Conference Session

Construction Safety and Risk Management

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Essam K. Zaneldin P.E., United Arab Emirates University; Amr M.I. Sweedan, United Arab Emirates University; Munjed A. Maraqa, United Arab Emirates University

Tagged Divisions

Construction

. Page 24.589.6 Figure 1: Background Information about the Surveyed EngineersSome of the surveyed engineers are nationals of countries outside the MENA region but theygraduated from universities in the MENA and worked in the region. Also, more than 65% of therespondents graduated in the year 2000 and after and, as such, the overall opinion of thesurveyed engineers is likely to reflect the current situation in terms of construction safetyeducation. It was also found that, 57% of the surveyed engineers have a degree in civilengineering while 22% have a degree in architectural engineering. The remaining (21%) have adegree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or other engineering disciplines.When

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Turner Ralph Swanson, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society; Justin Matthew Collins, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Jill Frey, Sweet Water Foundation; Joey Zocher, Escuela Verde; Matthew J. Traum, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

students will work in small groups with ΤΒΠ members andSWF staff to brainstorm problems and potential solutions for sustained human exploration ofspace.Module 2 - The Formal Engineering Design Process: To show students how engineers solvetechnical problems, they will be introduced to an eight-step formal engineering design process:1) customer needs identification and quantification, 2) knowledge search, 3) brainstorming, 4)down-selection, 5) detailed design, 6) fabrication, 7) testing, and 8) reflection. ΤΒΠ memberswill draw upon their own design experiences, sharing personal examples from project courses,senior design, and industry internships. Using the tropism machines featured in later modules asthe ultimate product goal, Escuela Verde

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Garrick A. Aden-Buie, University of South Florida; Autar Kaw, University of South Florida; Ali Yalcin, University of South Florida; Ram Pendyala, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

and design a test that"elicits the kind of behavior reflected in [that] definition"4.From an administrative perspective, CR examinations can be one to several orders of magnitudemore costly to implement and score than MC examinations, especially as the size of theexaminee population grows3. CR items are generally considered more reliable than MC items, asstudent guessing is minimized and more nuanced scoring is possible; however, maintainingvalidity and consistency requires strict maintenance and fair application of a grading rubric1. Asa result, CR items require allocating students more time during the examination and increase theadministrative demands in preparing for and scoring the examination and providing feedback tostudents. Scoring

Conference Session

International Division Technical Session 7

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ivan E. Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University, Media; Sheila Katherine Lascano Farak, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María ; Jared Roberto Ocampo, Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana; Roberto Viganò, Politecnico di Milano; Jorge W. Duque-Rivera Duque-Rivera, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral; Carlos A. Rodriguez, EAFIT University

Tagged Divisions

International

". Several researchers observed deficiencies inthe performance of students in the various activities of PBL, referring to self-directed learningskills and metacognitive knowledge12,13,14. Therefore, strengthening metacognitive skills andreflection in students is essential in such innovative learning environments to help them to adoptstrategies and reasoning processes that enable them to define, plan and self-monitor theirthinking and learning style. In this sense, metacognitive and reflective skills of students betterrely on social learning environments13. Social interaction promotes the development of cognitivestructures of individuals, when individuals reconcile the differences between their own ideas andthe ideas of others, and when they ask

Conference Session

Impact of Community Engagement on Communities

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lindsey A Nelson, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Community Engagement Division

achieveinstitutional recognition and gain support needed to send students abroad. The new program canuse existing in-country partnerships instead of having to develop brand-new relationships.However, the experience of the Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship programshows that the new program frequently has different educational outcomes than the existingprogram. Specifically, HESE’s experience reflects a growing concern about how students canimplement their solutions in country. While creating the International Sustainable DevelopmentProjects Clinic supported teams encountering legal obstacles, many other projects have found Page

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

DeLean Tolbert, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Monica E. Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

intelligence [13-15].Literature ReviewOf the four concepts of our theoretical framework, which are introduced above, this literaturereview will focus on the use of video data to observe convergent and divergent thinkinginstances. Mathematical modeling and fixation will be discussed briefly but we anticipate morefully exploring how video data support observing those concepts in future publications. We focuson convergent and divergent thinking because it reflects our desired primary focus duringobservations where field notes were recorded, where this focus was chosen based on ourhypothesis that students with increased mathematical background would engage in moredivergent thinking. The researcher looks for instances of convergent and divergent thinking

Conference Session

Methodological & Theoretical Contributions to Engineering Education 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scottie-Beth Fleming, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

coauthoredwith individuals located at the same universityversus those publications featuring authorsfrom multiple universities (F(2, 91) = 9.715,p<0.001). Further, a Tukey MultipleComparisons test shows that a difference inmeans exists between authors with anengineering education department and thosewho do not have an engineering educationdepartment (Figure 2). Authors affiliated with Figure 2. E-I Index by Availability ofan engineering education department have a EER Resourcessignificantly lower E-I Index, however thepositive index value reflects that most authors Page 24.279.7tend to collaborate outside their collocated

Conference Session

Computing in the First Year

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Meagan Eleanor Ita, Ohio State University ; Krista M. Kecskemety, Ohio State University; Katlyn Elizabeth Ashley, Ohio State University; Brooke Morin, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

overcomputer-based examinations, the student performance results do not reflect this test modepreference. Interestingly, in a study conducted by Koch and Patience where Likert-type scalesregarding general test preference were administered to students, students preferred computer-based tests more often than paper-based.9 Similar to results shown here, no correlation could bemade between student test mode preference and exam performance.Individual exam questions were additionally analyzed for statistical significance using aWilcoxon rank-sum test. From all three exams, five questions exhibited significantly differentstudent performance between computer and paper portions of identical questions. These fivequestions, a description of each, computer and

Conference Session

DEED Melange

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Libby Osgood P. Eng, Dalhousie University and University of Prince Edward Island; Clifton R Johnston P.Eng., Dalhousie University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

accurate responses and provides a shallow assessment. For example, a student mayscore very poorly on a report because of their communication skills but have a very advanceddesign. An instrument is needed to target the different aspects of a students’ design ability.Various less-traditional tools that are utilized include qualitatively observing behavior6,analyzing creativity7, responding to sample design scenarios8, coding design journals9, and focusgroups10. The Transferable Integrated Design Engineering Education (TIDEE) project11produced the most comprehensive tool that utilizes a short-answer pre-knowledge exam, teamdesign assignment, reflective essay, and self-assessment. This tool, while thorough, requiresintensive analysis of the

Conference Session

Engineering Leadership Development Constituent Committee Division Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce DeRuntz, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; Rhonda K. Kowalchuk, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; John W. Nicklow, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Leadership Development Division

Page 24.672.6step to ensure everyone’s complete understanding of our vision and mission and to affirm buy-infor each of the student participants. The LDP’s vision and mission statements have beendeveloped over the past seven years.Vision Statement: To become the premier university program that develops the United States of America’s future technical leaders.Mission Statement: Through teamwork, we push harder, faster and further than anyone thought possible, achieving world-class resultsKey Strategic ObjectivesThe team is then asked what kind of Key Strategic Objectives would reflect our proficiency inachieving our vision and mission. The students have the opportunity to amend the current KeyObjectives

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Kline, Western Michigan University; Betsy M. Aller, Western Michigan University; Ikhlas Abdel-Qader, Western Michigan University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

desirable when compared to other engineeringschools because they have a shorter on-the-job learning curve as a result of the practicalexperience they gained. Faculty members engaged in industry-supported research usuallyinvolve undergraduates. Thus, the graduate profile reflects the College vision of “A scholarlycommunity dedicated to excellence through student-centered education and researchemphasizing professional practice in engineering and applied science" and the College missionof preparing “job-ready graduates.”Background on S-STEM Scholars ProgramBegun in 2010, the S-STEM Scholar Program increases opportunities for financially needy butacademically talented students. These students: • Come into the S-STEM Scholar Program as first-time

Conference Session

Materials Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yalcin Ertekin, Drexel University (Tech.); Irina Nicoleta Ciobanescu Husanu, Drexel University (Tech.); Richard Chiou, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.)

Tagged Divisions

Materials

systematicallycollecting feedback from students. Improving learning through formative assessment dependsbasically on three key factors (1) effective feedback to students; (2) active involvement ofstudents in their own learning; and (3) adjusting teaching to take into account the results ofassessment. In exams for all course offerings, an entering knowledge test on sustainability andeco design will measure what students are expected to know prior to taking the course, while thefinal exam will reflect content objectives and expected student knowledge acquisition from thecourse. The predetermined assessment criteria will be communicated to students at the beginningof the instructional period. A Likert type scale questionnaire will measure how students feelabout

Conference Session

The Interdisciplinary Nature of Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alan Chong, University of Toronto; Lydia Wilkinson, University of Toronto; Deborah Tihanyi, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Multidisciplinary Engineering

in Drama. She has published articles on performance and on communication, and has edited journals and anthologiesMs. Deborah Tihanyi, University of Toronto Deborah Tihanyi is a Senior Lecturer in the Engineering Communication Program at the University of Toronto. Page 24.802.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Intersections of Humanities and Engineering: Experiments in Engineering Specific Humanities Electives and Pedagogies1. Introduction:A significant amount of research, reflected in the 2000 ABET requirements, has acknowledgedthe importance

Conference Session

Innovations in Pedagogy

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mansoor Nasir, Lawrence Technological University; Joseph Seta, Lawrence Technological University; Eric G. Meyer, Lawrence Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

prosthetics is a popular entry point intoBME for many high school students. The technology used to restore mobility to amputees andthe advancements in biorobotics makes this area of study more accessible and relevant to newstudents. It is also easier to communicate some of the future job opportunities where BME areimproving outcomes for people. The Experimental Biomechanics Lab is equipped with a Viconmotion capture system and the topic was initially presented through the historical use of suchsystems in gait analysis and automobile accident research. One student was prepared for 3Dmotion analysis by attaching 39 retro-reflective markers to the body segments defined by theVicon “Plug-in Gait” biomechanical model (Fig. 1). After calibration, a number

Conference Session

Methodological & Theoretical Contributions to Engineering Education 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yakut Gazi, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

emergence of new global cultural forms, media, and technologies ofcommunication, the relations of affiliation, identity, and interaction within and acrosslocal cultural settings have been reshaped, which is termed globalization (Burbules &Torres, 2000)[6]. Although globalization in education is highly recognized and upheld byscholars and educators, the target needs of students in global education courses are stillseen as content and language focused. The experiences, beliefs, and cultural expectationsof students from a variety of backgrounds are not yet reflected in the pedagogy andevaluation practices (Pincas, 2001)[27]. One of the outcomes of increasing access toeducation at a distance through global online courses, as Moore (2006)[23] points

Conference Session

Teaching Approaches for Ethics

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Raridon, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Rebecca A. Bates, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Deborah K. Nykanen P.E., Minnesota State University, Mankato; Marilyn C. Hart, Minnesota State University- Mankato; Winston Sealy, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

ethics in a disciplinary context and included anextensive discussion with a philosophy professor about ethical frameworks. The learningapproach was through ethical case studies, long used as an approach to teaching ethics (e.g.,Harris et al., 2013)11. Discipline-based teams discussed and critiqued ethical case studies andwrote reflections. The multidisciplinary context was examined through 1) class-wide discussionsand 2) multidisciplinary, small group discussions where students presented their discipline-basedcase to fellow scholars in other STEM disciplines. The second semester (fall 2013) usedmultidisciplinary projects to explore the broad topic of “garbage”. This is a topic important tosociety that STEM students, especially engineers, will

Conference Session

Track 3 - Session 1

Collection

2014 ASEE International Forum

Authors

Morgan M. Bakies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Karen Seliah Lamb, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Topics

Student Development

Enterprise spread to Brazil in 1988. Within one year, it is estimated that 10 JuniorEnterprises were started throughout the country, reflecting the enthusiasm Brazilian collegestudents exhibit towards entrepreneurship. An umbrella organization to oversee Brazil, similar tothat of JADE in Europe, was founded in 2003 and named Brasil Junior. Brasil Junior nowgoverns approximately 28,000 students. A relationship between Brasil Junior and JADE wasestablished almost immediately in 2003 to further the entrepreneurial activities of bothorganizations and its constituents while actively promoting Junior Enterprise to countries such asTunisia, Canada, and the United States. Currently, there are three Brazilian ambassadors inBrussels working with JADE to

Conference Session

Teaching Communication II

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Victoria Vadyak; Michael Alley, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Joanna K. Garner, Old Dominion University; Christine Haas, Christine Haas Consulting

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

discuss the weaknesses ofthe topic-subtopic structure, which is reflected in the presentation’s slides: a topic-phraseheadline supported by a bulleted list of subtopics. Heavily influenced by PowerPoint’sdefaults, this structure leads to presentations that are not well focused and do notcommunicate technical information in an effective manner [4]. Second, the mentors teach Page 24.1399.3students an assertion-evidence approach to creating presentations. In such an approach,the presenter builds the talk on assertions, rather than topics, and supports theseassertions with visual evidence rather than with bulleted lists. In their teaching, Utreeteaching

Conference Session

Diversity Redefined: Nontraditional Views in Traditional Environments

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Terrell Lamont Strayhorn, The Ohio State University; Leroy L. Long III, Ohio State University; Michael Steven Williams, The Ohio State University; Marjorie Luce Dorimé-Williams, Baruch College; Derrick L. Tillman-Kelly, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

general education and practical competencerespectively. The first may reflect a long-standing belief in higher education—that students gain Page 24.894.13from every year spent in college; thus, senior engineering majors would be expected to reportgreater gains than their freshman and sophomore peers. That full-time students report higherperceived gains in practical competence than their part-time peers may seem rather intuitive;those who attend college full-time, taking more credits, and more courses have moreopportunities to learn and utilize skills such as critical thinking and effective communication.Similarly, these results may reflect

Conference Session

Engaging Minority Pre-College and Transfer Students in Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Quincy Brown, Bowie State University; Jamika D. Burge, Information Systems Worldwide

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Page 24.915.3as much as cognitive development24, 25, 29. These non-technical skills, also called character, helpcomputer scientists solve problems. Learning CS often requires soft skills like cooperation,communication skills, discipline, and resilience, which prepare students for tackling obstacleshead-on.To encourage non-technical skill development, MOTIVATE girls prepare presentations on atopic they most enjoyed during the program (i.e., HTML, 3D printing, robotics, etc.,), andparticipated in a showcase at the end of the workshop. This provides them with an opportunity toself-reflect and share how they might have overcame challenges during the course of theirlearning. The MOTIVATE program provided an environment in which AA girls could

Conference Session

Sustainability

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James E. Wilcox , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Atsushi Akera, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Multidisciplinary Engineering

to demonstrate a rudimentary ability to move beyond “opinions” towards informed judgment that is based in facts, sound reasoning, and active Page 24.929.2 reflection. 3) Demonstrated progress in the basic technical proficiencies of higher education, including reading, writing, oral and visual presentation, independent study, teamwork, and seminar-style conversation. 4) Clear evidence of thoughtful reflections about your own learning process as related to your transition to college.In terms of course content, in the year in which assessment data was collected, the course beganwith a focus on environmental ethics

Conference Session

Classroom Management

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edward F. Gehringer, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

more reflectively on that course.Reason #2: The rehearsal effect. The first time one makes a presentation, mistakes areinevitable. Practice makes perfect, and reflecting on what you did in one section willhelp you do a better job in another section. One caveat: More practice is not always anadvantage, as we will discuss in the next section.Reason #3: Questions from students in one section may help in another section.Presenting the material multiple times lets you observe the reactions of different sets ofstudents. A student in one class may ask a question that leads you to present the samematerial better to the other class. Page 24.961.4Category 3

Conference Session

Engineering Leadership Development Constituent Committee Division Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew C. Hurt, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Robert C. Deadman, Ivy Tech Community College; Jenny Daugherty, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Daniel O. Lybrook, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Leadership Development Division

technology students and then will be used todevelop/modify curriculum at the community college and university partner. Page 24.973.6Technology Leadership Certificate and CurriculumUtilizing the Technology Leadership competency model, we will develop the content for aTechnology Leadership certificate. Course content of the certificate will reflect those essentialcompetencies, allowing all students who complete to develop a technology leadership skill set.Further, we will use the working competency model to develop and refine courses in the AS /AAS programs at the statewide community college and the university program, with a focus onstudents

Conference Session

Principles of K-12 Engineering Education and Practice

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pamela S. Lottero-Perdue, Towson University; Elizabeth A Parry, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

or developed with persistence, effort, and focus on learning.”13 Dweck reflected on suchgrowth mindset individuals as follows: They knew that human qualities, such as intellectual skills, could be cultivated through effort. And that’s what they were doing – getting smarter. Not only weren’t they discouraged by failure, they didn’t even think they were failing. They thought they were learning.16The focus for these individuals was on learning and improving as they were challenged and evenas they failed.iii Research has suggested that students who have, are exposed to, or develop a growthmindset may experience a variety of positive outcomes. For example, middle school studentswith a growth mindset increased their

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vikram Kapila, Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

, microcontrollers,and robotics to prototype a variety of mechatronics projects. These activities illustrated real-world applications of fundamentals covered in introductory lectures to reinforce and impart agreater sense of understanding. Such a curriculum and instruction strategy exposed teachers tofundamental mechatronics design principles as they learned the core concepts through activitieswherein they built practical devices that integrated and illustrated their learning. The discussionportion of each session provided participants with an opportunity to reflect on the session’s workand to brainstorm ways of integrating these activities in K-12 STEM learning. On the last two days of guided training, an entrepreneurship module—consisting

Conference Session

Socio-cultural Elements of Learning through Service

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bowa George Tucker, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; David O. Kazmer, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Chris Swan, Tufts University; Angela R. Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder; Kurt Paterson P.E., James Madison University; Olga Pierrakos, James Madison University; Greg Rulifson P.E., University of Colorado, Boulder; Linda Barrington, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Community Engagement Division

and McTighe (2005) identified three stages: (1) Identify desiredoutcomes and results, (2) Determine what constitutes acceptable evidence of competency in theoutcomes and results, and (3) Plan instructional strategies and learning experiences that bringstudents to these competency levels. They posit this approach will help faculty designinstruction that promotes understanding and fosters student engagement.Another important approach to curricular reform that called for improvement throughoutundergraduate education has been in service-learning pedagogy. Service-learning is a teachingmethod in which students participate in organized service activity for academic credit that meetsidentified community issues, and that reflection done by the

Conference Session

Research in Biomedical Pedagogy

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David W. Gatchell PhD, Northwestern University; Robert A. Linsenmeier, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

wereasked to rate these courses using a three-point scale: 1, this course should not be required of allundergraduate bioengineers; 2, it is uncertain as to whether this course should be required; 3,this course should be required. Responses from industry are shown by open bars, and thosefrom academia by gray bars. There were no differences (p ≥ 0.05 in all ten cases) in the meanratings of these courses by academia and industry. Another point of some interest is whether tracks are useful in the curriculum. Hereopinions varied widely, as shown in Table 4. Many individuals strongly supported the value oftracks, but others did not, reflecting the split within the actual programs. Table 4. Perceived value of tracks in BME undergraduate

Conference Session

Advances in CAD with Emphasis on Dimensioning

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Holly K. Ault Ph.D., Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Linjun Bu; Kejiang Liu, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Design Graphics

am going to do is naming the features I make. I am also going to start using chamfers and rounds as a feature.” • “In the future, I will try not to group up different features in a mirror so that I could change the part if necessary.” • “After seeing how useful mirror is in the past few labs, I will certainly employ more use of that feature.”A few reflected on the situational aspects of modeling strategy: “I would certainly use differentmodeling strategies depending on the intended future of a particular part file.” Some of thesecomments may reflect the students’ inexperience with changing models, as it was observed thatmany students immediately opened the sketches to make simple dimensional changes rather

Conference Session

Laboratory Experiences with Signal Processing and Controls

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chad Eric Davis P.E., University of Oklahoma; Anh Mai, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

sensor. Many additional sensorsare also available from LEGO. The LEGO Mindstorm NXT kit also includes an adequate supplyof LEGO pieces. The light sensors can be used in reflective mode with an internal LED sourceor in ambient mode, where a flashlight or other form of external lighting can be used to controlthe robot. The students are then required to install LabVIEW and the LEGO Mindstorm NXTModule on their laptops, both of which can be downloaded from NI.com. The LEGO MindstormNXT has proven to be a versatile platform as they have been used at our university in numerousways and for varying student levels. The same platform has also been used for hands-onactivities for high school outreach events and freshman orientation projects. Using the

Conference Session

Gainful Employment: Preparing Technicians to Satisfy the Needs of Industry

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary J. Mullett, Springfield Technical Community College

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

serves. ABET presently lists14 twenty-three specific criteria for programs that have beenrecognized as viable technology disciplines. Even though ABET provides language to accountfor subtle name differences (e.g. Bioengineering Technology and Similarly Named Programs)the specific program criteria are very prescriptive in the definition of program graduates skillsets. ABET is constantly revising and updating the particular criteria to reflect changes withinthe technology. However, the twenty-three program criteria effectively form technology siloswith very little cross-over from one technology to another and to some extent discourage inter-disciplinary programs. Furthermore, the two-year college graduates of these programs typicallydeal with the