overall performance ofjust over 7 percent between very strong attendees (90 % plus) and much weaker ones (less than60%). One of the factors looked at by Allen (2009)1 was the relation between choice ofcurriculum and excessive absences.The current literature on how class attendance affects student success focuses primarily on non-engineering courses. Studies have been done on biology (Moore 2005)13, business (Maskey2011)12, economics (Cohn and Johnson 20065; Marburger 200611), computer science (Urban-Lurain and Weinshank 200018 and Yao and Chiang 201122), education (Silvestri 2003)16, geology(Boss 2008)2, political science (Tiruneh 2007)17, and public finance (Lin and Chen 2006)10, toname a few. However, little research has been done on the
. Moreover, as the professionalengineering topics are required for graduation, students cannot replace the capstone designcourse with other opportunities closer to their professional interests, for example, completing aproject in the Student Space Programs Laboratory. Page 25.51.2Following a critical review and discussion of the design component of our curriculum, theundergraduate committee identified three areas for improvement: (1) coupling the undergraduateand graduate programs by engaging undergraduates in faculty research projects, (2) diversifyingthe spectrum and depth of capstone design projects, and (3) increasing the number of credit
house was built in the middle of SPSUcampus. During construction, more than 600 hours of engineering and non-engineering studentlabor time were spent. This paper focuses on undergraduate student involvement duringconstruction and testing phases. Results of survey administered among volunteered students arealso presented. It appears that volunteers enjoyed this humanitarian hands-on project activity,and expressed a strong desire to see similar opportunities on the campus. Overall, the project hasmade positive impacts on students’ approach to community issues, interest in volunteeractivities, and team-work skills.1. IntroductionA 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12th, 2010. The Haitian governmentestimates 200,000 have died as a
Connect is used to support real-time studentpresentations. Testing of the course material using a group of undergraduate students and onegraduate student with little previous understanding of computer and industrial networks indicatedthat the students learned a substantial amount about these topics.IntroductionIn the past, the subject of industrial data networks focused on networks designed for control, dataacquisition, or remote sensing,1–6 but increasingly industrial networks are used to connectcomputers in industrial settings. These computers may be desktops or laptops, or they can besmall, single-chip microcontrollers costing less than a dollar, but still connected to a network.Furthermore, few modern companies could exist without email, web
”,Information Systems Education Journal, Vol. 4, No. 50, pp 1-7, August 8, 2006.4. Auer, M. E., Pester, A. 2007. Toolkit for Distributed Online-Lab Grids. In: Advances on remote laboratories ande-learning experiences, 2007, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.5. V. J. Harward, J. A. del Alamo, S. R. Lerman P. H. Bailey, J. Carpenter, et. al., "The iLab Shared Architecture: AWeb Services Infrastructure to Build Communities of Internet Accessible Laboratories," Proceedings of the IEEE ,vol.96, no.6, pp.931-950, June 2008.6. Felknor, C., DeLong, K. 2006. iLabs Service Broker Complete Machine Build, 2006, MIT iCampus, CambridgeMA, USA
number, theexceptions to functional symmetry are relevant to this paper. Page 25.55.4Table 1. With respect to how we think, the brain’s left and right hemispheres differmarkedly. LEFT HEMISPHERE RIGHT HEMISPHERE Verbal Nonverbal Analytic Synthetic Symbolic Actual Abstract Analogic Temporal Nontemporal Rational Nonrational Digital
101 communications modules, and an end of semester practicalapplication project. This hybrid solution allows for a relatively low-cost and flexible datacommunications laboratory experience. This paper presents an overview of the experiments thathave been developed for a data communication course, and discusses the main challenges andteaching methods that the author has used to encourage student’s active learning andengagement. Assessment data indicates that there was improvement in achieving the studentlearning outcomes for the course as a result of the introduction of the new hybrid laboratoryexperiments and the teaching methods used.1. IntroductionNowadays, modern technologies are interdisciplinary and often require knowledge of
submit a 5-page technical report ontheir methods and findings and must compare the concentration of pollutants they detect to thePermissible Exposure Limits (PEL) for occupational exposure to indoor air pollutants establishedby the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Students receive feedback on theirprotocols and results from their customer, their instructor, and the environmental engineering labmanager. Page 25.57.2(1) IntroductionUndergraduate environmental engineering programs should equip their students with the basicfoundations in the discipline. Additional “significant experiences” are required to help studentsdevelop a
sixth author from the College of Education at USF, a revised proposal to theNSF CCLI program was funded in 200110. Since then we have received two expansion CCLIgrants11,12 and one more CCLI prototype grant13 for the development, assessment, refinement andrevision of the comprehensive open courseware for Numerical Methods. We call theseresources: Holistic Numerical Methods (HNM).DevelopmentThe topics (Figure 1) covered in the developed Numerical Methods open courseware14 include 1. Introduction to Scientific Computing, 2. Differentiation, 3. Nonlinear Equations, 4. Simultaneous Linear Equations, 5. Interpolation, 6. Regression, 7. Integration
industries. The discussion will also identify how the “need” for thistype of project based curriculum became obvious. Four prerequisite courses are brieflydescribed before focusing on the project based capstone course. These four coursesprovide the students with the technical skill sets needed to succeed in the senior levelcapstone course. Accomplishments and outcomes from the student perspective, theUniversity perspective, and the industry perspective will also be shared.Our advancing world of computer integration, process control, industrial automation, andtelecommunications requires technical problem solvers and knowledgeable decisionmakers. “The activities of problem solving and decision making are closelyintertwined”,1 and both skills can
steps based on the traditional problem-basedlearning format: 1. The Challenge – The legacy cycle is a challenge based approach such that an appropriate challenge question is presented to motivate and engage students to explore. 2. Generate Ideas – Students explore their initial thoughts as well as ideas about the challenge, their current knowledge, and perceptions. 3. Multiple Perspectives – Experts from the fields provide their insights and potential perspectives related to the topic of the challenge without providing a direct solution. 4. Research and Revise – Educational activities such as lectures, homework, labs, and readings are designed to assist students conducting research on the challenge, with
undergraduate psychology and technology education majors helped deliver theoutreach activities to the children.Participants were 143 students (82 male), aged 6 to 10 years, from an elementary school in theMidwestern United States. A subset of students from second-grade (n = 29; mean age = 7.6; SD= .49) were exposed to in-class targeted instruction on robots and industrial robotics. First-,second- and third-grade students were used as a control group.Data measuresFor several decades, the “Draw-a-Scientist Test” (DAST)1 has been used to understandstereotypes about scientists. Finson’s2 review describes the stereotypical image (i.e., white, male,lab coat, eye glasses) as consistent across ages, races and gender but also shows how this taskhas been used to
evaluation this spring through assessment by a small groupof users (both students and faculty). Any necessary changes will be made prior to the plannedimplementation for all freshman during the upcoming 2012-13 academic year. Page 25.62.21 IntroductionManufacturing knowledge is one of the critical elements of mechanical engineering design, helpingto bring designs from concept to prototype in an engineering setting. Our objective is to distribute asingle semester of manufacturing curriculum into every year of an undergraduate’s education. Thisworks in parallel with the prior developed SPIRAL curriculum [1–5]. Our goal is to give studentsa more
support, and input during design reviews.IntroductionGrove City College (GCC) routinely participates in the SAE Mini Baja competition and theASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge. Frames for these vehicles are typically fabricatedfrom sections of thin-walled steel tubing that are TIG welded together (see Figures 1 and 2).Tube ends must be notched prior to welding to insure proper fit-up and to maintain small gaps inthe joint area. Figure 3 shows a typical joint – in this case a 90° intersection of tubes of the samediameter. While more complicated joints with three or more tubes intersecting at a singlelocation are occasionally required1, the most common joint involves only two tubes intersectingat a specified angle. A common method for tube
Electromechanical Devices course. Thus, the module on linear motors Page 25.64.2can be thought of as building on the scaffolding of the previous course. Scaffolding andexperimental approach to engineering education as best practices are already well established inengineering education theory and practice.Experimental Setup There are two laboratory setups used for this module. The first laboratory setup consistsof a simple linear stepper motor SL-015A-TJK from Shinko Inc. (Figure 1.) controlled by aCompumotor S6-series microstepping drive from Parker Hannifin Corporation, a parallel portinterface, and a shareware program, TurboCNC6. The complete
viewed a product that needs to be verified and validated 1.Verification is defined as building the product correctly, while validation is defined as buildingthe right product1; this work is focused on curriculum validation.One thing anyone familiar with product design will be familiar with is identifying customerneeds or the voice of the customer (VOC). This is an integral part of any development project 13.It is important to not only identify customer needs, but also the importance of those needs 14. Anunderstanding of customer needs and a focus on them are key for the success of anyproduct 15, 16; in this case the success of an educational curriculum.It should be recognized that an educational curriculum is not like a standalone item. The
currentstudents, a basic gate valve assembly featuring three model variants (sweat, threaded, andcompression attachment types) with mostly interchangeable parts and two handle colors for atotal of six possible product variations was selected selected, as seen in Figure 1 with just one handlecolor. This product oduct type was selected for ruggedness, parts interchangeability, design stability,and availability.Figure 1: Gate valve models from left to right: threaded, compression fitting, and sweat.Finally, there was also a general call to limit the number and scope of concepts students wereexpected to learn to allow for more depth of understanding with a slightly smaller set of terms
by graduate andundergraduate students, thus making the lab development itself a hands-on learning endeavor. Page 25.67.3Figure 1: Michigan Tech Mobile Lab's interactive classroom and testcell facility and Hybrid Electric Vehicles.Figure 2: Michigan Tech Mobile Lab in transportation mode. Page 25.67.4Interactive Classroom and Testcell FacilityThe structure that houses the interactive classroom and testcell facility is a modified dry vansemi trailer with an expandable side. The trailer was manufactured by Kentucky Trailer
will outnumberwhite males at 30.1%1,2. Comparison of 2000 and 2010 data in Table 1 shows the percentchange of 43% for Hispanic American, 12.3% for African American, and 5.7% for Whites.In order to make significant progress in increasing the educational attainment of all students andfor the U.S. to meet its workforce needs, there is an urgent need to address disparities ineducational opportunity and achievement among Americans. The high school graduation rate hasdecreased for all racial and ethnic groups over the past two decades, and differences betweenracial and ethnic groups persist. A growing number of high school students drop out of schoolcompletely. For high school graduates, 73% of whites, 56% of blacks, and 58% of Hispanicsenroll in
andalso with respect to the norms of professional practice. The program also employs additionaltechnical and administrative staff. The technical staff maintains the equipment and providesgeneral technical support. The administrative staff recruits new clients and administers theprogram.The program is located in a 35,000 ft2 building that is equipped with an electronics shop, amachine shop, an IT infrastructure and an assortment of rapid prototyping equipment (e.g.waterjet cutter, polyjet rapid prototype and laser welder). The facility and the equipment havebeen configured to accommodate a wide range of engineering projects as opposed to focusing ona particular technology or industry. Figure 1: Aerial view of the building that
more holistic engineers9. Thephilosophy behind Humanitarian Engineering is to use engineering skills to address the socialand development problems of underserved populations – similar to the vision of an engineer withwell-developed views of personal and professional social responsibility. HumanitarianEngineering programs are more adept at addressing many ABET ‘professional skills’, includingan understanding of ethical responsibility and of the global and societal impacts of engineeringsolutions in addition to traditional technical skills10.Research QuestionsThe following research questions are the motivations for this paper and study. 1) To what degree does an individual possesses socially responsible ideals and are those beliefs
step in a proposed program which aims at developing a long-term nanotechnologyprogram at TAMUK, with a foundation being first laid at the Department of ElectricalEngineering and Computer Science. Once developed, the program is expected to not only benefitthe student and faculty community at TAMUK, but also a sizable number of universities acrossthe nation that find themselves in a similar situation. The proposed program will be developedunder two constraints: Page 25.71.3 1. It will aim at a diverse student population, and at a university that lacks the infrastructure of large research universities. 2. It will aim to develop a
dimensions fall into 4 key categories: Academic, Program Design, Management,and Technical-Social Balance.Table 1. Academic Characteristics None 1. Learning Outcomes Clear, rigorous, both technical and non-technical None 2. Deliverables Substantial, many Little 3. Assessment Rigorous, well aligned Purely experiential 4. Civic Outcomes Reflective, civic outcomes assessedFour academic dimensions were identified as shown in Table 1. Several
variety of disciplines. It hasbeen found that multi-disciplinary approaches to research and education are essential tounderstanding and resolving complex environmental and social issues. Through BGREEN,students will experience that most real problems are not defined within a single domain but theycross disciplines. This paper highlights the education component of BGREEN and shows howindustrial engineering departments can broaden and strengthen their research areas through thetype of multi-disciplinary research performed under this project. The paper also shows how theBGREEN model can be easily replicated at other institutions.1. Introduction Today’s energy challenges stem from an unsustainable energy infrastructure, largelydependent on fossil
to apply thermodynamics principles, such as the first and second laws,learned in the classroom lectures, to real-life problems. This approach could make the learning ofthermodynamics a more pleasant experience for undergraduate mechanical engineering students.The Design Process and SpecificationsThe design process that was employed in this research project is the one outlined by Bejan et al.1 Page 25.74.3and Jaluria2. The first essential and basic feature of this process is the formulation of the problemstatement. The formulation of the design problem statement involves determining therequirements of the system, the given parameters, the
engineering. Secondary goals include impacting student interest in pursuing graduatestudies, particularly in programs with international components.11In order to help meet the needs for globally trained biomedical engineers, a new global healthcourse was recently developed at Western New England University (WNE). The new course,which is titled Global Health & Technology, was designed to provide a multidisciplinaryexperience at the interface between global health issues and the technologies being developed tosolve them. Additionally, the course contained an integrated field experience in Guatemala thatwas included to provide a practical module to complement the in-class learning. The objectivesof the course were to 1) increase student knowledge
fundamental core knowledge of power andenergy.1 This mirrors the larger movement calling for engineering graduates to have aninterdisciplinary and system-based viewpoint, in order to address the complexities of the majorchallenges (such as energy) that face our world. 2In response to this need for a power and energy engineering workforce, a Power and EnergyInstitute (PEIK) was created at The University of Kentucky, which already had a strong historyof power and energy education across the college of engineering but lacked a programintegrating these efforts. The task of the new institute was to bring together the existingactivities and then expand upon them. This institute brought together a core set of faculty fromacross the college who shared a
studies in mechanical engineering and complete research within the biological and nanoscience area of interest. Page 25.77.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Big money in an infinitesimal world - A nanotechnology module within the current course in Engineering Economy Mitchell Cornelius1, Bidhan Roy2, Osama Jadaan2 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2 Department of General Engineering University of Wisconsin – Platteville, 1 University Plaza, Platteville, Wisconsin 53818, USAAbstract: For the past couple of years, the
objectives, termed competencies, for each required course in thecurriculum. Each competency was designed to correspond to a specific Program Outcome suchthat assessment of mastery of the course competencies demonstrates achievement of the ProgramOutcomes. For several years, mastery of the competencies has been measured using surveys ofboth faculty and students. The student surveys required each pupil to assess his or her mastery ofeach competency on a scale of 1-5. Though this approach has provided a numerical evaluationof the students’ perceived abilities of each class as a whole, and has ensured minimum standardsare kept, it has proven difficult to glean opportunities for specific improvement from these data,and changes to the curriculum have been
course forjunior and senior students interested in green technologies and electronics industry based on 14 weeksof course schedule. It is expected that a single instructor will deliver the course material but inviteseveral guest speakers to deliver certain topics. The course will cover technical details regarding theselected products such as electric vehicles and charging components, photovoltaic, and energymanagement systems in addition to discussion adoption of new technologies and market analysis forsuch products. The course curriculum includes a review of published papers, case studies, group projectwork, and interaction with these two industries through invited guest speakers.1. IntroductionThere is an increasing interest in developing new