Conference Session

FPD9 -- Technology & Textbooks

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

2006-2076: ENHANCING LEARNING OF LOW ABILITY STUDENTS INMULTI-SECTION FRESHMAN LECTURE/LABORATORY CLASSESJon Sticklen, Michigan State University Jon Sticklen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University. He has a strong research record in knowledge-based systems. His main contributions have been in the theory and application of task specific approaches and in model-based reasoning. Dr. Sticklen has led the effort to rejuvenate the MSU College of Engineering freshman gateway course in computational tools.Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University Mark Urban-Lurain is Director of Instructional Technology Research and

Conference Session

FPD8 -- Systems, Nanotechnology & Programming

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Youssef Allam, Ohio State University; David Tomasko, Ohio State University; John Merrill, Ohio State University; Bruce Trott, Ohio State University; Phil Schlosser, Ohio State University; Paul Clingan, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

first-yearengineering curriculum. The lab project was piloted during Winter and Spring Quarters of 2004,with one section offered in each quarter for a total of 127 students then expanded to 3 sections in2005 with an enrollment of 190 students. This alternate project is currently being revised andwill be fully integrated into the program by Winter and Spring of 2006. In addition, an honorsversion of the project was offered in Spring 2005 to a single section of 32 students. A revisedhonors version will also be offered in Spring 2006. A three-pronged approach was employed indeveloping the project involving on-campus nanotechnology research laboratory tours hosted byfaculty and researchers, nanotechnology teaching modules, and hands-on lab

Conference Session

FPD5 -- Placement & Early Success

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Callahan; John Gardner, Boise State University; Amy Moll, Boise State University; Pat Pyke, Boise State University; Cheryl Schrader, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students were given the goal of at 3 hours on ALEKS per week while showing at least 6%progress each week. The requirement of weekly progress precludes students logging intoALEKS and hitting the keyboard now and again, without putting in real effort.The remaining class time in ENGR 110, approximately 2 hours per week, was spent onengineering laboratories, described further below. Other relevant components of the courseincluded time management skills; a one hour in-class session led by a supplemental instructionstudent tutors; a weekly log kept by students on time spent on homework; and, early in thesemester, the use of class time to self-identify student enrollment in various math sections, withthe goal of forming study groups.Engineering

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Real-World Case Studies & Projects

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Liesl Hotaling, Stevens Institute of Technology; Richard Sheryll, Center for Maritime Systems, Stevens Institute of Technology; Rustam Stolkin, Center for Maritime Systems, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students. With freshmen, the course can be completed in as little as four 90 minutecontact sessions with additional periods of unsupervised laboratory time. High school seniorshave completed the same tasks comfortably in 12 contact hours over five sessions. Someflexibility with laboratory sessions and contact time is desirable to accommodate different abilitylevels.4.2 MaterialsStudents were provided with a selection of LEGO including several motors, battery boxes andleads, gearing, structural and mechanical components. Also provided, were a selection of plasticpropellers (obtainable from hobby stores) mounted on LEGO axles (figure 2). Additional

Conference Session

FPD1 -- Implementing a First-Year Engineering Course

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Hagenberger, Valparaiso University; Barbara Engerer, Valparaiso University; Doug Tougaw, Valparaiso University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

complex systems.13, 22-23Although some of these philosophies do appear to be mutually exclusive, an optimal first-semester course would benefit from adopting the best characteristics of each. By balancing thesedifferent philosophies, it may be possible to design a course that is more effective than any onephilosophy could have been. We have attempted to design such a balanced course, modeledafter work done at Purdue University 5, that helps students to learn the fundamentals of eachengineering discipline and build interdisciplinary connections among those disciplines, and wedo so through a balance of traditional lecture and hands-on laboratory and design experiences

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marc Christensen, Southern Methodist University; David Willis, Southern Methodist University; Scott Douglas, Southern Methodist University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

David A. Willis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Southern Methodist University. He received the B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University (1995) and M.S. (1997) and Ph.D. (2001) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. Dr. Willis actively performs research in laser processing and thermal sciences. He developed the Laser Micromachining Laboratory at SMU, where he and his research team study thermal transport during laser-material interactions and laser micro-processing. His recent works have been published in the highly visible journals Physics of Fluids, the International Journal of Heat

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Howard, East Carolina University; Joseph Musto, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

like Page 11.1140.2to take. Courses with hands-on experiments and laboratories were the least favored by thesestudents. Besterfield-Sacre et al5 found that students who left engineering in good academicstanding had lower confidence in their “engineering skills” than those who were retained. Whiledeveloping hands-on skills may be an important goal of a first-year course, faculty membersshould bear in mind that many students are intimidated by hands-on projects.Engineering Graphics, Solid Modeling, and DesignEngineering graphics is a subject that is normally taught in the freshman year, either as a part ofan introduction to engineering course or

Conference Session

FPD5 -- Placement & Early Success

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mukul Shirvaikar, University of Texas-Tyler; Ron Pieper, University of Texas-Tyler; David Beams, University of Texas-Tyler

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Fr 1 1.25 Physics (mechanics) 3 EE M Fr 3 7.25 Calculus I, laboratory reports 4 Chem M Fr 2 1 Physics (mechanics) 5 EE F Jr 1 0.5 C programming 6 EE M Jr 2 2.0 C programming 7 EE M Jr 1 0.5 C programming 8 EE M Sr 1 1.0 Math–FE exam preparation 9 EE M Jr 1 1.0 Matrix mathematics Totals 33 33.75The majority of the students were juniors who were transfer students and not freshmen asenvisioned. It has to be noted that the students were seeking

Conference Session

FPD6 -- Early Intervention & Retention Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Bradley, Indiana University; Walter Bradley, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-100 for the past week, their scores from previous Page 11.749.3weeks, and an indication of the average score for all students who have done the assessment forthe week. This allows them to measure their academic effort (above or below average) and to seetheir improvement (hopefully) as they develop the concepts taught in the seminar into habits. Figure 1: Weekly Student Self-AssessmentThe seminar can be presented as a 3 hour program the first week of the semester, usually in theevening, and counted as either the laboratory for the first week of class or the homeworkassignment for the first week. It is important that

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey Connor, Virginia Tech; Vinod Lohani, Virginia Tech; Kumar Mallikarjunan, Virginia Tech; G. Loganathan, Virginia Tech; Jenny Lo, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversity: A Changing Approach”. 2002 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Montreal, QB, ASEE.3. Connor, J. B., S. York, et al. (2005). “Student Funded Laboratory Exercises at Virginia Tech” ASEE 2005Annual Conference and Exposition, Portland, OR, ASEE4. Lohani, V.K., Sanders, M., Wildman, T., Connor, J., Mallikarjunan, K., Dillaha, T., Muffo, J., Knott, T.W., Lo,J., Loganathan, G.V., Adel, G., Wolfe, M.L., Goff, R., Gregg, M., Chang, M., Agblevor, F., Vaughan, D., Cundiff,J., Fox, E., Griffin, H., and Magliaro, S., 2005, “From BEEVT to DLR NSF Supported Engineering EducationProjects at Virginia Tech” 2005 ASEE Annual Conference, Portland, OR, ASEE5. Bruner, J. (1960). The Process of Education

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Real-World Case Studies & Projects

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ari Epstein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Alberta Lipson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Rafael Bras, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Kip Hodges, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Laboratory at MIT. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Boston University. Her research interests include the assessment of innovations in pedagogy and the use of educational technology.Rafael Bras, Massachusetts Institute of Technology RAFAEL L. BRAS is Edward Abdun Nur Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT. Dr.Bras' undergraduate and graduate degrees are from MIT, where he joined the Faculty in 1976. He is a former Department Head and Chair of the Faculty. His research interests are in hydrology. His educational interests revolve around Terrascope, the program described in this paper.Kip Hodges, Massachusetts Institute of

Conference Session

FPD8 -- Systems, Nanotechnology & Programming

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Scott Moor, Indiana University Purdue University-Fort Wayne (ET)

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

from avery wide range of backgrounds. Approximately 40% are non-traditional students, and many areworking. Their starting mathematics level can vary; however, it is a prerequisite of the coursethat students be ready to take calculus (i.e., they have completed our pre-calculus class or havetested directly into Calculus I). Approximately 80 students complete this course each year. Theclass is taught with multiple sections in a computer laboratory with 24 student computers and aninstructor’s computer. The room is arranged in a workshop style where the rows areperpendicular to the front of the classroom allowing easy interaction between students andinstructor.9 The class meets twice a week for 75 minutes to allow time for both the instructor

Conference Session

FPD6 -- Early Intervention & Retention Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey Froyd; Xiafeng Li, Texas A&M University; Arun Srinivasa, Texas A&M University; William Bassichis, Texas A&M University; Jacque Hodge, Texas A&M University; Donald Maxwell, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

performance prediction and comparison of predicted and measured behavior ‚ Use prefabricated parts to emphasize design over fabrication ‚ Use content from first-year mathematics, physics, and engineering coursesAlthough the course content of calculus has remained the same, innovations have beenintroduced in the laboratory portions of the courses to support engineering students. In Page 11.690.4mathematics, the laboratory portion is devoted to MATLAB, rather than Maple, because of itsutilization in subsequent engineering courses. In physics, some of the experiments performed inthe laboratory portion of the course have been designed to connect

Conference Session

FPD9 -- Technology & Textbooks

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Keith Hargrove, Morgan State University; Marie Dahleh, Harvard University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

needand desire to reduce the gap in student learning and real world problem solving asgraduates enter the workforce. The National Academy of Engineering has appealed toengineering programs to integrate theory and practice in the curriculum, and introducemore innovative learning methods that simulate industrial decision making in theclassroom and laboratory [1]. Hence, the challenge for engineering educators is the useof more innovative methods for instruction and learning to replicate real world problemsolving, and provide an environment for intellectual exchange of ideas and solutions in aclassroom setting. This is further reinforced by the Accreditation Board for Engineeringand Technology (ABET) to encourage the use of a cadre of tools and

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Real-World Case Studies & Projects

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Yao, East Carolina University; Gene Dixon, East Carolina University; William Howard, East Carolina University; Ric Williams; Keith Williamson, East Carolina University; Geoffrey Dieck, East Carolina University; Steve McLawhorn, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

University (ECU),freshmen are introduced to engineering topics that include solid modeling, mechanicalengineering, electrical engineering, and design engineering. Robots inherently integrate all thesedisciplines. At ECU, student teams are used in a cohort learning environment to build robots.The robot building project serves as a platform for experiential learning in engineeringdisciplines and also serves to develop problem solving skills, interpersonal skills, and ethics. Arobotics competition is embedded into the introductory class work to increase levels ofparticipation, interest and challenge for the freshmen. During classroom and laboratory exercisesleading up to the competition, students build mobile robots to compete in a treasure-huntinggame

Conference Session

FPD1 -- Implementing a First-Year Engineering Course

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jenny Lo, Virginia Tech; Vinod Lohani, Virginia Tech; Odis Griffin, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Program for the New Millenium,” ASEE Southeastern Regional Conf, April 6-8, 1998, Orlando, FL.[5] Goff, R.M. and Gregg, M.H. "Why Hands-on Design? A First Year Hands-on Design & Dissection Laboratory", 1998 Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) National Design Education Conference. Long Beach, CA September 21-23, 1998. Proceedings are on CD. Page 11.657.14[6] York, S. C., “Providing early design/build opportunities to Freshman Engineering Students”, Proceedings of the ASEE 2002 Annual Conference and Exposition, June 16-19, 2002, Montréal, Quebec Canada.[7] Lo, Jenny, Richard M. Goff

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Freeman, Northeastern University; Beverly Jaeger, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Beverly Jaeger and Richard Whalen are members of Northeastern University's

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering design is to build a course out ofactivities that are woven around a well-established process in order to allow students toexperience design rather than just listen to how it is supposed to work. It is well known throughresearch and practice that incorporating learning activities into a course better facilitates thestudent learning process as compared with more passive approaches2,6,13,14,15. First-yearengineering design courses typically include standard design-and-build projects, designcompetitions, laboratory projects, and other projects that span many weeks. These projects areactive and hands-on, but are often relatively self-contained and separate from the exercises ofpresenting a design process and becoming familiar with other

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

P.K. Raju, Auburn University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

innovative educational materials as part of the Laboratory for InnovativeTechnology and Engineering Education (LITEE). This paper describes the project goals,summary of some of the case studies that have been developed, methods to integratethese case studies with theoretical materials, and evaluation of implementing thesematerials in freshman engineering classrooms. Page 11.842.4Establishing Project Goals Information technology is essential for solving critical national problems in areassuch as science and engineering, the environment, health care, and governmentoperations; but new fundamental understanding is required to make optimal

Conference Session

FPD6 -- Early Intervention & Retention Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Light, University of Washington; Laura Girardeau, Washington State University; Jennifer Beller, Washington State University; Greg Crouch, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Technology, and was formally a Jr. Researcher in the Laboratory for Interactive Learning Technologies at the University of Hawaii. She is co-author of several publications on collaborative learning.Jennifer Beller, Washington State University Jennifer M. Beller, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology at Washington State University. She is co-author of six ASEE proceeding papers, including one that won the ASEE Best Conference Paper.Greg Crouch, Washington State University Greg Crouch is associate professor of chemistry at Washington State University. In addition to organic chemistry research, Greg’s

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Kazmer, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; John Duffy, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Beverly Perna, Tsongas Industrial History Center

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

projects could be replaced with two lectures and two homeworkassignments, with a lower teaching load but different learning outcomes.In addition to the time requirements, there is a significant increase in stress and apparentworkload from the expectations from the client and the larger community that the SL projects Page 11.879.13will be a success. For all these reasons, the instructor reports feeling “burnt out” after thecompletion of the projects. Possible reductions in workload may be achieved through theaddition of the engineering workshop and technical laboratory instructor, additional training andearlier recruitment of teaching assistants to