Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Aaron C. Clark; Eric Wiebe

report on a survey of students enrolled in engineering design graphics courses at NC State University the Fall 1999 semester. The results of this survey provides a snapshot of how prepared students currently are to make use of computer-based instruction within and outside of traditional labs.I. IntroductionThe instruction of engineering design graphics has always been closely linked to technology.Whereas the technology used to be based on manual instruments such as compasses, T-squares,and triangles, in more recent years the tool of choice has been computer-based CAD systems.What has not changed at many institutions has been the centering of the engineering designgraphics curriculum around the on-campus laboratory. While the focus of the

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Laura Lucas; Erdogan Sener

for filling technical andmanagement positions in the construction industry. One problem with these articulation arrangementshas been that of ensuring relevant laboratory knowledge on the part of the vocational educationstudents in certain specific areas. Even though vocational programs are inherently hands-on, the labsin such institutions have limited capabilities in terms of soils testing, materials testing, asphalt testing,to name a few areas.This paper focuses on an approach for addressing this shortcoming of vocational education studentsnot having access to some of the labs that academic institutions do by means of employing aconstruction lab-cam and broadcasting a lab session in asynchronous or synchronous modes to otherinstitutions so

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Ralph Staus; Henry Ansell

students out-of-class; listening to lectures concerning concepts and relationships; listeningto lectures on how to solve problems; working on homework problems; working out newproblems during the class session; going over problems in class that the student has previouslyattempted and worked on, such as homework problems; asking questions of the instructor duringclass; consultation sessions with the instructor to clarify what seems unclear; using the libraryresources; doing laboratory exercises; studying for an exam; reviewing returned and correctedexams; and reviewing returned and corrected lab reports. The above list was intended to cover some of the more common items in technicalcourses at our campus, but does not pretend to be an

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Sean DiBartolo; Linfield Brown; Chris Swan

that is not generally available throughtraditional course work or laboratory projects.IntroductionWhat is WERC? The Waste-management Education and Research Consortium (WERC) is aconsortium of academic institutions, industry, and government agencies partnering ineducational, research and outreach initiatives in the environmental field. Academic institutionsinvolved with the consortium are New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT),University of New Mexico (UNM), New Mexico State University (NMSU) and Diné College.The consortium offices reside at NMSU. Major industrial partners have included Westinghouse,Fluor Daniels, Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), Rust Geotech, Inc., and Phillips Petroleum. Majorgovernment contributors include the U.S

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Daniel Walsh

Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering Educationof metals. The availability of transparent materials for metallic analogs presents an opportunity todirectly observe the phenomena that determine the structure of cast metals and fusion welds.The organic compound found most suitable for purposes of the laboratory was succinonitrile. Thespecimen was encapsulated in a cell comprised of a slotted brass plate and two rectangular coverglass slides. The cover glasses rested on a lip in the slotted plate. A movable platform held thiscell. The platform is comprised of an aluminum plate, slotted to hold the brass cell plate. Theplate is mounted on four pillow blocks, that run on case hardened steel rails. The entire platformis driven by a 1/16

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Vince Prantil; Joseph Musto; William Howard

widespread commercial use in our region. We chose not to usean FEA program that is completely integrated into the solid modeling program, as we wantedstudents to use a variety of element types. Page 6.502.2 “Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering Education”The class structure of the course is two hours per week in lecture and two hours per week in acomputer laboratory. The class is 10 weeks long (one quarter). The relatively short amount oftime in lecture has led us to prepare extensive note packets

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Walter Kaminski

the next class who then act on therecommendations to make improvements to the experiment.Although the students perform a series of six experiments during the quarter, this paper describesthree of the more interesting and unique laboratory experiments. The experimental facilities discussedin this paper have all been built by MET students at a relatively low cost and fully tested over the lastseveral years. Design details and approximate costs are presented in the paper so that others maybenefit from our experiences. The paper contains a set of test data from each experimental facility sothat the reader may judge the effectiveness of the experiment. All of the experiments performed withthese facilities utilize state-of-the-art instrumentation

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Kamyar Haghighi; Heidi Diefes-Dux

"course learning objectives" (CLO’s) to address these issues. 3. ABE 325 and ABE 330 need to incorporate more design problems and PO 3, 4 introduce more constraints in their designs. 4. Department should direct/redirect more resources (personnel, facilities, S space, funds) to teaching laboratories and equipment. 5. Department should hire a part/full time technician dedicated to teaching S laboratories. 6. ABE 430 (Instrumentation and Measurement) should become a required PO 5 class for Mechanical Systems Engineering students, either as a restricted S technical elective or be substituted for another

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Martha N. Cyr; Barbara Bratzel; Ben Erwin

. (1991). Constructionism. Norwood, NJ: Ablex3. Kafai, Y., and Resnick, M., eds. (1996). Constructionism in Practice: Designing, Thinking, and Learning in a Digital World. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.4. Papert, Seymour. A Critique of Technocentrism in Thinking about the School of the Future. Espitemology and Learning Group Memo No. 2. MIT Media Laboratory: Cambridge, MA. (available at http://el.www.media.mit.edu/Papers/memos/memo2/2.Bulgaria.html)5. Papert, S. (1993). The Children’s Machine: Rethinking School in the Age of the Computer. New York: Basic Books.6. Resnick, M., Martin, F., Sargent, R., and Silverman, B. (1996). Programmable Bricks: Toys to Think With. IBM Systems Journal, vol. 35, no. 3-4. pp. 443-452.7. Resnick, M

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Phillip Wankat

distribution: 13 quizzes (lowest dropped) 10% Computer laboratory grade (7 labs) 15% Homework (9 assignments) 15% Tests (3 tests, 20% each) 60%The first test score was increased by ten points to off-set a low average. This resulted inseveral students having a test score above 100. Students were assigned to groups for thecomputer laboratory and were encouraged to work in groups on the homework. Thishelped to harness the power of groups to help students learn. The downside was thatsome students undoubtedly copied the homework solutions without understanding them.If doing homework assignments helps students learn the

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Luces Faulkenberry

the foodarrived then, the group began their meal.As dessert began Dr. Curtis Johnson, Professor of Electrical-Electronics Technology at theUniversity of Houston, began his talk on his adventures in Azerbaijan. Dr. Johnson was inAzerbaijan on a Fulbright Scholarship. His task was to set up a computer laboratory with accessto the World Wide Web. Dr. Johnson said that was not an easy task in a developing nation. Healso described the higher education system in that nation. The talk was interesting andinformative.Dr. Larry Brillhart, Associate Dean of Applied Technology at North Harris College, conducted adiscussion on topics of interest to the group. First, everyone introduced themselves to learn whowas there, where they were from, and what

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Tomás Gómez; Maria Velasco; Joséantonio Turégano

distorted picture.As an alternative, computers offer the possibility to perform graphics with a very precisecalculation of thermodynamic properties and to analyze them in a variety of contents within thecourse work of engineering thermodynamics. Page 6.1055.2 Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering EducationII. Objective and main features of ThermografIn our initial studies exploring the educational potential of personal computers, we began byconstructing a set of laboratory simulations10 and tools11

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

David R Finley

students entering the program each year, retention is a critical issuefor the viability of the program in a primarily “tuition-driven” budgeting environment. Threefull-time faculty members, with the support of a laboratory technician and a half-time secretary,teach all core courses in the ChE curriculum. Thus, the teaching load for faculty is 12 credithours per semester. No special allowances are made for laboratory or design courses. This loadis reduced to 9 credit hours per semester for the departmental chair.II. What Do I Do?As departmental chair, workday activities can be grouped into four major categories: teaching,mentoring, administrating, and consulting/research. This list is rank-ordered based upon timetypically spent on task. However

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Gaile Griffore; Craig Somerton

being moreeffective for learning than non-project courses [2]. In fact, in Figure 7 the project courses areidentified separately from courses that include laboratories or the lectured based engineeringscience courses. As one might expect from the literature [3,4,5], the learning assessment rating isnearly always better for a project-oriented course versus a non-project course for the sameteaching evaluation rating. This gives some credence to the learning assessment rating as anindication of student learning. The authors are somewhat surprised that a similar observationcannot be made in comparing the courses that include laboratory experiences to the lecture basedengineering science courses.Student Drop RateOne piece of data that is often

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Thomas Rich

Laboratory. The completed arch exceeded their design load under actual testing to failure. (See Figure 2.) Figure 2 Testing to Failure of the 39-Foot Arch Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Page 6.679.5 Copyright ©2001, American Society for Engineering EducationIII. 1999-00 Project: Re-Design America’s First Water Powered WaterworksQuestions:* Where was the first powered waterworks in America?* Why wasn’t it in Boston, New York or Philadelphia?The answer to the first question is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (5). The answer

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Sanjeev Khanna; Christopher Jenkins

bonding, crystal structure, elastic behavior, plastic behavior, fracture, etc., which haveprofound implications in the design of structures. Such an approach highlights the importance ofthe tension test, and the students can better visualize and apply the concepts to designingoptimum and reliable structures. After passing through the lectures covering the concepts shownin Figure 1 the students should be in a position to answers questions, a sampling of which isgiven in the section ‘Evaluation of Student Learning’.Laboratory experiments should be conducted and explained in the context of three importantbranches, namely mechanics, materials science, and design. Thus a suggested outline forteaching the three subjects in the context of the tension

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Ram Mohan; Siamack Shirazi; Ovadia Shoham; Mei Zhuang; Marilyn Amey; Krishnamurthy Jayaraman; Keith Wisecarver; George Chase; Ed Evans; Charles Petty; Andre Bernard

from nine laboratories at Michigan State University, The University of Akron, and theUniversity of Tulsa. The objective of the program is to teach undergraduate and graduate studentspractical use of multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD).The impact of multiphase flow research on solving practical engineering problems is an integralpart of the learning experience. Industrial participants in the project provide specific designproblems related to emerging technologies. Specific projects suggested by the industrial sponsorsfor the first cycle are: Performance of a large tank separator (Chevron), Optimization of designand operation of degassing tanks (Dow Chemical), Optimization and Comparison of hydrocycloneshapes (Krebs Engineers), Mixing

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

William Saunders; Donald Grove; Charles Reinholtz

to a tangible end. Another response was that the mechatronics approach providedan excellent perspective of what is available in the laboratory for prototype development. Yetanother student pointed out that the mechatronics approach promoted greater interest of realworld applications of one’s knowledge. There were no real disadvantages noted.2) Why did you choose to work on a mechatronics project?The reasons students cited for wanting to work on a mechatronics project varied. One reason wasto increase their understanding of how the design project would actually function. Anotherreason was the hands-on implementation and creation of the prototype from a basic design. Onestudent cited that many of today’s mechanical devices were augmented by

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Francis W. Derby

students, responsibilities as graduate research faculty, and as an adviser to studentProceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition. Page 6.80.3Copyright © 2001, American Society for Engineering Education.organizations. Whereas the related activities may not bear direct relationship to classroominstruction, they contribute to the nurturing of students. It is advisable to briefly describe theseresponsibilities so as to provide some idea of the time spent in these activities. For example, ifthe faculty person is in charge of a research laboratory with several research assistants, adescription of

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Han Bao; David Dryer; Derya Jacobs; William Swart

, 4) provide experience for design of products in a virtual environment using 3D modeling and visualization, as well as planning, scheduling, control and implementation of a virtual product development project, 5) provide experience in constructing product prototypes, and 6) provide an understanding for the potential applications and limitations of current virtual product development tools.The course was offered as a 2 credit-4 hour laboratory course using tools and facilities availableat Old Dominion University. As part of an extensive distance learning capability, the Universityand the College use various distributed course delivery and communications tools withfunctionality including asynchronous message board, synchronous chat

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Julia Morse

grading strategies that promote student preparation andinstructor-led critical thinking in class can effectively increase student participation and ability topractice critical thinking in classroom discussion and on exams.Bibliographic Information1 Schrivener, S., Fachin, K., and Storey, G., “Treating the All-Nighter Syndrome: IncreasedStudent Comprehension Through an Interactive In-Class Approach,” Journal of EngineeringEducation, April 1994, p. 152.2 Lang, D., “Critical Thinking in Web Courses: An Oxymoron?”, Syllabus, Vol. 14, No. 2,September 2000, pp. 21.3 Agrawal, P. K., “Integration of Critical Thinking and Technical Communication intoUndergraduate Laboratory Courses,” Proceedings of the 1997 ASEE Annual Conference,Session 1213.4 Sharp, J

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Stephen Stafford; Rosa Gomez; Daniela Castaneda; Connie Della-Piana

academicprograms depending on their pre-college preparation, e.g. high school curricula, and theirgeneral orientation towards university studies. The problem of college preparedness maybe more acute on a commuter campus, where students may only remain on campus aslong as class hours and laboratories demand. UTEP’s student population is typical ofmajor urban universities, serving the academic needs of a regional, place-boundpopulation. Our students are also non-traditional from the standpoint that the majority areethnic minorities, first in their families to go to college, and balance their academic liveswith required part-time, and sometimes, full-time employment. Juggling so manyactivities often leads our students to minimize their time on campus, and

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Audeen Fentiman; Robert J. Gustafson; John Merrill; John Demel; Richard Freuler

, and a stronger emphasis oncommunication skills. To guide the program’s implementation and evaluation, a comprehensiveassessment plan was developed to ensure that sufficient tools and methods were in place toproperly evaluate the impact of the program. The program is now in its third year, and this plancontinues to be instrumental in evaluating the program’s effectiveness. This paper presents anoverview of the plan, including its tools, methods, and outcomes.1.0 IntroductionIn the Autumn Quarter, 1998, The Ohio State University College of Engineering implemented apilot program for freshman Engineering students with the express purpose of engaging students inan interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasized hands-on laboratory projects

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Richard Ciocci

had 90–minute classes for most of the academic courses. The students didn’t like the length of thoseclasses, so we did change most lecture classes to 45 minutes. Laboratories in CAD and scienceswere acceptable in longer time periods. Another area the students identified for improvementwas the workload expected. As can be expected these high school students have a limitedpatience for schoolwork in the summer. They did not often take kindly to homeworkassignments from the Institute. Most students were successful in completing assignments duringthe classes, but homework was another issue. We did have one negative comment from a student’s guardian, her grandmother, whofelt the students were given too much free time to wander about the

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

James Newell; Kevin Dahm

. Ramachandran, B. Sukumaran and R. Harvey, Multidisciplinary Design and Communication: A Pedagogical Vision. International Journal of Engineering Education, 15, 5 (1999).5. Bakos, J. D., "A Departmental Policy for Developing Communication Skills of Undergraduate Engineers," Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 75, p. 101 (November 1986).6. Elbow, P., "Teaching Thinking by Teaching Writing," Phi Delta Kappan, p. 37, (1983).7. Newell, J. A., D. K. Ludlow, and S. P. K. Sternberg, "Progressive Development of Oral and Written Communication Skills across an Integrated Laboratory Sequence," Chemical Engineering Education, vol. 31(2), p. 116 (1997).8. "Engineering Criteria 2000: Criteria for Accrediting Programs in Engineering in the

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Maria Kreppel; Beverly Swaile

of selected topics from their respective disciplines. Case studiesforce these undergraduate technologists to think critically about choices they might make intheir professional lives; for example, the implications of using a particular piping material for anindustrial spillway or the decision to use a less environmentally hazardous chemical solvent overanother in a laboratory analysis. We are also convinced that a team of faculty from multipledisciplines best teaches a course of this scope thus preventing the focus from becoming undulybiased towards one perspective.I. Introduction A four-membered interdepartmental faculty team has developed an upper-divisionGeneral Education course that has been offered several times by The University

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Vikram Cariapa; Joseph Domblesky; James Rice

; Exposition Copyright 2001, American Society for Engineering Education"addition to communication skills, other manufacturing related competency gaps that have beenidentified by employers include application of manufacturing processes, statistics, andmanufacturing systems. While specific reasons for manufacturing related skills deficiencies havenot been identified, it is likely that the reduction in hands-on laboratory experiences that waseffected at the same time that design content in the curricula was being reduced is one of theprimary causes.A second criticism of engineering education has been that there is little effort to integrate parts ofthe curriculum2. Students often echo this view when they complain that

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

William de Kryger

into agreements for the wrong reasons. Critically review the institution during the evaluation visit, looking for areas where their programs, activities, and laboratories can compliment those on the home campus. G. Potential for research collaboration One of the more enjoyable aspects of an exchange, other that observing the students making what for most is their first international trip, is the possibility for research collaboration. Carefully evaluate the research potential of their laboratories and their willingness to collaborate in one or more yearly projects. Do not necessarily expect this collaboration to happen immediately. It may take a year or two to develop, but when it

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Leah Jamieson; Edward J. Coyle; William Oakes

credits because they are expected to serve as thetechnical leaders on the teams and thereby take on more responsibility.Each student in the EPICS Program attends a weekly two-hour meeting of his/her team in theEPICS laboratory. During this laboratory time, the team will take care of administrative mattersor work on their project(s). All students also attend a common one-hour lecture given each weekfor all EPICS students. A majority of the lectures are by guest experts, and have covered a widerange of topics related to engineering design and community service. The long term nature ofthe program has required some innovation to the lecture series as students may be involved in theprogram for up to seven semesters and do not want to hear the same

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Anna Phillips; Paul Palazolo; Scott Yost

’ company can avoid costly over-designexpenses by developing a more robust impact theory and corresponding equation(s) to quantify the impact force onpiers, while using greater quality control in the prefabrication process. Prefabricated Piers is planning some fieldtests and extensive laboratory work on scale models and would like feedback on the validity of their equation, aswell as on the accuracy of collecting laboratory data.The link to real-life engineering practice:Your lab group functions as a consulting engineering firm, and the members of your group have received theattached memo from Ms. Seagraves requesting your assistance. Your group will work together to write a one-pagememo with attachments reporting to Ms. Seagraves the results of