Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Hall, Louisiana Tech University; Mark Barker, Louisiana Tech University; James Nelson, Louisiana Tech University

. Page 14.853.2 Overview of Curriculum In 1998 the College of Engineering and Science moved to an integrated engineering curriculum based on the educational practices of the National Science Foundation Educational Coalitions [1]. Along with our freshman engineering course sequence, our freshman integrated curriculum includes differential and integral calculus courses, basic chemistry lecture and laboratory courses, and a calculus-based physics course, as summarized in Table 1; students also typically enroll in several non-technical courses during the freshman year. The freshman integrated courses are taken in “blocks” so that classes of 40 students share the same sections of each mathematics, science and engineering course during each quarter

Conference Session

Infusing Engineering Content Through Curricular Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Pelletier, Northern Essex Community College; Linda Desjardins, Northern Essex Community College; Paul Chanley, Northern Essex Community College; Lori Heymans, Northern Essex Community College

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

raisestudents’ scores. But, unfortunately, schools lacked the resources needed to do thiseffectively.The statewide Grade 5 test in Science and Technology/Engineering is based upon thecurrent Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Frameworkwhich specifies learning standards for Grades 3-5 in Technology/Engineering in additionto Earth and Space Science, Life Science (Biology), and Physical Sciences (Chemistryand Physics). The learning standards for Grades 3-5 in Technology/Engineering (seeappendix)1 speak of elementary school students being able to use Engineering Design tosolve problems as well as use appropriate materials and tools. Page

Conference Session

Engineering Education in India, Central and Eastern Asia

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xia Wang, Oakland University; Gary Barber, Oakland University; Laila Guessous, Oakland University; LianXiang Yang, Oakland University; GuangZhi Qu, Oakland University; Ishwar Sethi, Oakland University

Tagged Divisions

International

qualified engineering students and professionals to other states in search ofjob and educational opportunities [1-2]. In Michigan in particular, where Oakland University islocated, there is a growing awareness for the need to maintain a high quality workforce that isable to innovate in the areas of manufacturing engineering.Much has been made in the literature about the cultural differences between the U.S., European,Asian and other educational systems [3-11]. Although exchange between U.S. scholars andresearchers and counterparts from developing or emerging countries has been taking place for along time, much of that exchange has been unidirectional in the sense that typically, foreignscientists come to U.S. institutions to conduct research and

Conference Session

Educational Research

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University; Christine Kelly, Oregon State University; Philip Harding, Oregon State University; Edith Gummer, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

higher order cognition in the virtual laboratories. These statements areconsistent with the type of learning that has been previously measured for one of these virtuallaboratories, particularly through a think aloud protocol that has been reported elsewhere.IntroductionThe undergraduate laboratory plays a pivotal role in science and engineering curriculum,especially in the context of developing students’ abilities of scientific inquiry and engineeringdesign. The pedagogical value of the hands-on experience that a laboratory provides isubiquitously endorsed by educators;1 however, in practice the engineering laboratory haslimitations as well. Laboratories are resource intensive, both in terms of acquiring andmaintaining the equipment and in terms

Conference Session

Liberal Education and Leadership

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Val Hawks, Brigham Young University; John Harb, Brigham Young University; Alan Parkinson, Brigham Young University; Spencer Magleby, Brigham Young University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

comprehensive approach, resulting from this initiative, to define, develop, and implement theteaching of leadership in the context of engineering and technology curricula. After a rationaleexplaining why the college chose an emphasis on leadership, efforts in and selected results of theleadership initiative are documented, including 1) the development of a leadership modelappropriate to engineering and technology education, 2) the definition of specific outcomes andcurricular material related to leadership, and 3) the development of a framework for using themodel and implementing leadership education throughout the college. The implementationstrategy is based on Kolb’s Learning Cycle and takes advantage of college, departmental andexternal resources to

Conference Session

Issues and Direction in ET Education and Administration: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Spang, Burlington County College; Vladimir Genis, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

consortium made up of secondaryschools, a community college, a four-year university, workforce development professionals, andindustry leaders. The approach of cooperative interaction is expected to serve as a model fortransforming a community college technical education program in an effort to create a seamlessand meaningful educational and work-entry pathway for future engineering technologists andtechnicians. One of the main goals of this project is to strengthen the ties within the technicaleducation community and promote industry participation in educating students and trainingtechnicians. The addressed topics include: (1) transforming the Engineering Technologycurricula to better meet the technical standards of industry; (2) developing

Conference Session

Educational Research

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

B. Kyun Lee, LeTourneau University; Paul Leiffer, LeTouneau University; R. William Graff, LeTourneau University; Vicki Sheafer, LeTourneau Iniversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

schematics (before they are erased).PowerPoint Dissatisfaction and the Issue of Cognitive LoadIn a survey which was completed and reported on last year, it was noted that our engineeringstudents for the most part, did not favor PowerPoint lectures for technical material. Theypreferred traditional board work instead.1 The authors are now beginning to understand that thispreference may actually be related to the concept of “cognitive loading.” Cognitive loadingrefers to the maximum amount of information that can be stored in short-term memory. Indealing with a lecture or presentation that involves multiple equations, the mind can only recallso many “bits” from a previous slide. Being able to glance back at previous work, or to see anentire design or

Conference Session

Design in Freshman and Sophomore Courses

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Smitesh Bakrania, Rowan University; William Riddell, Rowan University; Krishan Bhatia, Rowan University; Leigh Weiss, Rowan University; Kevin Dahm, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

a wind turbine depends on (a) the available windenergy and (b) the rotor design that determines the portion of the available energy that can beharnessed, and (c) losses due to friction and generator efficiency. The ratio of the powergenerated by a wind turbine to the available power from the wind is the coefficient ofperformance Cp. Neglecting losses from friction and generator efficiency (which can besignificant), equation 1 represents the coefficient of performance Cp, where the product of totaltorque Q and rotational speed ψ provides the rotor power; and the denominator is a function ofair density τ, swept area A and average wind velocity parallel to the axis of the turbine, U♣. Qψ

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

bioengineering teams who developed a design/prototype were asked to reflectupon and explain their experiences by developing a concept or process map.1-2 The use ofprocess maps allows teams to not only show the relative importance of the various elements in Page 14.279.2their process, but also to clearly indicate the relationships among these elements. This processmapping technique has been successfully used to investigate the differences between academicand corporate inventors in the RFID technology sector and to identify activities that universitytechnology transfer offices might adopt. 3In the following sections, the conceptual model with its

Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sorraya Khiewnavawongsa, Purdue University; Edie Schmidt, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

AC 2009-1298: ASSESSMENT OF THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP BETWEENTHE FACULTY AND GRADUATE STUDENTS AT PURDUE UNIVERSITYSorraya Khiewnavawongsa, Purdue UniversityEdie Schmidt, Purdue University Page 14.261.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009Assessment of the Mentoring Relationship between the Faculty and Graduate Students at Purdue University Page 14.261.2Abstract Purdue University is world renowned for many of its graduate programs. In 2006-2007academic year, there were more than 7,000 graduate students enrolled at Purdue University [1],West Lafayette campus and about 2,000 tenure track

Conference Session

Design Education in Manufacturing Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Guanghsu Chang, Minnesota State University, Mankato; William Peterson, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

. This paper describes our experience in developing thebridge design project.IntroductionResearch has shown that project-based learning is an exceptionally effective learning activity.Many university professors today accept this learning environment to transform passive learninginto active learning in their classrooms [1]. In order to find better ways of involving students intheir learning process, we introduced the Bridge Design Project into our MET 322 Statics,Dynamics, and Mechanics of Materials course. With this bridge design project, students learnmore material, retain the information longer, and enjoy the class activities more. The bridgedesign project allows students to explore many statics topics in the classroom with the help of

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Electronics and Electrical ET Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

graduates with thetechnical and managerial skills necessary to enter careers which involve the design, application,installation, manufacturing, operation and maintenance of electrical/electronic(s) systems. Thispaper details the PE O assessment process developed by the program, as well as theimplementation process that took place in the academic year 2007-2008. An interim reportsubmitted to ABET resulted in the resolution of the institutional weakness regarding ABETcriterion 3 (Assessment and Evaluation)1.The PEOs are identified in line with ABET’s Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) andsupport the EET program mission. For each PEO, a set of indirect assessment tools has beenidentified and the performance criteria for each tool have been set

Conference Session

Student Attitudes and Perceptions

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah Parikh, Stanford University; Helen Chen, Stanford University; Krista Donaldson, Stanford University; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

American undergraduateengineering students. We used multiple criteria in sampling institutions, including Carnegieclassification; student body composition by ethnicity, gender, and enrollment status; institutionsize; geographical location; type (public or private), and number of transfer students.6, 7, 8At the core of the APPLES instrument are a set of variables that influence undergraduates’persistence in the engineering major, including motivation to study engineering. The surveyprobed six factors affecting motivation: financial, parental influence, social good, mentorinfluence, intrinsic psychological, and intrinsic behavioral. Table 1 summarizes these definitions

Conference Session

Engineering and Technology for Everyone

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia Carlson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

educators to try out web-basedresources to which they might not otherwise have convenient access. Moving toward 6,000registered members, the user community has grown dramatically since its inception in September2003. On peak days, the site receives close to 1,200 unique visits. Assessment of PRISM’seffectiveness has been reported elsewhere.1,2At its core, PRISM’s mission is to help teachers embrace digital learning tools as extensions oftheir own dynamic presence in the classroom. The objective is to move beyond mere surfaceappeal in order to integrate computer-mediated resources into traditional STEM curricula. Tothis end, we provide two complementary services: (1) A library of over 2,300 online teaching resources (e.g. simulations, scientific

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Electronics and Electrical ET Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University; John Irwin, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

through the curriculum and the academic experience. Moreprecisely, what do we expect our graduates to know upon graduation. This paper details theassessment process developed by the program, as well as the implementation process that tookplace in the academic year 2007-2008. An interim report submitted to ABET resulted in theresolution of the institutional weakness regarding ABET criterion 3 (Assessment and Evaluation)1.The program outcomes are identified in line with ABET’s Technology Accreditation Commission(TAC). For each Program Outcome, a combination of direct and indirect assessment tools has beenidentified in addition to the assessment criteria of each assessment tool. Assessment tools includeend-of-semester course assessment, student

Conference Session

Two-Year/Four-Year: From Articulation to Matriculation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Surendra Gupta, Rochester Institute of Technology; Abi Aghayere, Rochester Institute of Technology; Vincent Amuso, Rochester Institute of Technology; Michael Eastman, Rochester Institute of Technology; Daniel Johnson, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

expand and diversify the engineering andtechnology workforce of the future. Page 14.587.2Transfer students from 2-year schools, both full-time and part-time, are important stakeholders inacademic programs at our university. Transfer students are especially important to the fiveengineering and engineering technology (EET) departments identified in Table 1 that also liststhe number of BS degree programs offered in each department. Table 1: Participating Academic Departments, Abbreviations, and ProgramsAcademic Department Code # of

Conference Session

Distance and Web-Based Learning in Engineering Technology: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sherion Jackson, East Carolina University; Andrew Jackson, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

questions will be addressed during the presentation; 1. What assignment due dates better meet the scheduling needs of adult students? 2. What type of assignments do students believe help them learn more in distance education classes?Population DemographicsSurvey Questions 1 through 5 requested demographic information from each participant. (seeSurvey Instrument in Appendix B) Individual tables (A-1 through A-5) for questions 1 through 5have been included in an appendix at the end of this paper for clarification purposes. Overall,72% of those students who participated in the online survey were age 30 years or above(approximately 18% were between 34 and 37 years of age; approximately 15% were between theages of 46 and

Conference Session

Innovative Methods to Teach Engineering to URMs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir Mobasher, Alabama A&M University; Mohamed Seif, Alabama A&M University; Kenneth Fernandez, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; Showkat Chowdhury, Alabama A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

issues of increase attendance andwill eliminate the need for the instructor to take the attendance while saving a valuable classtime. The method proposed here is to prepare an attendance sheet with the format shown inTable 1.Table 1. Sample sign up sheet used in the classesPlease sign your name in the corresponding column Name Monday (1/16) Wednesday(1/18) Friday (1/20)1 Joe Brown … …20 Jack SmithThen pass on the sheet in the class and have the students sign their name in the correspondingrow. The advantage of this format is that it is easy to trace the attendance history of a studentand hence immediately be able to contact the student and consult him/her about his

Conference Session

E-Learning in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tiffany Hesser, University of New Haven; Michael Collura, University of New Haven

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

experiments conducted during the period studied, 12 included video lectures while onewas conducted using procedures previously used. Use of the traditional approach was intendedto give students a comparison experience when surveys were to be conducted. The surveysfocused on the student’s overall impressions and satisfaction with video lectures in comparisonto text reading alone or instructor presented pre laboratory lectures. (Surveys can be seen in theappendix.). Students were asked to rate their experiences on a scale from 1 to 5, where 5 stronglyagreed and 1 strongly disagreed with a set of given statements. Students were also asked tocomment on their personal experiences.Instructors and student lab assistants were given similar surveys to examine

Conference Session

E-Learning in Chemical Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Baukal, John Zink Institute; Wes Bussman, John Zink Institute

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

increased pollutant emissionsthat could have detrimental economic ramifications for a plant. For these reasons, most newoperators would not be permitted to make adjustments on this type of equipment until they havehad sufficient training. The challenge is to give them realistic training before they work with theactual equipment. Figure 1. Schematic of a typical process heater. Page 14.1062.2Process heaters (see Figure 1) are used in the chemical and refining industries to heathydrocarbon fluids flowing through tubes inside the radiant and convection sections. Theseheaters are designed to increase the fluid temperature for

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hetal Jasani, Northern Kentucky University; Wei Hao, Northern Kentucky University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

improve and update the assignments for coming semesters. Students foundthis course along with lab assignments helpful to them in understanding the theory of networksecurity, and gaining practical experience. In the future, more lab assignments would bedeveloped involving more advanced security tools. Moreover, simulation experiments usingOPNET will be designed to enhance the learning of the network security concepts. Page 14.738.11Bibliography 1. CIT Program at NKU, http://informatics.nku.edu/csc/undergraduate/cit/index.php, last accessed January 29, 2009. 2. Department of Computer Science at NKU http://informatics.nku.edu/csc/programs

Conference Session

Distance and Web-Based Learning in Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Hackworth, Old Dominion University; Carol Considine, Old Dominion University; Vernon Lewis, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

on a5-point Likert scale. Possible responses are “1 Strongly Disagree, 2 Disagree, 3 Neither Agreenor Disagree, 4 Agree, and 5 Strongly Agree.” Course evaluation questions are provided below: 1. IN THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS THE INSTRUCTOR PROVIDED DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION THAT CLEARLY EXPLAINED THE COURSE CONTENT, ASSIGNMENT, GRADING AND OTHER IMPORTANT POLICIES. 2. THE COURSE MATERIALS, EXAMS, PROJECTS AND/OR PAPERS IN THE CLASS REQUIRED ME TO THINK CRITICALLY. 3. THE INSTRUCTOR WELCOMED QUESTIONS AND OTHER CLASS PARTICIPATION. 4. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ENTHUSIASTIC WITH RESPECT TO THE SUBJECT MATTER. 5. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AND HELPFUL DURING OFFICE HOURS. 6. THE

Conference Session

Tree-huggers, Diggers, and Queers--Oh my!

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

George Catalano, State University of New York, Binghamton; Caroline Baillie, Queens University, Kingston

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

modern era as well as new ideas which have justrecently been applied to the professions. In the spirit of the Diggers from the 1960’s, thepresent work offers new ‘frames of reference’ from which you can consider your decisions.The Diggers focused on promoting a new vision of society free from many of the trappingsof private property, materialism and consumerism. Our hope is to offer a new vision ofengineering which takes into account many of the elements of our society and our planetwhich have been historically ignored.As described by NSPE, “engineering ethics is (1) the study of moral issues and decisionsconfronting individuals and organizations involved in engineering and (2) the study ofrelated questions about moral conduct, character, ideals

Conference Session

Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Summer Dann Johnson, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; John Scalzo, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Sarah Jones, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Kelly Rusch, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Warren Waggenspack, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 ENG2: Engineering Engagement for Student Success Building a Community for First Year Freshmen in the College of Engineering Research has shown that engineering retention and graduation rates are enhanced throughfirst year experiences that actively incorporate and engage faculty and students. 1-5 Based on thispremise, the STEM Talent Expansion Project at Louisiana State University (LSU), funded by theNational Science Foundation, has focused the majority of its efforts into the first year experienceof incoming freshmen in order to increase retention and ultimately graduation rates in theCollege of Engineering. This will be achieved by

Conference Session

Experiments in Remote-access Laboratories

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Egbert, Missouri State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

allowed studentsat MSU to perform laboratory experiments via distance using the equipment in the ElectricalEngineering labs on the Missouri S&T campus.Description of the new Laboratory FacilityThe end result was an Electrical Engineering laboratory room that was approximately 35 feetlong and 25 feet wide. The view looking toward the front of the room is shown in Figure 1. Aview looking to the back of the room is shown in Figure 2. Page 14.73.3.Figure 1. Electrical Engineering Laboratory room viewed from the back Page 14.73.4Figure 2. Electrical Engineering Laboratory room

Conference Session

International Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rodolfo Yzasmendi Arellano, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Enrique Palou, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Lourdes Gazca, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Aurelio López-Malo, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla

Tagged Divisions

International

specificcourses to fulfill the requirements.As a result of all of the above, the General Education Committee clearly identified the followingcompetency areas and competencies (or expected outcomes, O) from every area:UDLAP’s General Education Competency Areas and Competencies:1. Competency Area: Written and Oral Communication in Spanish ≠ O1: UDLAP graduates will be able to communicate effectively in oral and written Spanish in specific situations, which may include academic, professional, or civic situations. ≠ O2: UDLAP graduates will be able to generate a written or oral presentation that accommodates audience needs and exhibits mastery of basic communication skills.2. Competency Area: English ≠ O3: UDLAP graduates will be able

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship Education: Experiential Learning and Economic Development II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Reimer, Lawrence Technological University; Ahad Ali, Lawrence Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

School of Business of the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chevrolet Division ofGeneral Motors, OnStar and Milwaukee School of Engineering.Team SelectionThe students selected to participate in these competitive events were members of the LawrenceTech Chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization and had participated in other extra-curricular activities as well. The student team was cross disciplinary and represented theColleges of Engineering, Architecture, Business and Arts and Sciences. Our entrepreneurialprogram is founded on fostering the “entrepreneurial mindset with a global view [1].” LawrenceTech students have a rich history of participating in competitive events. These events nurturecreativity, innovation and leadership skills

Conference Session

Applying What We Teach to IE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Jackson, East Carolina University; Sherion Jackson, East Carolina University; Merwan Mehta, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering

paragraphs.The overall structure of the Six Sigma process is shown in Figure 1. As specified in the acronymabove, the five phases that constitute the DMAIC process are: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improveand Control. The idea of keeping each phase distinct reinforces the concept that a formal reviewshall be conducted at the end of each phase. This process allows the team to move on to the nextphase only if all the requirements of the previous phase have been satisfactorily completed. This isdone to minimize the likelihood that some steps may have to be backtracked since they were notthoroughly completed. The executive project champion, the project manager, and the processimprovement team are all involved in the tollgate review

Conference Session

Programming for Engineering Students II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jayaraman Jayaraman Thiagarajan, Arizona State University; Kostas Tsakalis, Arizona State University; Andreas Spanias, Arizona State University; Harvey Thornburg, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

BLOCK DIAGRAM FRONT PANEL Figure 1. Illustration of components of a VI.2. LabVIEW in Signals and Systems LabVIEW enables users to develop applications that are interactive, executed in paralleland multicore. LabVIEW programs are called Virtual Instruments (VIs). Each VI has three mainparts: the block diagram, the front panel and the icon/connector. The block diagram contains theactual graphical code, while the front panel is the user interface. Controls and indicators on thefront panel allow the user to input data into or extract data from a running virtual environment.Each VI in turn can contain sub VIs and other structures. This hierarchical programmingstructure allows code reusability

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Swanbom, Louisiana Tech University; Davis Harbour, Louisiana Tech University; Hisham Hegab, Louisiana Tech University; Danny Eddy, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

attributes defined by TheEngineer of 20209 in ourstudents. As the studentsmove through the sequence,a steadily increasing levelof independence is requiredfrom the students as theydesign and build projectswith a steadily growingdegree of complexity. Intheir first course, freshmenundertake a centrifugalpump project10. In thesecond course, the pumpsare used to circulate saltwater in a “fishtank”- asystem (see Figure 1) inwhich the students use amicrocontroller to controlthe temperature and salinityof a small volume of water Figure 1 – Temperature and Salinity Controlled Systemusing temperature andconductivity sensors that they make and calibrate as part of the course content. The final courseof the freshman year requires the students to