Conference Session

Mechatronics in the Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Garrett M. Clayton, Villanova University; Rebecca A. Stein, University of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

with step-by-step instructions showing how to build and troubleshoot the motor. In addition, preliminaryexperiment testing and student reactions are presented.1) IntroductionMotors are an important part of the mechanical engineering (ME) curriculum as well as incurricula developed for high school science and robotics clubs – in fact, this experiment wasdeveloped as part of a curriculum to accompany the Navy’s SeaPerch program1, which focuseson junior high and high school students. In college ME programs, motors are introduced infreshman and sophomore introduction to engineering courses, and then elaborated upon in higherlevel classes, such as system dynamics, control systems, and mechatronics. Most commonly,experiments involving motors focus

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Spenko, Illinois Institute of Technology; Jamal S. Yagoobi, Illinois Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2011-124: INTEGRATING INNOVATION INTO ENGINEERING EDU-CATIONMatthew Spenko, Illinois Institute of Technology Matthew Spenko is an assistant professor in the Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Department at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Prof. Spenko earned the B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University in 1999 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2001 and 2005 respectively. He was an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Scholar in the Center for Design Research, Mechanical Engineering Department, at Stanford University from 2005 to 2007. His research is in the general area of robotics with specific attention to

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Raghu Echempati, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2011-849: INTEGRATION OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEUR-SHIP TOPICS IN TO DESIGN COURSES EXPERIENCES AND LESSONSLEARNEDRaghu Echempati, Kettering University Raghu Echempati is a professor of Mechanical Engineering with over 25 years of teaching, research and consulting experiences in Design and Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming Processes. He has published several educational and research papers at ASEE, ASME and other International Conferences. He has delivered many invited and keynote lectures, gave workshops, and organized technical sessions at SAE and other International Conferences. He is an active reviewer of several textbooks, research proposals, conference and journal papers of repute. He is member of ASME

Conference Session

Mechatronics in the Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yang Cao, University of British Columbia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2011-609: LEARNING ROBOTICS THROUGH DEVELOPING A VIR-TUAL ROBOT SIMULATOR IN MATLABYang Cao, University of British Columbia (Aug. 2007 - Present) Instructor, School of Engineering, University of British Columbia Okanagan Cam- pus (Aug. 2005 - June 2007) Postdoc, Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Windsor Page 22.1006.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Learning Robotics through Developing A Virtual Robot Simulator in MatlabAbstractDue to the expensive nature of an industrial robot, not all universities are equipped with arealrobots for

Conference Session

Mechatronics in the Curriculum

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bingen Yang, University of Southern California; Cheng-Yuan Jerry Chen, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. Page 22.480.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Development of a Robotic Platform for Teaching Model-Based Design Techniques in Dynamics and Control Program AbstractThis paper describes an on-going project of undergraduate curriculum innovation in ourdepartment, which is sponsored by Mathworks Inc. and our engineering school. The mainpurpose of the project is to develop a FANUC robotic platform, by which we shall significantlymodify two existing undergraduate laboratory courses in dynamics and control: Senior ProjectsLaboratory (100-110 students per year), and Control Systems Laboratory

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amy C. Bradshaw, University of Oklahoma; Zahed Siddique, University of Oklahoma; Patricia Lea Hardre, University of Oklahoma; Farrokh Mistree, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

cur- rent education focus is on creating and implementing, in partnership with industry, a curriculum for educating Strategic Engineers those who have developed the competencies to create value through the realization of complex engineered systems for changing markets in a collaborative, globally dis- tributed environment. It is in this context that he enjoys experimenting with ways in which design can be learned and taught. Farrokh is a Fellow of ASME and an Associate Fellow of AIAA. Email URL http://www.srl.gatech.edu/Members/fmistree Page 22.681.1 c American Society for

Conference Session

Outstanding Contributions: Mechanical Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bobby G. Crawford, U.S. Military Academy; Daisie D. Boettner, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

: Practical Solutions to Issues of ConsistencyAbstractHistorically, the disciplines of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics have been taught as separatecourses using separately developed textbooks. Most undergraduate students form an early beliefthat these two aspects of thermal-fluid science and engineering are as far removed from eachother as cats are from dogs. It is not until the senior year or even into their graduate schoolexperience that the student begins to understand and appreciate the underlying physicalconservation laws upon which both of these disciplines are based. As a result of mechanicalengineering curriculum revision at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NewYork, separate courses in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics

Conference Session

Engineering Mechanics Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roman Taraban, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

physical model, with the latter understanding being referred to herewith the label used in the literature of a mental model [26]. It is important to note in these data that lacking prior knowledge R and T for Problem 1results in failure to solve the problem (S8 and S15), consistent with the emphasis placed on priorknowledge in the Integrated Problem Solving Model.19 Failure to make the required assumptionsabout the reactions at C and D in Problem 2 in the context of a mental model will result in failureto solve the problem, as shown in Table 2 for S8, S11, S13, S14, S15, S16, S21, S22, and S26. Asserting prior knowledge late in the solution process, results in an extensive and inefficientsearch of equations as shown for S10 in Table 1. This

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Wroblewski, Boston University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2011-283: HERDING CATS: WEAVING COHERENT APPLICATIONTHREADS THROUGH A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUMTO FACILITATE COURSE-TO-COURSE CONNECTIVITY AND IMPROVEMATERIAL RETENTIONDonald Wroblewski, Boston University Don Wroblewski is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Boston Univer- sity, and has been the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Aerospace Studies since 1998. He is a two-time winner of the department award for Excellence in Teaching and one of two inaugural winners of the College of Engineering’s Innovative Engineering Education Fellow award. He has been active in both curriculum and course innovations. He has developed 7 new courses including an on-line Mechanics course and

Conference Session

Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James M. Widmann, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Lynne A. Slivovsky, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; J.Kevin Taylor, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

23campuses of the California State University System. Cal Poly is primarily an undergraduateinstitution with approximately 18,500 enrolled undergraduates and 1180 faculty. 5000 studentsare enrolled in the College of Engineering which is comprised of nine departments. The largestdepartment, Mechanical Engineering, has approximately 1000 undergraduates, 60 MastersStudents and 28 full time tenure and tenure track faculty. The department awards about 200undergraduate degrees each year.Curriculum OverviewCal Poly’s Mechanical Engineering program is anchored by a comprehensive curriculum thatemphasizes fundamentals of engineering, laboratory “hands on” experiences and engineeringdesign throughout the four year program. Students are admitted into the

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Laboratories I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory J. Michna, South Dakota State University; Stephen Gent, South Dakota State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

mechanical engineering students at South Dakota State University isThermo Fluids Laboratory. The purpose of this one-credit course, usually taken in a student’slast semester before graduation, is to enrich the student’s understanding of thermodynamics,fluid mechanics and heat transfer principles in an experimental laboratory setting. TheMechanical Engineering Department at SDSU recognizes the importance of laboratorycoursework in the curriculum, so a project was undertaken to improve student learning outcomesfrom this course. The goals of this project were to formally assess how well the current ThermoFluids Laboratory course achieves the desired course outcomes and to update the course contentand equipment based upon the findings of the

Conference Session

Active and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John S. Lamancusa, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Laura L. Pauley, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

University (M.S. in 1985 and Ph.D. in 1988). She can be contacted at LPauley@psu.edu . Page 22.469.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011  Development and Implementation of an Intermediate Design Course Using Active LearningAbstractSix years ago, the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department at Penn State, after manyheated debates, approved a major curriculum change that included adding a required course inDesign Methodology. This action was taken to better align with ABET curriculum objectives,particularly in the area of Design. The course was designed from a

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Nicholas van Bloemen Waanders, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Mechanical Engineering; Andrew Kean, California Polytechnic State University; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. These MEAs are currently being developed and tested to confirm that theyare helping engineering students learn essential skills. This paper focuses on a particular MEAdealing with the introductory thermodynamic concepts of processes and uses an in-depth reflectiontool to determine the concepts that students' learned and their opinions. The premise for thisMEA surrounds the analysis of an engine cycle that needs to be modeled for thermal efficiency.The MEA was run in six separate classes in groups of four, the students were given one week tofinish and turn in a memo that described their analysis of the engine cycle. The groups thatmodeled their cycle with at least one isothermal process calculated a work output for the cycle thatwas about 25

Conference Session

Active and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David H. Jonassen, University of Missouri, Columbia; Sanjeev K. Khanna, University of Missouri

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

was chosen because it is the first course in the mechanicalengineering sequence, and because virtually every mechanical engineering probleminvolves materials selection or materials troubleshooting elements. Before describing thecourse and the results of an initial trial implementation, we describe principles of problem-based learning (PBL). Practices and principles of problem-based learningPreparing for professional practice in any discipline requires that students learn to thinklike successful practitioners in that field. PBL is an instructional strategy in which a unit,course, or curriculum is organized around problems authentic to practice rather than subjectmater content. Rather than studying concepts, principles and

Conference Session

Why Industry Says that our Engineering Students Cannot Write

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Conrad, Portland State University; Timothy James Pfeiffer P.E., Foundation Engineering, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering

on the following questions:1) In what ways, if any, do practitioners’ sentence structures and use of active vs passive voice reflect concerns of engineering practice? In other words, do the practitioners just use standard English that could be used in any formal written communication, or are aspects of engineering practice integrated into the grammar of their texts?2) To what extent and in what ways do students’ sentence structures and use of active vs passive voice differ from the practitioners’? To what extent do differences demonstrate neglect for concerns that are important in engineering practice?We answer these questions with an analysis of reports and technical memoranda (tech memos)written by civil engineering practitioners

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sergio Celis, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

this shift, the first concernsabout the lack of professional skills of the new graduates appeared in public opinion, concernsthat have strongly increased during the 1990s3. Sciences, in particular physical sciences andengineering sciences, have become the essential component of the engineering curriculum,giving a higher status to analytical courses than intuitive and practical-oriented courses4. Thispredominance of sciences in engineering seems to be a barrier to developing the new set of skillsthat new engineers need, now that industry has become the main employer and an importantsupporter of engineering schools, more so than federal funds5. A further challenge resulting fromthis shifts is that globalization has generated a global and open

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allan T. Kirkpatrick, Colorado State University; Scott Danielson, Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus; Robert O. Warrington, Michigan Technological University; Richard N. Smith, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Karen A. Thole, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; A. Kulacki, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; William J. Wepfer, Georgia Institute of Technology; Thomas Perry, P.E., American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

(faculty, space, andlaboratory) required with this approach. Many believe that their school’s senior capstone coursesdeliver project-based learning experiences. There was an interest in flexibility in the curriculum,so that students can take specialized courses such as entrepreneurship courses if they so desire.There was a stated need for text modules, not textbooks, to integrate innovative material into thetraditional courses. A recommendation was made to aggregate best practices from differentinstitutions to be shared among peers. Interestingly, department heads also mentioned that oneof the larger barriers to change within the curriculum and pedagogical approach is faculty.Another question was if the professional school model, similar to

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric C. Dierks, University of Texas, Austin; Jason M. Weaver, University of Texas, Austin; Kristin L. Wood, University of Texas, Austin; Kendra Crider, U.S. Air Force Academy; Daniel D. Jensen, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

inspections. This project exemplifies the energy harvesting field as an excitingeducational tool useful for preparing students for careers in industry, consulting, entrepreneurialventures, or applied research. This paper provides a snapshot of this project and seeks todemonstrate the integration of emerging technology studies in undergraduate curriculum whilethe students explore a suite of concepts to power health monitoring systems.1: Motivation It can become easy for a student to become overwhelmed or lose enthusiasm during theirundergraduate engineering education; solving problems which have already been implemented inindustry for years or working on a project which is not utilized upon completion. On the otherhand, need-based problems

Conference Session

Why Industry Says that our Engineering Students Cannot Write

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Duncan, Valparaiso University; Mark M. Budnik, Valparaiso University; Jeffrey Will, Valparaiso University; Peter E. Johnson, Valparaiso University; Shahin S. Nudehi, Valparaiso University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering

asCriterion 3 identifies that students attain "an ability to communicate effectively" as a requiredprogram outcome3. Additionally, the importance of communication skills to the practicingengineer is predicted to remain important in the future. The National Academy of Engineering2004 report, "The engineer of 2020: visions of engineering in the new century"4, whendescribing the attributes of engineers in 2020 states that, "As always, good engineering willrequire good communication."Because technical communication skills are so vital to engineers, many studies have beencompleted to investigate the effectiveness of technical communication pedagogical methodsimplemented in engineering curriculums. These studies generally focus on two areas oftechnical

Conference Session

Outstanding Contributions: Mechanical Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen R. Turns, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Peggy Noel Van Meter, Pennsyvlania State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

be derived. common devices: requires theto determine the Examples here Conservation of pumps, turbines, integration of thefinal (or initial) include the heating energy is frequently heat exchangers, etc. instantaneous formstate, depending on of a filament with an stated in this form Various simplifying for as controlgivens. Many electrical current and and then simplified. assumptions are volume. This classpossible similar lumped- required depending of problems ispermutations and parameter analyses. on the device. particularly

Conference Session

Why Industry Says that our Engineering Students Cannot Write

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William K. Durfee, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Benjamin Adams, University of Minnesota; Audrey J. Appelsies, University of Minnesota; Pamela Flash, University of Minnesota

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering

mathematics (STEM) educators in particular to engagetheir students in higher order modes of learning. The uneven rate at which writing and STEMreforms are implemented3,4 reinforces the need for a new approach to reform, one that isdiscipline specific and faculty-driven.The Writing-Enriched Curriculum (WEC) model is informed by shifts in the perception ofwriting itself. Since the mid-20th century, the traditional view of writing as a mode ofcommunication, has evolved. Guided by psycholinguistic research, the current, expanded view isthat writing is a mode of communication and learning. Writing is now recognized as an abilitythat students continue to develop throughout their academic education and later careers as theyengage with increasingly complex

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pamela Renee Lockwood-Cooke, West Texas A&M University ; Freddie J Davis P.E., West Texas A&M University; Emily M. Hunt P.E., West Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

commonsections of an engineering and mathematics course while also integrating the curriculum of thesecourses through regular assignments that utilize the content of both courses and Problem-BasedLearning projects which apply theory to real-world problems.The WTAMU Model for Engineering Learning CommunitiesWest Texas A&M University (WTAMU) began its engineering learning community program infall 2007 through funding provided by the National Science Foundation Science TechnologyEngineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion program. The goal of this program was toincrease retention of first year engineering majors by (1) creating a community of learners thatwould form study groups early in their academic career; and (2) integrating of the

Conference Session

Why Industry Says that our Engineering Students Cannot Write

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey A. Donnell, Georgia Institute of Technology; Betsy M. Aller, Western Michigan University; Michael Alley, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; April A. Kedrowicz, University of Utah

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering

, University Park Michael Alley is an associate professor of engineering communication at Pennsylvania State University. He works in the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education and is the author of The Craft of Scientific Writing (Springer, 1996).April A Kedrowicz, University of Utah April A. Kedrowicz is the Director of the CLEAR Program at the University of Utah, an interdisciplinary collaboration between Humanities and Engineering. This college-wide program integrates communi- cation and teamwork instruction into the core, undergraduate engineering curriculum. Dr. Kedrowicz received her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Utah and is the founding director of this innovative program

Conference Session

Active and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lauren A. Rockenbaugh, University of Colorado, Boulder; Daria A. Kotys-Schwartz, University of Colorado, Boulder; Derek T. Reamon, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Partnership Program and an Instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engi- neering at the University of Colorado Boulder. She received BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineer- ing from The Ohio State University and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Kotys-Schwartz has focused her research in engineering epistemology, engineering student learning, retention and diversity. She is currently investigating the use of Oral Discourse Method for con- ceptual development in engineering, the impact of a four-year hands-on design curriculum in engineering, the effects of service learning in engineering education, and informal learning in engineering.Derek T Reamon, University of Colorado

Conference Session

Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel D. Jensen, U.S. Air Force Academy; Kristin L. Wood, University of Texas, Austin; Joseph J. Rencis, University of Arkansas; Ashland O. Brown P.E., University of the Pacific; Christina Kay White, Columbia University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Education. 90(3): 363- 374. 3. Jensen, D., D. Rhymer, et al. (2002). "A rocky journey toward effective assessment of visualization modules for learning enhancement in Engineering Mechanics." Educational Technology & Society. 5(3): 150-162. 4. Linsey, J., Talley, A., et al., (2009) “From Tootsie Rolls to Broken Bones: An Innovative Approach for Active Learning in Mechanics of Materials”, Advances in Engineering Education Journal, Vol. 1, Number3, Winter. 5. Raucent, B. (2001). "Introducing problem-based learning in a machine design curriculum: result of an experiment." Journal of Engineering Design 12(4): 293-308. 6. Mills, J. and D. Treagust (2003). "Engineering Education: Is Problem-Based or Project- Based Learning the Answer?" Australasian

Conference Session

Engineering Mechanics Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jefferey E. Froyd, Texas A&M University; Christian J. Schwartz P.E., Texas A&M University; Kumbakonam Ramamani Rajagopal, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2011-1159: COMPREHENSIVE COURSE REDESIGN: INTRODUC-TION TO THE MECHANICS OF MATERIALSJefferey E. Froyd, Texas A&M University Jeff Froyd is the Director of Faculty Climate and Development in the Office of the Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost at Texas A&M University. He served as Project Director for the Foundation Coalition, an NSF Engineering Education Coalition in which six institutions systematically renewed, assessed, and institutionalized their undergraduate engineering curricula, and extensively shared their results with the engineering education community. He co-created the Integrated, First-Year Curriculum in Science, Engi- neering and Mathematics at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Conference Session

Capstone Courses and Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bobby G. Crawford, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Undergraduate Capstone Design: Inductively EnhancedAbstractThe Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy atWest Point, New York requires its graduates to complete an integrative, year-long capstonedesign during their senior year. One of the capstone projects available to the mechanicalengineering students in the department’s aerospace sub-discipline requires the design,construction, testing, and demonstration of a small, highly autonomous Uninhabited AerialVehicle (UAV) for a Department of Defense client. This particular project was added to the listof available capstone options in the fall of 2005

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anca L. Sala, Baker College; Raghu Echempati, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2011-2215: PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF UNDERGRADUATEVIBRATIONS COURSEAnca L. Sala, Baker College Anca L. Sala, Associate Professor, is Chair of the Engineering Department at Baker College. Dr. Sala coordinates several engineering and technology programs, teaches and develops engineering curriculum, and leads the ABET accreditation activities in the department. She is an active member of ASEE, ASME, and OSA.Raghu Echempati, Kettering University Raghu Echempati is a professor of Mechanical Engineering with over 25 years of teaching, research and consulting experiences in Design and Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming Processes. He has published several educational and research papers at ASEE, ASME and other

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Cherif Megri, University of Wyoming

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

culminating with administrative topics. We demonstrate thismethodology through the use of a comprehensive design project.We discuss the capstone design program from students’ point of view, and the experience earnedin design, integration, and also in written and oral communication skills. Methodology used toevaluate the effectiveness of the capstone design program in term of learning outcomes is alsodescribed. 1. Introduction:The HVAC Capstone Design course consists of the mechanical systems design for a multi-storybuilding, and utilizes the architectural drawings of an actual project under construction todevelop the mechanical system design. The goals of this course are to gain an overallunderstanding of the mechanical design process, and to

Conference Session

Why Industry Says that our Engineering Students Cannot Write

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathryn Mobrand, University of Washington; Jennifer A Turns, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering

specific things happen (i.e., change theatmosphere). Without effective communication skills, a good idea could be overlooked. Another example is Yahoo! Hack-U, which is a 24-hr programming contest. Under the time constraint, clear communication and teamwork are necessary among team members. I was able to divide the work, integrate my part with others and change the atmosphere to one that was both enjoyable and memorable.In this last example, the participant describes specific outcomes (e.g., gain funding, convinceothers, prove something is worthwhile) that engineers might desire and asserts that effectivecommunication will empower them to achieve these outcomes. In the work place, an engineer needs to be able to