Conference Session

Understanding the Student Experience in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rawan Aqel, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Samia Tarannum, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

studentsenrolled in a fundamental engineering course at an urban, access-oriented, R1 university. Solidmechanics is one of the fundamental engineering courses at this institution and is crucial for thesuccess of students pursuing careers in various STEM fields. However, minoritized studentsfrequently encounter difficulties and barriers that can hinder their academic progress and success.University and Course ContextThe University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is an R1, urban, access-oriented university.Admitted undergraduate students are often from the surrounding city and state region.Additionally, students who graduate from this university get jobs in the area and promote regionalprosperity. The solid mechanics course at UWM has undergone notable changes

Conference Session

Applications and Computational Tools for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wayne Chang, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Seung Woo Ok, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Matthew West, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Sascha Hilgenfeldt, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Mariana Silva, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

CourseAbstractIntegrating computational tools into engineering education has become pivotal, enhancingstudents’ depth of knowledge and better preparing them for future careers. The Grainger Collegeof Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has embraced this shift since Fall2021 by integrating computational Python exercises through Jupyter notebooks into their Staticscourse, a required course in several degree programs in the college. In each subsequent semester,additional resources were made available to students to bolster the implementation ofcomputational tools. In addition, the course sequence was modified to require students to take alinear algebra course with emphasis on computational tools as a co-requisite or prerequisite forthe Statics

Conference Session

Applications and Computational Tools for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nathan Miner, Iowa State University of Science and Technology; Alice Alipour P.E., Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

3D are outlinedin Table 1. While not all institutions prioritize every one of these topics or content areas in theirStatics course, the authors posit that this material aids in cultivating crucial skills essential forfuture courses and successful engineering careers. Each topic’s specific content corresponds to asingle class period, constituting 10 days, or approximately 27% of the course duration in atraditional 16-week semester that is dedicated to teaching of 3D content.Table 1. 3D Topics taught in statics. Topic Specific Content by Day Vector Resultants Coordinate Direction Angles In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Angles (Transverse and Azimuth Angles) Position

Conference Session

Assessing Conceptual Thinking about Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julian Ly Davis, University of Southern Indiana; Amie Baisley, University of Florida; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Phillip Cornwell, United States Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

techniques. In 2010, he started his career teaching in all areas of mechanical engineering at the University of Southern Indiana. He loves teaching all of the basic mechanics courses, and of course his Vibrations and Finite Element Analysis courses.Dr. Amie Baisley, University of Florida I am an Instructional Assistant Professor at the University of Florida teaching primarily 2nd year mechanics courses. My teaching and research interests are alternative pedagogies, mastery-based learning and assessment, student persistence in their first two years, and faculty development.Dr. Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State UniversityDr. Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoDr. Phillip Cornwell, United

Conference Session

Assessing Conceptual Thinking about Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julian Ly Davis, University of Southern Indiana; Andrew Jason Hill, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

biomechanics of biting in bats and monkeys, also using finite element modeling techniques. In 2010, he started his career teaching in all areas of mechanical engineering at the University of Southern Indiana. He loves teaching all of the basic mechanics courses, and of course his Vibrations and Finite Element Analysis courses.Dr. Andrew Jason Hill, University of Southern Indiana Jason Hill is an associate professor and director of civil engineering at the University of Southern Indiana. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from Tennessee Technological University. His research interests include rainfall-runoff modeling and river restoration. ©American Society for Engineering

Conference Session

Applications and Computational Tools for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew R. Sloboda, Bucknell University; Kimberly LeChasseur, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Sarah Wodin-Schwartz P.E., Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

, listening to and participating inclass discussion, group project work, and using the FBD app; among those who did not use theapp, women reported fewer gains in self-efficacy than men after these controls.Implications: Each year, more than 600,000 students enter engineering programs in the UnitedStates. These students plan to master a challenging skill set that requires them to understand howto model and analyze real world problems. Frustrating core course experiences can dissuadestudents from continuing to pursue an engineering degree and subsequent career. These findingsprovide emerging evidence that gamifying learning can be useful for all students taking statics,but particularly for women.Keywords: statics, women, self-efficacy, content mastery

Conference Session

Understanding the Student Experience in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milad Rezvani Rad, University of Southern Indiana; Julian Ly Davis, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Engineering at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana. He received his PhD in 2007 from Virginia Tech in Engineering Mechanics where he studied the vestibular organs in the inner ear using finite element models and vibration analyses. After graduating, he spent a semester teaching at a local community college and then two years at University of Massachusetts (Amherst) studying the biomechanics of biting in bats and monkeys, also using finite element modeling techniques. In 2010, he started his career teaching in all areas of mechanical engineering at the University of Southern Indiana. He loves teaching all of the basic mechanics courses, and of course his Vibrations and Finite Element Analysis courses

Conference Session

Unique Pedagogies for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amie Baisley, University of Florida; Julian Ly Davis, University of Southern Indiana; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Engineering Mechanics where he studied the vestibular organs in the inner ear using finite element models and vibration analyses. After graduating, he spent a semester teaching at a local community college and then two years at University of Massachusetts (Amherst) studying the biomechanics of biting in bats and monkeys, also using finite element modeling techniques. In 2010, he started his career teaching in all areas of mechanical engineering at the University of Southern Indiana. He loves teaching all of the basic mechanics courses, and of course his Vibrations and Finite Element Analysis courses.Dr. Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University Geoff Recktenwald is a member of the teaching faculty in the Department

Conference Session

Student Self-assessment in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Huihui Qi, University of California, San Diego; Isabella Fiorini, University of California, San Diego; Edward Zhou Yang Yu, University of California, San Diego; Richard Eugene Vallejo Jr, University of California, San Diego; Zongnan Wang, University of California, San Diego; Trevor Keoki Oshiro, University of California, San Diego; Changkai Chen, University of California, San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

. Richard assists with concept generation and manufacturing for inquiry-based learning activity models and demonstrations. In addition, Richard is an instructional assistant for Introduction to Mechanical Design at UCSD, leading a lab section through basic CAD, workshop, and technical report and presentation techniques. He plans on pursuing a future career in engineering education at the high school level. His hobbies also include spending time with friends, visiting national parks, and creating small robotics projects.Zongnan Wang, University of California, San Diego Zongnan is currently a 3rd-year undergraduate student with a major in mechanical engineering and minor in Data Science. He has been assisting Dr. Huihui Qi

Conference Session

Applications and Computational Tools for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Giancaspro, University of Miami; Diana Arboleda, University of Miami; Seulki Jenny Chin, University of Miami; Liping Yang, University of Miami; Walter G Secada, University of Miami

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Lecturer at the University of Miami, Florida. She received her B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Miami in 1988 and after a full career as a software engineer in corporate America she returMs. Seulki Jenny Chin, University of Miami Seulki Jenny Chin is a second-year doctoral student in the Teaching and Learning program, specializing in STEM education at the University of Miami. Her research interests focus on exploring the physical and psychological factors that drive learning and enhance performance in STEM education.Liping Yang, University of Miami Liping Yang is a doctoral student in STEM Education at the University of Miami, with a rich background in educational technology and International

Conference Session

Problem- and Project-based Learning in Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Aimee Monique Cloutier, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Sean Moseley, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

a group in their academic career. As such, there are elements of the project, particularly during the analysis and writing of the memo, that require more hand-holding on the part of the instructor. Teaming conflicts occasionally occur, but surprisingly, group dynamic issues have been far less prominent for this project than in the other courses that this instructor has taught. To gain some perspective on team dynamics, this instructor has a prompt at the end of the final exam asking the student how they would divide up a $1, 000 bonus for the work done on the design project amongst the members of the group. In this instructor’s experience, very few students indicate a significant deviation from an