Approaches for Starting Open-Ended Problems in Mechanical Engineering Hao Li (wl11@mit.edu) and Anette Hosoi (peko@mit.edu) Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyIntroductionMuch work has been done studying problem solving from beginning to finish [1] [2] [3], butlittle focus has been placed on the beginning of a problem, at least in the non-design mechanicalengineering curriculum. How a student starts a problem may have significant effect on theirability to fully carry out the solution. A student may solve the wrong problem, spend all theirtime pursuing the wrong approach, or forget their goal if they do not
help Scholars fulfill their five competencies).Student Council as a Case StudyWe interviewed past and present Grand Challenge Scholars (both council and non-councilmembers) to gather feedback on the changes brought by the implementation of the studentcouncil. Of the 90 Scholars surveyed, 50% responded. The survey questions listed in Table 1were answered online, so that the responders could remain anonymous. We understand that thissurvey could be biased based on the individuals who chose to respond to these questions.Table 1. Open-ended interview questions Category Questions Prior to Changes 1. How was the Grand Challenge Scholars Program affecting you individually in 2017
design. Literature in engineering curriculum development and facilitationsuccessfully focuses on creating conceptual and epistemological impact. Although the role ofstudent emotion is implied in such literature, it is rarely the focus of study and often does notconsider the relationships between instructor, curriculum, student learning and student emotion.Tonso and Bales note how emotion plays an important role in undergraduate design courses associal and emotional task functions within teamwork can contribute to a student’s role andinvolvement on a team.1-2 Literature in science education speaks to the role which emotion canhelp or hinder learning.3 We suggest that when educators consider student emotion as part oftheir instructional design
employed by a college or universityin their early careers [1].” Thus it appears there is benefit for both teacher and those taught whengraduate students take on teaching roles. Yet, for most disciplines within engineering, the doctoralstudent will complete a certain amount of coursework, pass qualifying exams, and most importantly,make a meaningful contribution via research and showcase that contribution by publications and adissertation. He or she will have minimal or no teaching requirements.By the end of the tedious process, students have a Ph.D. in hand and a capacity to solve engineeringproblems, especially ones related to their expertise. Universities such as Purdue have recognizedthat there is a difference in preparation for students that
graduation. This can beattributed to many reasons such as improved study habits, improved problem solving abilities,and a greater sense of community with fellow students all attained through attending SI.2 Background Active learning has been shown to aid in comprehension and metacognition inundergraduate students (1, 2, 3). With constant budget cuts, larger enrollment and, therefore, largerclass sizes, active learning becomes more difficult for instructors to implement effectively, if atall. While a number of solutions exist to engage students, Supplemental Instruction has beenshown at Louisiana State University (LSU) to be an effective resource that allows smaller groupsof students to be further engaged in an active environment (4, 5
questions for our initial pilot study were 1) What are the processes that preserviceteachers use to write lesson plans?, 2) What challenges do preservice teachers face when writinga lesson plan?, and 3) What strengths do preservice teachers have when writing lesson plans? Wecollected four different types of data: screen capture videos, logs of the lesson planning process,the written lesson plans, and a reflection on the lesson plans. The screen capture videos and thelogs aimed to answer our first research question concerning the lesson plan development process.The lesson plan and the reflection aimed to answer the second and third research questionsconcerning challenges and strengths. Because of the nature of our data collection for this study,we
professional development and community, creatingASEE Student Chapters unified through the national Student Division.1 The purpose andeffectiveness of these Student Chapters have been reviewed every few years by studentsinvolved in these Chapters.1-5 Further discussion of professional development communities in thebroader field of discipline-based educational research (DBER) have also been discussed withinthe engineering education community, specifically for those who would like a graduatecommunity focused on professional development but are not at an institution with others who areinterested in engineering education.6 This paper takes a broader look at graduate communities,sharing experiences from graduate students who have developed and led graduate
measures consider how two coders agree in the same passageof text and then compares it to an expected percentage of agreement due to two randomallocations of codes. To determine Kappa, Pi, or Alpha, we would determine the value for eachcode comparing each pair of coders, as well as all three coders together and then combine thecode/coder pair specific values into an average across the board. Our large codebook (64 uniquecodes), made calculating Kappa, Pi, or Alpha difficult for two reasons (1) we often used a uniquecode only once in a transcript and (2) determining 4*the number of unique codes in a transcript(three pairs plus the three coders together) required excessive effort without rewarding us withadditional insights. Instead, we considered
enhancing student confidence.BackgroundMcIlwee and Robinson 1 discussed how women engineering students excel in theoretical learning,but fall behind in hands-on learning. This difference in male and female learning styles begins ata young age. During adolescence boys are often raised to be tinkerers and encouraged to develophands-on skills, a fundamental trait of an engineer, whereas girls are socialized differently. Girlsare often not given the same access to hands-on activities, and thus they do not think ofthemselves as tinkerers and do not take part in many hands-on opportunities 1 . This socialupbringing is further enforced by a perception that they do not belong in engineering, which isreinforced by the lack of female role models and mentors
program served as the basis from which this team was developed,and as such the team follows many guidelines that are listed in Lagoudas and Froyd’s [1] workon multidisciplinary teams. Some of these guidelines include: Small Team size,Multi-disciplinary Team Construction, and Faculty, Industry, and Graduate Student teamsupport. In short, this team may be seen as an instance of the AggiE-Challenge program as thebenefits derived reflect those discussed in Lagoudas and Froyd’s work [1]. In addition to thisframework, a semester long research course focusing on aspects of Systems Engineering (SE)similar to that taken in Valasek and Shyrock’s work [2] on capstone design at TAMU wasadopted for the Railbot program.Team Size: Small TeamIt has been the
: Teaching Experiences Prior toBecoming a Professor).First Time Class/New Relationship with Course Instructor (Level 1):Learn the Course MaterialIf it is the first time you are a GTA for a course, learn all that you can by attending each of theclass sessions and taking notes as if you are enrolled in the course. Interact with the studentsduring class breaks and be willing to answer their questions. You may not always have theknowledge or time to respond in that instant during class, so record student questions to followup via email or in office hours. Developing rapport is important, as is tracking areas wherestudents tend to have difficulties in a particular course.Request additional resources from the course instructor (or previous GTAs) outside
life cycle engineering has been developed based on this approach through a multi-university research project, entitled “Constructionism in Learning: Sustainable Life CycleEngineering (CooL:SLiCE).” The pedagogic significance of CooL:SLiCE is that it enables betterlearning within the sustainable engineering domain by utilizing effective learning modules forpersonalized environmentally responsible product design. The CooL:SLiCE platform provides aweb-based portal with three learning modules: 1) Visualization and online computer-aideddesign (CAD), 2) Sustainable product architecture and supplier selection (S-PASS), and 3)Manufacturing analysis. These modules were first piloted by a team of students from threeuniversities with different
related corecourse, and looks at these math, chemistry, or physics concepts in the context ofengineering topics. This work aims to preliminarily assess the effectiveness of this newundergraduate engineering retention program recently implemented at CSU, under thehypothesis that LLs will improve retention of engineering students between their first-and second-semester courses. The results of this study are expected to inform andimprove future iterations of this program, as this model is not expected to be withoutflaws in its first implementation.More specifically, this study examines the effectiveness of this Learning Lab model bylooking at a combination of (1) Learning Lab attendance data, (2) first-year engineeringstudent feedback (taking
out-of-class activities. In thislarger study, “fun” was identified as a major reason that underrepresented engineeringundergraduate students chose to pursue out-of-class activities.PurposeThe purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of undergraduate engineeringstudent engagement from the perspective of underrepresented groups. The two researchquestions used to achieve this purpose are: (1) how does “fun” manifest itself in the lives ofunderrepresented students? and (2) how is “fun” linked to student engagement in in-class andout-of-class activities? This case study investigated two students’ (one Hispanic male and oneWhite female) meanings of “fun” as they described their participation in in-class and out-of
evidence of the stress andstruggles they face to cope with the multiple demands of the academic, professional setting1 . Thesedifficulties become more pronounced if personal expectations and interests deviate from the traditionalrequirements of a tenure-track position2 . Recurring themes among these difficulties include: 1) balancingthe competing demands of research, teaching, and other professional and personal duties; 2) lack of timeto cope with all responsibilities; and 3) setting realistic expectations, particularly regarding research andpublication accomplishments1,3,4 . Emphasizing the first theme, Felder and Brent point out that aremarkably difficult challenge is finding out a way to “balance the competing time demands of teaching,research
Enthusiasm for Mathematics through RoboticsAbstractThis evidence-based practice paper describes the study of generating enthusiasm for mathematicsthrough robotics. A survey of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute undergraduate students taking theRobotics I course showed that, while many students have a great interest for mathematics, morethan 1 in 4 of those same students expressed that they were not adequately prepared for themathematics required. This is particularly concerning for those teaching engineering coursesbecause concepts of robotics and mathematics are very much intertwined. Therefore, thisinspired a study of younger middle school and high school students to i) assess preexistingnotions of mathematics and robotics, ii) introduce an
projects; leading a team; solving interpersonal problems; effective communications, etc.) Communication skills (giving oral presentations; developing written reports or materials; generating web content, blogs, or social media posts; interpersonal communications, etc.)Of course, it is also essential to think carefully about the purpose of the recommendation(graduate school applications, fellowship nominations, jobs, etc.) and select recommenders whocan speak about the applicant’s preparation for the specific opportunity.Choosing RecommendersIdeally, you will ask for recommendation letters from individuals who both know you well andcan write effectively [1]. Faculty, advisers, internship/work supervisors, coaches and
mixed lab-and-foreign language format.Study abroad programs: Context Engineering study abroad programs routinely suffer from multiple challenges, hence arecharacterized by relatively small enrollments and small numbers. Example challenges routinelyinclude four items: (1) Course formats overseas do not line up with US style/content (2) Foreign language requirements may be severe (3) US faculty often lead overseas effort, adding salary expense and suffering from lack of volunteers, and (4) Student resistance from fear of financial cost as well as time delay for degree completion. We reported previously (1,2) on a French engineering summer
leadership, teamwork,presentation and communication skills can be assembled in a series of professional developmentworkshops to prepare engineering students for their profession.IntroductionWhen engineers enter the workforce, they are expected to have professional skills and thetechnical background. According to the ASME vision 2030 necessary professional skills ofmechanical engineers include electronic communication, interpersonal/teamwork, oralcommunication, written communication, and leadership among others [1]. ASCE also has a listof necessary skills on which is communication, leadership, teamwork, and attitude to name a few[2]. IEEE lists professional skills like interpersonal, teamwork, written communication, verbalcommunication, and
, Jones, and Roos in 1990. The researchersdocumented the principles underlying the Toyota Production System, which at the time was themost profitable automotive company in the world. Womack, Jones, and Roos were the first todefine “Lean Manufacturing” and characterize the five principles of a “Lean Production System”to guide business, management, and engineering decisions (Womack, Jones, & Roos, 1990): 1) Specify value from the standpoint of the end customer by product family. 2) Identify all the steps in the value stream for each product family, eliminating every step, every action, and every practice that does not create value. 3) Make the remaining value-creating steps occur in a tight and integrated sequence so the product will flow
if they areindeed effective. After these two steps are done, the evaluation step will check to see if thecustomer requirements are being met, using the data collected as well as customer input. Inthis case, the student will evaluate their chosen methods and then determine if they shouldcontinue the course they are on or should instead make any necessary changes. [1]Synthesis: To understand a cadet’s perspective, it is first important to understand the circumstanceof the environment in which they live. In the case of cadets at USAFA, it is important to notethat a grade point average is not the only grading metric used, but is instead one of three.Cadets also receive cumulative grades based on their physical and military performance
university. A research opportunity similar to the one presented cangive students the skills they need to further their engineering careers.IntroductionOne of the biggest shocks for incoming undergraduate engineers is the transition from highschool to college. With it brings higher expectations, many of which students fail to anticipate[1]. I met with several undergraduate students who are both, enrolled in the University ofWyoming’s Engineering and Applied Science Department, and no longer with the program inorder to find out why and where they had struggled. We engaged in public group discussions,and recorded notes covering their responses in order to create an ongoing Action ResearchProject. A common thread among all responses was a general
education has become a prominentresearch topic. Studies on the multidisciplinary nature of robotics have shown that it can be avaluable tool for hands-on learning of a variety of engineering and science topics [1]. Sincerobotics incorporates numerous STEM fields, mentorship and learning across complementarySTEM disciplines can be achieved [2]. Top universities have incorporated robotics into theircurriculum through LEGO Mindstorms, an educational robotics kit that is distributed worldwide,as Drew et al. [3] state, “with additional enhanced creativity achieved through competitionswithin the class settings and often between various universities and colleges.” Yao et al. [4]showed that robotic competitions can be used as educational tools beginning in
described under theDesign Research section of this article. [4]Product Units Unit Price Total PriceOutside Pieces (figure 6) 2 $10 $20Inside Pieces (figure 5) 2 $10 $20Middle Piece (figure 7) 1 $15 $15Connectors (6 pack) 1 $5 $5Total Price Per Set Plate $60Computer Aided Design (CAD) sketch and assembly CAD drafting is essential as part of the design project. Several 3D drawing files weredesigned and created in order to get a
-efficacy [32]. The study reported that there is a significant positive relationshipbetween engineering student’s spatial ability and self-efficacy [16]. Bandura [1] theorized that self-efficacy influence students’ choice of activities, effort, and persistence. Thus, improving students’spatial visualization skills through training may lead to improving students’ spatial abilities as wellas their self-efficacy. The effect on whether an improvement in spatial visualization skills wouldlead to an increase in students’ retention rates in engineering fields has been disputed [32]. Sorbyhas showed that students’ spatial ability can be improved through training over the course of asemester which led to an improvement in students’ retention rate
better understand and remember information. This is due to thereason that our brain is an image processor and most of our sensory cortex is used for vision.Words are abstract and sometimes challenging to explain an object based on its size, location,shape or relation to other objects [1]. However, three-dimensional thinking uses our ability toillustrate an idea, location or object. It allows us to rapidly and easily visualize an experience andrecall all the fine details involved. It is proven that various types of visual tools can be effectivein learning [2], [3]. For young students, visual information helps them to comprehend and recall information withease and efficiency. Using AR application for education can also help students learn the
the fields of engineering.When speaking in general, it’s evident that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)occupations have a low representation among Underrepresented Minorities (URMs). According to theNational Science Foundation, jobs that involve science or engineering show a low percentage ofemployed African Americans [1]. As of 2015, African Americans that identify with one race are roughly4 percent engineers and 3 percent physical and related scientists.These statistics give rise to the question why; why are URMs not pursuing careers in engineering?BackgroundOld Dominion University (ODU) is recognized as a minority serving institution with a plurality of racesrepresented. The student population consists of 26.2 percent