Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Division Technical Session 8

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Liang Hong, Tennessee State University; Lee Keel, Tennessee State University; Charles David McCurry, Tennessee State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Laboratory (AFRL). His academic research interest which correlated with his work at AFRL involve the areas of human and machine teaming, cyber-human systems, human and system Integration, control and intelligent control systems, machine learning and artificial intelligence applications, and system engineering design American c Society for Engineering Education, 2021 Work-in-Progress: Enhance Undergraduate Electrical Engineering Education with CPS/IoT InfusionAbstract: Electrical engineers serve a vital function in our modern world. Currently,undergraduate electrical engineering (EE) students are in high demands to be hired with thehighest median

Collection

2017 ASEE International Forum

Authors

Vasiliy Grigoryevich Ivanov, KAZAN NATIONAL RESEARCH TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY; Mansur Galikhanov, Kazan National Research Technological University; Farida Tagirovna Shageeva, Kazan National Research Technological University

the position of the First Vice-Rector of KNRTU for Academic Affairs in 1989, which he has held since then. He received the degree of Doctor of Science in Edu- cation for his dissertation ”Designing the Contents of Professional Pedagogical Training for Faculty of Technical Universities” in 1996. Professor Ivanov enhanced the development of engineering pedagogy at KNRTU as a separate subject and a research discipline. He investigates the problems of engineering pedagogy in the following areas: continuing psychological and pedagogical education in an engineering university; teaching methods for engineering disciplines in an engineering university; innovative engi- neering education; continuing professional development

Collection

1996 Annual Conference

Authors

William H. Tranter; Theodore S. Rappaport; Jeffrey H. Reed; Donna M. Krizman; Brian D. Woerner

by faculty atVirginia Tech and UMR under the NSF CRCD program. The curriculum innovation is being developed inresponse to the growing demand for electrical engineers with the expertise to design and deploy new wirelesscommunications services and products. The senior and graduate level courses include hardware and softwarecomponents, along with a change in teaching style, and will be incorporated into the curriculum at bothVirginia Tech and UMR. Textbooks, software modules, videotapes, and revolutionary laboratory/hardwareexperiences developed under this program will be made available to universities world-wide, over theInternet and through widely available texts and notes.REFERENCES1 Rappaport, T. S., “The Wireless Revolution,” IEEE

Conference Session

International Case Studies, Collaborations and Interactions

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wenlung Li, National Taipei University of Technology; Jhy-Cherng Tsai, National Chung-Hsing University, TAIWAN; Wei-Chung Wang, National Tsing-Hua University, TAIWAN; Cheng-Kuo Sung, National Tsing-Hua University, TAIWAN; Jennie Wu, Ministry of Education, TAIWAN

Tagged Divisions

International

the most important, comprehensive andfundamental technologies for industries. Major achievements of the program includeestablishment of the expertise laboratories, the educational resource integration and outcomessharing, the e-education, the hands-on project competitions and the community service. Inaddition, the program also encourages the communities to organize the academy-industryalliances (AIA). During year 2001 to 2004, ten educational alliances, directed by the educationalresource centers (ERC), were formed in the past four years with more than 78 academic and 25industrial partners participated. Moreover, about 54 expertise laboratories are establishedtogether with accompanying courses and lecture materials. The outcomes and

Conference Session

ETAC/ABET-Related Issues

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sri R. Kolla, Bowling Green State University; David Border, Bowling Green State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. He was an Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania State University, 1990-’93. He got a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Univer- sity of Toledo, Ohio, 1989. His teaching and research interests are in electrical engineering/technology area with specialization in artificial intelligence, power and energy systems, control systems and computer networking. He is a fellow of Institution of Engineers (India) and senior member of IEEE and ISA.Dr. David Border, Bowling Green State University David A. Border, Ph.D., holds a principle research interest in electronic information systems. This field includes digital communication and networking and intelligent networked devices. His current work in

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

John Bridge

Session 1664 Incorporating Active Learning in an Engineering Materials Science Course Lieutenant Colonel John W. Bridge United States Military Academy, West Point, New YorkAbstractThis paper shares the experiences the author has had over the last several years incorporatingactive learning in the classroom and laboratory. Examined are ways to engage and motivate thestudents to take an active role in their learning which includes direct instruction, cooperativelearning, hands-on “exploratory” classroom and laboratory experiences, reading logs, etc. Theauthor

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zenaida Otero Gephardt, Rowan University; Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University; Mariano Javier Savelski, Rowan University; Stewart Slater, Rowan University; Maryfaith Rodgers, Rowan University; Pavlo Kostetskyy, Rowan University; Keith McIver; Haddy Diallo; Kaitlyn Jean Zienowicz; Jason J. Giacomelli, Rowan University; Vladimir de Delva

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees

in laboratory develop- ment and experiential learning, particularly in the areas of biomedical and sustainable engineering.Mariano Javier Savelski, Rowan UniversityC. Stewart Slater, Rowan UniversityMaryfaith Rodgers, Rowan UniversityPavlo Kostetskyy, Rowan University Coauthor as a 4th year undergraduate student at Rowan UniversityKeith McIverHaddy Diallokaitlyn jean zienowiczJason J. Giacomelli, Rowan UniversityVladimir de Delva Page 22.931.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Integration of Particle Technology with Pharmaceutical Industry Applications in the

Conference Session

Electrical & Computer Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Karl Stephan

Session No. 1532 A Digital Electronics Course Using CPLDs for Manufacturing Engineers Karl D. Stephan and Vedaraman Sriraman Department of Technology, Texas State University-San Marcos San Marcos, Texas 78666Abstract: The challenge faced by ECE instructors who teach a one-semester digital electronicscourse in a manufacturing engineering curriculum is to present a useful fraction of the material tostudents whose primary interest is not electronics. We have developed a course whichaccomplishes this goal with the use of complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) and a termproject that

Conference Session

Writing and Communication I

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

David Adams; William Manion

Wr iting AssignmentsHistorically, complete academic style laboratory reports had been required for each of the fivetopics. They contained a cover page, executive summary, purpose, procedure, results anddiscussion. Over the years, a number of different techniques were utilized to teach report writing,including highly detailed assignment presentations, outlines, examples, in-class outliningworkshops, and even post-grading individual student meetings. Similarly, some combination ofgrading checklists or rubrics were invented and reinvented.However, the students’ overall writing quality was not improving. Of course, good students didwell and poor students did not, but the majority did not produce reports showing clear, organizedcritical thought

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Yao, East Carolina University; Loren Limberis, East Carolina University; Paul Kauffmann, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

interests are laboratory/project-driven learning and integration of research into undergraduate education. Dr. Yao is a member of the American Society of Engineering Education.Loren Limberis, East Carolina University Loren Limberis is an Assistant Professor of Engineering at East Carolina University. Prior to joining ECU, he was a faculty member in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at The College of New Jersey. He received both his BS degree in Electrical Engineering and PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Utah. His research interests include the study of motor protein motility mechanisms and the incorporation of motor proteins and their associated tracks into bio

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Paul Wojciechowski

theestablishment of state-of-the-art laboratory facilities as well as partial scholarship support forstudents in the program. The program had its first class of students enter in fall 1995 andcurrently consists of approximately 100 students majoring in mechanical engineering. TheABET evaluation visit under EC2000 occurred in September 1999 and resulted in accreditationof the program. Designing a new engineering curriculum—in concert with industrial partners—within the broad context of a private, moderately sized, comprehensive college posed manychallenges. This presentation will review these challenges, the process used for establishing anew program in mechanical engineering, and the role industry has played in developing andsupporting the program.I

Conference Session

Computers in Education General Technical Session II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Deborah Walter, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

AC 2011-1618: AUDIO-VISUAL LAB TUTORIALS TO DEVELOP INDE-PENDENT LEARNERSDeborah Walter, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Dr. Deborah Walter is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She teaches courses in circuits, electromagnetics, and medical imaging. Before joining academia in 2006, she was at the Computed Tomography Laboratory at GE’s Global Research Center for 8 years. She worked on several technology development projects in the area of X-ray CT for medical and industrial imaging. She is a named inventor on 9 patents. She has been active in the recruitment and retention of women and minorities in engineering and currently PI for an NSF-STEM

Conference Session

College-Industry Partnerships: Bringing Industry into the Curriculum Development and Design Cycle

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J. Shelley, United States Air Force; Kenneth Santarelli, Cal State Fresno

Tagged Divisions

College-Industry Partnerships

laboratory classes, to the student’s senior, but usually not last, year.Because of low student enrollment and dissatisfaction with the JEP by both the local employers,who did not benefit, and the two partner universities, the JEP ended in spring semester 2004. At the close of the JEP, a partnership of local engineering employers, city, state, and federalgovernment agencies motivated a single university to offer programs to provide mechanical andelectrical engineering baccalaureate degrees to students locally through a combination ofinteractive broadcast lectures and locally taught engineering laboratory courses.Industry/Government support for the program included temporary funding for an electricalengineering professor’s salary and an

Conference Session

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Division (BAE) Technical Session 1

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carmine Carey Balascio P.E., University of Delaware

Tagged Divisions

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Division (BAE)

, cooperative learning,collaboration, and respectful consideration of new ideas and multiple points of view. Suchattributes would contribute to the quality of teamwork encountered in the multidisciplinarydesign-team environment in which engineers typically function today.The author teaches courses that primarily support a Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board(LAAB)-accredited [2] Landscape Architecture undergraduate program housed in the Universityof Delaware’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His courses, all cross-listed inlandscape architecture and civil engineering, often have a mix of landscape architecture andengineering students simultaneously enrolled. Engineering students in civil, environmental, andconstruction engineering

Collection

2024 CIEC

Authors

Ghazal Barari; Brian Sanders

effects of selected treatments. Selected treatments in this case are virtuallaboratories applied in an undergraduate fluid mechanics course. Usage data is gathered to assessstudent engagement. A qualitative review is performed to assess student learning outcomesrelated to the learning activity. Finally, data from a student survey is gathered to assess theirperceived value from the virtual laboratory treatment. This enables an assessment of the effectfrom the selected treatment on the resulting skill and knowledge demonstrated.1. IntroductionThe measurement of student engagement in educational activities has gained increasing attentionin educational research and practice [1]. Effective student engagement is associated withimproved learning

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Dale E. Schinstock

lecture, lab, and homework coalesce the topics of course throughout the semester.The course reduces the specific topical coverage while increasing expectations for greaterunderstanding of the topics covered. In addition, it focuses on a few key concepts usedthroughout the semester to tie the topics together.This course has been a great success story. From the author’s experience of teaching at threedifferent universities, this required course is usually despised by a majority of mechanicalengineering students. Now that these course changes have been implemented, student interest isat an all time high and their praise for the course is abundant.Description of the LaboratoryThe laboratory is an important part of the course. Each student attends a

Conference Session

Faculty Development and Research Programs (NEE)

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edward F. Gehringer, North Carolina State University, Raleigh; Matthias F. Stallmann, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators Division (NEE)

. Teaching gives us the opportunity totouch many lives, but to a limited depth for a limited period of time. As mentors, we becomemore deeply involved in the careers and lives of our students, cultivating professionalrelationships and, often, lifelong friendships. Just as we devote time to becoming a betterteacher, we should also avail ourselves of the collective wisdom of outstanding mentors. Thispaper has distilled the advice of more than a dozen successful faculty members and facultydevelopers on a wide range of topics related to recruiting students and helping those studentssucceed in research.7. ReferencesBarker, Kathy. At the Helm: Leading Your Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2010.Buckingham, Markus and Ashley Goodall, Work

Conference Session

The Role of Robotics in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Irina Igel, Polytechnic Institute of New York University; Ronald Leonel Poveda, Polytechnic Institute of New York University; Vikram Kapila, Polytechnic Institute of New York University; Magued G. Iskander P.E., Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2012-4263: EXAMINING THE EFFICACY OF A LEGO ROBOTICSTRAINING FOR VOLUNTEER MENTORS AND K-12 TEACHERSMs. Irina Igel, Polytechnic Institute of New York University Irina Igel received a B.S degree in mathematics with a minor in computer science from NYU-Poly, Brook- lyn, NY, in 2009. Upon graduating, she received an Adjunct Instructor position at the Department of Mathematics at NYU-Poly, teaching undergraduate math courses to incoming freshmen. She is currently serving as a teaching Fellow at the Bedford Academy HS under NYU-Poly’s GK-12 program funded by NSF and CBSI consortium of donors. She is perusing a M.S. degree in mechanical engineering with em- phasis on control and dynamical systems. Her research

Conference Session

Capstone and International Experiences

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bobby G. Crawford, U.S. Military Academy; Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University; Elizabeth Bristow P.E., U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

Professional Engineer and is a rated pilot in both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.Dr. Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University Stephanie Farrell is an Associate Professor in chemical engineering at Rowan University. Prior to joining Rowan in 1998, she was an Assistant Professor in chemical engineering and Adjunct professor in biomed- ical engineering at Louisiana Tech University. She received her bachelor’s, M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, Stevens Institute of Technology, and New Jer- sey Institute of Technology, respectively. Farrell’s educational interests are in laboratory development and experiential learning, particularly in the areas of biomedical and sustainable

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division (ENT) Technical Session 6: Undergraduate and Faculty Research

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heather Dillon, University of Washington; Jenna P. Carpenter, Campbell University; Rachel Louis Kajfez, The Ohio State University; Brooke K. Mayer, Marquette University; Shane W. Rogers, Clarkson University; Ben Tribelhorn, University of Portland

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division (ENT)

is shown in Figure 1. One goal of this module is to help faculty thinkabout alignment of service and teaching with research.Module 2. Structuring Undergraduate Research to Help Yourself. Building on the concept map ofModule 1, we ask faculty to brainstorm specific activities that engage undergraduate research students ina way to create value for their own research, teaching, and service activities. Examples might be toengage summer undergraduate research students in the generation of preliminary research data for newresearch ideas, development of K-12 or other education and outreach program materials, or evendevelopment of an effective teaching laboratory or maker space at their institution. Participants are taskedwith drafting an

Conference Session

Aerospace Division Technical Session: Pedagogy and Curriculum

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Emily Palmer, California Institute of Technology; Jacqueline Tawney, California Institute of Technology; Jennifer Weaver

Paper ID #36851A Model for Student-led Development and Implementation ofa Required Graduate-level Course on History, Ethics, andIdentity in Aerospace EngineeringEmily Palmer Emily H. Palmer is a Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT). Her current research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying steady state flight control in Drosophila melanogaster. She has been involved in numerous educational outreach programs throughout her undergraduate and graduate career, and holds a leadership position in the GALCIT graduate student council. She earned her M.S

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rick Williams, East Carolina University; Stacy Klein-Gardner; Loren Limberis; Stephanie Sullivan, East Carolina University

newlycreated concentration in bioprocess engineering provides an excellent opportunity to developand implement a novel curriculum based upon proven pedagogical approaches designed toengage the students and improve their mastery of concepts. There are four main objectives ofthis NSF funded (DUE-0737198) Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement project:utilize proven techniques to develop nine instructional modules for three bioprocess engineeringcourses (three modules per course); develop common themes to integrate subsets of thesemodules between two or more courses, while ensuring portability to other programs; assess theeffectiveness of the instructional modules; and disseminate the results so other programs canincorporate the modules into

Conference Session

Curricular Advancements in ECE

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Douglas W. Jacobson, Iowa State University; Julie Ann Rursch, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Paper ID #30023Building a Cyber Security Engineering Program? Begin by Cloning YourComputer Engineering ProgramDr. Douglas W. Jacobson, Iowa State University Doug Jacobson is a University Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. He is currently the director the Iowa State University Information Assurance Cen- ter, which has been recognized by the National Security Agency as a charter Center of Academic Excel- lence for Information Assurance Education. He teaches network security and information warfare and has written a textbook on network security. For a non-technical

Conference Session

Learning in a Socially-Distanced Environment

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Kathryn Anne Wingate, University of Colorado Boulder; Alexis Wall, University of Colorado Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace

Paper ID #33897The Impact of Doubling Department Course Offerings on Faculty Load andStudent SuccessDr. Kathryn Anne Wingate, University of Colorado Boulder Dr. Kathryn Wingate is an instructor at University of Colorado Boulder, where she teaches design and mechanics courses. She holds her PhD in mechanical engineering, and worked at NGAS as a materials scientist.Alexis Wall, University of Colorado Boulder Alexis Wall received her BS in Aerospace Engineering in 2020 from CU and is now a graduate student in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at CU Boulder. She has worked at CU’s Laboratory

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Division Poster Session

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Eleanor Leung, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

education institutions, they may not beutilized to the fullest by undergraduate students.Currently, literature is limited on undergraduate research experiences in the engineeringdisciplines. This may be attributed to multiple factors such as a significant emphasis onmathematics and science in the first two years of engineering curriculum, a strictly sequentialdegree path, and a lack of flexibility in the program requirements [3].The purpose of this work is to detail how a small teaching-focused four-year institutionincorporates undergraduate research opportunities in its academic programs through the use ofindependent studies specifically in the Electrical & Computer Engineering discipline. This paperwill emphasize the importance of

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session 9: Persistence and Retention

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Meeroff, Florida Atlantic University; Donna Chamely-Wiik, Florida Atlantic University; William R. Kwochka, Western Carolina University; Evelyn Marques Frazier, Florida Atlantic University; Jordan Merritt, Florida Atlantic University; Michael Aldarondo-Jeffries, University of Central Florida; Alison I. Morrison-Shetlar, Western Carolina University; Kimberly R. Schneider, University of Central Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Paper ID #25131Work in Progress: A Transferable Model to Improve Retention and StudentSuccess in STEM through Undergraduate Research (NSF LEARN Consor-tium)Dr. Daniel Meeroff, Florida Atlantic University Daniel Meeroff is Professor and Associate Chair at Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Civil, En- vironmental & Geomatics Engineering. His area of specialization is Environmental Engineering, specifi- cally water and wastewater engineering, water quality, solid and hazardous waste management, and pollu- tion prevention. Dr. Meeroff is the founder and director of the Laboratories for Engineered Environmental

Collection

2014 EDI

Authors

Stephen M. Phillips P.E.

developed by others – Most technical electives available – All labs available ABET accreditation achieved – Considered same program with different delivery – Details shortly …. Appropriate faculty incentives – Cash – Teaching release – HandshakeFULTON schools of engineering electrical, computer and energy engineering One online approach Many engineers seek perfection given tools: video editing … watch yourself Produce, debug, produce, pilot-deliver, debug, produce, deliver Instructional designers are key: – modules, on-demand examples, prerequisite topics, quizzes, examsFULTON schools of engineering electrical

Conference Session

Curriculum Development and Delivery Modes in Nuclear Engineering

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kendra Foltz Biegalski, University of Texas-Austin; Steven Biegalski, University of Texas-Austin; Paul Johnson, University of Texas-Austin; Sean O'Kelly, University of Texas-Austin

Tagged Divisions

Nuclear and Radiological

applications. Prior to working for The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Foltz Biegalski utilized her expertise to support the development of technology in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). This includes the development of software to analyze beta-gamma coincidence data from radioxenon monitoring systems.Steven Biegalski, University of Texas-Austin Dr. Steven Biegalski is the Director of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin. He specializes in the fields of nuclear instrumentation, neutron radiography, analysis of environmental media with nuclear methods, and modeling of environmental pathways. Prior to working for the University

Conference Session

Programmatic Issues in Physics or Engineering Physics Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anca Sala, Baker College; Raghu Echempati, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

AC 2008-923: DIRECT ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES INPHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS COURSESAnca Sala, Baker College ANCA L. SALA, Assistant Professor, is Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Baker College. Dr. Sala coordinates several engineering and technology programs, is actively involved in teaching and developing engineering curriculum, and leads the ABET accreditation activities in the department. She is a member of ASEE, ASME, and OSA.Raghu Echempati, Kettering University RAGHU ECHEMPATI is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University (formerly GMI Engineering & Management Institute). He has over 20 years of teaching, research and consulting

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Montserrat Rabago-Smith, Kettering Univeristy; Jennifer Aurandt, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

ibuprofen was developed by The BHC Company. This synthesis on the otherhand, involves only three steps, and the atom utilization is much higher. Also,the use of HF in the “Green” synthesis was discussed. This example teaches theimportance of atom economy, the use of shorter and efficient chemical reactions,as well as the safety of the chemicals used in the synthesis process. Then, thestudents are introduced to the concept of atom economy, reaction yield, and theirrelationship in the development of efficient and environmentally friendlysynthesis. When talking about atom economy, the reactions covered in Module 1and the reactions performed in their laboratories were reviewed. Thus, thestudents could reinforce previous knowledge while learning new