Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 4: Professional Preparation

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sommer Scott; Micah Lande, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

skillsrequired to compete for a position. This research project explores how undergraduate mechanicalengineering students develop an understanding of how their coursework and extracurricularactivities give preparation for a career trajectory in the automotive industry. Freshmen enrolledin the undergraduate mechanical engineering degree are required to complete an Introduction toMechanical Engineering course, ME110. The course is designed to be an introduction to themechanical engineering profession and overviews engineering fundamentals, CAD basics,professional development, and other related skills. An initial assignment these freshmencomplete in this class is to imagine their future career and the steps that they will need to take toachieve it by way

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 5: Preparing the Future Workforce

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John T. Solomon, Tuskegee University; Sadegh Poozesh, Tuskegee University; Hang Song, Auburn University; Karen S. McNeal, Auburn University ; Lauren E. Beckingham, Auburn University; Kelly Lazar, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

careers in the industries developingsustainable resources, has been explored. To maximize the high-level behavior and sustainabilitycompetencies, a pedagogical system with a comprehensive pool of interventions has also beendeveloped and implemented in a senior-level mechanical engineering course. In this paper, wereport the initial survey data and details of the intervention strategies, which are intended todevelop scalable educational approaches and guidelines for building high-level environmentalbehavior in the next-generation diverse renewable energy workforce. I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The US sustainable industry experienced significant expansion in recent years because ofincreased attention and

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yucheng Liu, South Dakota State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

help university teachers to improve the quality of seminar courses and make them more“useful” for college students.Keywords: Curriculum design, mechanical engineering students, senior seminar, classroominstruction, student feedbackIntroductionA senior seminar is a class that students take during their last year of study in college. The ultimategoal of the senior seminar is to prepare seniors for their careers by sharpening their employmentreadiness skills, helping them choose their career path and set career goals, enhancing theirawareness of school-to-career experiences, training them to engineer immediately upon graduation,and making them preferred candidates for jobs. It is an important class to prepare young peoplefor the next chapter in

Conference Session

ME Division 14: From M&Ms to Air Quality: Engaging Students in Energy and the Environment

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John T Solomon, Tuskegee University; Hang Song, Auburn University; Karen McNeal, Auburn University; Lauren E. Beckingham, Auburn University; Kelly Lazar, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

handling large volumes of data but also about translating these data into actionable knowledge that can drive environmental change. Throughout his career, Hang has consistently demonstrated a commitment to leveraging technology for environmental research. His innovative approaches to data handling and interpretation have made significant contributions to the understanding of environmental behaviors and interventions. As a forward-thinking researcher, Hang continues to explore the intersection of technology, data science, and environmental studies, aiming to contribute further to this dynamic and increasingly crucial field.Karen McNeal, Auburn University Dr. McNeal conducts research in geoscience education

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 14: Advanced Pedagogical Techniques

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Israd Hakim Jaafar, Utah Valley University; Matthew J Jensen, Utah Valley University; Sean Tolman P.E., Utah Valley University; Amanda C Bordelon, Utah Valley University; Bennington J Willardson, Utah Valley University; Janis P Raje

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

success, retention, transfer, graduation,and academic/career pathways of low-income and high-achieving students. This project alsoseeks to advance understanding about the effect of evidence-based, context-specific interventionsto ensure success for STEM program students in open-admissions universities. The frameworkof this project is to study and address several institutionally identified attrition points including:(i) high attrition of first- and second-year students, (ii) slow pace of students to matriculation intothe Civil and Mechanical Engineering programs, and (iii) low participation and completion ratesof women, underrepresented minorities, and first-generation students. In addition to thescholarship award, several approaches have been

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 8: Sustainability and Interdisciplinary Learning

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John T Solomon, Tuskegee University; Hang Song, Auburn University; Lauren E. Beckingham, Auburn University; Karen McNeal, Auburn University; Kelly Lazar, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

handling large volumes of data but also about translating these data into actionable knowledge that can drive environmental change. Throughout his career, Hang has consistently demonstrated a commitment to leveraging technology for environmental research. His innovative approaches to data handling and interpretation have made significant contributions to the understanding of environmental behaviors and interventions. As a forward-thinking researcher, Hang continues to explore the intersection of technology, data science, and environmental studies, aiming to contribute further to this dynamic and increasingly crucial field.Dr. Lauren E. Beckingham, Auburn UniversityKaren McNeal, Auburn University Dr. McNeal conducts

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 7: Student Evaluation and Grading

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samantha Splendido, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Andrea Gregg, Pennsylvania State University; Catherine G. P. Berdanier, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

in characterizing graduate-level attrition, persistence, and career trajectories; engineering writing and communication; and methodological development. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Work in Progress: Toward a Holistic Understanding of Engineering Student Success in Mechanical Engineering across Educational StagesAbstract: This WIP paper will present our results to date in conducting a multimethod single casestudy, which is appropriate for deeply understanding multiple stakeholder perspectives within abounded environment, in our case, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at PennsylvaniaState University. The in-progress goal of our team in Mechanical Engineering at

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elisa Koolman, University of Texas at Austin; Boni Frances Yraguen, Georgia Institute of Technology; Roxanne Moore, Georgia Institute of Technology; Katherine Fu, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

participated in various educational stud- ies on the impact of student reflections, authentic learning assignments, ad the use of technology in the classroom. Boni hopes to pursue a career in academia with a focus on teaching and engineering education.Roxanne Moore, Georgia Institute of Technology Roxanne Moore is currently a Research Engineer at Georgia Tech with appointments in the school of Mechanical Engineering and the Center for Education Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Computing (CEISMC). She is involved with engineering education innoDr. Katherine Fu, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Dr. Kate Fu is the Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Massie Kazemi, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Gloria Guohua Ma, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

a mutually beneficial learning dynamic[8].To address these challenges, we developed a novel teaching strategy for an introductoryengineering course that integrates high school students with first-year college students. Thiscourse, titled "Introduction to Engineering Laboratory" aimed to expose students to variousengineering disciplines through hands-on experiments and collaborative projects. The ultimategoal was to foster motivation, build foundational knowledge, and help students make informeddecisions about their future career paths.The course was structured as a rotational program, with students spending three weeks in each offour engineering modules: mechanical, electrical, computer, and civil engineering. Each moduleincorporated hands

Conference Session

ME Division 8: Measuring What Matters: Concept Inventories, FE Exam, and Learning Skills

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica Lofton, University of Evansville; Jared Fulcher, University of Evansville

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

-style questions for the subject area.Table 1: Outline of FE Encouragement Plan embedded in courses. Cohort Course-Level Strategies Freshmen Phase 1 (AY23-24) Baseline. • (Fall) ME 101: Introduced to FE Exam and PE licensure • (Spring) Integrated Design I: Students further introduced to licensure and connections to career pathways Sophomores Phase 2 (AY24-25) • (Spring) Dynamics: Further describe licensure process and importance of familiarity with FE Reference Handbook. Add quiz assignment with FE-style questions from the subject area in the “Other Disciplines” exam

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 13: Lab Experiences

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Abdelrahman Atef Youssef; Shadi Balawi, Texas A&M University; Matt Pharr, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

University with a courtesy appointment in Materials Science & Engineering. His scientific research focuses on mechanics of materials in areas including energy storage and conversion, soft ma- terials, irradiated materials, stretchable electronics, coupled electro-chemo-mechanics, and materials for neuromorphic computing. He teaches classes primarily in mechanics of materials and materials science. He has received an NSF CAREER Award, the Kaneka Junior Faculty Award, a Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Young Faculty Award, the Peggy L. & Charles Brittan ’65 Outstanding Un- dergraduate Teaching Award, a Montague-Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar Award, and The Texas A&M Association of

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 6: Curriculum Development and Pedagogical Strategies

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cassandra Sue Ellen Jamison, Rowan University; Smitesh Bakrania, Rowan University; Mitja Trkov, Rowan University; Wei Xue, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

their growth in the clinic’s learning outcomes (LOs) and the impact of the clinicexperience on their career preparation via a post-clinic survey. Students’ clinic products and theresults of the survey are presented. We anticipate future work to examine the learning of bothstudents designing the modules and students engaging in the modules.BackgroundSoft Robotics is a new and growing field that emphasizes developing robotic solutions thatprioritize compliant materials, embodied intelligence, and biomechanics in their design [1], [2],[3]. Emerging around 1995, soft robotics designs have been shown to have previouslyunprecedented capabilities [4], leveraging high degree-of-freedom actuators to adapt to theirsurrounding environments, change shapes

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 4: Professional Preparation

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Kremer, Ohio University; Timothy Cyders; Cody Petitt; Kouree Chesser, Ohio University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

Paper ID #39560Pro-Op Education: An Integrated Effort to Prioritize the ABCs of theProfessionDr. Greg Kremer, Ohio University Robe Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering, founding director of the ”Designing to Make A Difference” ME senior capstone design experience, and PI for the Stacking the Deck for Career Success Initiative.Dr. Timothy CydersCody PetittKouree Michael Chesser ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Pro-op education - an integrated effort to prioritize the ABCs of the profession (Work in Progress)Introduction:This paper reports on the

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 15: Engineering Education Research and Reviews

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Isabel Xu, Louis D. Brandeis High School

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

strictly classroom-based, but theyare, in reality, extremely useful for real-world applications such as designing and building robots.Since my STEM career has simply only begun, I expect that future training will provide me withmore advanced technical skill sets that can be used in my future endeavors. Even though mycareer in FIRST, or more specifically, FTC, will eventually come to an end in my first technicalchapter, I can continue to build on more advanced technical skills and utilize them when tacklingmore challenging tasks in the near future. For instance, when I attend college, I intend to studyengineering so that I am able to learn even more about physics and mathematics concepts that Ican either connect with or extend from what I already

Conference Session

ME Division 4: Broadening Participation and Building Resilience

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah Barbrow, University of Michigan; Leena N Lalwani, University of Michigan; Angela Violi, University of Michigan

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

and the workforce: the context of climate, cultures, policies,and procedures of organizations and person-based attributes like interest, abilities, and self-confidence.The recognition of this disparity and the pursuit of effective strategies for recruiting, retaining,and promoting women in engineering – both in academic and professional contexts – are notrecent endeavors. Groups formed to devote resources and energy towards tackling the issue.These include the Society of Women Engineers founded in 1950 [9], whose mission is broadly toempower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, and the non-profit WEPAN, originally the Women in Engineering Program Advocates and now the Womenin Engineering Proactive Network

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sean Stephen Tolman, Utah Valley University; Matthew J Jensen, Utah Valley University; Israd Hakim Jaafar, Utah Valley University; Amanda Bordelon, Utah Valley University; Bennington J Willardson, Utah Valley University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

isseen as overly burdensome or if there are other political or personal objections to completing thegovernment forms, potential scholarship applicants are being missed due to low FAFSAcompletion. This issue will require further inquiry and research to determine a strategy toincrease student applications.Multi-Layered MentoringResearchers have found that a multi-layered mentoring approach provides students access todiverse avenues of support, where tier of mentoring plays a vital role in helping mentees navigatetheir undergraduate education and future career spaces [4]. Discipline experts (including facultyand industry mentors) provide field-specific details, student peers (such as upper divisionstudents in the program) help to provide a

Conference Session

ME Technical Session 1 - Enhancing Mechanical Engineering Education: From Prerequisites to Practice

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ozgul Yasar-Inceoglu, California State University, Chico; JoAna Brooks, California State University, Chico; David G Alexander, California State University, Chico; Sam Lloyd-Harry, California State University, Chico

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

suchisolation often report self-discouragement and declining interest in STEM careers, includingseeking advanced degrees in engineering [4, 5, 6, 7].Additional barriers for underrepresented groups include a lack of role models, mentorship, and awelcoming environment, all of which have been identified as factors contributing to disinterest inpursuing graduate education in engineering [6,7, 8, 9]. A critical contributor to this disparity isthe feeling of isolation from the community and limited access minorities have to undergraduateresearch experiences which serve as a vital gateway to graduate education [4]. Studies haveshown that undergraduate research experiences not only increase interest in graduate education,but also build research skills and

Conference Session

ME Division 4: Broadening Participation and Building Resilience

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Francisco J Montalvo, Purdue University; Beth Hess, Purdue University; Lexy Chiwete Arinze, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Alanna Nash, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

Initiatives for the Development of Engineers (GLIDE) research group. Lexy’s research interests include early career engineers, Artificial Intelligence, experiential learning, and global experiences. He earned his master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. Before that, he received an Erasmus scholarship for an exchange program at the University of Ja´en, Spain. He completed his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.Alanna Nash, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Experiential Learning Activities: Building Grit and Driving Success Among Mechanical Engineering

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mohammed A. Alrizqi, Cornell University; Allison Godwin, Cornell University; Junhyuk Kang, Cornell University; Beatriz Asfora, Cornell University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

Facility and a McCormick Teaching Excellence Institute Research Fellow. Her research focuses on how identity, among other affective factors, influences diverse groups of students to choose engineering and persist in engineering. She also studies how different experiences within the practice and culture of engineering foster or hinder belonging, motivation, and identity development. Dr. Godwin graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Ph.D. in Engineering and Science Education. Her research earned her a National Science Foundation CAREER Award focused on characterizing latent diversity, which includes diverse attitudes, mindsets, and approaches to learning to understand engineering

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 11: Integration of Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amanda Sterling, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

of shafts, graph and figure development, technical communication andprofessional presentation. This is an intensive, all-inclusive learning activity for which studentshave reported a great deal of enthusiasm and appreciation.Forensic engineering classes are typically taught at the graduate level due to themultidisciplinary range of skills and knowledge. As such, it is uncommon for undergraduatestudents to have sufficient exposure to determine if forensic engineering is a personal area ofinterest. The engineering forensic investigation experience is a rare opportunity forundergraduate students to discover the oft-overlooked forensic engineering career path.Student’s have expressed enthusiasm for the learning module through favorable feedback

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 7: Student Evaluation and Grading

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Akangah, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT); Henry Ivuawuogu; Adeola Morawo; Andrea Nana Ofori-Boadu, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT)

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

, engineering and construction (AEC) women. In February 2019, Andrea received the prestigious National Science Foundation NSF - CAREER award to research professional identity development processes in undergraduate AEC women. She also received an NSF - RAPID award in 2020 to investigate decision making processes in STEM students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Ofori-Boadu has also received grants from East Coast Construction Services, Engineering Information Foundation, National Association of Home Builders, National Housing Endow- ment, University of North Carolina, and the Department of Education. In 2021, Dr. Ofori-Boadu was selected as one of six female faculty to be highlighted in the Center of Product Design and

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maeve Bakic, Boise State University; Samantha Schauer, Boise State University; Krishna Pakala, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

]. Outside ofthe classroom however, this becomes an issue as engineering students have significantexperience with the mathematical and scientific side of problem solving and little to noexperience developing critical design thinking skills that can be applied to any range ofproblems. This lack of experience in design thinking can lead students to doubt their abilities andprofessional place in their industry [4, 5]. The problems presented to engineers in industry often cannot be solved using the familiarpath taught in lecture. Thus, recently graduated engineering students who have learned solelythrough lecture based courses are underprepared for a career in engineering that utilizes creativedesign thinking on a day to day basis [4]. This study

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 8: Sustainability and Interdisciplinary Learning

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Deepika Ganesh, University of Michigan; Carissa Yim, University of Michigan

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

, sustainability courses were notintegrated into prescribed undergraduate or graduate engineering curricula, and in some cases this mayhave been due to a lack of resources. Rather, students independently sought ‘special topics’ to supporttheir interest in sustainability. This lack of emphasis on sustainability contrasts the descriptions ofin-person exposure to sustainable technology which ultimately steered those individuals towardsustainable engineering careers. The instructor’s sentiment that “people are willing to learn but you needto show them why it’s important,” echoes McCormick et al.'s work from 2015 [21]. They found that“participation in more experiential, enriching learning,” improved the value students place on sustainableengineering and their

Conference Session

ME Division 14: From M&Ms to Air Quality: Engaging Students in Energy and the Environment

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Haifa Salman El-Sadi, Wentworth Institute of Technology; John Peter Voccio; ADAM PAYNE, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

points to the need to show students how products, such as wind turbines and solar panels, require knowledge of fluid and thermodynamic principles.Question 1c—Job Opportunities One of the most interesting observations pertains to the student response to Question 1b—From your perspective, what job opportunities exist with regard to fluids and thermodynamics? While many different career options were listed, no students listed careers in climate change or addressing global warming, sustainability or resiliency, for example.Question 2—Describe your experience with the thermodynamic courses. Here, the students noted how they have used thermodynamics to solve problems and develop resiliency in working through incorrect answers. Also, they

Conference Session

ME Division Technical Session 2 - Harnessing AI and Machine Learning to Transform ME Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wenhai Li, State University of New York, College of Technology at Farmingdale; Yue Hung, Farmingdale State College; Gonca Altuger-Genc, State University of New York, College of Technology at Farmingdale; Sen Zhang, State University of New York, Oneonta; Akin Tatoglu, University of Hartford; Zhou Zhang, State University of New York, College of Technology at Farmingdale

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

education.IntroductionThe integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into modernengineering practices has created an urgent need for engineers with AI/ML skills to tacklechallenges in automation, robotics, preventive maintenance, defect detection, system optimization,and beyond. This integration underscores the transformative potential of AI/ML in engineeringeducation, necessitating curriculum advancements to prepare students for the evolvingtechnological landscape [1]. This need is driven not only by industry demands but also by students,who increasingly see AI/ML expertise as vital for their future careers and expect opportunities toapply these skills in real-world engineering projects. Numerous national reports, including thoseby the

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 4: Innovation in Engineering Education Methods

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rachel Vitali, The University of Iowa

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

will bepresented here.Table 1: Scheduled topics with brief descriptions of what is covered by the seminar. Week Topic Description Introducing the class to the instructor, brief description of 1 Introduction the topics covered in the course, illuminating some of the possible career pathways for mechanical engineers. Description of how, where, and why formal engineering International Beginnings of 2 education came to be with emphasis on the military origins Formal Engineering Education

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Poster Session

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zahra Pournorouz, Stevens Institute of Technology (School of Engineering and Science)

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

, and for example, include designing thermalprotocols for thermal equipment to perform tests for different nanofluids or designing hardwarefor harvesting wasted heat and converting it to electricity utilizing Carnot cycles. The students’learning process included the problematic concepts of thermodynamics. They were familiarizedwith the research and development industry in the energy field, and it broadened theirperspective toward their future careers. In addition, compared to an equation and problem-solving-only class, this novel method would lead to higher grades, thus, better retention forstudents and more valuable learning.Introduction:The main objective of this paper is to provide engineering students with a more engaging andpractical

Conference Session

ME Division 11: Beyond the Build: Communication, Collaboration, and Reflection

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jonathan Weaver-Rosen, Texas A&M University; Shadi Balawi, Texas A&M University; Mohammad Waqar Mohiuddin; Joanna Tsenn, Texas A&M University; Carlos R. Corleto P.E., Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

technical skills are often the focus of engineering programs,students rarely receive formal guidance on effective teamwork. Without proper training, negativegroup experiences can challenge their future workforce professional success. Therefore,integrating teamwork training into the engineering curriculum is vital for preparing students forthe collaborative nature of their careers and this is our primary motivation.There is an open question on how and where to fit these teamwork preparations into thecurriculum. Developing teamwork skills involves understanding key elements in team dynamicssuch as, managing roles and expectations, effective communication, and conflict management -shown in Figure 1. Successful teams build trust by clearly defining

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 11: Project and Research-Based Learning Environments

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacie I. Ringleb, Old Dominion University; Pilar Pazos, Old Dominion University; Francisco Cima, Old Dominion University; Isaac Koduah Kumi, Old Dominion University; Orlando M. Ayala, Old Dominion University; Krishnanand Kaipa, Old Dominion University; Jennifer Jill Kidd, Old Dominion University; Kristie Gutierrez, Old Dominion University; Min Jung Lee, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

professional persistence test. The academic persistence test answered thefollowing four questions on a 7-point likert scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (7):1) I intend to major in an engineering field, 2) I plan to remain enrolled in the college ofengineering and technology over the next semester, 3) I think that earning a BS in engineering isa realistic goal for me, and 4) I am fully committed to getting my college degree in engineering.Professional persistence was measured on a 5-point likert scale, where 1 was definitely not and 5was definitely yes, where students in collaborations 2 and 3 answered the following questions: 1)Do you see yourself pursuing a career in engineering or engineering technology? 2) How likelyis it that you

Conference Session

ME Division 7: Making it Matter: Projects and Communication

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ismail I Orabi, University of New Haven

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

skills, hinderingknowledge retention and leaving them underprepared for design-focused careers [4-5]. Bruner [6]suggests, learning is a constructivist process, requiring multiple, meaningful interactions withcontent. To build strong design competencies, students need consistent engagement with theengineering design process throughout their education.A distinctive aspect of the course is the design project, which mirrors real-world engineeringprocesses, from problem formulation to experimentation and data interpretation. This project-based approach strengthens theoretical understanding while fostering practical skills such asteamwork, documentation, and adherence to engineering constraints.This paper discusses the Mechanics Laboratory course