; Daniel Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

performance, teaching effectiveness and collaborative learning.Dr. Daniel Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder Daniel W. Knight is the engineering assessment specialist at the Integrated Teaching and Learning Pro- gram (ITLL) and the Broadening Opportunity through Leadership and Diversity (BOLD) Center in CU’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. He holds a B.A. in psychology from the Louisiana State University, and an M.S. degree in industrial/organizational psychology and a Ph.D. degree in counseling psychology, both from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Knight’s research interests are in the areas of re- tention, program evaluation and teamwork practices in engineering education. His current duties include

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James J. Pembridge, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ., Daytona Beach; Matthew A Verleger, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ., Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

looking at the first year curriculum that introduces calculus and physics courses,often taught by non-engineering faculty, but that are fundamental to the core of engineering. As aresult, there have been several attempts at integrating math into other courses in an effort toencourage that transfer [2, 13-16]. Instead of a separate “math” course, calculus is taught throughoutmultiple courses, as topics are needed, allowing for a clear relationship between the how and thewhy. This model provides increased motivation for, and transfer of, calculus to other relatedareas, in part because terminology differences are quickly resolved. The increased learning andmotivation associated with such models often improves student retention[16]. In their work

Conference Session

FPD 1: Projects and Teamwork in First-Year Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Todd R Hamrick, West Virginia University; Robin A.M Hensel, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Page 23.1012.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 Putting the Fun in Programming Fundamentals - Robots Make Programs TangibleAbstractMany university first year programs seek to integrate kinesthetic projects into their fundamentalprogramming curriculum. This work describes an innovative hands-on method developed atWest Virginia University for teaching fundamental MATLAB programming through inductivelearning. Low cost, re-usable robotic kits were created using Arduino controllers and OWIrobots. Projects using the kits required the fundamental programming skills taught in the course.Learning outcomes met or exceeded expectations. The robotic application

Conference Session

FPD 6: Transitions and Student Success, Part II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jerry Volcy, Spelman College; Carmen Sidbury, Spelman College

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

study major prior to the start of theirfreshman year. To satisfy this objective, the cross-disciplinary course that was developed isbased on completing a software-driven, electro-mechanical engineering project that, at varioustimes and to various extents, calls upon students to function in the capacity of an electricalengineer, a mechanical engineer, a technician, a mathematician, a computer scientist, aresearcher and a communicator of technical material. In so doing, the students gain insight abouthow engineers combine knowledge from these diverse disciplines to solve a real problem—inthis case, constructing and characterizing a 2-DOF, servoed laser system used to trace arbitrarypatterns against a wall. Using an "inverted curriculum" approach

Conference Session

FPD 7: First-Year Engineering Courses, Part II: Perceptions and Paradigms

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thalia Anagnos, San Jose State University; Burford J. Furman, San Jose State University; Ping Hsu, San Jose State University; Patricia R Backer, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

compared with an assessment done in 2002 using the sameinstrument. Impacts of these particular projects on students’ excitement about engineering andmotivation to pursue engineering were measured with a new instrument. A large majority of thestudents report that the projects got them excited about engineering and motivated them tocontinue.IntroductionAs has been documented in many studies1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, persistence of students in engineering relieson a complex set of interrelated issues including demographics, high school preparation, selfefficacy, motivation, commitment, academic performance, satisfaction with curriculum,interaction with faculty, financial difficulties, and others. Of particular interest is that students’expectancy for

Conference Session

FPD 6: Transitions and Student Success, Part II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacy Holander Gleixner, San Jose State University; Katherine Casey, SJSU College of Engineering; Jared T. Tuberty, San Jose State University; Sanela Latic; Patricia R Backer, San Jose State University; Emily L. Allen, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, introductory materials science, electronic materials, kinetics, and microelectronics processing. She has been involved in a number of innovative curriculum development programs and educational research projects on improving student learning in engineering through the use of active learning and service learning. In 2010, she was awarded the College of Engineering Award for Excellence in Service. In 2007-2008, she was an SJSU Teacher Scholar. In 2002, she was awarded the College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching award.Katherine Casey, SJSU College of Engineering Katherine graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from SJSU. She now works in the College of Engineering as Engineering

Conference Session

FPD 1: Projects and Teamwork in First-Year Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Malinda S Zarske, University of Colorado, Boulder; Janet L Yowell, University of Colorado Boulder; Samantha Maierhofer, University of Colorado, Boulder; Derek T Reamon, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

has become an integral component in engineering education.Senior capstone courses and first-year engineering design courses are becoming ubiquitouswithin an undergraduate engineering education. It has been suggested that attention be paid tothe formation of teams and that training in how to work as a team occurs early and often inengineering education.1 Effective teams can provide many benefits to students, including anincrease in knowledge and skills, such as communication, from working with people unlikethemselves. Furthermore, such skills undoubtedly transition into myriad facets of life aftercollege—rendering the skills an invaluable asset for engineering students.Formation of Teams and Team Dynamics in Engineering EducationTeams and

Conference Session

FPD 1: Projects and Teamwork in First-Year Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diana G. de la Rosa-Pohl, University of Houston (CoE); Stuart A. Long, University of Houston (CoE); Casey Goodwin, University of Houston Honors Engineering Program

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, manyinteresting and non-trivial electrical and computer engineering problems require a strongprogramming background or knowledge of advanced mathematics.Digital logic, however, is an area of computer engineering that requires more transferableskills—such as critical thinking and problem-solving—than advanced theoretical knowledge.Digital logic uses discrete mathematics instead of the calculus that many students struggle withearly in the engineering curriculum. Although new knowledge has to be acquired in the area ofBoolean algebra, this new content is a very natural extension of the regular algebra that mostengineering students are already very comfortable with. Because of this non-reliance on calculus,digital logic projects make prime candidates for

Conference Session

FPD 4: First-Year Engineering Courses, Part I: Multimedia, Large Classes, and TAs

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian M Frank, Queen's University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Paper ID #6447Web-based audience response system for quality feedback in first year engi-neeringDr. Brian M Frank, Queen’s University Brian Frank is an associate professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he has taught courses in electronics and wireless systems. He is the DuPont Canada Chair in Engineering Education Research and Development, and the Director of Program Development in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science where he works on engineering curriculum development, program assessment, and developing educational technology. He is a co-founder of the Canadian Engineering Education Association

Conference Session

FPD 7: First-Year Engineering Courses, Part II: Perceptions and Paradigms

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janaki Isabella Perera, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Brendan Thomas Quinlivan, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Yevgeniya V. Zastavker, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

knowledge and skills gained through project work.11Clearly, this construct is complex; as such, many institutions and instructors use a modulation ofPjBL by either reducing the temporary scope of the projects or utilizing a few but not all of itsaspects (for example, Heitmann (1996) differentiates project-oriented studies from project-oriented curricula based on the length and integration of the projects into the main subject.)However, simple inclusion of PjBL elements or, for that matter, other effective pedagogicalpractices in an institutional toolkit does not make a program or a specific classroom successful;of critical importance in such programs and classrooms are the instructors’ epistemologies orunderlying personal beliefs about teaching and

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pamela Renee Lockwood, West Texas A&M University; Emily M. Hunt, West Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

examine the impact of thelearning community experience on first-year retention in engineering and at the university. Theresults of this analysis, limitations and conclusions are discussed.Engineering Learning Community DesignSeveral published studies have linked learning communities to increased retention of first-yearstudents, higher first year GPAs, and lower incidence of academic probation [3]. Zhao and Kuh[4] indicate the cluster enrollment model featuring a cohort of students co-enrolled in two or morecourses is improved upon when the faculty involved in these courses design activities thatincorporate the curriculum of the courses in cluster. This integrated curricular approach was thebasis for the WTAMU engineering learning community

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Zahorian, Binghamton University; Mike Elmore, Binghamton University; Kyle J. Temkin, Binghamton University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

are tightly integrated;writing and presentation assignments in 103 and 104 support lectures and lab content from 111and 112. The 103 and 104 courses meet in small sections only, with about 32 students persection. The 111 and 112 courses have both a large lecture section (with all ~300 students),and also small lab sections, again with approximately 24 students per section.Figure 1. Overview of freshman engineering curriculum at Binghamton UniversityThe main intent of these WTSN courses is to expose students directly to hands-on engineering intheir first year of college, as well as to help them make a more informed decision as to whichengineering major to select. As has been noted in several studies 3-7 it is believed that the highattrition

Conference Session

FPD 8: Engineering Math Issues

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shelley Lorimer, MacEwan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-year academic achievement might reveal further informationregarding the success or lack thereof in delivering the first year curriculum. Page 23.323.2IntroductionThe purpose of this research was to examine trends in academic indicators for first-yearengineering students entering an engineering transfer program at a Canadian university. Threeacademic indicators were used: mean scores from two assessment exams and mean averagesfrom high school admissions data. These indicators were examined over a ten year period todetermine whether or not there was a statistically significant change.* Specifically, the originalintent was to confirm evidence

Conference Session

FPD 3: Research on First-Year Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xingyu Chen, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Catherine E. Brawner, Research Triangle Educational Consultants; Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Marisa K. Orr, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Paper ID #6064A Taxonomy of Engineering Matriculation PracticesMs. Xingyu Chen, Purdue University, West Lafayette Xingyu Chen is a Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. She ob- tained her master’s degree in operational research and bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Zhejiang University, China. She started to pursue her Ph.D. degree in engineering education at Purdue in 2010. She is working with Dr. Ohland on the Multiple-Institution Database for Investigating Engineering Lon- gitudinal Development (MIDFIELD), and also on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS

Conference Session

FPD 6: Transitions and Student Success, Part II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nora Honken, University of Louisville; Patricia A Ralston, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

integrating opportunities to develop non-disciplinary workplace related skills into college classes.Dr. Patricia A Ralston, University of Louisville Patricia A. S. Ralston is Professor and Chair of the Department of Engineering Fundamentals at the Uni- versity of Louisville where she also received her B.S., MEng, and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering. Her educational research interests include the use of technology in engineering education, incorporation of critical thinking in engineering education, and ways to improve retention. Her other interests include process modeling, simulation, and process control

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gail D. Jefferson, University of South Alabama; Sally J. Steadman, University of South Alabama; Tom G Thomas, University of South Alabama; Kuang-Ting Hsiao, University of South Alabama

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

control using Lego Robots. They also used LabVIEW toinvestigate material properties and behavior for metals, polymers, and composites. A series ofshort lectures introduced the topics and were followed by hands-on interactive laboratorysessions, culminating in an open ended design project.A companion thread for the program was critical thinking which is fundamental to excelling inan engineering curriculum. Following a brief exposure to basic concepts, the students took anon-line test to evaluate their critical thinking skills before beginning the workshop activities.The same test was administered as a post test, with more than a 10 % increase in their skills. Themaximum increase was over 30%; interestingly, this was an underrepresented minority

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alyssa N Berg, University of Colorado Boulder; Janet Y Tsai, University of Colorado at Boulder; Virginia Lea Ferguson, Mechanical Engineering; University of Colorado; Boulder, CO; Beverly Louie, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

beginningtheir research. The students also complete a post-research survey about their experiences. Theundergraduate students gain practical research experience and demonstrate theiraccomplishments in an end-of-semester poster presentation. Both the undergraduates andgraduate mentors complete weekly qualitative reflective questions through an online process.Through both the pre- and post- surveys, as well as reflective questions posed during thesemester, the research team gathered information on maintaining and creating trust in thesementoring relationships. We compared and contrasted our mentor-mentee relationship to theperceived trust model created by Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman1. Our initial findings show thatability, benevolence, and integrity are

Conference Session

FPD 2: Retention

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Herbert P. Schroeder, University of Alaska Anchorage; Linda P. Lazzell, University of Alaska Anchorage

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

science courses and their mathematics level was at algebra 1 orlower. It would be years before these underprepared undergraduates would be eligible to taketheir first introduction to engineering course. The lack of academic preparation for theseincoming first-year engineering students presented a formidable problem.We searched for a solution where we could connect directly with the K-12 students. It had toresult in the K-12 students being motivated to complete chemistry, physics, and trigonometry inhigh school. It had to develop the self-efficacy required to continue to pursue a challengingSTEM curriculum. At the university, we had to find a way for Alaska Native and AmericanIndian students to survive and then excel. We needed to develop an

Conference Session

FPD 9: First-Year Engineering Courses, Part III: Research, Sustainability, and Professionalism

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stanley M. Forman, Northeastern University; Susan F Freeman, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

responsibility.Although this research focuses on an unwritten syllabus, some of these skills are listed in syllabithroughout engineering curriculum. For the most part, though, traditional engineering coursesfocus on learning objectives for the technical skills, with potentially only some of the soft skillsoutlined. The classic list of soft skills is found at careerbuilder.com (Lorenz8). This list startswith a strong work ethic and positive attitude, which are challenging to teach. The moreteachable skills include good communication skills, time management, problem solving skills,and teamwork skills. Shuman, et al9 have a long list of skills, but some of the top skills arelistening, decision making, problem solving, communication and time management

Conference Session

FPD 2: Retention

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anant R. Kukreti, University of Cincinnati; Kristen Strominger, University of Cincinnati - School of Energy, Environmental, Biological and Medical Engineering; Urmila Ghia, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

register as acohort for all of their classes, especially in the recommended Calculus course for the fallsemester. The course schedules are pre-made as part of the Summer Bridge Scholars Programand consist of an additional collaborative learning course taken for each regular Calculus andPhysics freshman course, as described in the following section.Supplemental Cooperative Learning Courses (SCLC) These courses are first-year SCLC in Calculus 0, I, II and Physics 0, I taken by the studentsalong with the regular course which is part of their curriculum (used to be Calculus 0, I, II, IIIand Physics 0, I, II in the quarter system prior to fall of 2012). All Bridge students enroll inSCLC. The SCLCs are one-credit courses, and the students meet twice

Conference Session

FPD 3: Research on First-Year Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jess W. Everett, Rowan University; Maggie A Flynn M.A., Elizabethtown College

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

). Freshman interest groups: Partnership for promoting student success. New Directions for Student Services, 87, 37-49.14. Cabrera, A. A., & Castaneda, M. (1993). College persistence: Structural equations modeling test of an integrated model of student retention. Journal of Higher Education, 64(2), 123-136.15. Habley, W., & McClanahan, R. (2008, July). What works in student retention? Presented at the ACT Information for Life’s Transitions Seventeenth Annual Enrollment Planner’s Conference, Chicago, IL.16. NSF (2012) Science and Engineering Indicators, www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12. Page 23.514.12

Conference Session

FPD 7: First-Year Engineering Courses, Part II: Perceptions and Paradigms

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mohammad Esmaeili, University of Dayton; Ali Eydgahi, Eastern Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Paper ID #7138By the Students, for the students: A New Paradigm for Better Achieving theLearning ObjectivesMr. Mohammadjafar EsmaeiliDr. Ali Eydgahi, Eastern Michigan University Dr. Eydgahi is a professor in the school of Engineering Technology at Eastern Michigan University. He has supervised a number of graduate thesis and undergraduate projects in the areas of Unmanned Vehicle Design, Sensor Fusion, Speaker Recognition Design, Virtual Reality and Visualization, Digital Signal Processing, Control Systems, Robotics and Systems Automation. He has an extensive experience in curriculum and laboratory design and development

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Silverstein, University of California, Los Angeles

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

teaching these graduating, upper-division students, I concluded that, muchearlier in their University careers, students need exposure to the concepts taught in this seniorcourse. They need to develop these concepts into skills through extracurricular activities andelective courses, enhancing their prospects for career success as practicing engineers when theygraduate, and this takes time.As a consequence of my observations, I proposed a new, additional course which would informstudents, preferably freshmen, that an engineering career requires greater understanding of skillsthat are not part of their engineering curriculum. The intent was to provide them digestibleguidance that would help them to engage in activities providing them: 1

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amber Kemppainen, Michigan Technological University; Gretchen L. Hein, Michigan Technological University; Steve Haisley Patchin, Center for Pre-College Outreach - Michigan Technological University; Kimberly D'Augustino; Cody J Kangas, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-0836861). This project requires students to design, build, test, and analyze a lab-scalehorizontal axis wind turbine. The goals of this project were to create project modules that couldbe easily adaptable to various curriculums and applications, including K-12 programs.1In 2010 – 2012, three project modules were integrated into the first-year curriculum at MichiganTech: aquaculture, biomechanics, and wind energy. For the aquaculture module, students built,tested, and analyzed their own aerator or used 3D modeling to develop a new impeller for anexisting pump to use in water circulation. Students working on the biomechanics module createda prosthetic leg device and analyzed the motion and forces generated during the kickingmovement. Students

Conference Session

FPD 3: Research on First-Year Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Reid, Ohio Northern University; Tyler J Hertenstein, Ohio Northern University; Graham Talmadge Fennell, Ohio Northern University; Elizabeth Marie Spingola, Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Education; David Reeping, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

nationwide. These are often designedfrom scratch and tend to be “personal courses” – designed by instructors to cover what they feelis important. Therefore, while they may be prerequisites to second-year courses, first-yearengineering programs are not necessarily integrated into the curriculum. Further, since they areoften designed with little consideration for existing models, overall outcomes and content varywidely. This leads to, first, the issue of course developers “reinventing the wheel” as successfulmodels are not adequately disseminated. The problem is exacerbated by a lack of definition offirst year models: a developer may know what they want in a course, but how do they find acourse with similar outcomes with nothing more than “first-year