Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bert Davy, Morgan State University; Indranil Goswami, Morgan State University; Jiang Li, Morgan State University; Gbekeloluwa Oguntimen, Morgan State University; Charles Oluokun, Morgan State University; Arcadio Sincero, Morgan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

of jobs openings in STEM areas is five times the number of US studentsgraduating in STEM. The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) “Strategic Plan: FY 2003-2008” acknowledges that tapping the potential in “previously underutilized groups” will becritical for sustaining the technological lead the U.S. enjoys throughout the world (NSF, 2006).National concern has been expressed about the status of the U. S. science and engineering base-specifically the human talent, knowledge and infrastructure that generate innovations andundergird technological advances to achieve national objectives. Analyses have shown that theremay be a significant shortage in the entry level science and engineering labor pool, and thatscientific and technical fields could

Conference Session

FPD3 -- Professional Issues for First-Year Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Mathias, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Lalit Gupta, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Jale Tezcan, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Ronald Caffey, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Bruce Chrisman, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Chris Pearson, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; John Nicklow, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Ernest Lewis, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Rhonda Kowalchuk, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Kathy Pericak-Spector, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Hasan Sevim, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

mentors will meet with the students two times eachsemester and will explain what they do as an engineer because many freshmen and sophomorestudents do not understand the role of an engineer. They will explain the importance of math intheir engineering profession and encourage students to successfully complete their math courses.Lastly, they also will provide career advice such as examples of projects they’ve worked on andsuccesses and struggles they’ve had in their career. This mentoring by engineers in industry willprovide motivation to remain in engineering and obtain summer internships later in their collegeeducation, possibly with the same company of the industrial mentor.Assessment:The plans for this project will include ongoing internal

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dan Cordon, University of Idaho; Barbara Williams, University of Idaho; Steven Beyerlein, University of Idaho; Donald Elger, University of Idaho

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

knowledge by peers situation is resolved customer or user Undesirable or Needs analysis, Inconsistencies or uncomfortable definition of incompleteness of Starting Point situation requiring specifications current knowledge change Remedial action plan Tested artifact, tool, Theory, model, or that can often be or process with answer to research End Product generalized supporting question submitted documentation for peer review Time

Conference Session

FPD9 -- Teaching Methods & Technology

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; Beverly Jaeger, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, SUSAN FREEMAN, and BEVERLY JAEGER are members of; Susan Freeman, Northeastern University; John-David Yoder, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Engineering Design for the First-Year CurriculumAbstractBuilding a tower out of straws has been used as an activity for many years at all educationallevels. In general terms, teams of students are provided with a fixed number of straws andfasteners (such as paper clips or straight pins) and are instructed to build a structure as tall aspossible within a limited amount of time. Sometimes a constraint is added, usually that the towermust be able to bear a specified load or withstand other mechanical disturbances such as wind orvibration. Lesson plans for this activity are readily available on the Internet; the majority of thempresent the building of a tower of straws by a team of students as a methodology for developingcooperative learning skills

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean Kampe, Virginia Tech; Whitney Edmister, Virginia Tech; Matthew Stimpson, Virginia Tech; Brad Matanin, Virginia Tech; Amanda Martin, Virginia Tech; Cory Brozina, Virginia Tech; Bevlee Watford, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Programs (now the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity,CEED), with additional associated costs provided largely through industrial sponsorship. Thecommunity is physically located in Slusher Hall, currently occupying the fourth floor of the“Wing.” The floor plan design in Slusher Hall creates pods, which are common outer areas thatsix to eight resident rooms open to. These pods function as small gathering spaces for theresidents of the connecting rooms, and they are often utilized for socializing and as study zones.The Hypatia community for freshmen is in its sixth run during the 2006-07 academic year. Earlyparticipants who had developed a strong sense of community petitioned the CEED office toimplement a second-year component to

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Pagano, Western Michigan University; Amanda Rossman, Western Michigan University; Kendall Vasilnek, Western Michigan University; Betsy Aller, Western Michigan University; Edmund Tsang, Western Michigan University; Andrew Kline, Western Michigan University; Edward Brabandt, Western Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

AC 2007-2550: FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE AND BEYOND: USING THEENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS TO SUPPORT LEARNING ANDENGINEERING SKILL DEVELOPMENTPaul Pagano, Western Michigan University Paul Pagano is a second-year student in Civil Engineering at Western Michigan University. He is active in the student ASCE chapter, assists student teams in the Student Projects Lab, and plans to gain his professional engineers license and employment in a geotechnical engineering firm after graduation.Amanda Rossman, Western Michigan University Amanda Rossman is a second-year student in Civil and Construction Engineering at Western Michigan University. She serves as a tutor to first-year, at-risk students, and is

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Schimmels, Marquette University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering skills associated with design andcommunication and on personal characteristics associated with good teamwork and effectiveleadership. Small group discussion related to course readings are used to increase studentunderstanding of abstract engineering concepts. Design projects are used to facilitate studenttransfer of their understanding to new contexts.The course sequence has been piloted in the Mechanical Engineering program and was shown tobe quite successful with regard to student achievement and student satisfaction. Plans are beingmade for college-wide implementation of a similar freshman experience emphasizing skill andpersonal characteristic development.1.0 IntroductionThe issues of engineering student engagement and persistence and

Conference Session

FPD5 -- Placement & Early Success

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos; Karen Brucks, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Eric Key, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Ethan Munson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; K Vairavan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

value allowed by NSF at the time was$3125 per student per year). The relative value of this scholarship was roughly 75% of tuition atthe inception of the program, and has declined to approximately 50% of tuition today. TheProgram delivers the scholarship in increments of $1500 per semester; continuation of thescholarship from semester to semester is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance.Students are also provided with dedicated faculty and staff mentoring, monthly seminars,tutoring opportunities, and other student support services. The UWM program provides study inEngineering (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing & Industrial, Materials), ComputerScience, and Mathematical Sciences.The budget allowed us to plan for three

Conference Session

FPD8 -- Introductory Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Lehr, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Christopher Grant, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, Reprinted Here with Students PermissionWriting a program takes a lot of time and planning, and then even more time. Along the wayyou’ll run into problems and you won’t know how to solve them. Planning is the key. Figure outwhat you’re going to do before you do it. You need to do some research and learn new things sothat you can solve your problems. It is impossible to know how to write an entire program at thestart. You just need to start working on the problem and revise your logic again and again andthen again some more. It is also hard to get exactly what you want from your program. There is apoint where you know that you can optimize your code even more, but it is already good enough.Writing a program is a fluid process. You and your code are

Conference Session

FPD12 -- Novel Approaches to First Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Meyer, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis; Nancy Lamm, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis; Joshua Smith, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Widelyread popular press rankings such as US News and World Reports publish graduation rates.Lower rates reflect poorly on an institution. Additionally, the failure to retain students impactsboth an institution’s budget and planning. A student who drops out no longer contributes tuitiondollars. According to Mangold, Bean, Adams, Schwab and Lynch1 “low graduation rates costuniversities scarce resources.” For these reasons and more, colleges and universities have turnedtheir attention to finding ways to retain the students that do enroll.A widely-implemented tactic used to improve retention is the learning community or first-yearseminar course. (For the purposes of this paper, the terms “learning community” and “first-yearseminar” are used

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Hands-on & Real-World Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Menicucci, Montana State University; James Duffy, Montana State University; Betsy Palmer, Montana State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

isshown in Figure 1.For the past three years a significant portion of the laboratory has been a student-designedexperiment where groups of two to three students design their own experiments, run theexperiments, analyze the collected data, run follow-up experiments, and present theirresults to their peers. The student-designed experiment provided a much neededcomponent to the introductory laboratory: application of learning. The student-designedexperiment offers students the opportunity to take what they’ve learned and apply it to anexperiment of their choosing. Students had dedicated time with an instructor forexperimental plan development. Students were then required to propose their ideas toboth instructors and other lab groups prior to

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Promiti Dutta, Columbia University; Alexander Haubold, Columbia University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

,while Figure 4 shows the complete overall proposed design solution. The team also successfullyimplemented their proposed design plans in Ford Hall even after the completion of the projectterm. Table 2: Ford Hall Food Pantry project in the civil/architectural designs genre. Comparison of current situation versus proposed design solution for the three rooms in Ford Hall Food Pantry. Current Situation Proposed Design Front Room Middle Room Back Room Page 12.623.7In most instances, projects in this genre usually terminate with a design plan for feasibleimplementation. Lack of available resources results

Conference Session

FPD9 -- Teaching Methods & Technology

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anthony Dean, Old Dominion University; Bonita Anthony, Old Dominion University; Linda Vahala, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, plans, and intrusive interventions into thecollege freshmen's life. Conversion into an active learning format with hands-on experience wasnecessary decrease student attrition in these disciplines.Student AdvisingA key component of the Engineering Fundamentals division is advising. The first-yearengineering student has a safety net inclusive of a professional advising team, faculty mentors,learning cohorts, and supplemental instruction that promotes nurturing. The professionaladvising team consists of an academic advisor, a freshman success advisor, and a career advisor.The freshman success advisor works with students categorized as such that special attention isneeded to ensure their success, based upon high school grades, SAT scores, math

Conference Session

FPD6 -- Early Intervention & Retention Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Knight, University of Colorado at Boulder; Jacquelyn Sullivan, University of Colorado at Boulder; Beverly Louie, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students to complete a worksheet demonstratingsuccessful teamwork through a social style framework. Different components of effectiveteamwork were presented as follows: ‚ Driving — Setting goals, meeting deadlines, dividing up the workload, ‚ Expressive — Brainstorming, communicating with others, assigning roles, action, ‚ Amiable — Working cohesively, ensuring equal participation, resolving conflict, ‚ Analytical — Critiquing the design, troubleshooting design problems.Student teams were asked to use this list to analyze their teamwork and pick the greateststrengths and challenges for their team. Each team had to develop a plan to meet one challenge,and team members reported on how they could be more versatile in helping the team meet

Conference Session

FPD8 -- Introductory Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Darryl Morrell, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

with MATLAB. Thus, many students face challenges stemmingfrom issues faced by all novice programmers, which are described in Natural Language Tutoringand the Novice Programmer6 and the references therein; beyond learning the specific elements ofa given programming language, most of the challenges are related to managing complexity anddeveloping problem solving skills and schemas. Specific challenges include the lack of a “libraryof schemata” (i.e. a collection of structures and concepts) from which to draw problem solutioncomponents; difficulty managing the decomposition, composition, and goal/sub-goal processesinherent in programming; and a tendency to begin coding without adequate (or often any) planning.2 Course DesignOur process of

Conference Session

FPD10 -- Pre-Engineering and Bridge Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Grimm, Wayne State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

to earn a minimum gpa of 3.0 in these 28 credits of coursework, with nograde lower than a C-, in order to move into one of the pre-professional programs in engineering.This gpa was chosen to demonstrate the strong foundation in math and science required tosucceed in engineering, as well as a commitment to university studies. It also equates to theminimum required math and science performance of students in this level of coursework fordirect admission into the pre-professional engineering program. The program is designed to becompleted in a single, full-time academic year (2 to 3 semesters). Part-time students areencouraged to work with the Engineering Bridge advisor to develop a plan of work that allowsthem to progress through the Bridge

Conference Session

FPD12 -- Novel Approaches to First Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cecelia Wigal, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga; Ignatius Fomunung, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga; Edwin Foster, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga; Ronald Goulet, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

future student learning and industry and society needs.Ignatius Fomunung, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Ignatius W. Fomunung received his Ph.D. in 2000 from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is presently an associate professor of engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). His primary areas of interest and expertise include transportation-air quality planning and analysis, application of advanced technologies in transportation, and the development of clean alternative fuels and energy sources. Dr Fomunung is an ExCEED (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) Fellow.Edwin Foster, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Edwin P. Foster, PhD, P.E

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lynnane George, U.S. Air Force Academy; Robert Brown, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Mechanical Engineering and MSME from Ga Tech in 1989. She began her Air Force career in the Defense Satellite Communication Program Office at Los Angeles AFB, California where she served in the Mechanical Engineering Branch. She was then selected for a one-year Education with Industry program with the Aerospace Corporation, where she performed launch vehicle vibrations and launch wind loads analyses. She then moved on to the Titan System Program Office where she was the Flight Loads and Dynamics Manager for two years before moving to a mission management position. As mission manager for the Titan IV/Centaur mission TIV-23, she was responsible for all integration, planning

Conference Session

FPD5 -- Placement & Early Success

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Beverly Jaeger, Northeastern University; Susan Freeman, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

it is oriented to fact, verbal because of the written and spokenwords, active because of the teaming, and sequential because of the natural order of the process.Minor Design Project: Planning & Building / Preparing Demo & Demonstrating. This firstproject is assigned early in the course to individual students or small teams. The same task isgiven to the entire class. They are to build and demonstrate a device of their own design. Theyexperience the design process hands-on with a strong emphasis on the design steps of problemformulation, abstraction and synthesis, and implementation, with some iteration. There aremultiple demonstration days, during which the students review others’ projects and show theresults of their own work. Some

Conference Session

FPD6 -- Early Intervention & Retention Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pat Pyke; John Gardner; Marcia Belcheir; Janet Callahan; Amy Moll; Cheryl Schrader

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Conference Session

FPD8 -- Introductory Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Pieri, North Dakota State University; Ghodrat Karami, North Dakota State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

scientific interest in nanotechnologies, offers anopportunity for such assessment and revision. The focus of this paper, one of two proposed forthe 2007 ASEE Annual Conference, will describe some beginning plans and actions for theinclusion of nanotechnology into a typical freshman year Statics course. Page 12.983.2Curricular ContextSince classical mechanics is such a fundamental component of modern engineering education,see figure 1, most practitioners see little need for alterations of teaching methods that were "goodenough for my generation". However a new wind is blowing and recent articles call for the

Conference Session

FPD11 -- Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kauser Jahan, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

physical health. These activities include tripsto the university recreation center, yoga classes, nature walks, journal reflections, laughter,meditation, and art classes and field trips.Assessment and ImpactAssessment of the workshop is carried out via surveys during and after the duration of theworkshop. Select visits are made to schools to watch teachers integrate and deliver the materialprovided to them during the ECT workshop. Teachers are invited to a fall and spring follow upmeeting to discuss the impact of the workshop and the ease or difficulty in delivering theengineering clinic modules. This assessment provides key information in planning activities forfuture years. Successful teachers are invited back to participate as mentors in the

Conference Session

FPD6 -- Early Intervention & Retention Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ken Yasuhara, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Our conclusion discusses the challenge undergraduate CSE education faces in addressingthese perceptions and concerns in order to help students make more informed decisions aboutmajoring in CSE.IntroductionAfter years of booming interest, enrollment in computer science and engineering (CSE) is nowsuffering a startling, rapid drop in North America. Between 2000 and 2004, the fraction ofincoming undergraduates planning to major in computer science fell by over 60%, and,historically, this statistic has accurately predicted bachelor’s degree production.1 Likelyconsequences include a shortage of qualified, domestic candidates for computing-related jobsand the downsizing or even elimination of CSE programs and departments.Having recognized the

Conference Session

FPD5 -- Placement & Early Success

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Gattis, University of Arkansas; Bryan Hill, University of Arkansas; Abraham Lachowsky, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

First Year of College,” Planning for Higher Education, Volume 25, Fall 1996, p. 1-64 Tinto, Vincent, “Principles of Effective Retention,” Journal of the Freshman Year Experience, 1990, p. 35-48.5 Elkins, Susan A., John M. Braxton and Glenn W. James, “Tinto’s Separation Stage and its Influence on First- semester College Student Persistence,” Research in Higher Education, vol. 41, No. 2, 2000, p. 251-267.6 Highsmith, R. J., R. Denes and M. M. Pierre, “Mentoring Matters,” NACME Research Letter, 8(1), New York: National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc.7 Good, Jennifer, Glennelle Halpin and Gerald Halpin, “A Promising Prospect for Minority Retention: Students Becoming Peer Mentors,” Journal of Negro

Conference Session

FPD3 -- Professional Issues for First-Year Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karen High, Oklahoma State University; Rebecca Damron, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

material, test-taking skills, and college survival skills. • Professional Success – career planning and effective presentations. • Engineering Information – career and advisement information and research presentations/laboratory tours. • Engineering Design and Problem Solving – creativity, effective teams, brainstorming, process design, and product design. • Societal Issues of Engineers – ethics, diversity/international issues, environmental issues/sustainability, medicine and bioengineering. • Personal Development – stress management and other wellness issues.This course is a particularly good class to do problem-based, cooperative activitiesbecause it addresses the goal of giving students engineering

Conference Session

FPD3 -- Professional Issues for First-Year Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Lau, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

various episodes of Star Trek, from TheOriginal Series with Captain James T. Kirk and company, through The Next Generation, withCaptain Jean Luc Picard. Students learn how to methodically approach tough ethical decisionsin their current lives as students, and in their future professional lives. This course helps themto identify, understand, and examine their moral values, and especially to plan actions that areconsistent with these values. In group and class discussions, the class explores the currentthinking on the responsibilities of engineers to society, community, family, and themselves, aswell as addressing issues that are relevant to their lives as students. Emphasis is placed onapplying key concepts to realistic problems and on developing

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Hands-on & Real-World Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Larry Bland, John Brown University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

funding from the U.S. Departmentof Education. The university core curriculum now requires every student to take at least onethree-hour global studies course in fulfilling degree requirements. The Department ofEngineering has embraced this activity and is working to incorporate global issues into coursesthat span the typical four-year course plan. This initiative is seen as an opportunity to Page 12.872.3significantly strengthen the engineering program, improve ABET outcomes, and furtherstrengthen ties with our liberal arts colleagues. For course purposes, globalization is defined asexposure to other cultures, understanding how problems are

Conference Session

FPD11 -- Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

W. David Harding, University of New Haven; Pauline schwartz, University of New Haven; Jean Nocito-Gobel, University of New Haven; Agamemnon Koutsospyros, University of New Haven

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

retentionof chemistry concepts, there are no specific follow-up courses where biological concepts can beassessed.Bibliography1) Collura, M., S. Daniels, J. Nocito-Gobel and B. Aliane, Development of a Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral, ASEE 2004 Annual Conference, Curricular Change Issues, Session 26302) Collura, M.A., A Multidisciplinary, Spiral Curricular Foundation for Engineering Programs, NSF Department- Level Reform Planning Grant, EEC-0343077, $99,928, August 14, 20033) New Biology for Engineers and Computer Scientists, A. Tozeren and S. Byers, Prentice-Hall, 20044) Essentials of General Chemistry, by D.D. Ebbing, S.D. Gammon and R.O. Ragsdale, Houghton Mifflin Co., NY, NY, 20035) Saliby, M.J., P.J. Desio