Conference Session

FPD VI: Presenting "All the Best" of the First-year Programs Division

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Scott Moor, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

AC 2012-4824: INTRODUCING MEMO WRITING AND A DESIGN PRO-CESS: A FIVE-WEEK SIMULATOR PROJECTDr. S. Scott Moor, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne Scott Moor is an Associate Professor of engineering and Coordinator of First-year Engineering at Indi- ana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne. He received a B.S. and M.S. in chemical engineering from MIT. After more than a decade in industry, he returned to academia at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and an M.A. in statistics. He is a registered Professional Chemical Engineer in California. His research interests include engineering education with an emphasis on developing and testing educational

Conference Session

FPD I: Research on First-year Programs Part I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelsey Joy Rodgers, Purdue University; Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Monica E. Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Rubric sub-dimension.The students were also required to give written feedback in response to eight prompts associatedwith the three MEA Rubric dimensions (APPENDIX B). The written feedback was collectedthrough a series of textboxes. The Mathematical Model dimension had five textboxes, the Re-Usability & Modifiability dimension had two textboxes, and the Share-Ability dimension hadone textbox to complete. The explanations of required focus for the peer feedback within thethree dimensions follow. Page 25.1323.5For the Mathematical Model dimension, the students were required to write feedback concerningthe degree to which the teams’ math model

Conference Session

FPD V: Increasing Engagement and Motivation of First-year Students

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine S. Zerda, University of Houston; Diana G. de la Rosa-Pohl, University of Houston; Stuart A. Long, University of Houston; Fritz J. Claydon, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-represented groups who may not have access to college-educated role models within theirfamilies and who may not otherwise have access to professional and academic engineeringmentors. PROMES was launched at the University of Houston in 1974 and incorporates keyrecommended structural elements such as a formal introductory course for new freshmen andincoming transfer students, clustering of students in common sections of their courses, adedicated study center, and structured study groups.1 In addition, peer mentors assist freshmenand new transfer students throughout the first year.There is a second learning community within the College of Engineering that supports successfor a different, although sometimes overlapping, cohort. This second community is

Conference Session

FPD VI: Presenting "All the Best" of the First-year Programs Division

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeff M. Citty , University of Florida; Angela S. Lindner, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

courseequivalents of those taken during the summer residential component of the program. Additionalcourses may include general education classes, First Year Florida (a freshmen introductorycourse), courses to complete a minor, and other introductory courses offered by the College.Weekly peer mentor meetings with assigned students are scheduled at the beginning of eachsemester. All students must attend and participate in weekly meetings with their assigned peermentor. Through the weekly meetings, peer mentors write reports on all members of theirassigned students and report on their academic, personal and professional development. Reportsfrom the peer mentors are delivered to the program coordinator on a weekly basis. The reportsare read for thoroughness

Conference Session

FPD V: Increasing Engagement and Motivation of First-year Students

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carrie Robinson, Arizona State University; James Collofello, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

boosts morale and increases community among theUGTAs. Additionally, distinctive polo shirts help to give authority to UGTAs in the classroom,while advertising the program to their peers. The recognition event at the end of each semesterserves as an opportunity for engineering administrators to recognize the efforts of our facultymembers who engage in active and collaborative teaching methods, express appreciation for thededication of the UGTAs throughout the semester, and enables faculty and students to interactoutside of the classroom.Program evaluationData were collected by surveying students enrolled in classes with UGTAs, surveying facultyteaching courses with UGTAs, asking UGTAs to write a reflection paper of their experiences,and examining

Conference Session

FPD IV: Innovative Curriculum Elements of Successful First-year Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robin A.M. Hensel Ed.D., West Virginia University; Ordel Brown Ph.D., West Virginia University; Mary L. Strife, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

three 50 minutes classes that included in-class activitiesand incorporated online exercises into the regular assignments associated with the students’projects.In each section, the engineering faculty taught the general technical report writing content,including parts and content of technical reports.The timing of the information literacy sessions within the course structure was critical. Forinstance, the sessions on navigating the internet to find peer reviewed articles, utilizing theSTEM databases and other library resources, citing references and avoiding plagiarism wereconducted before the first technical report was due. The three information sessions were: Week 2: Introduction to Information. This session covered how to determine if the

Conference Session

FPD III: Innovation in Design in the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ann Saterbak, Rice University; Mark Embree, Rice University; Maria Oden, Rice University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

evaluate solutions. Student teams prototype and testtheir solutions in the OEDK, a multidisciplinary design workshop at Rice University. Recentprojects have included modifying a wheelchair for a boy with arthrogryposis, building a medicalexamination bed for a clinic in Nicaragua, modifying a surrey bicycle for the facilities staff oncampus, and developing an elbow mannequin for physicians to practice reduction for pediatricpatients with nursemaid’s elbow. Written and oral communications are strongly emphasized inthis course. Student teams write weekly technical memos and give two oral presentations ontheir progress. Apprentice Leaders support freshman students in developing teamwork skills,providing feedback on written or oral reports, and

Conference Session

FPD IX: Research on First-year Programs Part III

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Federica Robinson-Bryant, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

implementations of web logs in academia reportgroup blogging as well.One of the main drivers of the popularity associated with blogging in academia is its potential to Page 25.620.2create or enhance a highly engaging learning environment3 that promotes interactivity amongstudents and in some cases the instructors. Its general use varies based on course needs; someresearchers report using blogs to (1) gather/share resources, (2) share opinions, ideas andexperiences, (3) exchange hyperlinks, (4) enable peer review, (5) provide instructor feedback, (6)encourage reflective learning, (7) report course news and updates, (8) improve writing skills, and(9) serve

Conference Session

FPD VIII: Crossing Bridges and Easing Transitions into the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Helen M. Doerr, Syracuse University; Jonas Bergman Arleback, Syracuse University; AnnMarie H. O'Neil, Syracuse University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

improve in their abilities to read and write about mathematicalproblems and their solutions, while collaborating with their peers. Finally, a fourth aim of thiscourse was for students to develop and enhance the algebra skills necessary to succeed in this Page 25.170.2course and in their next math course.To accomplish this ambitious set of goals, we designed the course around a sequence ofmodeling activities that would engage students in solving problems, working in small groups,and communicating their thinking throughout the modeling sequence. The central mathematicalidea around which this course was organized is a deep understanding of

Conference Session

First-year Programs Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder; Beverly Louie, University of Colorado, Boulder; Jordan Michelle Hornback, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

typical first-yearcourse. Students encounter no exams, self- and peer-reflections (i.e., writing!) are assigned, andcollaborating with fellow classmates is expected. A problem-based learning (PBL), activeapproach is used to guide the learning experiences of these students. After the formation ofsemester-long teams, students take on challenging, open-ended projects in diverse topics such asassistive technology, Rube Goldberg, sustainable technology, science concept demonstrations,recreating existing devices and robotics challenges. Along the way, students must developsufficient proficiency in technical drawing, testing, machining, electronics, and/or

Conference Session

FPD II: Hands-on Curriculum in the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Beverly K. Jaeger, Northeastern University; Susan F. Freeman, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. This second semester ‘programming’ course had not fullymade the connection between software written to solve a practical problem and how it might be used todrive hardware/devices in a visible experiential way. As a result, students were skeptical, expressing adisconnect with real-world and career applications. This weak cause-and-effect association at timesresulted in a somewhat uninterested learning population. It became apparent that students did not deeplyunderstand the importance of writing code in relation to engineering problem solving. We as instructorssaw an opportunity to take a role in bridging this gap.Challenge #2: Resources. A further challenge relates to resources: How can we demonstrate the value ofprogramming and problem

Conference Session

FPD VII: Research on First-year Programs Part II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Callahan, Boise State University; Doug Bullock, Boise State University; Seung Youn Chyung, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

couldn’t whip out my laptop during an exam. I painstakingly turned it on andstarted using it. In the Jimmy Carter days, I used reverse polish notation, and there wereno graphing calculators available for use in examinations.Now – my past experiences made me aware that there is definitely a way to store anumber in a calculator. Yet how to do this was not obvious to me in peering with myreaders down at the tiny notation on the calculator side-buttons. During an in-classexercise, hand-calculating a series of secant slopes, I realized how it would be useful tostore the outcome of X times “e” raised to the X, where X was 1.003476. As anexperienced “networker,” I have realized that simply “asking one who knows” is a fasterway of figuring out how to do

Conference Session

FPD II: Hands-on Curriculum in the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Michael Abernathy, Ohio State University; Barbara Elizabeth Carruthers, Ohio State University ; Kayla Fay Presley, Ohio State University; Paul Alan Clingan, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

unit.During their research students were told to keep records of all their work. At the end of thecourse, students turned in all documentation created (in the form of several-inch-thick binders) aswell as bound reports of their research. Students were encouraged to use the reports whenapplying to internships as a way to show the research they had performed and evidence of theirrecordkeeping and writing skills.The entire course concluded with two final presentations of the student groups, with smaller, in-class presentations throughout the class to improve students’ public speaking skills. The finalpresentations consisted of a poster presentation as well as a more formal presentation to a groupof peers. The poster presentation allowed the student to

Conference Session

First-year Programs Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Rippon, Arizona State University; James Collofello, Arizona State University; Robin R. Hammond, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Evening was simply one facet of thethree-pronged exploration curriculum comprised of career research prior to the event, the eventitself, and directed reflection and writing that help the students synthesize the overall experience.The exploration curriculum was assumed seamlessly into our overall undergraduate careerdevelopment plan and was implemented through our engineering student success courses.Understanding that the engineering faculty teaching the success courses are not careerdevelopment experts, the career exploration curriculum incorporated online components as wellas face-to-face components in the classroom that were lead by our career center staff and ourtrained career peer coaches. Since the faculty has ultimate authority over their

Conference Session

FPD VII: Research on First-year Programs Part II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Bazylak, University of Toronto; Susan McCahan, University of Toronto; Peter Eliot Weiss, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

to the course in 2010. He is co- author, with Robert Irish, of Engineering Communication: From Principles to Practice (Oxford Canada, 2008), and is also on the writing team for a new design/communication textbook for first-year engineering students. Page 25.507.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Effects of lecture capture on a large first year engineering courseIntroductionOur first year engineering classrooms are undergoing many obvious changes, such as increasingclass sizes, growing international student body, greater diversity in student background, and

Conference Session

FPD IV: Innovative Curriculum Elements of Successful First-year Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Warren Bucks, Ohio Northern University; William C. Oakes, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

 Holiday light display that powered LED’s which were synced to music Study monitoring system that used an image capture system to determine if the subject is at the study area and an accelerometer on the writing instrument to determine if they are writing Residence hall room security system that employed a card swipe system to identify a person with their university ID and provide access to items in the room such as the refrigerator, computer, phone, etc. An alarm system sounded if items were accessed Talking trash cans that provide audio feedback when things are thrown away including voices recordings and sound effects An electronic game of twister that used pressure sensors under the pads of the game and computer logic to monitor

Conference Session

FPD XI: Tidbits and Cookies

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jesse J. French, LeTourneau University; Paul R. Leiffer, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

- first semester, 3 credit hours) Part II - Engineering Cornerstones (first semester, one hour credit – Introduction to the university mission and values, including study skills, lifelong learning, critical thinking) Part III - Manufacturing Processes Lab (first semester, one credit – Introduction to hands-on processes in the Machine Tool lab and in the Welding lab) Part IV - FIG groups – First-Year Interest Groups – Groupings of students by major/concentration with a Peer Advisor and faculty mentor of the same discipline Part V - Introduction to Engineering practice II (second semester -An introduction to the design process, communication, and further professional skills)Approaches to freshmen coursesA number of

Conference Session

FPD IV: Innovative Curriculum Elements of Successful First-year Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian M. Argrow, University of Colorado, Boulder; Beverly Louie, University of Colorado, Boulder; Daniel W. Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder; Nathan E. Canney, University of Colorado, Boulder; Suzana Brown, University of Colorado, Boulder; Adam J. Blanford, University of Colorado, Boulder; Corrina Ladakis Gibson, University of Colorado, Boulder; Eric Donnelly Kenney

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

presentations employing a more detailed scoring rubricto produce a composite score with input from the module instructor, the collective plenary andother module instructors, and students. Other activities in the discipline modules includedinvited speakers, student/industry panels, and lab tours to introduce the students to the disciplinemajor. A peer assessment was required for each team, and several of the module instructors usedCATME TeamMaker as the assessment tool at the end of the module rotation.Outcomes and AssessmentIn addition to the College’s general freshman survey, students taking the first-year engineeringprojects course are separately given a pre- and post- surveys. Students taking the pilotintroduction to engineering course were given