Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wayne E. Whiteman, Georgia Institute of Technology; William J. Wepfer, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jeffrey A. Donnell, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Ph.D. students tocomplete a Teaching Practicum course during their doctoral studies. Students work closely withfaculty mentors in teaching a course. While the focus of the class is on pedagogy, the goal is forstudents to find the experience useful regardless of whether they are going into academia,industry, a research laboratory, or other career pursuits. In addition to issues dealing withteaching engineering, sessions are organized for career planning, success in both academia andindustry, ethics, and basic counseling and mentoring skills. This paper is a study of theeffectiveness of the Teaching Practicum experience. Survey responses are analyzed from nearly100 Ph.D. alumni for the period from the summer of 1996 to the spring of 2009. The

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

diverselearning task is relevant to personal goals. For example, preliminary research by the authorssatisfying personal goals determined that many students who expressed the desire to pursue(Vanasupa, et al., 2009). a career in engineering also expressed anxiety about not having adequate “real-world” engineering experience. It may be reasonable to assume that students who participate in PBSL would then value its authenticity. Also, there may be other aspects of PBSL that are valuable – students may value PBSL simply because it provides greater autonomy or

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laila Guessous, Oakland University; Qian Zou, Oakland University; Brian P. Sangeorzan, Oakland University; Xia Wang, Oakland University; Gary Barber, Oakland University; Lorenzo M. Smith, Oakland University; LianXiang Yang, Oakland University; David Schall, Oakland University, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Michael A. Latcha, Oakland University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

funding in 2006-2008 and again in 2010-2012 through the National Science Foundation Research Experience forUndergraduates (REU) and the Department of Defense Awards to Stimulate and SupportUndergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE) programs to organize a summer researchexperience for undergraduates program that focuses on automotive and energy-related research.The Automotive and Energy Research and Industrial Mentorship (AERIM) REU program atOakland University aims to engage participants in rewarding automotive research experiencesthat excite and motivate them to pursue careers in scientific and engineering research, and seeksto address the nationwide problem of the under-representation of women and minorities inscience, technology, engineering

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas J. Vasko, Central Connecticut State University; Nidal Al-Masoud, Central Connecticut State University; Peter F. Baumann, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

).” Page 22.259.3 7. “A research project, which enhances one's knowledge of a particular field, and how it relates to my expectations/perceptions.” 8. “It's like a research paper, except it attracts students' interests, and makes them want to pay more attention to the topic.” 9. “Learning that is embedded in mind even after a certain subject is over.” C. Somewhat Understand 1. “A project that has some effect on your life, whether it be understanding material better or something for your career” 2. “Learning something that will help you later in life not just learning something and using it for the test.” 3. “Life Long Learning is

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Firas Akasheh, Tuskegee University; Denny C. Davis, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

and kinetics of rigid bodies. It is a sophomore level course which is known to beespecially challenging due to its demand for high analytical skills. It is also known that theperformance of students in this course can lead them to question their ability to the extent ofrethinking their major and career. The number of students involved in the study was 12 students,which is the typical class size in any given semester. From a statistical point of view, this meansthat the sample considered in the study is 50% of the population. Additionally, the incomingperformance expectation of both groups, as measured by the cumulative GPA, was compared. Itwas found that the control group had an average cumulative GPA of 2.8 compared to 3.1 for

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

as the foundational stem upon which extensions forcontinued professional depth and transition to non-engineering career paths can be grafted; themasters degree should introduce engineering as a profession and become the requirement forprofessional practice; and the doctoral degree needs to be enhanced with an emphasis on breadthas well as depth, linking discovery and innovation.With an interest in implementation, the 2009 5XME workshop formulated a number ofmechanical engineering curricular concepts: a professional (or design) “spine” offeringengineering reasoning, engineering synthesis and other professional skills during all four years,the fundamental topics central to a mechanical engineering or mechanical engineeringtechnology curricula

Conference Session

Capstone Courses and Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott F. Kiefer, York College of Pennsylvania; Craig W. Somerton, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2011-211: BENEFITS OF MENTORING STUDENTS IN DESIGN COM-PETITIONSScott F. Kiefer, Michigan State University Scott Kiefer began his career at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez where he spent two years. He then spent six years at Tri-State University (now Trine University), a small teaching college in Angola, Indiana. He then taught at Michigan State University for two and a half years, and is currently at York College of Pennsylvania.Dr. Craig W. Somerton, Michigan State University Craig W. Somerton is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University. He teaches in the area of thermal engineering including thermodynamics, heat transfer, and thermal design. He has also taught

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Raghu Echempati, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

to educate their faculty about the program which served as an opportunity to Page 22.924.3develop additional course proposals. One of their recent surveys suggest that over half of today’scollege students have a major career goal of owning a business however few of these studentswill choose to pursue a major in entrepreneurship. On the other hand, they found majority oftheir students all across campus in diverse programs such as music, art, the sciences, health care,education, history, religion, English, etc. Therefore, they found it essential that entrepreneurshipcourses are easily accessible if these programs hope to attract students from

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

Capstone Courses and Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nihad Dukhan, University of Detroit Mercy; Mark Schumack, University of Detroit Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

conversion and cryogenics, to name but a few - relyheavily on thermal design. Actually one of the biggest current challenges is energy- itssources and conservation, which feeds into any kind of sustainable design. Lack of thermalprojects in capstone courses also may prevent interested students from making thermalsciences their focal area and future career. The relatively low number of thermal scienceprojects in capstone courses may be due to the fact that the instructors assigned to teachthese courses are specialists in other areas of mechanical engineering.This paper explores these issues through surveying capstone projects in a number ofuniversities. It probes capstone-teaching faculty and reflects on their attitudes towardthermal-science projects

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

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

Page 22.469.4somewhere in the student’s academic career and its limits must be determined. As an old Welshproverb says: An early stumble saves a later fall. Open-ended design problems provide motivation and an opportunity for students to develop good judgment and confidence in theirabilities as an engineer. Table 3.  Learning Objectives – Design Methodology for Mechanical Engineers  1) Instill the philosophy that real engineering design is often an open‐ended, ill‐defined  process  2) Provide students with in‐depth practice in design and the use of a structured approach  to design   3) Develop and practice teamwork, critical thinking, creativity, and independent learning  4) Develop and practice communication skills

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sergio Celis, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Timoshenko’s arrival tothe U.S., engineering education was not a priority of the higher education discussion.In many ways Timoshenko noticed the lack of concern within American colleges anduniversities toward applied sciences. For instance, one of his constant critiques was the nature of Page 22.1255.8the work and career of faculty. According to Timoshenko, the chairs in an engineeringdepartment must be filled by people who have demonstrated scientific achievement, but inAmerica he found other criteria. Professors were promoted based on the years of service andteaching experiences, a “worse method.” In the U.S., they were distancing young

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

. Dannels16 draws parallels to the field ofcommunication, asserting that speaking is a contextually-motivated, cultural event. Withprofessional communication instruction becoming increasingly focused on cases and client-basedprojects, and with technology driving changes in workplace writing, writing curriculum ismoving away from formulaic responses to rhetorical situations in favor of providing studentswith some theoretical background in writing and rhetoric.17 Understanding students’ prior genreknowledge is believed to be helpful for designing educational experiences that assist students asthey acquire genre knowledge that will in turn give them strategies they can transfer to newcontexts, which will help them in their engineering careers.12, 18

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

theirprofessional careers. How can we address this gap?One way that not only provides the experience, but also leverages a number of other advantagesfor developing these skills, is experiential learning. If designed well, experiential learning not Page 22.681.9only provides authentic opportunity, but also supports self-determined motivation and regulation. 8  It can be structured to enable adaptive interaction among those with various types of expertise,sharing in a professional community, and building both competence and community.2.4 Need for / Value of Reflection, Self Interrogation, Self RegulationBuilding on ontological positions, the