Conference Session

Laboratory and Internship Innovations in IT/IS

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shelton Houston, University of Southern Mississippi; Billy Walters, University of Southern Mississippi; Tulio Sulbaran, University of Southern Mississippi

Tagged Divisions

Information Systems

AC 2007-1013: KATRINA – AN INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITYShelton Houston, University of Southern Mississippi Dr. Houston is a professor in the School of Computing at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Houston has been involved in engineering technology education for 27 years. and has 10 years consulting experience in personal computer systems.Billy Walters, University of Southern Mississippi Prof. Walters holds a Masters of Science degree in Computer Science from The University of Arizona. Prof. Walters’ career includes academic and professional appointments. He has experience working at the Johnson Space Center, with secure government contractors, and directing law enforcement

Conference Session

Curriculum Implementation of Materials Advances

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Simoneau, Keene State University

Tagged Divisions

Materials

collaborationamong our colleagues in other disciplines. It is not difficult to envision the synergistic effect thatcould evolve through such collaboration. As we all become more aware of pressingenvironmental issues there will be increased interest by students who will seek careers thatsustain our environment. This might, in some cases, enable us to increase our enrollments if wecan shape our curricula accordingly. Regardless, there have been prior research efforts that offersome perspective particularly with regard to applied research.An Environmental Effort before ISO 14000Twenty years before ISO 14000 and the environment was only emerging as a major issue workwas being done by farsighted engineers to solve recycling problems. An example of this is

Conference Session

Introducing Active and Inductive Learning and Improving the Learning Curve in ME

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Emilia Bratschitsch, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive; Annette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive Engineering,; Günter Bischof, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive Engineering,; Domagoj Rubesa, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive Engineering,

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Interpreting) in 1991. She has been teaching business and technical English both in industry and at university level in Austria for the past 12 years.Günter Bischof, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive Engineering,Graz, Austria Throughout his career, Dr. Günter Bischof has combined his interest in science and engineering application. He studied physics at the University of Vienna, Austria, and acquired industry experience as development engineer at Siemens Corporation. Currently he teaches engineering mathematics in the Department of Automotive Engineering, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, and conducts research in automotive engineering and materials

Conference Session

Pedagogical Issues in Manufacturing Education

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Rumpf, Ferris State University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

with aqualitative review by peer groups as well as the expected one by the instructor.Suggestions for ImprovementWe are always open to new ideas that will help us better develop well-rounded graduates readyto excel at their careers. One avenue under investigation is directing general education electivesthat either develop students’ abilities for group work or require team collaborations asprerequisites for technical courses. A pilot program along those lines is currently underdiscussion.Assessment of such subjective traits as “cooperation” and “team attitude” will always bedifficult. Rather than waiting until the end of the term to evaluate non-technical aspects of aproject effort, periodic checks throughout the term may provide more timely

Conference Session

Topics Related to Assessments and Outcomes

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Maughmer, Pennsylvania State University; Kathy Schmidt, University of Texas-Austin

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace

stages to sketch basicideas. Although technology is being used in place of pencil and paper, currentresearch on cognition and the impact of technology on thinking and learning isexploring how interfacing with a keyboard and not a hand-held device like astylus or pencil is influencing thinking. 3 Keyboards drive productivity, but notnecessarily creativity. If the creative visual processing is only done through acomputer, then are engineering students limiting their thinking capacity andstaying restricted to thinking that is mostly verbal and rational?At this stage in my career, I’ve been in the classroom close to a quarter centuryand I wonder if the newer professors, who have mostly learned with technology,lack basic drawing skills. For the most

Conference Session

IE Curriculum Design

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Abdul Kamal, Western New England College; Herb Eskot, Western New England College

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering

this multidisciplinaryapproach will help pave the way to a successful career for our valued students.Bibliography[1] Allen, Beth, “The Future of Microeconomic Theory,” Journal of Economic Perspectives,”Winter 2000, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 143 – 150.[2] Ashford, Nicholas, “Major Challenges to Engineering Education for SustainableDevelopment. What has to change to make it creative, effective, and acceptable to theestablished disciplines?,” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Volume 5Number 3, 2004, pp. 239 – 250.[3] Becker, William E., “Teaching Economics in the 21st Century.” Journal of EconomicPerspectives,” Winter 2000, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 109 – 119. [4] Constanzo, Paul J., McKeon, James, “Using Interdisciplinary Pedagogy

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Butkus, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Support (Scale: 1 to 5)I Mathematics and Science. Develop a *Fluid dynamics 3 knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering science appropriate to a career in environmental engineeringII Physical and chemical processes. NA NA Comprehend physical and chemical processes in natural and engineered systems as applied to the practice of environmental engineeringIII Biochemical processes. Comprehend *Attached growth 4 fundamental

Conference Session

Design Projects

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Farris, Grand Valley State University; Paul Lane, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

for a price customers were willing to pay. The decision to abandon the projectdoes not mean that the time and effort of the students and faculty were wasted. Projectparticipants learned a great deal from the effort. It is important to remember that preparingstudents for successful careers is the purpose of these classes. A few companies continue todevise products to exploit this opportunity. Former students often send describe productsdeveloped to fulfill this need. These former students are always quick to analyze the product andhandicap its chances of success.The Business OpportunitySince one of the goals of this system is economic development it is important that successfulprojects are handed off to individuals or organizations that can

Conference Session

Innovative Instruction Strategies in Calculus

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elton Graves, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

these students more options in their academic career. Page 12.1324.10Because of the success we have had with the Fast Track Calculus program, we believethat it may be a program that other engineering schools may wish to try. Thus, theengineering schools could help their entering students, who have taken a high schoolcalculus course, more easily obtain their academic goals. Page 12.1324.11

Conference Session

Manufacturing Capstone and Design Projects

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Rajadas, Arizona State University; Bradley Rogers, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

ensure that the experimental facilities are adequate enough to test andverify basic concepts so that the learning experience for the student leads to a good foundation 1on which to build a successful engineering career. There are many areas of engineering to whichthe student is introduced in the engineering technology curriculum, each of which requiresunique experimental facilities to reinforce theoretical concepts. These facilities range fromsimple to very complex and are proportionately expensive to provide. For example, inaerodynamics there is typically a mismatch between the engineering problems introduced in theclass room and the ability to study them in a hands-on type of setting because the

Conference Session

Capstone Design & Project Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Smith, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Tracy N Schierenbeck, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Linda McCloskey, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

on public presentations to assist in providingfeedback to students when presenting on their project design, and/or final project outcome(s).Another example is when representatives from Knoll Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) assistwith the interpretation of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment that is done withthe students.Examples of support from corporate partners for PD-3 include representatives from GeneralElectric (GE) working in concert with the PD-3 instructors to provide the students feedbackregarding their initial impression when speaking extemporaneously on a topic that they willlikely address further in their careers. Also, other entities such as General Dynamics and BAESystems have come into the classroom to support the

Conference Session

New Trends in Engineering Graduate Education

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Sanger, Western Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

12.1393.5and stimulating careers for the people of WNC.Our partners, shown in Figure 4, represent all the human and institutional resources needed to besuccessful in this challenging initiative: academic, technical, healthcare and aging care providersas well as business and entrepreneurial connections.The goal of the Collaborative is to collect needs and product ideas from our members includingstudents, faculty, healthcare providers, and elderly retirees and develop them into viable businessopportunities solving problems faced in healthcare and by aging citizens. The building of thebusinessopportunitypackage isundertaken bymultidisciplinary studentteams(primarilyWCU)mentored andsupported byWCU facultyand externalexperts. Theproductdevelopmentprocess

Conference Session

Innovations in Mechanical Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ioana Voiculescu, City College of the City University of New York; Benjamin Liaw, City College of the City University of New York

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

activity in the last decade to revise engineering curricula to include more concreteengineering practice rather than just engineering science5. In this respect a key strength of the ME311, Fundamentals of Mechatronics course at City College of New York is the laboratory whichencourages students to apply and absorb mechatronics concepts. The main goal of the laboratoryis to help students gain useful knowledge and skills in the general area of sensors and actuators,ordinary differential equations used to model measurement systems, laboratory software andsignal conditioning6. Such knowledge and skills are necessary for the success in students’ futureprofessional careers (including graduate studies) and for the continuation of their life-longlearning

Conference Session

Influence of Race and Culture

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shonda Bernadin, Georgia Southern University; Frank Atuahene, Ph.D

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

of theseresults.Bibliography 1. Bernard, Pamela J., “When Seeking a Diverse Faculty, Watch for Legal Minefields”, The Chronicle for Higher Education, Diversity in Academic Careers, Volume 53, Number 6, September 29, 2006 2. Elgass, Jane, “Minority Faculty increases despite stiff competition”, The University Record, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, November 23, 1992 3. Woo, Deborah, “The Status of Minority Faculty at UCSC: Recruitment, Retention, and Faculty Diversity Plans”, University of California, Santa Cruz, Report on Diversity, August 1995, 4. Mayhew, Matthew J. and Heidi Grunwald, “Factors Contributing to Faculty Incorporation of Diversity- Related Course Content”, The Journal of Higher

Conference Session

Meeting ABET Requirements

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karinna Vernaza, Gannon University; Mahesh Aggarwal, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

12.187.2are presented and discussed.Mechanical Engineering Program Outcomes and Educational ObjectivesThe Program Educational Objectives are based on the University Mission, the goal of theMechanical Engineering department, and the outcomes expected by ABET1. The UniversityMission states that each undergraduate is offered outstanding teaching and a value-centerededucation in both liberal arts and professional specialization, in order to prepare students forleadership roles in their careers and society.The Mechanical Engineering program/curriculum is reviewed by several groups. These groupsare the Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Faculty on the College ABET Committee, students,industrial engineers and business leaders (through the Engineering Advisory

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren Hull, Louisiana State University; Warren Waggenspack, Louisiana State University; David Bowles, Louisiana State University

, and are willing to putforth the additional effort required to have the HLC designation on their transcripts.Digital Portfolios (d-portfolios). Figure 6 shows an example of one of the first d-portfoliosdeveloped by a mechanical engineering student. Since this was early in the programimplementation, it focused primarily on the student’s current skills and accomplishments, andbecame an important element in her career development. Figure 7 is an example of a morerecent d-portfolio developed by an electrical engineering student. This example shows more ofthe student’s academic development during her undergraduate program. Figure 8 is anotherelectrical engineering student example, with this student also highlighting communication skillsoutside the

Conference Session

Improving ME Education: Trends in Mechanical Engineering I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Seifollah Nasrazadani, University of North Texas; Reza Mirshams, University of North Texas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

increased your 3.73 (0.90) 4.00 (1.32) desire to pursue a career in mechanical engineering? 10. To what extent did the class examples and projects give you a 3.55 (0.69) 3.89 (1.05) better appreciation of current technology applications? 11. To what extent were homework assignments essential to the 4.64 (0.50) 3.78 (0.97) learning of the course content? 12. To what extent did course exams accurately assess your 3.55 (1.30) 4.11 (1.05) performance in this course? 13. To what extent did course methodology teach you how to apply 3.36 (1.03) 4.00 (0.70) knowledge and skills in new contexts? 14. To what extent did the class textbook

Conference Session

Development of Undergraduate Distance Education Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah Rajala, Mississippi State University; Tom Miller, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Continuing Professional Development

skills in mechanical, electrical and computer engineering, and are able to design mechatronic components and systems to meet desired needs so they are prepared for successful careers in engineering or graduate school. 2. To produce graduates who are skilled at integrating and applying systems or devices incorporating modern microelectronics, information technologies and modern engineering tools 3. To produce graduates who possess professional interaction and program management skills, communicate effectively with team members and demonstrate the ability to work effectively on multi-disciplinary teams to achieve design and project objectives. 4. To produce graduates who are able to define, analyze and

Conference Session

Preparing Engineers for the Global Workplace

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bernd Widdig, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jack Lohmann, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

International

entmobi li tyt o spend time abroad during their undergraduate career. The mostcommon programs involve study, internships, or research experiences abroad. Most are shortterm (e.g., a summer, one semester) but occasionally may be longer (e.g., a year or multiplestays). He rewef oundt hatMI T’sI nte rna tiona lSc ienc eandTe chno logyI nit

Conference Session

Innovative Mechanics Education Programs and Projects

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Howard, East Carolina University; Rick Williams, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

software was used along with a low-cost rapidprototyping system in a project in which high school students attempted to optimize the design ofa component subjected to well-defined loading and constraints.This project was conducted as part of Summer Ventures, a program in which talented highschool students from across North Carolina explore math and science-related careers at severalUniversity of North Carolina System campuses. This was the initial offering of engineering asan option for the students. Students selected three areas of participation. For three weeks, theyspent two hours per day in each of the selected areas. During the fourth and final week, theychose one of their three areas for more in-depth study.During the engineering portion of

Conference Session

Recruiting, Retention and Diversity in Engineering Technology

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tim Brower, Oregon Institute of Technology; Richard Grimsley, Project Lead The Way; Pam Newberry, Project Lead The Way

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

decisions regarding thedirection and limitations of their chosen careers, technological developments, andthe use of technology to alter their own lives, and other major financial,professional, and personal questions that they will undoubtedly face. These skillscannot be taught as discrete topics. Rather, students need to learn them throughhigh quality, challenging lessons based on real world-problems that areunbounded by separate school subjects and unbounded by the silos that exist inour secondary educational system.One of the implementation steps recommended by the National Academies toincrease America’s talent pool is to utilize “K-12 curriculum materials modeledon a world-class standard: [this would] foster high-quality teaching with world

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bradley Kramer, Kansas State University; Todd Easton, Kansas State University

courses in their graduate program. Inaddition, these students know the department faculty and their research and so selecting anappropriate advisor is accomplished early. Faculty members also know the brightest students intheir courses and can actively recruit them into their research groups. It is important to note that Page 12.397.3this recruitment can occur early during the student’s academic career, which allows substantiallymore time for research than a traditional master’s degree student. In addition, a recruiteddomestic student can be paid far less than the $20,000+ required to support a foreign graduatestudent on a graduate assistantship

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chell Roberts, Arizona State University; Darryl Morrell, Arizona State University; Mark Henderson, Arizona State University; Scott Danielson, Arizona State University; Robert Hinks, Arizona State University; Robert Grondin, Arizona State University; Thomas Sugar, Arizona State University; Chen-Yuan Kuo, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

semester freshman project was to design andfabricate a rescue device that would safely transport a child or small animal from a three-storybuilding. Major projects are not used in other courses. The National Academy of Engineering7recommends that “… students should be introduced to the essence of engineering early in theirundergraduate careers” and that “… engineering educators should introduce interdisciplinarylearning in the undergraduate curriculum …”. The project courses are designed to be consistentwith these recommendations.We have attempted to have the project topics drive the content and selection of companionmodules, rather than content driving the projects. The project then provides an engineeringcontext for these companion modules. The

Conference Session

Modern Software Measurement Techniques

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Birdsong, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

of real world systems, modeling and controllerimplementation. There are currently four experiments: a two week analog DC servoposition control experiment, a two week LabVIEW based two tank water level regulator Page 12.478.2experiment, a two week LabVIEW based hydraulic servo control experiment and a oneweek frequency response experiment using the DC servo apparatus.An important goal is to periodically update the experiments to present hardware andsoftware that is state of the art so that students get exposure to tools that will benefit themin their careers as engineers. In the last decade hardware has been updated from analogcompensators to PLC

Conference Session

Retention of STEM Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ibibia Dabipi, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore; Joseph Arumala, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

pursued through the five-year UMCP plan for cooperativeengineering education which combines classroom theory with career-related workexperience. Individual counseling is available for students desiring to transfer to otherinstitutions. The Engineering Program is founded on the basic sciences and emphasizesthe development of a high degree of technical competence. It integrates these elements:(1) basic sciences, including mathematics, physics, and chemistry; (2) engineeringsciences including mechanics of solids and fluids, engineering materials,thermodynamics, electrical and electronic circuits, and transport phenomena; (3)engineering design which applies the above elements into the creation of systems,components and processes while optimizing

Conference Session

Curriculum Development and Delivery Modes in Nuclear Engineering

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erich Schneider

Tagged Divisions

Nuclear and Radiological

career and class - but we didn't get any emails asking fordeadline extensions or help. So, to summarize, I feel like [Distance Learner] didn't do aproportionate amount of work (ZERO calculations/analysis), and the work [he/she] diddo was not the best, and it was usually submitted too late for us to fully edit it.”“We all did equally poorly on project planning. I did poorly allotting enough time for thisproject in my schedule, but several other group members didn't finish their work andsections had to be redone at the last minute and it came out poorly throughout thesemester.”In spite of the negative aspects of the collaborative experience for the students, thequality of work produced was for the most part high. The students pulled together

Conference Session

Trends in Construction Engineering II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yong Bai, University of Kansas; Oswald Chong, University of Kansas

Tagged Divisions

Construction

ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.When the old ABET criteria were in place, an institution could almost wait until the year beforethe accreditation visit to start working on preparation for the visit. This is not to say thatinstitutions could ignore the criteria for six years at a time. However, the bulk of the workrequired for preparation for a visit would be in the year preceding the visit. With the new criteriato be implemented for accreditation visit, this is no longer the case. Institutions mustdemonstrate achievement towards goals through various methods such as outcomes assessments,graduate career performance and employer feedback. Institutions are also required

Conference Session

Project-Based Education in Energy Conversion

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mahmoud Alahmad, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Herbert Hess, University of Idaho; Brian Johnson, University of Idaho

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

, Complete replica of an electrical distribution system in a classroom.III – Project Based Approach to Introducing Electrical Building System DesignWhile the focus of the AE program is on graduating students with full understanding of the builtenvironment with emphasis on building electrical system design for students in the lighting andpower option, a basic understanding and an overview of such systems can be introduced inelectrical engineering programs. This approach is implemented in a current mandatory course atthe University of Idaho. The purpose is to provide students with practical applications ofengineered systems and to give them the opportunity to explore this field in more details if theydecide to pursue it as a career field. The

Conference Session

Training Faculty to Teach CE

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wilfrid Nixon, University of Iowa

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

faculty. Another noted “I wish more faculty would takeadvantage of the (center for teaching) offerings and participate. It is difficult to motivatetenured faculty to participate in this process but those that do benefit form theexperience.”In terms of offerings specifically for senior faculty, there were a number of comments.One noted that their university has a “Not so new faculty luncheon” which is targetedspecifically at tenured faculty. Another spoke of there being several opportunities forsenior faculty development but “none targeted specifically for engineering.” A thirdcomment noted that their department “supports, where appropriate, professionaldevelopment needed to assist senior faculty making career changes or in need of

Conference Session

Improving ME Education: Trends in Mechanical Engineering I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Knudson, Oregon State University; John Schmitt, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

project grade distributions. From this, a control group is established based on solid historical data regarding project grade outcomes. • Give Pre- and post-tests in the course and gain scores utilized to analyze the students educational gain with and without the software integration. • Indicate to the students at the beginning of the term that they are participating in a trial Page 12.1055.9 integration of the software and perform directed student surveys. • Determine which students are pursing careers involving significant work with control systems and attempt directed surveys after a grace period