Conference Session

Topics in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Miller, Society of Automotive Engineers International; Elizabeth Bachrach, Goodman Research Group, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, both for students and for teachers.Evaluation MethodsRetrospective Research DesignDuring the winter of 2004-2005, prior to beginning the longitudinal study of AWIM,GRG conducted one-time post-only surveys with industry volunteers who had been involvedwith AWIM teachers and classrooms, and teachers who had ordered AWIM in the past fiveyears. The retrospective study examined past AWIM users’ satisfaction with the program andperceptions of its effectiveness in achieving its stated goals.Longitudinal Research DesignGRG employed a three-group pretest-posttest experimental design for the first year of thelongitudinal study. Teachers were recruited and randomly assigned to one of three experimentalconditions: 1) Veteran Group Teachers: Had used

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wookwon Lee, Gannon University; Fong Mak, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

above, a new one-semester course onengineering project and management has been recently introduced for first-year graduatestudents. This new course guides students through a complete design cycle from inception tocompletion with a pre-defined project of a complex system. For the required complexity for thecourse, a wireless cellular communication system, in particular, the third generation (3G)Wideband Code-Division Multiple-Access (CDMA) system 1, is considered for the designexercise and project management. In this course, based on the technical standards available fromthe standardization organization, students are required to produce design requirements andspecifications as well as other documents such as functional decomposition, project

Conference Session

Innovations in Laboratory Studies

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ali Al-Bahi, King Abdulaziz University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

well as to analyze and interpret data.”ABET EC2000 presented a paradigm shift in dealing with engineering laboratories. Studentshave to design their own experiments instead of only conducting recipe-type experiments anddealing with collected data. In doing this, the students can achieve several outcomes and beprepared for the profession.For an engineering program seeking ABET accreditation, several questions related toundergraduate laboratories need to be answered: 1. Why is it important for professional engineers to be able to design and conduct experiments? To which extent can the undergraduate lab experience simulate the professional engineering practice? 2. What are the fundamental objectives that could be met through the

Conference Session

SE Curriculum and Course Management

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Clifton, University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Rob Hasker, University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Mike Rowe, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Software Engineering Constituent Committee

providing a direct measurement of a specific performance criterion. Course Surveys: Course learning outcomes are included in each course. Students are surveyed in each course and asked whether the course learning outcomes are being met. A mapping of course outcomes to performance criteria is used. This is an indirect assessment measurement. Graduating Senior Exit Surveys: Graduating seniors provide feedback by completing a standard exit survey during the last week of their final semester. The survey is designed using the performance criteria. This is an indirect assessment measurement.As an example, the performance criteria and measurements for Development Outcome B are: B.1: Develops

Conference Session

Improving Technical Understanding of All Americans

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Engstrom, ITEA/Cal U

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

learning resources based onselected technological and science literacy standards; and disseminating the units to teachers intraining workshops and distance learning. Each unit has standards-based content, suggestedteaching approaches, and detailed learning activities including brainstorming, visualizing, testing,refining, and assessing technological designs. Students learn how inventions, innovations, andsystems are created and how technology becomes part of people’s lives.The primary goals of the project were to: 1. Create a model for standards-based instructional units addressing the study of technology and science to be implemented in grades 5 and/or 6. 2. Align contemporary classroom/laboratory instruction with technological literacy

Conference Session

Potpourri

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Cleary, Rowan University; William Riddell, Rowan University; Harriet Hartman, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

socioeconomic groups.Plans for targeted recruitment efforts resulting from this study are also presented.IntroductionRowan University is a well-regarded comprehensive regional university located in New Jersey.The engineering program is highly ranked1 and has a proven record of retaining the femaleengineering students it attracts2. However, the number of female students entering theengineering program is below national averages and has been declining over the past severalyears, as shown in Figure 1. In the U.S. and Canada on average just under 20% of the students inengineering are female4. At Rowan University this percentage is below 15%. Over the pastseveral years female enrollment in engineering has dropped at both Rowan University andnationally.The

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aleksandra Vinogradov, Montana State University; Carolyn Plumb, Montana State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

engaged U.S. workforce ofscientists, engineers, technologists, and well-prepared citizens.” 1-4 As an important measurerequired to meet these challenges, new engineering accreditation criteria, initially known asEngineering Criteria 2000 (EC 2000), have emphasized the necessity of combining the traditionalrequirements of rigorous technical preparation, or so-called “hard” skills, and the development ofprofessional or “soft” skills, including such attributes as communication, ethics, critical thinking,and innovation.5The EC 2000 ABET criteria, now part of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)criteria, have created many new expectations in terms of enhancing, revising, and remodelingengineering programs. In response to new requirements

Conference Session

Case Studies & Engineering Education Around the Globe

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adnan Zahed; Abdullah Bafail; Reda Abdulaal; Ali Al-Bahi

Tagged Divisions

International

13.996.1linguistic and cultural barriers are evaluated.IntroductionFor a long time, engineering institutions in the United States adopted the evaluation criteria ofthe Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a well established process toensure the quality of their engineering programs. Seventy years after its establishment, ABETcurrently accredits some 2,700 programs at over 550 colleges and universities nationwide.In a major shift influenced by pressures from industry and global competition, ABET introducedthe Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000)1, which addressed the effectiveness of engineeringeducation programs by focusing on assessment and evaluation process that assures theachievement of educational objectives and outcomes. Since it

Conference Session

Distance Learning in ET

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Hsiung, Old Dominion University; John Ritz, Old Dominion University; James Eiland, Blue Ridge Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

. Page 13.358.2II. Project Objectives vs. Curriculum vs. Hardware Designs The project objectives for this training system that are related to the hardware andsoftware are:1. Training System Development: Design and develop the hardware and software for a training system board that uses PIC medium family members, such as PIC16F84A4, PIC16F885, and PIC16F877A6, for two-year and four-year institutions in digital, microprocessor/microcontroller, automation control, and senior project courses to directly resolve the barrier problems of cost and learning from a distance.2. High and Low Level Languages Programming: This system will serve as a common platform for high and low level software programming design, hardware circuit

Conference Session

Learning about Electric Energy Conversion

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Rubaai, Howard University; Ramesh Chawla, Howard University; Joseph Cannon

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Java, and allowsHoward students more time to “fine-tune” their controllers and produce practical results.Description of Bang–Bang ControllerThe actuating element of a bang-bang controller has only two fixed positions, which it switchesabruptly between. This controller is often used to control a system with binary input, such as athermostat which can only be on or off. Figure 1 shows the basic function of a bang-bangcontroller. In our case, the position error is measured. CONTROL ACTION C DEAD BAND -D D ERROR

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pradeep Bhattacharya, Southern University & A&M College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

using independent researchfields, now highlighting potential risks and achieved goals. It is aimed to deduce howthese goals can be achieved via educational solutions in various applications. Page 13.568.2 1. Introduction For the future, the nation will need a whole generation with inherent innovationskills, and a workforce equipped with more than literacy in reading, mathematics andscience. Down the road we need a workforce with the capacities of creative thinking andthriving for a ethically sound collaborative culture. If our goal is a research rich learningenvironment or one that is interdisciplinary, it

Conference Session

Innovations in Biological/Agricultural Education-I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Rosentrater, USDA-ARS; Jerry Visser, South Dakota State University

Tagged Divisions

Biological & Agricultural

, engineering economics, and biocomposite manufacturing.Because the role of the instructor is to utilize advances in research to bolster the classroom, andbecause the interest and actual utilization of biomass is currently burgeoning, incorporating thesetopics could provide a tremendous boost in student interest in coursework, as well as bolster theworkforce who will be working in the emerging bioeconomy.IntroductionTo meet the needs of dynamic markets and global technological changes, it is important forengineering and technology programs to adapt as they move toward the future. A thoroughreview of some of these needs has been provided.1 One area that is becoming increasinglyimportant is alternative energy, which has many facets to consider.2 Interest

Conference Session

FPD5 - Teaming and Peer Performance

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arlisa Labrie Richardson, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

SME academic programs had a more significant negative impact on female and malestudents of color and white women 32. Henes, Bland, Darby, and McDonald reported that theresults of a University of California Davis survey of 419 male and female engineering studentsindicated five major reasons why women leave or become discouraged with engineering: (1)Isolation, (2) not seeing relevance of highly theoretical basic courses, (3) negative experiences inlaboratory courses, (4) the “cold classroom climate” and (5) lack of role models 17.The first-year of engineering curriculum is critical in students’ decision to persist in engineering.A six-year longitudinal study of undergraduate female engineering students at the University ofWashington found that

Conference Session

Global Engineering Education Initiatives

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ivan Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University; Alex Friess; Maria M. Larrondo Petrie, Florida Atlantic University

Tagged Divisions

International

addressing this need.The development of the assessment process and tools for international collaborative engineeringeducation projects requires the identification of Global Competencies4 that the internationalnature of the initiative specifically targets.According to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in its handbook for project evaluation5,there are two fundamental reasons for evaluation of projects: 1) obtain information on whethergoals are being met and on how different aspects of a project are working and are essential to acontinuous improvement process, and 2) evaluations frequently provide new insights or newinformation that was not anticipated called “unanticipated consequences” of a program which areamong the most useful outcomes of the

Conference Session

Curriculum Development and Teaching Models in NRE

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erich Schneider, University of Texas at Austin

Tagged Divisions

Nuclear and Radiological

species – was obtained. Thestudents came away with self-authored, easily generalized SN algorithms and, more importantly,deeper confidence and understanding when using commercial SN codes in their own research.1. IntroductionWith the emergence of high-performance computing as an everyday, widely-used tool, MonteCarlo approaches to solving the neutron transport equation have become ascendant in both theclassroom and the research arena. Monte Carlo codes offer the advantage of direct, exactsolution of the transport equation with accuracy limited only by the fidelity of nuclear data andthe availability of computing power. Hence other methods for solving the transport equation –discrete ordinates (SN), collision probability and integral approaches

Conference Session

FPD1 - Early Success and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donna Reese, Mississippi State University; Robert Green, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

designed to provide students with more information about what types ofopportunities are available in each of our ten engineering majors so these students make earlierdecisions about the appropriateness of their major choice. Secondly the course attempts to helpstudents realize the magnitude of the academic challenge they were undertaking. About 1/3 ofthese students start in our pre-college intermediate algebra class upon entry to Mississippi State.These students have three semesters of mathematics that must be completed before they can evenbegin the calculus sequence required of engineering majors. Although the intent is not to scarethese students off, the students do need to have realistic expectations about the time to degreeimplications of

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Education Potpourri

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vukica Jovanovic, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Mileta Tomovic, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

andworking effectively with others, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Competency Gap Survey Results: An average rating5The result of this study was that the competency gap occurs in the areas of: businessknowledge/skills, project management, specific manufacturing processes, manufacturingprocess control, manufacturing systems, quality, materials, product/process design, engineeringfundamentals, written communication, oral communication/listening, international perspective,problem solving, teamwork/working effectively with others.Midwest Coalition for Comprehensive Design EducationThe partner institutions include a four-year school, Purdue University, and four two-yearschools: Sinclair Community College, Fox Valley Technical College

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teac

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elisabeth McGrath, Stevens Institute of Technology; Mercedes McKay, Stevens Institute of Technology; Dawna Schultz, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

. Notable isthat New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in science are being revised in 2009.It is hypothesized that by exposing all students to hands-on design and problem-solvingand the application of science and mathematics principles toward the solution of relevant,real-world design problems in the context of required courses, that more students will bemotivated to enroll and succeed in gatekeeper courses in middle and high school andpursue engineering and other STEM careers.EOFNJ has pursued a two-phased approach to providing engineering in K-12 schools inNJ. Phase 1, the pilot phase, has been discussed in previous papers1,2. This paperdescribes activities, impact, and preliminary professional development evaluation data ofPhase 2. The

Conference Session

Reaching Students: Innovations to Curriculum in ET

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Durfee, Eastern Washington University; Donald Richter, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

well the students feel that they have met the learningobjectives of the course. The student response to the courses has been very positive. They likethe gradual freedom given as the student progresses through the two courses. They are able tolearn to progress at a pace that is right for them. Students have commented that they feel thatthey get more one-on-one time with the instructors. We hope to gather data in the future that thisadded on-demand attention of the instructor has led to better retention. The students have beenable to create designs that they drafted and then produced a physical model using an ABS plasticrapid prototype machine (see Figure 1) and then in later courses actually using the machine shopto build the item. Figures 2

Conference Session

The New Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (BOK2)

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey Evans, Bucknell University; Daniel Lynch, Dartmouth College

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

studies in the Humanities or Social Sciences but rather identified therequirement for the “broad education necessary…”. As a result of the BOK2 process, substantial(some might say radical) advancements were made in the recognition of the role of Humanitiesand Social Sciences in engineering education. With this, there was further recognition thatoutcomes could be classified as Foundational, Technical or Professional.A Balanced Body of KnowledgeThe central idea of a broad education is displayed graphically in Figure 1, showing technical andprofessional education and performance supported by four Foundational legs (Mathematics,Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences). Each leg is logically different. Together thesebroadly illustrate the

Conference Session

Diversity and K-12 Issues

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald Rockland, New Jersey Institute of Technology; John Carpinelli, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Howard Kimmel, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Joel Bloom, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

highereducation institutions and educational organizations to help teachers acquire the skills andknowledge necessary to bring these concepts into their classrooms. But the availability ofteacher preparation programs has not kept pace.Technology education, as a discipline, is relatively young, and is an outgrowth of the industrialarts program. Many educators consider the publication of the Jackson's Mill Industrial ArtsCurriculum Theory document in 1981 as the starting point of the modern era of technologyeducation.1 The rapidly increasing number of high school pre-engineering programs across thecountry has created a growing shortage of teachers qualified to teach such courses. Onlyrecently have some states, such as New Jersey, revised their teacher

Conference Session

Assessment of Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Lamb, Youngstown State University; David Kurtanich

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

at this point? The trench was still full of water,but the rain had stopped. The department now had some assessment tools, had decided on what data the facultyneeded to gather, one of the next decisions that needed to be made was how to incorporate thenecessary information into the individual courses so that we could assess the student(s) andprogram progress. The fact became clear that the faculty would somehow have to squeeze inadditional topics in to several course curriculums 1. The department had decided that theassessment data would be gathered by full-time faculty only. First, due to the time involved andthe consensus was to not put undue burden on the part-time faculty, but more importantly, thedepartment wants to ensure that

Conference Session

Instructional Innovations in AEC Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Khaled Mansy, Oklahoma State University; Mohammad Bilbeisi, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

-based objectives, the quantitativedesign-assisting tools used by the students, four examples of the students’ work, quantitativefindings, and conclusions of the design competition.1. Introduction: P3 CompetitionThe P3 Competition is a national student sustainable design competition sponsored by the EPA(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). It is a competition to the benefit of People, Prosperity,and the Planet (P3). One of the competition’s primary goals is to disseminate the concept ofsustainable design in higher education, which subsequently makes it an appropriate vehicle forintroducing interdisciplinary design to university students.The authors of this paper agree with the understanding of sustainability as a “design approach”1,which is

Conference Session

FPD5 - Teaming and Peer Performance

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; Stephen Silliman, University of Notre Dame; Matthew Ohland, Purdue Engineering Education; Leo McWilliams, University of Notre Dame; Tracy Kijewski-Correa, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

MethodsAll data collected for the student survey of the two instruments were collected usingSurvey Monkey16 during a two week period in October of 2007. The analysis of thesedata was conducted on the raw data and includes descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-squared, correlation, multiple regression, and decomposition of variance. The descriptivestatistics and t-tests were considered for the overall data collected, by method (on-line orpaper-pencil), and by instructor and these methods are the presented in this paper. Allanalysis was conducted using a statistical software package, STATA17.Table 1 provides a summary of the various variables involved in evaluating the individualinstruments and additional grouping variables used in our analysis. The

Conference Session

Design: Content and Context

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christine B. Masters, Pennsylvania State University; Mieke Schuurman, Pennsylvania State University; Gül Okudan, Pennsylvania State University; Samuel T Hunter, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

involving faculty from Engineering Design, Engineering Mechanics, CivilEngineering, and Mechanical Engineering, we hope to answer just that question.Critical evaluation to determine the effectiveness of any curricular innovation requires some typeof concrete baseline evaluation prior to implementation of the innovation. An assessment ofimprovements to design learning is no different. Design learning and the related design abilityhave a three-pronged foundation: 1) design process knowledge, 2) creative processing ability,and 3) design analysis knowledge. During the fall 2007 semester, baseline data related to each ofthese components was collected from students across all four years and several engineeringdisciplines using the Comprehensive

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Phy

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Ross, University of Detroit Mercy; Jenna Ross, Utica Center for Mathematics Science and Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

, persuasivespeaking, and physics. Our unique program targets incoming high school freshmen from adiverse urban population. For several years the physics course was based on a traditionalintroductory college mechanics laboratory curriculum. This curriculum was not inquiry-basedand provided only limited opportunities for students to construct their own knowledge byperforming open-ended activities.Scholarly research into the teaching and, more importantly, the learning of physics has providedvaluable guidance for the design of innovative curricula and pedagogy 1 . The pedagogicalstrategies that are able to demonstrate high rates of student achievement, as measured bystandardized examinations, involve some form of what is commonly called interactiveengagement

Conference Session

Outstanding Contributions to ME Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roman Taraban, Texas Tech University; Edward Anderson; Curtis Craig, Texas Tech University; Jacob Fleming, Texas Tech University; Alli DeFinis, Texas Tech University; Ashlee G. Brown, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

information into “chunks,” know whatinformation is relevant in the problem, reason from fundamental principles, take time todefine and redefine the problem to themselves, analyze the problem into parts, look forfamiliar patterns in the problem, spend considerable time sketching the problem, applywell-developed strategies, check their solutions, and learn from errors. The essentialelements of problem solving in this model are summarized in Table 1a. Table 1a. Problem-Solving Processes Based on the Wankat & Oreovicz (1993, pp. 71- 72) Problem Solving Model (A Prestep and Six Operational Steps)I Can 1 – Expresses anxiety or uncertainty 2 – Expresses confidenceDefine 1 – Lists knowns and unknowns

Conference Session

Engineering for Nonengineers: Ideas & Results

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mani Mina, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

awareness of technological issues has beenrecently brought up to the forefront of engineering education circles. There are numerousmanagers, CEOs, policy makers, and leaders who are making critical decisions on technologicalissues related to technology and are not trained in the technical fields.Technological literacy and public technological awareness have been gradually becoming themost important items on national education agenda. It is generally accepted the nations that aremore technologically capable would play a more active role in international market place andfuture production [1-5].The future advancements and developments in the US is bound to be more in the hi-tech areawith high technically trained workforce. Due to the labor prices, the

Conference Session

FPD7 - Global Warming & Sustainability for First-Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alex Friess; Carol Briam, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University; Linda Thompson, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University; Hemdeep Dulthummon, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Freshman Project: Discovering Global Trends – a Survey of Environmental Strategies of the Aerospace Industry A first semester student project that surveys the initiatives of the commercial aerospaceindustry to address increasing global environmental concerns is presented here. The projectmotivation stems from a twofold need for students of the region, and for all participants (whowere non-native English speakers): (1) to start developing at an early stage the process skillsrequired to successfully operate in the global environment of the aerospace industry, and (2)to gain exposure to the growing importance of environmental concerns within the industry,both from a technical and a business perspective.The students were organized in

Conference Session

Improving Technical Understanding of All Americans

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kara Harris, College of Technology - Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

females are grossly underrepresented. But how does one increase the number of females teaching in ETTE? Or what type ofrecruitment activities or motivators would be effective in attracting females to the ETTEprofession? According to Shanahan (2006): The secret to increasing females in technology is not to “fix” the girls Page 13.1029.2 but to make the technology classroom and profession more appealing to and welcoming of girls. Rather than trying to replicate the approaches 1 and interests of the small number of girls successful in