Conference Session

The ABCs of FBDs

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Shraddha Sangelkar, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Eric Constans, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

theequilibrium equations and subsequently a decision is made on whether to keep or discard eachreaction couple with the help of an equations/unknown table. We provide three examples to showthe application of this universal approach to different types of problems that involve bearingsupports. We have found assessing the effectiveness of this approach difficult in a Statics class,but plan on implementing an assessment in Capstone Design.Introduction and MotivationThe fundamental purpose of a Statics course is to initiate and encourage the development of astudent’s engineering judgment, at least with regards to mechanics, by employing the free-bodydiagram (FBD) as a tool. In a standard undergraduate civil or mechanical engineering curriculum,students build

Conference Session

Building Success in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Anu Osta, Rowan University; Jennifer Kadlowec, Baldwin Wallace University; Melanie Amadoro, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

adapt to the restrictedlearning environment3,4. This include creating a remote Mechanical Engineering Summer UndergraduateResearch Program to engage students in active research and to provide a mentored experience forindependent research work. Students were matched with faculty based on their fields of interest and wererequired to participate in a workshop series on research methods, scientific writing, career planning, andprofessional development5. Another attempt at asynchronous online delivery of remote introductoryphysics lectures used the Playposit technology which is an interactive audio (MP3 listening assignment)and video (MP4 viewing assignment) components6.Some of the challenges that have been reported include financial strains placed

Conference Session

Building Success in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Reihaneh Jamshidi, University of Hartford; Eoin A. King, NUI Galway

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

incorporatingvideos into lectures in higher education has been extensively investigated by Carmichael et. al.[12].Finally, to enhance students’ connection with their peers and the instructor, discussion boardscan be created on the online learning management system on multiple open-ended topicsthroughout the semester. For example, in Machine Design course, a number of applicationsrequiring gears are denoted in the discussion board, and students are asked to discuss what typeof gear suits each application the best, and why. The effectiveness of discussion boards onstudents’ engagement has been previously suggested and investigated by educators in medical[6] and social sciences [13, 14].The refinement plans specified above could enhance students’ active

Conference Session

Engaging the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Matthew M. Barry, University of Pittsburgh; Samantha E. Wismer; Tony Lee Kerzmann, University of Pittsburgh; Lee Allen Dosse, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

embedded questions in the reading; gave hints Text was helpful in learning; text was not HELPFULNESS helpful in learning Text provided numerous, easily understood, EXAMPLES relevant examples; text did not provide sufficient examples to understand material; examples were too difficult or irrelevant Text was well-planned and easy to use, easy to ORGANIZATION navigate; text was poorly formatted and difficult to use, difficult to navigate Text contained good explanations and WRITING diagrams; concepts and ideas presented were vague or hard to understand Text was difficult to use due to software

Conference Session

Bringing a Different Perspective

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Agnes Germaine d'Entremont P.Eng., University of British Columbia, Vancouver; Andrea S. Webb, The University of British Columbia; Sean Maw P.Eng., University of Saskatchewan; Jennifer Kirkey, Douglas College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

process.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to describe the approaches to creating open online mechanicshomework problems by faculty in engineering and physics at three institutions. Very littleresearch has examined strategic approaches to curriculum practices for enhancing Physics andMechanical Engineering in diverse university contexts. We will focus on approaches to problemdifficulty level, usage plans, and development processes. Our research question is: Whatapproaches and strategies toward creating open online mechanics problems are being used, andhow are these approaches and strategies perceived by faculty and student developers?Integral to the primary research question are the following sub-questions (SQs):SQ1. What contextual factors influence the

Conference Session

Hands-On in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Sarah Wodin-Schwartz P.E., Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kimberly Lechasseur, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Caitlin A Keller, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

6 learningoutcomes and good gains in 8 learning outcomes (see Table 1).Unsurprisingly, student learning during the pandemic was measurably lower than pre-pandemic.Five learning outcomes were significantly lower for the students enrolled in 2020 than for thoseenrolled in 2019: how ideas from this class relate to other classes; drawing appropriate FBDs forgiven systems; interest in taking or planning to take additional engineering classes; confidencethat you can do statics work; and comfort level in working with complex ideas (see Table 2).To further assess the extent to which these significant differences can be attributed to differencesbetween the two courses, we modeled each learning outcome. The timing of when students wereenrolled in the

Conference Session

The 'Strengths' of Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Gaurav Chauda, Michigan State University; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

possible without proper comprehension of the concepts [1, 2] and will diminishover time without proper revision and review [3]. To ensure concept retention, a typicalengineering curriculum is divided into multiple sequences of courses. Each sequence covers asubfield and reinforces core concepts over several semesters. The structural mechanics’curriculum in mechanical engineering is a sequence of four courses: Statics, Mechanics ofMaterials, Mechanical Design, and Kinematic Design. Each course is focused on core conceptsthat are prerequisites to the following course, in order for students to develop a deep knowledgethrough the sequence. Assessing student comprehension levels and identifying gaps in students’knowledge can help educators plan and

Conference Session

Using Technology to Support Learning in Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Anna K. T. Howard, North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

question: Are students held to lock-step deadlines or is flexibility built in for illnessesor other absences?The best students we have can easily manage all their time including making up work while notfalling behind on the next material, but many students struggle when timelines are flexible. Inthis present course we decided that it was easier for a great student to succeed even though thetiming was not as flexible as desired so that the C students would be less likely to fall behind andfail.Practical question: Will you use a leaderboard?A common feature of many gamified systems is a list of which students in the class have earnedthe most points for one reason or another. We discussed this at length in the planning meetings.Finally we decided

Conference Session

MASS: Mastery, Assessment and Success of Students

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Jenna Landy, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; James M. Widmann, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; John Chen, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Michelle Kerfs, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

ways the individual instructors may have attempted to alter things suchas test anxiety or perception of faculty caring. Additionally, in this study we have not examineddemographic differences, or differences in first-generation college student status. In future work,we plan to examine these factors and to see how initiatives to improve different NCA factorssuch as belongingness and grit affect student success. Finally, we also acknowledge that studentgrades are only one aspect of student success, and are interested in finding different ways tomeasure and define this metric.AcknowledgementsThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grantsDUE-1626185 (Cal Poly), DUE-1626287 (Purdue), and DUE-1626148 (UTEP

Conference Session

The ABCs of FBDs

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Sheryl A. Sorby, University of Cincinnati; Sylvie Vieau; So Yoon Yoon, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

visualization ability, wasadministered to the students. In this test, students are presented with an object on the left with animaginary cutting plan passing through it. They are to imagine what the cross section would forthe intersection of this object and plane. This test was selected primarily due to its generaldifficulty. Frequently, the spatial skills of engineering students are advanced and other potentialtests of spatial cognition could exhibit a “ceiling effect,” meaning that there would be lessvariability in the data. The test consists of 25 questions and each question presents five multiplechoice options, with four distractors and one correct answer. The MCT is a timed test and studentswere given 20 minutes to complete it. Figure 1 presents

Conference Session

Engaging the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, United States Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

” or “helpful,” but there were very few suggestions on how to improve them.One student suggested making them shorter, another wanted more complicated problems, andfinally, one student asked for them to be even more interactive. Figure 9 – Results from the question “How useful were the ‘What Strategy’ videos?”Future changesBased on the student responses to the questionnaires, the main activity in the course that need tobe improved are the breakout rooms. In the future, I plan to give more instruction on their use,such as how to effectively work on the whiteboard and how to upload documents intoBlackboard Collaborate. I will require one student in each breakout room to upload a pdf of thehomework problem they are working on so that

Conference Session

Building Success in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Hayden K. Richards, US Air Force Academy; Phillip Cornwell, United States Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

predictive effect on team assignmentperformance. Finally, the transition to remote learning (in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic)had a negative effect on student performance, and this negative consequence disproportionatelyaffected students who were already poor performers.IntroductionThe ability to work in teams has long been recognized as a critical skill for all engineeringgraduates as reflected in accreditation criteria specified by ABET [1]. Criterion 3, studentoutcome number 5 states that students must have: “An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.”As a result, there have been

Conference Session

The 'Strengths' of Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Reihaneh Jamshidi, University of Hartford

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

themes, and assessment of the effectiveness of the themed feedbacks. For the purpose ofassessment, the plan is to look into students’ revisions based upon the themed feedbacks, andcompare them with the revisions based on the traditional and unsorted feedbacks. It will then beexamined whether an improvement is observed concerning how well the instructor’s commentsare addressed.Work in this study to date has explored lab reports completed by students as a group. It would bevaluable to also consider students’ individual writing performance. One current idea is to requirestudents to write individual reports for the first and last lab, so that their individual performancecan be assessed at the beginning and end of the semester.ConclusionThis work

Conference Session

Building Success in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Jiehong Liao, Florida Gulf Coast University; Galen I. Papkov, Florida Gulf Coast University; Ashraf Badir P.E., Florida Gulf Coast University; Robert O'Neill P.E., Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

performance. Also, student perception of the BlendFlex modelof instruction with LA support is reported.This study was reviewed and approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board.MethodsSubjects and SurveysAfter each exam, students were given an Exam Wrapper to reflect on their preparation andperformance in terms of foundation, course involvement, study habit and activities, and sourcesof error (see Appendix, Table A1 and A2). The purpose of the reflection activity is to highlighthabits that are helpful to continue and reveal some areas that could be adjusted. This reflectionhelps students plan what to do differently and better to prepare for the next exam and asksstudents what instructors or assistants can do to support their learning. Exam

Conference Session

The 'Strengths' of Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Stephen N. Kuchnicki, York College of Pennsylvania; Tristan M. Ericson, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

rated for difficulty and discrimination.We found that most questions had a difficulty index above 0.20 (hard), with 9 of 19 questionsbetween 0.20 and 0.80. These results imply that we should give this concept inventory anotheriteration to determine whether some questions need to be made difficult.The discrimination index of most questions (16 of 19) was found to be at least low-acceptable(greater than 0.25). Three questions did not discriminate well between high and low scorers.While we feel these questions are important, we will continue to monitor the results and to considerpossible ways to address the same concepts in a different manner.Our plan for the next iteration is to revise the two questions we had on the concept inventory thathad

Conference Session

The 'Strengths' of Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Casey Daniel Kidd, Louisiana Tech University; Ethan Clark Hilton, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

students about the theory and testing of the mechanics of thematerials.Pilot Data CollectionAt this early stage of implementing the project into the course, we are interested in seeing how thechanges to the course impact student performance. While true understanding of the impact of theproject will not be understood until the full research plan is implemented, student performance onexams can be analyzed during this pilot study period. To determine if the changes are maintainingthe same level of student understanding, students in three sections of the course were studied. Onecourse included the project described in this paper. This section will be referred to as theExperiment section and included 38 students. The other two sections did not include

Conference Session

MASS: Mastery, Assessment and Success of Students

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Aidsa I. Santiago-Roman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Edward Fritz Hillman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Gerald Luciano Figueroa, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Isamarie Vega Morales, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Fritz Hillman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus Edward Hillman is a recent BSc mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayag¨uez Campus. During his Bachelor’s he studied the mechanical characterization of full culm bam- boo and worked as a systems engineering intern at Lockheed Martin. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in his field of Mechanical Engineering with an interest in Mechatronic system design.Mr. Gerald Luciano Figueroa, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus Gerald L. Figueroa is an artist and graphics designer, currently expanding his skillset while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Gerald has always been engaged in diverse projects which

Conference Session

Bringing a Different Perspective

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Eli Broemer, Michigan State University; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

answeredfastest (many in 20-30 minutes). Thequickest response time for a challengeproblem was 40 minutes.Finally, one can examine when studentspost questions or look for the solutions.Figure 4 shows that most question postsoccur at the outset of the exam. Theseposts were likely a planned method forpassing the exam, rather than impulsiveacts of (like the posts that occur near theend of the exam). Notably, students arelooking for answers at the outset of theexam as well, but views increase over theduration of the exam. Because of Figure 4 – Timing of students posting (red) orlimitations of the data set, it is not known if looking (green) at Chegg during the 2-hour examlooking truly increases over the exam time period for the whole

Conference Session

Hands-On in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Mohammad Shafinul Haque, Angelo State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

problems that exercise theseconcepts, (c) identify commercially available models and tools that closely represent theproblems, (d) tailor the textbook problems to match the physical model, (e) develop a teachingframework engaging the students to experiential learning, (f) and finally conduct surveys andcompare the exam results for assessment.First, the classroom and laboratory setup are described. Second, the critical concepts areidentified based on literature and experience. Third, example teaching frameworks for threemodules are presented. Each framework includes four sub-steps (objectives a-d) describing theconcept, textbook problem, physical model, and model problem. Finally, a plan for assessment isprovided.Classroom and Laboratory SetupThere

Conference Session

Using Technology to Support Learning in Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Yonghee Lee, Purdue University at West Lafayette ; Jennifer Deboer, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Jeffrey F. Rhoads, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Edward J. Berger, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

understand its utility [11] - [14]. A recentreport showed that a large number of universities planned to build blended learningenvironments [15]. Previous meta-analysis studies have shown the benefits of blended learningfor student learning [11], [16], [17]. However, other researchers have argued that the effects ofblended learning on student learning should be examined based on a blended learningenvironment as a whole learning system, rather than separate blended learning techniques basedon causal effects of research intervention [4]. In this paper, we consider Freeform as a learningsystem that offered active and collaborative learning opportunities to students in and out of theclassroom.Jeong and Hmelo-Silver proposed seven computer supported