Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Technical Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa R. Lattuca, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Lois Calian Trautvetter, Northwestern University; Sarah L. Codd, Montana State University; David B. Knight, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Carla M. Cortes, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. Page 22.1711.14A respect for disciplines outside engineering and interdisciplinary connections is furtherencouraged by the requirement that all HMC students plan a coherent program of study ingeneral education with the assistance of a humanities and social science advisor. The goal of thisrequirement, according to HMC’s 2003 Self Study, is to help students develop “breadth in aseries of courses from different [humanities and social sciences] disciplines and depth in aconcentration of courses in a single discipline [outside their field of study]” (p. 11).Cumulatively, the humanities and social sciences requirements comprise about one-third of aHMC student’s course work.At MIT, like Harvey Mudd, the college-wide general education curriculum also

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Technical Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Dettman P.E., Western Kentucky University; Walter L. Collett, Western Kentucky University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

planning must be used to find the best places for these types of opportunities to beintroduced into the curriculum to enhance the educational experience of the student withoutjeopardizing any of the existing university constraints.Efforts are being made to find commonalities in certain courses across all 3 programs to expandopportunities for cross disciplinary activities. For example, all 3 programs have a 2 credit hourcourse titled Freshman Experience. In this course, they are introduced to the engineeringprofession, taught study skills, computer skills, and engage in various project based activities tospark their creative engineering minds. Up until the Fall 2010 semester, each of the 3 programshad their own Freshman Experience course so all of

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Technical Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacy Gleixner, San Jose State University; Patricia Ryaby Backer, San Jose State University; Elena Klaw, Ph.D., San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

Center assists faculty in aligning the service projectwith the learning objectives of the class; maximizing learning opportunities; including residentinput in the planning, implemention and evaluation of the project; developing outcome measures;and documenting, analyzing and interpreting outcome data.Renewable Energy Engineering Class Service Learning Project DetailsThe students go through several milestones throughout the semester for the Renewable Energyservice learning project. First, the students are assigned to a renewable energy technology (suchas solar cells or wind power). Students are surveyed on their preferences and teams are assignedthat balance the student’s choice while also diversifying student majors and level(undergraduate

Conference Session

Robotics Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Michalson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Fred Looft, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

for modular design and implementation of decision algorithms and finite state machines. RBE 3001, Unified Robotics III. This is the third course in the four-course sequence. The focus of this course is actuator design, embedded computing and complex response processes. The course includes concepts of dynamic response as related to vibration and motion planning. The principles of operation and interface methods various actuators will be discussed, including Page 15.370.3 pneumatic, magnetic, piezoelectric, linear, stepper, etc. Complex feedback mechanisms will be implemented using software executing in an embedded system. The

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Rabb, United States Military Academy; Joseph Hitt, USMA; Robert Floersheim, US Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

single discipline adviser team would missopportunities to appeal to students of different disciplines working on the same project. Theinstructor team operates more effectively with open collaboration. Since students come fromseveral academic majors, the diversity is advantageous to all concerned and keeps the advisersfrom the different departments engaged in the projects.It is well documented in general literature on multidisciplinary teaching that the greatestdifficulty for the instructors is the time and energy required to work as a team.6-8 In this capstoneproject with requirements and application to computer science, and mechanical and electricalengineering, the advisers agree that careful time management and planning are vital

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Technical Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven G. Northrup, Western New England College

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

, layout design (ME) Final Testing (CPE) Testing, trouble shooting (CPE) Potentiometer, beam break, board layout (ME)What made your team succeed? Cooperation within disciplines (ME - 1st place team) Teamwork, fun, determination (ME) Working together (CPE)Other comments: Fun was had, many lessons were learned (ME) No need for roll cage or water bottles (ME) Plan on components breaking before the race (CPE)Future ImprovementsThe next time the course is delivered, several improvements can be implemented. First,the groups need to be smaller. For this project, groups should not exceed six students. Ina perfect world with even distributions, two students per discipline would comprise a well

Conference Session

Sustainability, Service Learning, and Entreprenuership

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shekar Viswanathan, National University, San Diego; Howard Evans, National University, San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

related to not only energy from conventional sources but also renewable. Special focus on energy conservation will be discussed. Various techniques to lower energy use will be discussed.SEM 606 Comprehensive overview of applicable air pollution, waterEnvironmental pollution, drinking water and toxics environmental laws andManagement regulations in the U.S. In addition, various pollution sources, and their impact are presented. Specific strategies to develop and implement environmental management practices are presented.SEM 607 Watershed Overview of the watershed management and planning process.Management Relate

Conference Session

Project-based Learning and Other Pedagogical Innovations

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Huanmei Wu, IUPUI

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

are planning to go to graduate school with the confidenceobtained from the projects.For example, the author also designed six multidisciplinary projects in the last five years and theresults are wonderful. About 20 students from 6 different disciplines were involved. The studentsare at different stages of their undergraduate study, including freshman, juniors and seniors. Fourpresentations have been accepted by peer-reviewed high-respected national conferences. Twoconference papers have published and two manuscripts are under revision. The students alsoproduced many posters (more than 15) at the local symposiums and workshops. In addition, allfive graduated students from three disciplines are admitted to graduate school across the

Conference Session

Design in Multidisciplinary Learning Environment

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Hoo Kim P.E., LeTourneau University; Paul R. Leiffer P.E., LeTourneau University; Laura Kathryn Neal, LeTourneau University; Kathleen Mays, LeTourneau University; Joon Wan Kim, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

textbook reciters and questionwriters is helpful." [7]The public at large needs to understand that technical areas and advances are not entirelyabstract. Even if parts of the story were mythical, most people can picture Newton inspired by afalling apple, Franklin investigating electricity with a kite in a lightning storm, and the Wrightbrothers struggling to keep their aircraft aloft for thirty seconds.This paper aims to introduce how a story-building platform applies to the engineering capstonedesign (senior design) project with the example of the two-year “Badger” senior design project atLeTourneau University, and the remainder of this paper mainly describes the following keycomponents: project value, history-planning and results of the example

Conference Session

Edifying Engineering Education through Multidisciplinary Efforts

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pradeep B. Deshpande, University of Louisville and President, Six Sigma and Advanced Controls, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

commoncauses and such a state as the natural state. The common cause variability considerationspreclude the possibility of zero defects ad infinitum. This inherent, unavoidable variationin the outcomes of processes is worsened by measurement errors and by other causes thatare identifiable. Discovering and then fixing these causes returns the process outcome toits natural state. Engineers have taken this to be the state of true minimum variance, ashad the author until several years ago. These ideas are explained in Figure 1. (a) Perfection not in the plan

Conference Session

Experiential and Service Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Larry Bland, John Brown University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

: "It's a skill thateveryone has to learn. How to get things done through others." As participants commented onthis part of their development, they listed skills and experience of: supervision, working withothers to coordinate tasks, motivating others, encouraging others, working to solve colleague'spersonal problems, personnel development. Each participant identified human relation skills andhuman interaction skills being expanded during the transition from a formal education world totheir professional career. There was no difference between technical and general managementparticipants in their responses concerning people skills.Project Management. Within this category, the various skills of scheduling, directing, planning,budgeting, organizing

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Experiences: Teaching in a Pandemic

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Abigail E. Heinz, Rowan University; Matthew Strauss; Kaitlin Mallouk, Rowan University; Mary Staehle, Rowan University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

) answered prompts in front of the entire class and were surveyedcomprehensively in the beginning, middle, and end of the semester. This course was held inSpring 2020, where students started the course fully in-person and shifted to synchronous virtualinstruction shortly after the mid-semester survey. The course was at the introductory level, and itwas the first major-specific course in the curriculum. The course is typically taken in the springsemester of the second year, so students may know each other and have some experience withcollege level instruction.The other cohort (Cohort B) started the course in Fall 2020 with synchronous virtual instructionwith plans for partial in-person instruction. Cohort B students completed a one-question

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Endeavors: Mechatronics, Robotics, and Technology

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Lei Miao, Middle Tennessee State University; Tanzeena Karim, Middle Tennessee State University; Tamir Shahir Hussain; Cen Li, Middle Tennessee State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

controlof the source code was done using a Git repository hosted on GitHub.To evaluate the effectiveness of teamwork and collaboration, we asked the team members to do aself-assessment survey using the criteria provided in [23], and the team rated the highest acrossall four: 1. Team members actively participated in the task or project to accomplish a common goal? Team members had an extensive project management plan that outlined which accomplished tasks, needed resources, and assigned aspects to various members with anticipation for future needs. The team also engaged in regular activities as follow-up to monitor progress and provided feedback. 2. Team members participated in decision-making process? All members

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Endeavors: Engineering, Art and Society

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Joseph Churchill Tapia II, University of Kentucky; Danielle Nicole Dutton, University of Kentucky; Ronald Justin Vogler, University of Kentucky; Evan Yang, University of Kentucky; Sarah A. Wilson, University of Kentucky

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

courses in remote formats [2-3]. These courses and labs are critical to STEM educationas they facilitate the development of planning, problem-solving, analytical, and communicationskills [4]. At the undergraduate level, many alternatives to traditional (in-person) instructionallab experiments have been considered, including simulations, provided data sets for analysis bystudents, experiments that use materials that can be found at home (or easily procured), and kitscontaining the necessary materials to conduct experiments at home [2-3]. The at-home optionsare especially interesting as they preserve the hands-on nature of traditional instructionalexperiments [3] while also allowing for more flexibility relative [5] to the schedule-restrictednature

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering Experiences

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Madeline Nelson, University of San Diego; Gordon D. Hoople, University of San Diego; Joel Alejandro Mejia, University of San Diego; Diana A. Chen, University of San Diego; Susan M. Lord, University of San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

indicate what areas of consumption they were interested in learningabout (transportation, manufacturing, residential, and commercial). The data suggests students’interest in these topics is high (>70% somewhat or very interested), though no area issubstantially more interesting than others. Students also showed a high level of interest incontemporary global challenges related to energy (>80% somewhat or very interested). Based onthese findings we plan to include substantial renewable energy content as well as informationabout global energy challenges in our new course. First-Year StudentsFigure 1. First-year student responses (n=36) to the question “What sources of energy are youinterested in

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Learning and Teaching Experiences

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Brett Hamlin, Michigan Technological University; AJ Hamlin, Michigan Technological University; Tori Claudette Reeder; Josh Chase, Michigan Technological University; Mary Raber, Michigan Technological University; Laura Vidal-Chiesa, Michigan Technological University; Modupe Omolara Yusuf, Michigan Technological University; Abraham Romney, Michigan Technological University; Marika Seigel, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

inclusion of a sharedtopic, meaningful to both engineering and composition, helps to expose the inherent linkages of thediscipline to the student. Michigan Tech plans to build on this pilot study by expanding the number ofstudents enrolled in cohorts that include both engineering and composition courses.While not directly part of this study, the faculty engaged in the process found the once a week meetingswere helpful on several levels. These meetings served as: ● a brief check-in for topic progression throughout the semester ● a chance to tweak and leverage assignments or topics ● a bridge building activity between disciplines ● a means to identify students who were strugglingThese meetings were scheduled weekly on Zoom, and typically

Conference Session

ABET Accreditation of Multidisciplinary Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Farison, Baylor University; Carmen Li Shen, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

-accreditation was not requested. Nonetheless,the campus visit assignment process was completed with a very strong set of PEV andinstitutional matches.However, one could naturally conclude that PEV “recruiting and planning” for the appropriatenumber of annual program accreditation visits is not an exact science, and is only known whenABET issues its roster to ASEE for PEV assignments. On the other hand, ASEE can be pleasedthat our role did not start in 2005-06, when the corresponding number was 18 (rather than 13)institutions. With our experience in the interim, ASEE will be better able to handle theuncertainty in the task in 2011-12 with 20 institutions currently listed. Since this was the firstcycle for ASEE, the ASEE AAC leadership wisely arranged

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Teams

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Durward Sobek, Montana State University; Carolyn Plumb, Montana State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

emphasized.As an implementation path, we would most likely develop and offer one or two courses peryear. After three or four years, having tested, refined and proven the courses, we could makemulti-disciplinary design “required” (i.e., every student takes one design elective).Gathering More Information from ConstituentsBefore returning to constituents to gather more input, we developed a detailed plan forchoosing and testing the final alternative. In July 2006, a team of six from MSU participatedin the Engineering Educators Leadership Institute sponsored by the National Academy ofEngineering’s Center for the Advancement of Scholarship in Engineering Education.20 Theteam included the authors of this paper, the dean of engineering, the assistant dean

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Thornton, Emerson Climate Technologies; Kyle Shipp, Kettering University; Tony Lin, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

can limit thecoverage of the course materials and thus clearly defined objectives are vital to ensuring thateach group gets the most out of the available time. According to Robert F. Mager, “Clearlydefined objectives can be used to provide students with the means to organize their own time andefforts toward accomplishment of those objectives3.” For this reason, it is important to set theobjectives for the team project early in the process and perform periodic checks to make sure theteam is meeting those objectives. All team members should make and agree on a plan at thebeginning of the project so everyone understands the expected outcomes for the group and whatthey will gain personally from the experience.The best way to measure adherence to

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Ciaraldi, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Eben Cobb, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; David Cyganski, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Michael Demetriou; Greg Fischer; Michael Gennert, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Fred Looft, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; William Michalson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Bradley Miller, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Taskin Padir, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Yiming Rong, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kenneth Stafford, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Gretar Tryggvason, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; James Van de Ven, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

undecided: 140 WPI 2008 Total entering: 918 Engineering undecided: 167 Table I. Enrollment as reported at the fall of 2007 and 2008 by the WPI Registrars Office.While it is difficult to detect any major effect of the RBE program on the enrollment in the otherengineering programs at WPI, its effect on the overall enrollment has been dramatic. WPI hasrecently embarked on a plan to slightly expand its incoming class size and the intention was toenroll about 800 students in the class of 2012. The institution competes for students with severalwell-known technological universities and usually admits significantly larger class thaneventually enrolls. Nevertheless, the Institution uses relatively well

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Rabb, United States Military Academy; Andrew Biaglow, United States Military Academy; David Chang, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

class preparation and assignments. Since they comparenotes between instructors and help each other, the instructors are basically being watched byother students outside of the classroom. This heightens the instructors’ awareness to beconsistent and up to date.ChallengesIt is well documented in general literature on interdisciplinary teaching that the greatest hurdlefor the instructors is the time and energy required to work as a team.5-7 In this controlsengineering course with application to electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering, theinstructors agree that deliberate time management and planning are essential. Schedulingmeetings between faculties of three different departments is more difficult, but a committedteaching team can make

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design Constituents

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Farison, Baylor University; Zhuocheng Yang, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

row) of Figure 1 are availablefrom the ABET website. Nonetheless, the detailed three-year history given in Figure 1 providessome very useful historical perspective for ASEE planning for the number of ASEE PEVs thatmay be needed for future years. Additional detail is provided in the following tables: TABLE 1. Year of First Accreditation of Multidisciplinary Engineering Programs TABLE 2. Multidisciplinary and Other Engineering Programs TABLE 3. Multidisciplinary Engineering Program Accreditation Schedule TABLE 4. Date of Next General Review for Continuing AccreditationThis paper concludes with the Summary and References following these tables

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Farison, Baylor University; Carmen Li Shen, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

as dean of engineering in between, before moving to Baylor in 1998. He is a senior member of IEEE and holds PE registration in Ohio and Texas.Carmen Li Shen, Baylor University Ms. Carmen C. Li Shen is currently a senior engineering student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor University, Waco, TX. She is a member of the Eta Kappa Nu Electrical and Computer Engineering national honor society and of Golden Key honor society, and serves as the SWE chapter webmaster and the IEEE Student Branch historian at Baylor. Carmen was born in Ecuador and came to the United States in 2002. She is planning on graduate school after her May 2006 graduation

Conference Session

Engineering in Societal Context

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel B. Oerther, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

asked.Statements: 1. The course was well planned and organized 2. The course material related to my profession 3. The professor emphasized analytical thinking 4. Assessment tools were fair 5. Reading materials were appropriate 6. The course was excellent 7. The professor was excellentQualitative Results from Two Courses Linking Engineering and Nursing Practice inIndia Over a Series of Activities From 2007 Through PresentTo educate students in professional practice, engineers, nurses, and others from‘developed’ countries often travel to ‘developing’ countries to participate in ‘hands-on’learning. The central challenge of these trips is to ensure adequate opportunities forstudent learning while simultaneously ensuring that the economic

Conference Session

Engaging Faculty Across Disciplines, Colleges, and Institutions

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah Donaher, Clemson University; Claire L. A. Dancz, Clemson University; Jeffery M. Plumblee II, Clemson University; Aaron S. Gordon, Clemson University; Khushikumari Patel, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

Challengecompetency, hands on project/research, involves completion of some experience in a researchsetting related to the scholar’s challenge. This could include laboratory work, collection of dataor surveys, investigations into potential solutions for their Grand Challenge, etc. The secondcompetency is interdisciplinary curriculum, wherein the student is encouraged to take coursesoutside of their specific discipline. Entrepreneurship, the third competency, aims to developstudent’s skills in working with investors, business plans, and market analyses that are just ascrucial as the engineering technical solution. The GCSP Global dimension, the fourthcompetency, aims to develop students’ global perspectives and assist in their understanding ofthe global and

Conference Session

Investigating Instructional Strategies

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anne M. Lucietto, Purdue University, West Lafayette ; Andrew Simon Scott, Western Carolina University; Kenneth A. Connor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Frederick C. Berry, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

Agreement  All participants agreed that they were interested in learning more about each other’s programs and how the universities form Capstone teams.  All participants agreed that they should use CATME as a common tool for team building assessment and planned to use training made available by the manager of the program.  All participants agreed that students would benefit from more teamwork training. Most use some teamwork training; the amount and choice of training vary from institution to institution.  All participants agreed that reviewing the data from at least one Capstone course was necessary to start this collaborationWhy CATME?CATME is a system of web-based tools faculty can use to manage

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering Design I

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Breanna M. W. Bailey, Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

2017-2018 CohortH Architectural and Civil Engineering; Rockport-Fulton ISD FEMA Dome Industrial Management and TechnologyI Chemical and Mechanical Engineering Aquaris: Solar-Powered Water FiltrationCourse projects were student-driven, with the exception of a few projects in the 2015-2016cohort that were requested by local industry. In creating project ideas, students were told toadhere to the following criteria:  Design something new. Create a product (or structure) that is new and addresses a need.  As appropriate to the project, create a budget and/or construction plan; include a cost/benefit analysis.  Use

Conference Session

Investigating Instructional Strategies

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Reza Kamali, Utah Valley University; Afsaneh Minaie, Utah Valley University; Julie Clingo, Utah Valley University; Marty J Clayton, Digital Media; Cody Anderson

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. Hersam, “Nanotechnology Research Directions for Societal Needs in 2020: Summary of International Study”, Springer, 2011.5. The National Nanotechnology Initiative – Strategic Plan, December 2007.6. “History of Military gaming,” www.army.mil. [Online]. Available: https://www.army.mil/article/11936/history_of_military_gaming. [Accessed: 26-Jan-2018].7. E. C. Crossman, “"Dry Shooting" for Airplane Gunners,” Popular Science Monthly, vol. 94, no. 1, pp. 13–14, Jan-1919.8. M. Bernard, “Real Learning through Flight Simulation: The ABCs of ATDs,” FAA Safety Briefing, pp. 8–10, 2012.9. E. A. Keshner and J. Fung, “The quest to apply VR technology to rehabilitation: tribulations and treasures,” Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 1

Conference Session

Multidisiplinary Student Research Experiences

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tom A. Eppes, University of Hartford; Ivana Milanovic, University of Hartford

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

of procedures, construct working models, students analyze results andwrite formal reports. Module 2 (transitional projects) have defined objectives; however, somedesign elements are intentionally left out prompting students to synthesize a working model sothat meaningful results can be acquired. Although the goal is clearly stated, the task of filling inthe missing pieces is the challenge. Module 3 (DoM project) is the culminating experience inwhich students working in teams of two are required to integrate prior skills into an independentresearch initiative. Each team must propose, plan and execute a design that is relevant to thecourse topics and suitable in rigor. At an end-of-the semester event, each team delivers a formaloral

Conference Session

Teaching Problem Solving in a Multidisciplinary Context

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerrie A Douglas, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Tanya Faltens, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Krishna Madhavan, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

understanding, and that are packaged along with other curricular materials such aslesson plans and learning modules. Educational simulations typically have animation and varyconsiderably in terms of activities, from serious games12 designed to mimic real life scenarios tovirtual physics labs, such as ThinkerTools13. Educational simulations are designed and intendedfor one purpose, that is, student learning. They are not intended for a research context; they donot generate new knowledge, rather they enable learning of previously discovered knowledge.Educational simulations are analogous to a calculator; students input values and an output isgenerated. A calculator does not teach students how to multiply, but it will give students theanswer to a