Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig J. Scott, Morgan State University; Petronella A. James, Morgan State University; Yacob Astatke, Morgan State University; Jumoke O. Ladeji-Osias, Morgan State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

alternative. Page 25.1413.2IntroductionWith the rapid evolution of communication and computer technologies, the number of onlineengineering programs has also grown substantially. Graduate online engineering programs havebecome more and more plentiful as compared to undergraduate programs owing to the suitabilityof the target audience in terms of accessibility and flexibility, and maturity. The online student istypically a lifelong learner, more concerned with commuting and non-academic responsibilities,and motivated to complete assignments individually.1 Moreover, graduate courses are morecontent and design centered with less needs for laboratory

Conference Session

Assessment and Evaluation of K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tracey Louise Collins, North Carolina State University; Eric N. Wiebe, North Carolina State University; Laura Bottomley, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

-scale data collection system. Figure 1 is an example of one of thecreated logic models. The logic models also benefited the MISO project staff, as they were ableto look at the collective project goals and outcomes across the university. In later months, thelogic models were again used at a meeting of partners to identify common variables of studentand teacher data that will be used in later analyses (Figure 2). A review of workshop feedbackindicated that the participants found the workshop useful in understanding the link betweenprogram strategies and ultimate outcomes and many responses to the feedback showed thatparticipants found value in networking with their outreach program peers. This workshop wasthe first in a series of workshops that

Conference Session

Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stefan J. Grimberg, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

spring are incorporated into the existingteam structure.The focus of this paper is to describe the experience of the most recent three years, wherestudents and faculty participated in a project funded through EPA’s P3 program. While anaerobicdigestion (AD) of farmwaste has been promoted by the USEPA for large farms, no solutions areavailable for small farm systems. The objective of this project is to determine the feasibility ofusing small-scale anaerobic digesters to increase the efficiency of waste-stream management andthe utilization of renewable energy, and to improve the economic feasibility of small-scalefarming of livestock. Five students (1 M.S. in Civil Engineering, 4 undergraduate) wereinvolved initially in writing and submitting of

Conference Session

Innovations in Materials Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Surendra K. Gupta, Rochester Institute of Technology; Steven John Kosciol, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Materials

deformation of acircular cross-section metallic rod in torsion.The objectives of the torsion experiment include determination of shear modulus of elasticity“G”, shear proportional limit “p”, and the mode of failure of the material. In the torsion test, atorque “T” is applied to one end of a circular cross-section metallic rod while the other end isheld fixed in a stationary grip. We use a bench-mounted Tinius Olsen 10,000 in-lb TorsionTester shown in Figure 1. The tester has a variable speed drive electromechanical loading systemwith manual controls and LED digital display. We have developed a LabView interface toacquire the torque and grip angular position data using the RS-232 port. Figure 1: Tinius Olsen 10,000 in-lb Torsion

Conference Session

NSF Grantees' Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jon A. Preston, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chuan Yue, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Weiying Zhu, Metropolitan State College of Denver; Gregory Lynn Williams, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Edward Chow, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

those four lab exercises. We also detail the survey results and analyze the implicationsof those results. The experience presented in this paper is valuable for our faculty members tomove more lab exercises into the cloud. We believe our experience is also valuable to othereducators who plan to use cloud computing services such as Amazon EC2 in their computerscience and engineering courses. The link to our complete lab manuals and instructions is listedat the end of the bibliographic section.1. IntroductionThere is no doubt that cloud computing has become a reality. People talk about it, spend moneyon it, and gain substantial benefit from it. In response to this significant trend in computing, ourcolleges encourage faculty members to use cloud

Conference Session

Innovations in Solid Mechanics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Birdsong, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

learn thecourse material compared with the other course components. The surveys were given at themiddle and end of the course to identify trends and compared with results from a control group.IntroductionMany agree that Engineering Dynamics is among the more challenging courses in undergraduateengineering programs.1, 2 It is often presented to students in the first or second year of collegebefore they have developed a mature sense of perspective and experience. It requires students tointegrate physics, calculus and geometry. It requires students to solve complex problems wherethe methods and solutions are not immediately apparent and the results can be counterintuitive.It is often taught to diverse student populations and with varying majors

Conference Session

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zhigang Shen, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Wayne G. Jensen, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Bruce Allen Fischer; Timothy G. Wentz, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Tagged Divisions

Construction

of buildings is becoming easier, faster, and more accessible to theacademic community. This new accessibility to powerful modeling software is an innovativeteaching and learning tool for both instructors and students in building design and construction.The BIM modeling platform allows users to quickly identify and evaluate the impact of designand construction changes on a building’s sustainability. A review of the literature revealed avery limited number of publications that addressed how this critical development can beeffectively utilized in higher education.The objectives of this paper are: 1) to introduce an integrated, BIM-based building design andconstruction course; and 2) to demonstrate some of the teaching and learning methods

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention Matters in Engineering Technology

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian P. DeJong, Central Michigan University; Dru M. Wilson Wilson, Central Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

engineering and technology disciplines can beimplemented at similar universities to help recruit (and retain) technology-interested students.This paper includes areas in pedagogy change, data collection, enrollment and persistencedemographics, and conclusions.1. IntroductionStudent recruitment and persistence are important for any technology-degree department.Enrollment has decreased in most engineering technology, technology management, andtechnology education programs.1-3 Students are often unfamiliar with the degree and careeropportunities4, or lump technology programs as a subset of “engineering”1. Because of thesemisunderstandings, technology-interested students often look elsewhere for a major (such as inengineering), only to find that it

Conference Session

BIM and Virtual Construction Environments

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Hildreth, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Construction

experience theeffect of the learning on operational performance.A graduate level course in construction planning and management techniques at the Universityof North Carolina at Charlotte included a course module on learning curves. The moduleincluded presentation of learning curve theory and an assignment requiring the repeatedperformance of a simulated operation and analysis of the resulting performance data. Studentknowledge related to the application of learning curve theory to construction was assessed on thefinal course exam.Bloom et al.10 presented a six level taxonomy of skills in the cognitive domain as, proceedingfrom the lowest order processes to the highest: 1. Knowledge – memory of previously learned materials 2. Comprehension

Conference Session

Assessment and Evaluation of K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

and complex thinkingin designing, configuring, and securing their cyber defense competition networks.Inquiry-based learning is a documented, successful method to increase student understanding inscience, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas, as well as a way to facilitatecritical thinking.1 This type of instruction allows students to explore science and resolveproblems by reviewing what they know, seeking out additional information about the problem,and coming to a conclusion or resolution based upon evidence they have gathered. Inquiry-based learning uses an active learning strategy where students move completely through Bloom’srevised taxonomy of cognitive domain.23 The authors of this paper are involved in a high

Conference Session

Assessment and Evaluation of K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heath Tims, Louisiana Tech University; Galen E. Turner III, Louisiana Tech University; Eric Deemer Ph.D., Louisiana Tech University; Krystal S. Corbett, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

citizens of one nation openly and easily interact with others halfa world away. The various types of interaction can range from simply socializing among new friends toreporting on or even instigating political unrest. Personal, business, academic, and military applicationsacross cyberspace are now intertwined.Concerned about the need for stronger cyber-security in the face of growing cyber attacks, lawenforcement and military officials have sought to develop systems and train personnel to protect thenational cyberspace infrastructure. In an effort to grasp the scope of the new battleground in cyberspace,the Department of Defense in its 2006 doctrine entitled The National Military Strategy for CyberspaceOperations [1] defined Cyberspace as

Conference Session

Sustainable Product Development and Manufacturing

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Guanghsu A. Chang, Minnesota State University, Mankato; William R. Peterson, WRP Associates

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

DFA methodology was introduced to simplify productdesigns for low cost and high quality assembly. By using the DFA method, the students learnedhow to: (1) collect basic assembly information, (2) estimate part handling and insertion time, (3)calculate assembly efficiency, (4) identify assembly difficulties, and (5) generate alternativesolutions. This paper proposes a structured problem-solving approach called DMAIC to developa DFA learning model and continuously improve DFA learning process. The goals of this modelare to: 1. Provide the students a clearly defined methodology for evaluating and improving product assembly efficiency, 2. Offer an active learning environment and motivate the students to practice their design and

Conference Session

Making Headway: Two-year/Four-year Curriculum Alignment and Also U-G Research

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amelito G. Enriquez, Cañada College; Catherine Baker Lipe, Cañada College

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

, and strong academic supportservices. This paper describes how faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, student organizations,and partners in industry, four-year institutions, and professional organizations can be involved increating an academic infrastructure that promotes academic excellence, leadership skills, andpersonal and professional growth among the diversity of financially needy STEM students in acommunity college.1. IntroductionCommunity colleges serve as the gateway to higher education for large numbers of students inthe U.S., especially minority and low-income students. Yet for many students, the communitycollege gateway does not lead to success. Only one in four students wanting to transfer or earn adegree/certificate did so

Conference Session

Before and After: Matriculants and Alumni

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marisa K. Orr, Purdue University; Nichole M. Ramirez, Purdue University; Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Valerie Lundy-Wagner, New York University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

and that school-levelvariables are better predictors than district-level variables. Additionally the importance ofcontext in interpreting socioeconomic variables is highlighted.IntroductionSocioeconomic status (SES) continues to be a major issue in educational equity, diversity, andpolicy research. Access to higher education and academic achievement is an especiallyimportant issue in engineering education. As the United States continues to support STEMinitiatives in a highly competitive global market, it is critical that we understand the barriersstudents face in obtaining an engineering degree. With the goal of informing future research, weseek to answer the questions: 1. Does using a time-variant measure of economic status better predict

Conference Session

Research Informing Teaching Practice I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Cole, Northwestern University; Robert A. Linsenmeier, Northwestern University; Timothy Miller, Binghamton University ; Matthew R. Glucksberg, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

this purpose. In this current phase of thestudy we investigated how well students transferred these skills to their own open-ended designproblems.Background LiteratureSeveral researchers [4-6] have investigated how to instruct students in open-ended, design-typetasks, called Model Eliciting Activities (MEA). MEAs are designed to lead students through theprocess of open-ended problem solving from problem definition, through model use, to prototypedesign. A series of questions can be used to get students thinking about how to interpret physicalproblems and convert them into mathematical terms. An instructional framework [5] fordeveloping an MEA includes the following six principles: 1. Model Construction

Conference Session

New Concepts for Alternative Energy Courses and Concepts

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Max Rabiee P.E. P.E., University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

reactance (X2f). Figure 1 shows the equivalent circuit of a transformer [1].Three (3) laboratory experiments are assigned in order to complement the classroom teachings ofthe aforementioned topics . A brief description of these experiments is listed below. Studentsare required to use MatLab for determining the parameters for the “pre-lab” reports, andanalyzing the data collected in the laboratory for their “post-lab” reports. Figure1- Transformer Equivalent CircuitIn experiment #1 entitled “Three-Phase Systems & Phase Sequence”, students make theconnections for two (2) Wye-connected, unbalanced loads systems. Each connected system’soperation is sensitive to the phase sequence of the three-phase voltage source. In

Conference Session

Using Computers, Software, and Writing to Improve Mathematical Understanding

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jorge A. Samayoa, Galileo University and Purdue University; Carlos Humberto Zelada, Galileo University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

collecting interesting data, such as most visitedtopics, demographics, and traffic intensity per hour. We use traffic intensity per hour as a way ofhow to use MediaWiki as a supplementary educational tool.1 Introduction1.1 Wikis in EducationA wiki is a well known tool for collaborative environment, the concept was developed by WardCunningham in 1995. Later, in 2001, Ward Cunnignham and Bo Leuf 5 define the nature of thewiki as an interface that allows users to edit and create any page in the wiki, without the need toinstall external plugins to the web browser. Wikis are commonly used as a tool for creatingcontent in collaboration with others and to serve as a source of information. Also, this web toolallows users to discuss and share their

Conference Session

Capstone and International Experiences

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard S. Stansbury, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; William C. Barott, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Salamah Salamah, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

students about the technologies to be used and how the different disciplines canwork together. Page 25.1431.4The mini-projects also borrow upon Cockburn’s concept of the technology spike3. Thistechnique involves having the team build to some proof of concept to determine the validity of aparticular design approach. Each mini-project is designed with the idea of demonstrating someintegrated functionality rather than on a specific end-user product.The typical script of a process miniature is as follows: 1. Students receive a detailed problem description and/or requirements 2. Students break down the problem into a set of tasks. 3. Tasks are

Conference Session

Computer and Informtion Technology-related Issues

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wangping Sun, Oregon Institute of Technology; Xin Wang, Oregon Insitute of Technology; Xian Sun

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

annualconference in 2011. As an implementation of the MPS, the authors of this paper will present acase study to demonstrate how this programming concept is applied in the programmingassignments of a graduate course. This graduate course was offered to ten graduate students inthe area of manufacturing engineering technology. All of them were engineering studentswithout computer science, electrical engineering or software engineering background. Throughthis case study, the authors will show that the MPS will enable the students to quickly solvemany engineering problems in a correct and timely manner.1. IntroductionComputer programming is an essential and integral part of any engineering program1, 2.It isimportant for the engineering and technology students

Conference Session

The Transition from Secondary to College Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alex Feldman, Boise State University; Doug Bullock, Boise State University; Janet Callahan, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

school, resulting in lack of knowledge retention by thetime they enter the university and eventually enroll in a required mathematics course. Page 25.1433.2When a student is placed in a class that is too easy it is a waste of time and resources, but the 1situation will often right itself after one semester. If a student is placed in a class that is toodifficult there are two serious deleterious effects: 1. The student may perform poorly, and fail the course or earn a grade damaging to the student’s grade point average. There is a documented connection between first year GPA and

Conference Session

Design in Freshman and Sophomore Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Trivett, University of Prince Edward Island; Stephen Champion, University of Prince Edward Island

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

the rest of their academic career. The project course hasalso been shown to have an impact on the student's enthusiasm and self-confidence in theirpersonal ability to succeed in engineering 1.Typically, the topic or scenario for early project problems are created by the faculty. Viewedfrom a cynical point of view, problems may appear to students as “cooked-up” , perhaps a bitstale, and in some cases students expect that they are not “real” design projects... after all, theyare just assignments in a university course, not design in the “Real World”. Unfortunately, eventhough the learning can be excellent, the experience of students can be influenced by their beliefof whether or not the design project is “real”.This paper describes an approach

Conference Session

Using Computers, Software, and Writing to Improve Mathematical Understanding

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bipin K. Pai, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

25.1435.2groups when their performances are compared to account for the fact that one of the groups didnot have the opportunity to participate in the online quizzes or online discussions, especially ifcredit is given for such online activities. The Numerical Methods course taught in Summer 2011was offered as a hybrid course rather than a totally online course for several reasons including(1) the fact that although it was the second time that this course was offered as an online course,it was actually the first time that this course had online quizzes and online discussions, (2) theclass met at least once a week face-to-face in order to answer questions that students for somereason chose not to ask online, and (3) the instructor was uneasy about

Conference Session

Training and Mentoring of Graduate Teaching Assistants

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Lynn Brannon, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

teaching instructors (GTI) is to constructively give and receivefeedback. To be able to do this effectively and confidently takes practice and experience in theprocess. The instructor of the seminar for teaching assistants in engineering recognized that peerlearning and teaching would help the students in this course to become more confident andfocused teachers, and concurrently hone their research skills. It is important for teachers to beconfident and comfortable with not only the content, more importantly with themselves and theirclassroom environment. This fosters a positive climate for learning. The skills of giving feedbackand collaborating with others are essential in the workforce 1. Why not learn these skills in theclassroom and provide

Conference Session

Using Applications and Projects in Teaching Mathematics

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hassan Moore, University of Alabama, Birmingham

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

. Whenever numerical answers are required, find the exact values using a calculator. A certain amount of collaboration is acceptable in doing this project, but reports must be written individually. Thus, when writing your report, make sure that it is clearly different from reports of others and reflects your own thoughts for solving the problems. Reports that are virtually identical to others will not receive credit.In project 1, students are asked to use their knowledge of solving first-order ordinary differentialequations to tackle basic ideas in rocket science through the examination of the Jules Vernecatapult idea and single-stage rockets. The second project explores ideas in mechanicalvibrations with the concept of

Conference Session

Engineering and Public Policy I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy R.B. Taylor P.E., University of Kentucky; Johne' M. Parker, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

method to evaluate policy risks associated with their technical solutions. Studentperformance on exam, homework, term project problems and course evaluation from the firstoffering of the course (discussed later) indicate that the theories may be a useful method forincorporating public policy into engineering education.Class overviewThe University of Kentucky follows the traditional two-semester, 9-month curriculum format.EGR-540 is a three credit-hour course taught in the spring semester with bi-weekly, 75 minutelectures resulting in 28 class meetings (including exams) for a total of 35 contact hours duringthe semester. The current course objectives are as follows: 1) Introduce students to the economics of the power industry 2) Introduce

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-college Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Akim Faisal, 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

This paper considers the use of LEGO robotics as a tool to allow students in a fourthgrade math classroom to engage in experimenting, sense-making, and developing visualunderstanding of ideas. To enhance students’ conceptual understanding of the abstract conceptsof units and unit conversion, an illustrative example of a hands-on robotic activity is considered.The robotics activity allows for simultaneously implementing different theories of learningeffectively and accommodating the learning styles of different students. To illustrate theeffectiveness of the robotics-based lesson, the paper provides results of pre- and post-activityassessment, including statistical analysis.1. Introduction Learning for many adults is a routine part of

Conference Session

Innovative Course Developments in Construction

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Tingerthal P.E., Northern Arizona University

Tagged Divisions

Construction

assignment to focus their study for a finalexamination. Since each step is based on the results of the previous step, students are notinformed of the entire process at the outset in an effort to keep them from tailoring theirresponses to simplify later tasks. These three steps are crafted to assist the students withidentifying the concepts that are personally problematic.In the first step the students were presented with a self-assessment inventory of concepts fromthe current semester (see Appendix A), listed in the order that they were introduced in theclassroom. Students were then asked to rate their level of understanding and confidence witheach topic on a scale from 1 to 5. The descriptors for each level are listed in Table 1

Conference Session

Innovations in Promoting Technological Literacy II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William R. Loendorf, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering

people can and do affect its development” (Young, Cole, &Denton22, 2003). Page 25.1441.3This lack of understanding of technologies, both past and present, is directly related to enhancingnot only the student's but society’s technological literacy level. “Technological literacy can bethought of a comprising three interrelated dimensions that help describe the characteristics of atechnologically literate person... (1) knowledge; (2) ways of thinking and acting; and (3)capabilities” (National Academy of Engineering12, 2008). “Technological literacy is the ability touse, manage, assess, and understand technology” (International Technology

Conference Session

Creative and Cross-disciplinary Methods Part II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah E. Zappe, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Melissa Marshall, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Enrique D. Gomez, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Esther Gomez, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Angela D. Lueking, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

called the Engineering Ambassadors to relay these messages in freshmen levelcourses, is to impact student perceptions of engineering and to provide information to studentsthat will be critical in making career decisions.In the Fall of 2011, a pilot program was launched in two sections of a Chemical EngineeringFirst Year Seminar. Engineering Ambassadors made four separate visits to each section,focusing on the following topics: 1) An overview of College of Engineering Majors, 2) Optionswithin Chemical Engineering, 3) Student experiences in the College of Engineering, and 4) Howto be a successful engineering student. Woven through each presentation were themes fromChanging the Conversation, focusing on how engineers are essential to health