Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Haden, Magnolia Consulting; Paul Flikkema, Northern Arizona University; Tom Weller, University of South Florida; Jeff Frolik, University of Vermont; Wendy Verrei-Berenback, University of Vermont; Wayne Shiroma, University of Hawaii, Manoa

, Charlottesville, VA 2 Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 3 University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 4 University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 5 University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HIABSTRACT – In Fall 2007, a coalition of four universities was awarded an NSF CCLI grant tosupport the development of a curriculum with the goal of cultivating systems thinking in students.Systems thinking, as defined in this project, is the ability to envision architectures of complex-engineered systems and the principles that underlie them. The

Conference Session

DEED Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chao Chen, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne; Carlos Pomalaza-Ráez, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne; Scott Hendershot, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne; Ma Oo, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne; Adam Hilton, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

Human MotionAbstractAssessing abnormal movement resulting from poor health is essential for monitoring patients’health status and quality of life. In this paper, we describe a capstone senior design project thatuses wearable wireless sensors to measure and collect signals with information about the motionof a person in need of medical care. A triaxial body-fixed accelerometer is used to record humanmotion. Sampled data are transmitted using an IEEE 802.15.4 wireless transceiver to a datalogger and passed to a PC. The analysis of the recorded data facilitates possible characterizationof human motion. The implemented system allows for inexpensive and unobtrusive monitoringduring normal daily activities at home or in a nursing home environment.1

Conference Session

Innovation in Laboratory Studies and Outreach Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Gumaer, Central Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

. Page 14.1145.5The students performed a sequence of assignments to learn about different features of themicrocontroller and the instruction set. These assignments are listed in Table 2 below. Table 2. Microcontroller Applications Student Exercises Assignment Description Topics PICKit1 only Switch controlled LED Familiarity with development tools Yes PLD Simulator Use of logical instructions Yes Strobed LED Flasher Decisions, looping, instruction timing Yes LED Flasher Timer, polling Yes Electronic Dice Project Timer, polling, instruction set Yes

Conference Session

Preparing and Retaining Engineering Students

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

La Tondra Murray, Duke University

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

ExperiencesCompetence: Knowledge - Cultivation of technical - Learning about new and/orabout the technical expertise emerging technologies whiledomain - Logical thinking managing routine job requirements - Critical thinking - Understanding the business - Analytical capability implications of technical decisions - Problem solving - Learning new processes, tools, and - Project management methodologies to support the organization’s goals

Conference Session

Engineering and Other Disciplines

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Anderson, University of Alabama; Beth Todd, University of Alabama; Susan Burkett, University of Alabama; Garry Warren, University of Alabama; Marcus Brown, University of Alabama; David Cordes, University of Alabama

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

project trackedthe movement of the dancers on the stage for a performance entitled Frequency that representedthe finale of the Repertory Dance Theatre’s spring recital. “This is probably the most innovativeconcert we have ever done” was the quote of the director of our dance program. The basic themeof “aliens among us” was realized when alien dancers distorted the signals on radios andtelevisions as they came in close contact with them. “We created a workshop this semester sostudents can experiment using technology and engineering in dance performances. The studentshave displayed incredible knowledge, creativity and professionalism in their approach to usingtechnology” according to the computer science faculty member involved in the

Conference Session

E-Learning in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christi Patton Luks, University of Tulsa

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

AC 2009-1848: BLENDING ONLINE LEARNING WITH A TRADITIONALCOURSEChristi Patton Luks, University of Tulsa Dr. Patton earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University, a M.S. in Applied Mathematics from The University of Tulsa and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Tulsa. Currently she is Applied Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Tulsa. She directs many interdisciplinary design projects through the Chemical Engineering department and Engineers Without Borders. Page 14.285.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009

Conference Session

Sustainability in Engineering Courses

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

effort to drive the point home.While on the one hand, there has been a hue and cry over conservation of resources andcleansing the environment, practically no attention has been paid to the ‘how to’ approach thatseeks to accomplish this noble objective. If it can be unequivocally proved that environmentalconsciousness actually does make business sense and in the long run could be cost effective, thatwould help in widening the umbrella of the conservationists. Additionally, it would also impartthe idea of sustainability more universal appeal.This paper presents just such an effort. The project that has been described in the followingpages was undertaken at a university in the Southeast United States. The university has beenundergoing a

Conference Session

Manufacturing Education Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Priya Manohar, Robert Morris University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

the choice ofmanufacturing processes, and finally to the insight as to why these materials are able todo the job that is required of them – this enquiry being the essential building block ofmaterials science knowledge. The remainder of the term was the supplementary bottom-up approach that followed the conventional body of knowledge sequence such as crystalstructures, phase diagrams, heat treatment principles and so on. The top-down approachincluded among other things two main teaching tools. The first tool consisted ofliterature research projects conducted by each student on a contemporary topic inmaterials engineering. The students were given research papers from current materialsscience journals as their primary resource. The students were

Conference Session

Two-Year/Four-Year Articulation and Cooperation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacqulyn Baughman, Iowa State University; Steven Mickelson, Iowa State University; Mary Darrow, Iowa State University; Lora Leigh Chrystal, Iowa State University; Mary Goodwin, Iowa State University; Paul Castleberry, Iowa State University; Jennifer Garrett, Iowa State University; Doug Gruenewald, Iowa State University; Mani Mina, Iowa State University; Randy Jedele, Des Moines Area Community College; Harry McMaken, Des Moines Area Community College; Kevin Saunders, Iowa State University; Randy Smith, Des Moines Area Community College

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

Page 14.43.1Mary Darrow, Iowa State University Mary Darrow is a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) at ISU. She has extensive community college experience, and came to ISU from DMACC. She is currently the project coordinator for the SEEC project, and is also involved in many STEM intiatives at ISU.© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 intiatives at ISU. Page 14.43.2© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 A Learning Village: Utilizing a Holistic Approach to Create Connections between Community College Pre-Engineering Students and Iowa State’s College of

Conference Session

Innovative and Nontraditional Curriculum in IT/IET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Hata, Portland Community College; James Dockendorf, Normandale Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

materials onto asubstrate. Laboratory exercises range from low-cost transmission lineexperiments to capstone laboratory activities using a table-top sputtering system.Faculty-enhancement workshops include both basic and advanced workshopsrelated to RF plasma processing and measurement.The project, funded through a grant from the Advanced Technological Educationprogram at the National Science Foundation (NSF # 0603175), is an extension ofwork performed at Portland Community College (NSF # 0101533). This projectincreases the robustness of the instructional modules, expands the number andscope of the laboratory exercises, and provides basic and advanced faculty-enhancement workshops for college and university faculty.This paper provides an overview of

Conference Session

Manufacturing Division Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeremy Li, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

control plan morerealistic. FMEA seems to work best when a team documents its knowledge on cause- andeffect-relationships. In this analysis mode, the timely sequence of failure events should beworked out first, before entering results into a FMEA sheet. The students will learn howto apply this technology to improve the company’s competition in today’s market.Class projectsAll class formal projects, which are referenced from some U.S. famous and successfulcompanies, are introduced and assigned to students to help them in learning and planningthe manufacturing strategy in today’s industry. The instructor has brought his extensiveindustrial experiences in the class to help students in their project preparation andlearning process.The sampled class

Conference Session

Graphics and Visualization

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patrick Connolly, Purdue University; La Verne Abe Harris, Purdue University; Mary Sadowski, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Design Graphics

Science Foundation funded project: Enhancing Visualization Skills—Improving Options aNd Success (EnViSIONS). The purpose of the Envisions project is todisseminate and compare results for a course of remedial spatial visualization modules at sevenmajor universities. The data will be collected and the impact of the modules or courses will bemeasured independently at all universities.Four spatial ability modules were incorporated into one course at Purdue University: CGT 116,Geometric Modeling for Visualization & Communication, which is a core introductory computergraphics course that provides entry-level experiences in geometric modeling. As part of thiscourse, students develop geometric analysis and modeling construction techniques and

Conference Session

Issues and Direction in ET Education and Administration: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amin Karim, DeVry University; Jennifer McClain, IEEE

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Japan.However, although knowledge of standards should be integral to engineering and technologyeducation, standards education is still generally acquired after students graduate from college –in their professional lives and as needed. Private corporations, government agencies and otherprofessional organizations have provided this training for the last century, because mostengineering and technology programs in the United States do not have standards education intheir curriculums. In the college curriculums, consideration of standards has been generallylimited to applications in the design of senior projects. Page 14.1070.2The Engineering Accreditation

Conference Session

Integrating Computer-based Technology in the Civil Engineering Classroom

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vinod Lohani, Virginia Tech; Parhum Delgoshaei, Virginia Tech; Chelsea Green, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

AC 2009-1764: INTEGRATING LABVIEW AND REAL-TIME MONITORINGINTO ENGINEERING INSTRUCTIONVinod Lohani, Virginia Tech Vinod K Lohani is an associate professor in the Engineering Education Department and an adjunct faculty in the Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. He received a PhD in civil engineering from Virginia Tech in 1995. His research interests are in the areas of knowledge modeling, water and energy sustainability, engineering learning modules for freshmen, and international collaboration. He leads a major curriculum reform project (2004-09), funded under the department-level reform program of the NSF, at Virginia Tech. A spiral curriculum approach is adopted to

Conference Session

Sustainable and Urban Development

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sanjaya Senadheera, Texas Tech

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

AC 2009-2054: A COURSE ON SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS USE IN CIVILENGINEERING: SYLLABUS, DELIVERY, AND STUDENT FEEDBACKSanjaya Senadheera, Texas Tech Page 14.21.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 A Course on Sustainable Materials Use in Civil Engineering: Syllabus, Delivery and Student FeedbackAbstractCivil engineering construction projects use by far the largest quantity of natural resources, bothrenewable and non-renewable, consumed in the world. Civil engineers wield enormous influenceover the utilization and conservation of these valuable resources. Therefore, civil engineeringeducators have a responsibility to prepare tomorrow’s

Conference Session

Integrating Design into the BME Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Larry Shuman, University of Pittsburgh; Chris Yoder, University of Pittsburgh; Phil Weilerstein, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance; Angela Shartrand, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

. Shuman is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh and Professor of Industrial Engineering. His areas of interest are improving the engineering education and the study of ethical behavior of engineers. As Associate Dean, he has introduced a many curricula innovations. He has been principle or co-principle investigator on over 20 sponsored projects funded by the NSF, HHS and DoT, the RW Johnson Foundation, and EiF. He is Editor of the new Advances in Engineering Education.Chris Yoder, University of Pittsburgh Chris Yoder is a senior industrial engineering student at the Swanson School of Engineering University of Pittsburgh.Phil Weilerstein, National

Conference Session

Methods and Techniques in Graduate Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bimal Nepal, Texas A&M University; Paul Lin, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

. program at IPFW, the students are from diverse educational and professional backgroundswith wide research interests. They are interested in courses that are related to their backgroundthat could help them towards the Directed Project research. While on one hand, due to resourcesconstraint, it is not practical to offer several courses that cover all of student interest areas. Onthe other hand, because of the newly launched programs, often times the enrollment number isnot enough to run a full course. The proposed special topic courses aim to narrow this gap byallowing students to work on a semester long course which will help them to understand thestate-of the-art in their fields of technology. These courses are designed to prepare students

Conference Session

Develop Course / Materials / Topics for a Global Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lawrence Whitman, Wichita State University; Zulma Toro-Ramos, Wichita State University; Barbara Chaparro, Wichita State University; Veronica Hinkle, Wichita State University; Colin Davidson, Spirit Aerosystems; Chris Wilkinson, Spirit Aerosystems

Tagged Divisions

International

describes the motivation for the Spirit Global Design Challenge, itslinkage to ABET outcomes, defines global learning and how it integrates into the Engineer of2020 program, and provides pilot implementation lessons learned and the initial assessment ofstudents’ global perceptions (pre and post global design experience). The paper then concludeswith plans for the next implementation. I. Introduction and MotivationIndustry has made clear the need to graduate engineers with more than just technical skills. Akey component for today’s graduate is the ability to thrive in a globally collaborative workplace.Engineers must work with global colleagues in both face-to-face and computer mediatedenvironments. Efforts to assess virtual team projects have

Conference Session

Understanding Students: Recruiting, Retention, Enrichment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

interested in energy issues has increased significantly. In the first assignmentin fall 2006, 2007, and 2008 the percentage of students stating a primary interest in energy was0%, 26%, and 35%, respectively. The first year course includes assignments and lectures to helpstudents understand the role of energy in EVEN. In 2007 and 2008 there was a guest lecture onsustainable energy. In 2006 to 2008 the students completed a team project on solid wastemanagement where they evaluated the methane generation potential from a landfill using the USEPA LandGEM software. In 2008 the students compared the energy yield from solid wasteincineration to the energy that could be captured from the landfill methane. In 2008 the studentsindividually considered the

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship Education: Crossdisciplinary Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

sasikumar naidu, University of Tennessee; Prasanna Venkateswara Rao, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Paul Frymier, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Spivey Douglas, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Gary Smith, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Masood Parang, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Rapinder Sawhney, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

developing such programs.Keywords: New Product Development, MS-MBA, multidisciplinary, entrepreneurship.Introduction The main aim of this dual-degree MS/MBA project was to further the economicdevelopment of the area by encouraging cooperation and coordination between academiaand industry. As a part of this endeavor, the following main tasks were envisaged: Page 14.1234.2o Graduate Program Developmento Interface with College of Lawo Development of "Idea Bank"o Product Development and Commercialization Forumo Entrepreneurial Board.Graduate Program Development The focus of this innovative dual-degree program was to integrate the skills andknowledge

Conference Session

Educational Issues in Civil Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heiko Merle, Darmstadt University of Technology; Joerg Lange, Darmstadt University of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

atimestamp and sends it to a defined Webserver.Definition of the educational objectiveAmong the development of the content structure the didactical design of the project as well asthe performance of the educational scenario is relevant. Therefore the educational objectiveshave to be defined and designed. Page 14.1387.7The major educational objective is the improvement of cognizance in the subjects of ESOT andTOS as well as the comprehension of coherence between both subjects. Therefore thehierarchical order is strictly defined. The improvement of cognizance in each single subject is thefoundation to build upon the superior cognitive comprehension of

Conference Session

New Learning Paradigms II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Jones, Purdue University; Peter Meckl, Purdue University; Michael Harris, Purdue University; Monica Cox, Purdue University; Osman Cekic, Purdue University; Martin Okos, Purdue University; Osvaldo Campanella, Purdue University; Neal Houze, Purdue University; James Litster, Purdue University; Nathan Mosier; Bernard Tao, Purdue University; Daniel Delaurentis, Purdue University; David Radcliffe, Purdue University; Kathleen Howell, Purdue University; Masataka Okutsu, Purdue University; Sean Brophy, Purdue University; Amy Penner, Purdue University; Alice Wilson, Purdue University; Leah Jamieson, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

at Purdue University.Leah Jamieson, Purdue University Dean Leah Jamieson is the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering/Ransburg Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Jamieson earned a BS degree from MIT and MA, MSE and PhD degrees from Princeton. She is co-founder and past director of Purdue's Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program. Dr. Jamieson is the 2007 President and CEO of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineering and she is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Her research interests ;include engineering education,computer engineering and signal processing

Conference Session

Professional Issues in Civil Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald Welch, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

constraints. During the early accreditation visits under EC2000, programswere expected to consider most if not all of the engineering constraints. Studentswrestling with the constraints for the first time barely scratch the surface ofunderstanding these constraints within their designs. Recently ABET1 changed thewording of the outcome to “engineering constraints such as regulatory, economic,environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, constructability, andsustainability.” Either it was recognized that not every design project would considermost of the engineering constraints or it might be impossible to get students to fullyconsider most of the engineering constraints. The new wording does require programs toconsider more than one

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Olga Pierrakos, James Madison University; Julie Trenor, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

understanding and integrating complex problem solving in undergraduate engineering education. This latter project is funded through her recent NSF CAREER award. Her other research interests lie in cardiovascular fluid mechanics and K-12 engineering education.Julie Trenor, Clemson University JULIE MARTIN TRENOR is an assistant professor of Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University. Dr. Trenor holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech and a bachelor's degree in the same field from North Carolina State University. Her research interests focus on factors affecting the recruitment, retention, and career development of under-represented students in

Conference Session

Sustainability and Environmental Issues

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bradley Striebig, James Madison University; Susan Norwood, Gonzaga University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

AC 2009-83: PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ANDINTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONBradley Striebig, James Madison University Dr. Bradley A. Striebig is an associate professor of Engineering at James Madison University. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Penn State University, where he was the head of the Environmental Technology Group at the Applied research Laboratory. Prior to accepting a position to develop the engineering program at James Madison University, Brad was a faculty member in the Civil Engineering department at Gonzaga University. He has worked on various water projects throughout the US and in Benin and Rwanda.Susan Norwood, Gonzaga University Susan Norwood

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and K-12 Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Sanders, Virginia Tech; Thomas Sherman, Virginia Tech; Hyuksoo Kwon, Virginia Tech; James Pembridge, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, computer-integrated testing devices such as table-top windtunnels and materials testing devices, animation, electronic publishing, digital audio/videoproduction, etc. 2 Concurrently, high school Technology Education programs turned to digitaldesign and prototyping tools, such as CAD, 3D modeling, rapid prototyping technologies (CNCrouters, mills, lathes), robotics and programmable controllers, and the like).In the mid-1980s, Technology Education pedagogy began to shift from the “project method” to aproblem-based learning pedagogy the field referred to as “the technological method,”3 now morecommonly called “technological design” or “engineering design.” It is now fairly routine to seeTechnology Education students using tools of all kinds—both

Conference Session

Mentoring and Development of New Faculty

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donna Llewellyn, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology; Richard Millman, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

. Richard Millman is the Director of the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) and Professor of Mathematics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Mathematics. He was the President of Knox College (Galesburg, IL), Provost of Whittier College (Whittier, CA) and the founding Provost for California State University, San Marcos. He has twice served 2-year terms as a Program Officer at NSF, was interim chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Kentucky, and is the Principal Investigator and Project Director of ALGEBRA CUBED

Conference Session

Improving the Teaching Skills of Graduate Students

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Lynn Brannon, Pennsylvania State University; Sarah Zappe, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

identifyadvantages and disadvantages of various instructional and assessment methods as they relate toteaching within the engineering domain. Specifically, by the end of the course, students shouldbe able to:  Practice strategic course planning by aligning various components (i.e. objectives, instruction, and assessment) for a specific course,  Write clear and concise objectives for a course they are teaching,  Identify advantages and disadvantages of various instructional methods (i.e. active learning, problem-based learning, discussion, collaborative learning),  List methods of classroom assessment including the advantages and disadvantages of each (multiple-choice tests, constructed-response tests, and projects

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yaomin Dong, Kettering University; Jacqueline El-Sayed, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

and the logistics complex. To ease the development ofthis type of experiential learning, a process for such collaborations is needed. In thispaper, a template for a team taught course where university faculty partner withpracticing engineers is provided. Using this template, a methodology that includes bestpractices, guidelines, and activities is developed which can be used by faculty to moreeasily integrate practice into their classroom. A checklist for selecting appropriateindustrial projects with the collaborating partners is also included. To illustrate the usageof this methodology, a case study of a course partnership between industrial experts andKettering University Mechanical Engineering faculty is provided.IntroductionTeam teaching

Conference Session

Improving Mechanics & Structural Modeling Courses

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pramod Chaphalkar, Grand Valley State University; Shirley Fleischmann, Grand Valley State University; Janice Pawloski, Grand Valley State University; Hugh Jack, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

sequence in curriculum do not suit the needs of all thestudents of different programs and the employers. The present sequence of in-class semesters andmandatory co-op semesters is such that students have solid mechanics competency after the firstco-op experience while machine design course which is last in the sequence is taughtconcurrently with the first part of senior design projects. The present sequence is therefore lessbeneficial to the students in terms of co-op experience and the senior project.This paper presents initiatives taken to address these issues and discusses the details of theproposed scheme. Initially, the issues were identified from all the stakeholders’ inputs. And thenour approach has been evolved with three main components