Conference Session

Assessing the Efficacy of Non-traditional Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lanny Griffin; Daniel Walsh, California Polytechnic State University; Robert Crockett, California Polytechnic State University; Robert Szlavik, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Continuing Professional Development

the high-resolution web-based service provided by the partnering institution,and using the document camera instead of the board. Videotaping of lectures is standard becausewe have had numerous instances where either one or both sites are unable to obtain video, audio,or both.The ability to introduce new courses which reflect the current state of the art has been achallenge because the curricular committees at the college and university levels are notaccustomed to rapid change. We address this issue by using a special topics class which we canuse to deliver cutting-edge classes with minimal academic review. The course topic is vettedthrough the academic programs office and published on the transcript of the individual so thatthe content of the

Conference Session

Curriculum Development in Civil Engineering Technology

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Wood, Youngstown State University; David Kurtanich, Youngstown State University; Robert Di Rienzo, Youngstown State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

have achieved adequate strength and thesystem is completed sufficiently to provide all required bracing.ASCE 37 references ASCE 7 for computing environmental loads. The probability of anenvironmental load reaching its peak value during construction is generally low. In some casesthe loads can be reduced during the construction period to reflect this low probability. Forexample, the wind velocity to be resisted during construction can be reduced to 75% of thedesign wind velocity if the construction period is less than six weeks or to 80% if construction isless than 1 year (Section 6.2.1)5. Similarly, Section 6.4.1 states that if the construction period isfive years or less, the ground snow load can be reduced to 80% of the design value

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeff Wiegley, California State University-Northridge

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

spenda good amount of time trying to create more sophisticated software to compensatefor the drift in the platforms position or to provide rudimentary dead-reckoning.The optical sensors are particularly troublesome because they operating on a short-distance reflective infrared design that is prone to picking up lines between tiles,dirt or scuff marks on the sources.Students have shown remarkable self-motivation and differentiation from their col-league’s teams to provide creative solutions to their problems. using optical sensorsin conjunction with printed code wheels to provide direct feedback on the motorpositions is one example.Stepper Motor ControlSome advantages to the Handyboard control include high current (2 Amp) H-bridgecircuit and

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Howard Evans, National University; Shekar Viswanathan, National University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

institutions that are considered primarilyteaching institutions. Concomitantly, the roles of faculty members have changed to reflect theincreased importance of research. Although research output is one key component in theevaluation of salary increases, promotion, and tenure, sustaining active research in primarilyteaching institutions can be challenging at best. Furthermore, as research activities in mostinstances are commonly pursued by the faculty through externally funded programs, obtainingsuch external funding can be somewhat problematic at teaching – versus research - institutions.This paper discusses multiple ways of motivating and assisting faculty to conduct research andscholarly work at what has traditionally been a highly teaching-focused

Conference Session

Mechanics Education Programs and Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sridhar Condoor, Saint Louis University, Parks College of Eng.; Sanjay Jayaram, Saint Louis University, Parks College of Eng.; Lawrence Boyer, Saint Louis University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

five topics: free body diagrams, equilibrium,equivalence, separation of rigid bodies, and friction. In this approach, students use a consistentmethod to draw free body diagrams, develop equilibrium equations, and solve the equations forunknowns. Conceptual warm-up exercises are used to assess student misconceptions in eachtopic and enhance their learning. Gardner and Jacobs19 developed a structural experience forstudents that help them to make abstract theoretical concepts that they learn in early stages morerobust. Embedded in this experience were strategies that reflected both ‘good teaching’ practiceand relevant management strategies. The authors have developed a case study withaccompanying worksheets that became the scenario for rich

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alejandra J. Magana; Sean Brophy, Purdue University; George Bodner, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

. Page 13.1005.8An indicator of students’ perception of the above mentioned features was identified byasking them whether they consider nanoHUB as easy to use. Students respondedpositively by indicating with a 3.2 average score that nanoHUB is easy to use.Instructor A and instructor B seem to incorporate the simulation tools in an efficient way.Efficient in the sense that students are able to apply their knowledge to solve practicalsituations close related to students’ areas of interest, as well as efficient in the sense thatthey provide to their students opportunities to reinforce concepts learned in class withhomework assignments that allow students multiple opportunities to practice,comparison, and reflection. Regarding to the tool, nanoHUB

Conference Session

Preparing Engineers for the Global Workplace

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Najwa Hanel, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

International

AC 2008-2298: ENGINEERING RESEARCH RESOURCESNajwa Hanel, University of Southern California Page 13.520.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Engineering Research and Resources The American University of BeirutAs a member of the University of Southern California Science & Engineering Libraryfaculty, I was granted a Sabbatical Leave in 2006 to study the engineering researchers’resources at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon (AUB). My sabbatical report waswell received by my colleagues at USC and elsewhere motivating me to enhance it andshare it with you. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the history of an

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Swanbom; David Hall, Louisiana Tech University; Kelly Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation’s Course,Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program under Award No. 0618288. Anyopinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those ofthe authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.References1. Splitt, F.G., “Systemic Engineering Education Reform: A Grand Challenge.” The Bent of Tau Beta Pi, Spring 2003.2. Sheppard, S. and Jenison, R., “Examples of Freshman Design Education.” International Journal of Engineering Education, 13 (4), 1997, 248-261.3. Weggel, R.J., Arms, V., Makufka, M. and Mitchell, J., “Engineering Design for Freshmen.” prepared for Drexel University and

Conference Session

Preparing Engineers for the Global Workplace

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Annette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive Engineering,; Emilia Bratschitsch, Joanneum Univeristy of Applied Sciences; Adrian Millward-Sadler, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences

Tagged Divisions

International

academicrequirements of a semester abroad. In 2005, we decided to introduce English as the workinglanguage for an entire semester, both in lectures and in projects. The reasoning was twofold:firstly, as mentioned above, to encourage incoming mobility, thereby ensuring that the ‘bilateralexchange’ demanded by the Socrates program (now the Life Long Learning Program) programtakes place. Secondly, we wanted to give students staying at home the chance to apply theirlanguage skills in a way which reflected situations they might find themselves in the workplacein future , e.g. working as part of a multinational, multicultural team, where they must be able tocoordinate their work ‘with others who view the world through differing cultural lenses’7.Introducing a

Conference Session

Engineering for Nonengineers: Ideas & Results

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

device evolution in the larger cultural and socialcontexts of the time. The format of our Tech Lit course is important: each lab device and associatedtechnical lecture (“engineering solution”) is preceded by an historical survey lecturewhich provides not only prior examples of “engineering solutions” to the same or similartechnical challenges, but also reflects upon the societal and technical settings of the time.While such a lecture pair was first created in order to show the evolution of thetechnology itself over time, it also naturally reveals the “global and societal contexts”within which each version of the device (engineering solution) was created, grew infrequency of application, and ultimately, perished or was replaced with a yet

Conference Session

Capstone Design I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susannah Howe, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

for Capstone Involvementand number of faculty receiving teaching credit for theirinvolvement. Note that the faculty numbers do not Student/Faculty % of Responsesnecessarily reflect all faculty involved with the capstone Ratio (n=53)course, only those who received teaching credit for theirinvolvement. As discussed in Table 1, a sizable minority of 1 – 10 19programs do not provide teaching credit for coaching

Conference Session

Topics in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

theme of “trash” seemed to blind many of the studentsto the broad implications. One student’s comments regarding the project on his reflective essayat the end of the semester sums it up: “I felt that the landfill project in particular was a definiteturn-off from the major. I feel that, in general, incoming Environmental Engineering studentsare not particularly excited about designing landfills, they would rather do something flashierand more entertaining. I understand (and understood) that landfill design is a sector ofEnvironmental Engineering, but I personally have absolutely no interest in it, and I feel most of Page 13.453.3my peers share

Conference Session

Sustainability in AEC and AEC Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Kirby, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Hilal Ozcan, Prairie View A&M University; Fouad Fouad, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

reflects culture and includes the diversity characteristics inextricablylinked to culture. Architecture inherently possesses a certain formal nature, which can beevaluated. The approach to identifying diversity-defining characteristics is intended to revealkey indicators inherent to primary form responses. These indicators, in part, grow out of basicarchitectural determinants of form and may be simplified into the following taxonomy of threegroupings of factors: external (PLACE), internal (PEOPLE) and the in-between(ARCHITECTURE) indicators. External indicators present opportunities for integration ofcultural and contextual diversity. Internal indicators provide opportunities for the domain andspecific detailed user or people related diversity

Conference Session

ECE Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

L. Brent Jenkins

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

insists that the terminal voltage of the "We refuse tocircuit is 2V, while the right source insists that compromise."the same voltage is 3V. In Figure 2b, the upper (a) (b)source insists that the branch current is 10 mA, Page 13.293.2while the lower source insists that the same Figure 2: Impossible Source Combinationscurrent is 15 mA. Since ideal sources lack the ability to compromise, such cases either reflect atheoretical stalemate, or a situation in which at least one of the sources has to either becomenon-ideal or non-functional.The

Conference Session

LabVIEW and Mindstorms Based Experiments

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nebojsa Jaksic, Colorado State University-Pueblo; Dawn Spencer, Colorado State University-Pueblo

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Problem-solving • Analytical SkillsThis indicates a high level of interest and effort in the class throughout the semester.Besides igniting interest in robotics for the students in the class, we had an unintended effect ofexciting a class of about 24 preschool children who came to participate in a final testing stage.During the official DARPA Urban Challenge on Saturday, November 3rd, 2007, the students heldtheir own mini Urban Challenge in the lobby of the student dorm. Although it was interesting foronlookers, results were not as hoped due to the early date. In one case, the robot traversed theentire route, but didn’t detect another vehicle at an intersection. The obstacle didn’t reflect theultrasound back to the robot’s sensor. In another

Conference Session

Beyond Individual Ethics: Engineering in Context

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Byron Newberry, Baylor University; William Lawson, Texas Tech University; Kathy Austin, Texas Tech University; Greta Gorsuch, Texas Tech University; Thomas Darwin, University of Texas at Austin

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

education forengineers.2,3 This is reflected in current ABET accreditation standards that require “anunderstanding of professional and ethical responsibility” as well as other competencies related tounderstanding engineering’s role and impact in the wider world. This has by no meansguaranteed that ethics education for U.S. engineering undergraduates is of a uniform content,quality, or depth.4 Nonetheless the movement appears to be clearly in the direction of morecoverage, whether in the form of stand-alone ethics courses or ethics modules embedded inexisting courses; at the very least, engineering programs must show that their graduates havebeen exposed to ethics content to a level adequate to satisfy evaluators.The underlying presumption of such

Conference Session

Interdisciplinary Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

HuiRu Shih, Jackson State University; Wei Zheng, Jackson State University; Wilbur L Walters, Jackson State University; Stevenson Paradeshi, Jackson State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

under the grant EEC-0634279 (programmanager Dr. Mary Poats). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendationsexpressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of theNational Science Foundation.References1. Gabbert, U. and Tzou, H. S. (2001). Smart Structures and Structronic System, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London.2. Song, G., Qiao, P. Z., Binienda, W. K. and Zou, G. P. (2002). “Active Vibration Damping of Composite Beam using Smart Sensors and Actuators.” Journal of Aerospace Engineering, July 2002, 97-103. Page 13.1086.123. Inman, D. J. (1994

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Teams

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Dong, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

provide a well rounded exposure to a subject, enhancing student learning by exposingstudents to multiple view points, etc.In my experience, which is based on personal observations and student feed back, this model issuccessful when the two instructors have been working together for a long time and havecompatible goals and pedagogy or if team teaching is proposed as a benefit to the students ratherthan to accommodate the needs of the faculty members. In the latter case, the team must committo regular meetings to coordinate lecture and homework assignments in order to minimizeoverlap in material and provide a smooth transition from one instructor to the next. In reflection,the requirements of team teaching are no different than the team building

Conference Session

Innovative Instructional Strategies

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Martha Allen, Georgia College & State University; Amy Kelley, Georgia College & State University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

away from theory. In developing the modified lecture with activities format, the authors triedto choose assignments and divide class time to reflect the needs of the students. Currently, themodified lecture with activities format contains elements of traditional lecture, IBL and PBL. Page 13.284.7The authors are continually seeking ways to improve the modified lecture with activities format.The challenge for improvement rests in the desired outcomes for this particular linear algebracourse. The pre-engineering majors need computational skills as well as the ability to know whento apply linear algebra techniques. In essence, linear algebra

Conference Session

The Use of Computers in Teaching Mathematics

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jayathi Raghavan, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Leslie Sena, Bethune Cookman College; Hong Liu, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; David Bethelmy, Bethune Cookman College

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

) motivating students in the applications of themathematical concepts that reflect realistic problems in their prospective engineering careers, 2)integrating these complicated applications into the tight schedule of engineering courses, 3)leveraging the overwhelming complexity so that the students are not intimidated, and 4)compensating for the lack of physical models required in most engineering applications Theauthors considered these challenges in the development of modules and agreed that a frameworkfor module development was required. The authors began preliminary research to develop sucha framework centered on the concept of abstraction.The authors began by exploring resources developed by other colleagues, reviewing the existingdigital library

Conference Session

Educational Software

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Hopkins, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

well beyond the half-sample frequency, and on the lower half of the unit-circle.The periodicity of the D-T magnitude plot is somewhat disguised by the fact that the frequency-axis is log-scaled, but the point clearly lies on the magnitude curve above the 50Hz "reflection". Figure 16. Selection of a frequency beyond the half-sample-rate frequency.4. ConclusionIn order to create plots "on-the-fly" at the lectern, ultimately, program instructions must beentered into a computer. Although applications such as Matlab® have made plot creation fairlyeasy, it is nonetheless challenging to quickly create and format plots in such a way that they areeasily readable in a classroom, and also easily and clearly demonstrate important points of

Conference Session

Careers and Professional Development in BME

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Guilford, University of Virginia; Katherine Bishop, University of Virginia; William Walker, University of Virginia; J. Milton Adams, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

same admissionsrequirements.” While it is true that medical schools have come to expect a standard array ofbasic science courses prior to matriculating, it is also true that some medical schools indicatehaving no requirements of particular classes; the MCAT is their principal measure of mastery ofbasic sciences. Indeed we have seen no evidence amongst our graduates that any medicalschools reject students for lack of a particular undergraduate class.One reason for this may be reflected in another free-response: “Be certain that this plan of studyis strongly endorsed by UVa’s premed advisor. Med schools are guided by that endorsement.”Most institutions have the equivalent of an office of pre-professional studies. We work closelywith advisors in

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Juanita Jo Matkins, College of William and Mary; John A. McLaughlin, McLauglin Associates; Eugene Brown, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Gail Hardinge, College of William and Mary; Nancy West, College of William and Mary; Robert Stiegler, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division; Kirk Jenne, Office of Naval Research

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

inclementweather and teacher schedules that impacted the consistency of administration. Within eachschool section below, the reader is provided with an overview of instrumentation and the mostsalient aspects of the data collected. The complete set of evaluation results is available uponrequest from the authors.In an ideal world with a perfect project all the data would yield results that are undeniablyconclusive. Social science researchers evaluate results from projects that reflect the complexityof human beings and human organizations. Thus, it did not surprise the authors to find resultsthat were encouraging, puzzling, and sometimes mildly disappointing. In the following sectionsthe authors have tried to provide a balanced reporting of the results from

Conference Session

Engineering in High Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Crismond, The City College of New York

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

area of engineeringdesign research that relates in some design model to the latter phase of reflective practice (Schön,1983). Studying the relationship between product quality and diagnostic reasoning is a fruitfularea of future study. The results of this case-study comparison preliminarily suggest thateffective diagnostic reasoning may be related to better product design, since such a capabilityenables designers to learning more from product testing. When effective diagnostic reasonsersperform more design iterations, they may achieve greater insights into their devices and discovermore features to improve while still working within the time-constrained setting in which mostdesign work takes place. Disparities between intended function and

Conference Session

Fluid Mechanics Experiments and Laboratories

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

B. Terry Beck, Kansas State University; Brian Anderson, Kansas State University; Mina Hosni, Kansas State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

4and 5 also show the laser-based illumination setup used for the current testing. A 500mW solidstate laser was mounted vertically on an adjustable support platform. The platform providedlateral displacement adjustment and tilt adjustment degrees of freedom for aligning the lightsheet with the plane of the smoke streams. A simple cylindrical lens optic produced the desiredsheet of light for illumination of a section of the test section. The top of the test section, as wellas the side-walls, are of Plexiglas for optical access. Not all of the flow field could be viewed atthe same time with the current optical setup due to the spreading of the laser light sheet. Forsafety reasons, precautions were taken to minimize stray laser reflections. Test

Conference Session

Innovative K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heath Tims, Louisiana Tech University; Galen Turner, Louisiana Tech University; Don Schillinger, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

break times. Many students chose to stayin the classroom and continue refining their bridge designs. This suggests that the group wasactively engaged, and will perform higher on their post camp test. The test scores reflect thisobservation. Building Bridges to the Future subject areas such as mathematics had an averageincrease of 1.68 or (11.2%), science had an average increase of 1.35 or (13.5%), and an overallincrease of 3.4 or (8.6%). This observation of active engagement of the students is validated bythe student’s evaluations of Building Bridges to the Future. 94.5% of the Junior High studentsresponded that they would attend the camp the following year, whereas 100% responded thatthey would recommend Building Bridges to the Future to a

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anbu Elancheziyan, Drexel University; Jaudelice de Oliveira, Drexel University; Fernand Cohen, Drexel University; Fredricka Reisman, Drexel University

the process ofcreating a complete lab manual with pre-labs, experiments, and lab report questions. Evaluations(multi-method matched group evaluation7) will be carried out to assess retention, improvedattitude towards networking and other disciplines for which experiments are developed. Thus farwe have found that undergraduate students are very interested in the subject of sensor networks(given the demand for the new course and offered senior design projects).AcknowledgmentThis work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-0633576. Anyopinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those ofthe author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nataliia Perova, Tufts University; Patricia Hogan, Suffolk University; Walter H. Johnson, Suffolk University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

yourecharge the 5 Ah battery to maintain the mote in the operational condition.The understanding of the concept of EM wave propagation is one of the fundamental topicsincluded in physics and physical science textbooks. Participant of this study indicated that theytook at some point a university physics course so they could explain this question based on theirprevious knowledge. It is also possible that participants gain an understanding through directexperimentation with the Tmote devices and some of the responses can reflect that. To teststudents’ understanding of electromagnetic waves propagation they were asked the questionwhether it would be feasible to try to increase the speed of transmission of EM signal usingwater as the media where the wave

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phil Schlosser, Ohio State University; Michael Parke, Ohio State University; John Merrill, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

software (Autodesk Inventor 2008©). They then develop initial energy models oftheir coasters using Excel, use their results to find design problems, and revise their design. Oncethey have approved revisions, they begin to build their coasters. Upon completing the coasterrequirements, students document their final design, including a revised Excel energy model. Inorder to validate their designs, students use eight custom-made speed sensors that they attach tothe coaster track to measure the speed of the coaster car at critical locations along the track.Speed measurements are captured in LabVIEW, analyzed, and submitted in a final report asevidence of how well the Excel design model reflected the actual behavior of the roller coaster.The project

Conference Session

Design: Content and Context

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anoop Desai, Georgia Southern University; Jean-Claude Thomassian, State University of New York, Maritime College

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

some minor modifications, the voice of students as reflected in their evaluations can also be incorporated into this methodology. However, such a modification is outside of the scope of this paper and is not discussed here. The House of Quality is the principal tool used in QFD. It is depicted in figure 1.Figure 1: The House of Quality (QFD)The customer requirements are entered in the left column and are translated into coursecharacteristics under technical requirements. The customer requirements are prioritized under thecustomer importance column. An interesting feature of using this approach is to comparecharacteristics of the course with similar courses available at other institutions so as to be able toattract more students