Conference Session

Electrical & Computer Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Sunil Kulkarni; Chung Leung

. An approximation of the original image in most ofthe cases is enough, as long as the error between the original and reconstructed image istolerable.Mean Square ErrorOne of the error metrics used to compare the various image quality techniques is the MeanSquare Error (MSE) The MSE is the cumulative squared error between the reconstructed and theoriginal image. A lower value of MSE is good as it indicates there is very little error between theoriginal and reconstructed images.Peak Signal to Noise RatioSignal to Noise ratios are estimates of the quality of a reconstructed image compared withoriginal image. The basic idea is to compute a single number that reflects the quality of thereconstructed image. Reconstructed image with higher metric are

Conference Session

Experience with Experiential Learning

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Donna Summers

Society for Engineering Education Respondents brought up several interesting issues. The responses reflected a tendency to expect students to learn project management skills on an ‘as needed’ or ‘learn it as they go along’ approach. Project management teaching methods appeared the most solid when utilizing project management skills was considered a critical component of the project itself. Though not necessarily titled “Project Management”, separate courses were found primarily at 4 year institutions. Several respondents stated that the requisite skills were often taught several semesters after projects were required in certain classes. Other respondents stated that project management skills

Conference Session

Technology-Based Entrepreneurship Courses

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Michael Muhlbaier; Peter Jansson

theperformance (grading) reflects the completion of the aggressive deliverables. In the case of thisand all product innovations or inventions under the VCF at a very minimum the team mustdevelop a working prototype by the end of the semester in order to achieve a passing grade forthe Clinic Course. In the case of this innovation, the assessment was not challenging. The teamworked well in excess of the anticipated 10 hours per week and developed in a very short periodof time (one semester) three (3) unique designs for a simple to complex taillight system. As theproject moves to the next stage, the students are negotiating with manufacturers to construct theirdesigns, continuing in-store marketing to gain a better understanding of price points and

Conference Session

Innovative Curriculum and Outreach

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Elizabeth Eschenbach; Eileen Cashman

critical analyses.Students work very hard on the conversions. Less than 10% of the class is able to complete theconversion from ppm to ug/m3 when asked to do so in the JiTT quiz and a very high percentageof the class (80-90%) is able to correctly complete such a calculation on the mid-term or final Page 9.812.5exam. In the most recent semester, a problem requiring a unit conversion was not on the exam. Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2004, American Society for Engineering EducationWhen asked to reflect on the exam and provide a

Conference Session

Projects,Teams & Cooperative Learning

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Elizabeth Eschenbach; Eileen Cashman

working in the ERE Design Studio in both the traditional and group work layouts.Teamwork and Creativity Skill DevelopmentThe course provides bi-weekly Teamwork/Creativity exercises. These exercises are still indevelopment; however the current list of topics is provided below. Detailed explanations can befound on the CCLI Project website4 • Learning Style Assessment- Students learn about their own learning style via a number of paper and web based instruments. They reflect on how their own and others’ learning styles can impact teamwork. • Teamwork Criteria – The second week of class, students work in groups and are asked to submit their criteria on Blackboard for a team member to earn a grade of an

Conference Session

IE Outreach and Advancement

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Tycho Fredericks; Steven Butt; Jorge Rodriguez

collaborative learning sessions about the design process, data collection from potentialcustomers, and tasks to accomplish their goals that result in the manufacture of their prototype.Recognizing that students need to occasionally take a break from the intensive product designprocess, the instructional coordinators have also included “design challenges” that allow studentsto puzzle over a challenging problem for a short period of time. The program also builds in timefor the students to interact with each other in peer evening group sessions in order to reflect onthe activities of the day, address issues of concern, and focus on a topic of interest for highschool students planning to be college students. The program has also included a variety of

Conference Session

Mobile Robotics in Education

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

William Dillard

professionalism and, inparticular, owning an embedded systems kit were cited directly as key instruments of thischange. In spring semester 2004, we found two senior design groups that were using theirPICkitTM programmers to develop subsystems for their capstone projects. One project, in thearea of landmine detection, utilized a PIC MCU to pulse a coil at a fixed frequency and dutycycle and to monitor the time constant of the resulting magnetic field. The time constant is afunction of subsurface materials. The second project is a low-cost electronic “measuringtape” suitable for distances between 30 and 300 meters. In that work the MCU pulses afocused light source, microsteps a stepper motor, monitors the reflected light energy, thencalculates and

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Thomas Slack

taught this semester.This course already has a set of questions for quizzes from previous semesters, so they will needto be re-categorized to reflect the outcomes. At that time, it may be necessary to add additionalquestions to the database to fill in holes in the assessment of outcomes.At the beginning of the semester, at pre-test will be done to gather information on how thestudents do with the outcomes. This test will not be considered part of their grade. At the end ofthe semester, the final will contain all of the questions from the pre-test, and any additionalquestions that the professor prepares at that time.Student performance data will be collected for all tests done during the semester, and the resultswill be analyzed and presented at

Conference Session

Molecular and Multiscale Phenomena

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Richard Turton; Joseph Shaeiwitz

, molecular-scale, and atomic-scale technologies that are at the forefront of chemicalengineering research.1 This curriculum would replace a significant portion of the macro-scaletechnology that has been taught in chemical engineering for most of its history as a professionwith multi-scale technology, while retaining a sufficient amount of the traditional technology topermit teaching and learning of manufacturing. Traditional course titles may change, reflecting arearrangement of topics based on length scales.1In any new curriculum paradigm, there will still be a need for a capstone experience. In the newcurriculum paradigm, the capstone experience may include design of a product at multiplescales, from the product at the atomic through the colloid

Conference Session

Design Experiences in Energy Education

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Heather Cooper

within that division was allowed to focus on a slightly differentapproach to the same given project. This revised approach reduced the total number of projectsto four (from a possible 16 in the fall semester), which allowed the instructors to provide betterfeedback throughout the project timeframe, and also will limit repetition of projects in latersemesters.Another challenge has been to provide the students with guidelines that ensure a systematicapproach while still allowing enough control over the methodology to learn something new.Addressing this issue is an ongoing process, and slight modifications have been made eachsemester to the project handout to reflect changes in the guidelines. It is expected that some ofthe guidelines will

Conference Session

EM Skills and Real-World Concepts, Pt. 2

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Stephanie Adams; Erick Jones

chart components. In thedevelopment SECtCS SPC charts, we use for our historical parameter data on “n” number ofrespondents, the different “Cognitive Turnover” mean scores for similar professionals. Thisapproach is related to the chart of individuals for manufacturing processes8. Second, the parameter values plotted on the y-axis. SPC charts plot actual measurementvalues. Each point on the chart is intended to reflect the current state of the system. Thisapproach allows for instantaneously detecting of changes in the normally stable process. Becauseit has been noted in our research that the length of time that an individual stays at a companykeeps them from leaving because of benefits and pension investment the propensity for“cognitive

Conference Session

Curriculum Development in MFG ET

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Mitch Keil; Sam Ramrattan; Jorge Rodriguez; Alamgir Choudhury

Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering EducationA prototype TDT (Figure 2) has been developed for use with the disc specimen (DTS) as testpiece. The rigid sand/binder test piece undergoes characteristic structural change when heatedand loaded in the TDT. Such characteristics are reflected in the shape of a Thermal DistortionCurves (TDC) obtained for different sand/binder combinations, as seen in Figures 3 and 4. Temperature (C) Time(sec) 0.03 Temperature (C) Time (sec) 0.03

Conference Session

Accreditation and Related Issues in ECE

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Victor Nelson

includes consideration of whether to design a broad curriculum or aprogram that focuses on one specific area of computer engineering, perhaps to serve the needs oflocal industries or to reflect interests and background of the faculty. Several sample curriculum models, and syllabi of their component courses, are presentedin Appendices B and C of the CCCE Report to illustrate different ways in which a computerengineering curriculum might be created from the body of knowledge and engineering practiceaspects presented in this report. These curriculum models were designed from different Page 9.332.5perspectives to address the needs of

Conference Session

Nontechnical Skills for Engineering Technology Students

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Zbigniew Prusak

patentedinventions are not conceived by trained engineers? In Canadian French there is even a specialword for such person, “patenteux” 9. Patenteux stands for: creator, innovative problem solver,inventor and artist 9, 8. Based on 10 years of unpublished surveys of engineering technologystudents at sophomore through senior level engineering technology courses at CentralConnecticut State University (CCSU), the students express strong preference for repetitivelearning based on practical examples. That fact alone clearly indicates a preference for multiplesmall projects rather than one complex and time consuming project. The flow of teachingactivities described in this paper reflects experiences gathered in teaching Design forManufacturing senior level course

Conference Session

Course Development and Services

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

C. Richard Helps; Stephen Renshaw

students will “pick them up”. Thisincludes discussion on how the major works, how the labs work, the working relationships withprofessors, the social environment, etc.Crucial Learning ObjectivesFrom the “standards” presented above specific learning objectives should be developed for thefoundations class in IT. These objectives should be introductory in nature but reflect the entirescope of content for the IT major. Learning objectives are the outcome from the learning and notthe methods of obtaining this outcome. The emphasis should be placed on “student-oriented,learning-based, explicit, and assessable statements of intended cognitive outcomes.”6 Thefollowing list is a good example of a set of learning objectives for the foundations class in IT

Conference Session

International Engineering Education II

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Melany Ciampi; Claudio Brito

Page 9.200.3 Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2004, American Society for Engineering EducationThe overall global involvement into Brazilian conferences (nearly 1000 participants) isillustrated on Fig.1 that shows the total number of foreign papers presented at four conferences[7]. The Figure reflects the countries that presented not less than three papers at fourconferences. The percentage of “continental” participation is shown on a pie-diagram at the topof Fig.1. As one can see, Brazil, of course, is the chief contributor (558 papers submitted). It isimportant to underline that Brazilian contributors really present

Conference Session

Creative Ways to Present Basic Materials

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

David Niebuhr; Heather Smith

utilized streaming video and sound to illustrate key corrosion concepts.Anecdotally the CD was well received by the students, but there is no numerical data to confirmits effectiveness per se. We make the assumption that it added to the overall learning experienceof the students and was reflected by their overall higher scores on the assessment. Thisimprovement was encouraging given that the quantity of corrosion information presented wasnot increased, but rather it was made more palatable for the students.Design QuestionIn the design question the student was faced with suggesting a practical solution for a corrosionsystem. The question was left intentionally vague and required students to make assumptions,which was given in the instructions. The

Conference Session

Innovative Ideas for Energy Labs

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Ilya Grinberg

© 2004, American Society of Engineering EducationTeaching MethodologyThe proposed development reflects authors’ vision of laboratory experiments to be conducted ininteractive manner under supervision of a person on site.Certain limitations have to be observed: 1. Due to high voltage application actual physical set up should be monitored constantly 2. A large variety of experiments with different types of motors and/or connection diagrams require frequent change of wiring configurations, which should only be done physically on the site. A student or a group of students should request configuration changes to continue with another experiment 3. As with traditional manual experiment only one person can physically

Conference Session

Issues for ET Administrators

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Jerry Samples

change in the pedagogy ofteaching management has been broadly accepted in the academy. The professor found a new lifein writing about the pedagogy and influencing peers as they struggled to teach managementcourses. As a result of this reengagement, this professor has become the guiding light for newfaculty as they begin their writing careers, by serving as a mentor to those looking for help. Thistransformation of a professor, who had given up on professional development when consultingwas ruled out, reflects the life that the Boyer model has given to the teaching faculty in manycolleges and universities.ConclusionsConsulting is an excellent way to maintain technical currency as long as the consulting istechnically challenging. Consulting that is

Conference Session

Recruiting, Retention & Advising

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Tremayne Waller; Bevlee Watford

for all incoming freshman. A score is assigned to Page 9.218.4each student based on if they took calculus in high school, what grades they earned in high “Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineeringschool math and their math SAT score. Students with low scores reflecting weak mathematicsbackgrounds are required to enroll in College Algebra (Math 1015). However a student maytake a math readiness test (MRT), which if passed will allow them to enroll in first semestercalculus. For College of Engineering

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Alok Verma; Cheng Lin

reflect the changing needs of industry. This can happen only if the faculty are aware of the currenttrends in industry and are actively involved with industry and research projects. ASEE/NASA FacultyFellowship program offers opportunities for professional development for Engineering Technologyfaculty. A parametric study of water jet cutting (WJC) process was done under the ASEE / NASAfaculty fellowship program at NASA Langley Research Center. This research experience has been usedto enhance undergraduate curriculum in Mechanical Engineering Technology at Old Dominion University(ODU).I Introduction Success of engineering technology programs depends upon the effectiveness with which thecurriculum addresses needs of industry, the primary

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Elizabeth A. Stephan; Amy G. Yuhasz; Matthew Ohland

severaladvantages: (1) It is controlled by the General Engineering Program, (2) The three-credit-hourcourse includes one hour of lecture and two two-hour labs each week, (3) The topical materialcovered in the class lends itself to a variety of exercises, (4) It is an introductory class at thefreshman level, and (5) Many sections (about 20) are offered every semester, eight of which arecentral this study, and the others of which are used in the assessment of baseline measures andother objectives of interest.Experimental DesignOriginally, a multiple-intervention assessment protocol was designed to determine thecomparative benefit to learning effectiveness of (1) presentation of concepts with time forreflection, (2) reflection guided by instructor

Conference Session

Instrumentation in the Classroom

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

William J., Jr. Park; Elizabeth A. Stephan; Benjamin L. Sill; Matthew Ohland

, incorporates structured reflection to achieve someof discovery learning’s benefits without making a major commitment of time. The introductionof discovery methods shifts some control over the learning process to the learner. This approachagrees with Goforth4 who, in a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of learner control in tutorialcomputer assisted instruction, found that "it is important that the learner have some controlrather than none.” If we wish our students to learn and to be creative, they must be given thatopportunity—at least some assignments must be open-ended. Students must learn to think aboutthe problem, to ask questions, and to design an experiment to test their hypothesis. This alsodirectly addresses a number of ABET EC 2000 Criterion

Conference Session

Design in Freshman Year

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

H. Joel Lenoir

capital investment.Consumables for the course are covered completely by the program, no course fees are chargedfor any course in the Department of Engineering. This course is normally offered in the fallsemester, with approximately fifty students completing a steam engine. Aluminum stock,fasteners, springs, taps, cutters, and replacement tools are typically $2500 per year, althoughthese costs are amortized over the entire school year since students working on other courses andprojects take supplies for their use. This recurring cost is added to the normal programmaticbudget each fall.Summary of Course AssessmentCourse outcomes were developed for this course that reflect the established course objectives.These outcomes state the skill and

Conference Session

Creative Ways to Present Basic Materials

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

M.L. Meier

informative and effective laboratory reports. Organizing and presenting data, illustrating concepts, solving engineering problems, handling data from experiments, Broader Impact likelihood of using spreadsheets in other engineering courses, and spreadsheets becoming a normal part of all materials science courses.Figure 2 shows the responses to the two questions which address broader impacts and long termgoals of this effort along with the totals from all questions, indicating that an overwhelmingmajority agreed with each of the statements in their surveys, reflecting outstanding success inthis effort

Conference Session

DEED Poster Session

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Richard Vaz

learning outcomes plays an important role in WPI’s undergraduate programs.Although many outcomes are best demonstrated through the three required projects, course-based assessment is also an important component of evaluating the program. Each first- andsecond-year ECE course has a set of explicit learning outcomes (typically between five andseven) that has been agreed upon by the faculty members who regularly teach the course. Theprogress of each student with respect to each outcome is monitored and used to evaluate andimprove the courses and overall curriculum.The list of learning outcomes for the ECE Design course is unusual in both its breadth and depth,and reflects the high expectations that are placed on the student design teams. Students

Conference Session

Course/Program Assessment

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

David Cottrell

. The methodology builds on University, School, andProgram missions and goals which are themselves iterative in nature to reflect assessmentand input from appropriate staff, faculty, and other constituents. The Program Goals andMission have a direct link to Program assessment and evaluation activities. Bydefinition, this phase is characterized by ongoing training and support coupled with aconstant drive to sense and address the recurring needs of the faculty as they workcollectively to implement TC2K. The goal is for the programs to ultimately progress to apoint where iterative cycles of continuous improvement would commence characterizedby an appropriate level of assessment, evaluation, and response actions that are plannedand executed to

Conference Session

International Case Studies, Interactive Learning, Student Design

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Richard Vaz

enterprises are organized and managed.III. Presenting Engineering as a Helping ProfessionThe ECE Design course was developed and, for the first few years, taught by a team of facultymembers with extensive engineering design and management experience with large corporations. Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Page 9.1127.2 Copyright  2004, American Society for Engineering EducationAccordingly, the perspective from which the course was presented reflected product design as itoccurs in a corporate setting. Students learned about corporate organization and

Conference Session

Professional Ethics in the Classroom

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Ronald Meade

statement on sustainable development (ASCE, 1996). The codeand policy statement can be found at the ASCE web site.What they learnedThe class, armed with the ASCE code with its principles, canons, and guidelines, reviewed thework they had performed. A handout provided to the students is shown in the box on thefollowing page. The handout was keyed to the guidelines found in the code. The students wereto reflect on the work that they had performed during the course. Had we complied with theconcepts of the code? The class and I also reviewed the ethics situation from the exam.I selected nine topics on which to focus our classroom discussion. The topics were chosen basedon my experience in the practice and teaching of geotechnical engineering. The

Conference Session

Understanding Students: Cognition

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Lawrence Genalo

for things like breaking laws and getting into trouble. It is evident that Edison wasalways expanding his knowledge base about a given topic through reading books andnewspapers.The illustrations shown in Figure 1 represent Edison’s thought processes and learningexperiences while developing the automatic telegraphy.8 These illustrations provide someevidence that Edison’s approach to problem solving reflect thinking processes and knowledgeacquisition that occur during Piaget’s developmental stage of formal operations. As Edisonbegins to construct his ideas about how this invention will ultimately work, the illustrationsdemonstrate how he assimilated his new ideas with his existing cognitive structures and thenmade adjustments in his