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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Francis J. Hopcroft

sorely tested by theirnewly formed alliances. Those who bring the strongest personalities to the table, typically high school athletes,honor students, or those who held a meaningful job during high school, will dominate the group. Self-confidence,physical strength or size, an air of worldly knowledge, and similar characteristics tend to allow some students tobecome group leaders by default. 1. Civil Engineering and Technology Department, Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA2012 ASEE Northeast Section Conference University of Massachusetts LowellReviewed Paper April

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Brian Davis; Chris Dorchester; Ted Geldmacher; Tim William; Salah Badjou

In-Pipe Water Generator Brian Davis,1 Chris Dorchester,2 Ted Geldmacher, 3 Tim William,4 Salah Badjou, PhD.5Abstract – With today’s high energy demands and concerns, the wave of the future is clean, renewable energy.There is untapped, wasted energy flowing through our towns’ water mains. With an in-line turbine generator, thiscontinuous flow of water can be harnessed and converted to electrical energy. The proposal was to design and buildturbine generators to generate the optimum amount of electrical energy based on town pipe diameters and flow rates,and geographical location. With these generators installed and connected to town grids, the demand on power plantswill be reduced, thus, cutting down

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Marc Veletzos P.E.

talk by ProjectMedishare Co-Founder Dr. Art Fournier in Fall 2010. Project Medishare for Haiti is a medical non-profitorganization that works together with the people of Haiti to provide rural communities with quality healthcare anddevelopment services. Our efforts in Haiti are divided into three phases: Phase 1. Study and observe the problems facing the Haitian people. Phase 2. Develop projects and programs that are able to answer these needs in an ongoing, sustainable manner. Phase 3. Implement these programs and projects with the help of Project Medishare and the Haitian people.Phase 1 of the initiative occurred in the summer of 2011, when faculty and staff from civil engineering, campusministry, and health sciences participated in

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Jerald D. Cole

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Carlos Luck

larger engineering programs employ. The approach enables just-in-time delivery of alaboratory experience, as the concepts are being presented. Consequently, there are no separate laboratory classes inour engineering curriculum. Most of our classrooms are laboratory-integrated. This method of delivery has been ourexperience with the EE program for over 20 years, and we were successful in extending the practice to the MEcourses. The integrated curriculum is shown in Figure 1. We addressed the problems of limited faculty resources and small class sizes during this build-up phase ofthe program by implementing a 2-year rotation of upper-division courses – both required and elective – in a way thatdoes not compromise degree progress for those

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

John W. Duggan; Michael Davidson; Leonard Anderson

Promoting Intra-Disciplinary Design in Civil Engineering Technology: An Approach to Comprehensive Capstone Design Through Faculty and Practitioner Mentorship John W. Duggan, Ph.D., P.E.(1), Michael Davidson, P.E.(2), Leonard Anderson, Ph.D., C.P.C.(3)Abstract - Working in teams, civil engineering technology students develop an open-ended design on a project of theirchoosing. The design integrates several design and engineering concepts including design alternatives, designassumptions, value engineering, cost, safety, construction feasibility, construction scheduling, engineering ethics andengineering economy. All projects include elements of civil engineering sub-disciplines, including structural, hydraulic,site

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Navarun Gupta; Sarosh Patel; Manan Joshi; Bhushan Dharmadhikari; Lawrence V. Hmurcik

cases ofhigh voltage accidents. Each accident teaches something different about electricity and electric safety.Let us first begin with some clarifications. By formal definition, high voltage is defined as any voltage above 600volts. Below 600 volts, one should consult the NEC (National Electric Code) for the rules of electrical installationand safety [3, 26]. Above 600 volts, the better safety code is written by OSHA (Osha). This should not in any waydiminish the danger of low voltage circuits. People die in their homes every day from electrocution caused by 120and 220 volt sources [24]. Statistically, high voltage deaths are only about 1/3 of the total electrocutions surveyedeach year [25]. Furthermore, we have personal experience of visiting

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

David O. Kazmer

strengths and opportunities for UML. This exercise proved to be clarifying, with thecommunicated strengths including: 1) balance of practical training with engineering education, 2) geographic nichewith local access, 3) excellent value proposition, and 4) highly collaborative environment. Faculty proposed manyopportunities for advancing teaching/learning including project “maker” space, new engineering minors, more socialevents, and greater alumni involvement. Some of the suggested research opportunities included rationalization ofresearch spaces, establishment of graduate student offices, improving the quality of doctoral students with standardoffers, and development of larger research centers. Faculty also suggested administrative initiatives

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Christian Dietz; Dennis Sugrue

, one review and two requiring class preparation. The results were plottedagainst overall course grades, listed below in Figure 1. It showed that the outcome of a student’s class preparation generally correlates to the student’sperformance in the class. The wide range in course grades for students with similar course preparation scores(effort). The students who earned an A+ on all course preparation assignments had final grades range from an A+ toa C. Students who gave a strong effort by preparing for class routinely were either doing well or failed to meetexpectations on major graded events. Using Blackboard is an excellent method to filter out the A students andidentify the B and below students who may need more one-on-one

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Richard Harris; Hameed Metghalchi; Claire Duggan; Emanuel Mason; Rachelle Reisberg; Deepti Dutt

%, and Asians from 4% to 9% [22]. Despite comprising a growing portion of the U.S. workforce,minority populations continue to be under-represented in engineering. In 1997, Blacks made up 10.3% of the U.S. 1 Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, ri.harris@neu.edu 2Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, m.metghalchi@neu.edu 3 Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, c.duggan@neu.edu 4 Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, e.mason@neu.edu 5 Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, r.reisberg@neu.edu 6 Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

John Finnie

crossed under the abandoned railroad grade in Mattapoisett, you can see a dip in the bike pathcaused by settling of the fill. However, few other physical traces of its existence persist.Topographic maps which show historical roads and railroads are available. The NB&O operated for only a fewdecades, and none of these topographic maps depict its period of operation. Route maps are available which show 1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 OldWestport Road, North Dartmouth, MA, 02747-2300, jfinnie@umassd.edu2012 ASEE Northeast Section Conference University of Massachusetts LowellReviewed Paper

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2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Franco Capaldi

Development of an Online Statics Homework System Franco Capaldi1Since the late 1990’s, there has been an explosion of web based platforms for the submission and grading ofhomework. There are many advantages to online homework submission including (1) students obtain immediatefeedback, (2) they can be used to randomize questions and eliminate blatant cheating, and (3) they can be used toprovide just in time tutorials and information when needed. Many online homework systems such as WebAssign,CAPA, and Blackboard offer a wide range of question types such as multiple choice question formats, fill in theblank, and numerical answer evaluation. However, in the field of engineering, obtaining the

Collection

2012 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Christopher Swan; Xinyu Wang; Kurt Paterson; Krissy Guzak

Impact of Service on Engineering Students: Preliminary Findings on Knowledge and Skills of Students Christopher Swan 1, Xinyu Wang2, Kurt Paterson 3, Krissy Guzak 4Over the last few years, concerns have escalated among many national organizations that technical expertise is nolonger solely sufficient for the development of future engineers 1,2,3,7. Additionally, in the United States engineeringprograms continue to struggle to attract students, especially women and minorities, despite decades of strategies tochange these patterns. The need for a “paradigm shift” is recognized; one that broadens the attributes provided by,the diversity of those who participate in, and the benefits

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Warren Rosen

lessons learned. Inaddition, we describe three student projects that were based on the Z80 system.IntroductionUndergraduate courses in microprocessors are typically based on simple training kits orsimulators based on processors such as the 6800 or 8085 connected to system components suchas memory, clock, etc.1 In these courses, the internal architecture as well as the remaining systemcomponents and interconnects (memory, clocks, buses, etc.) were described conceptually and theemphasis, in terms of the hardware usage, was on learning and using the instruction set andinterfacing peripheral devices. Since those early times, microprocessor technology hasprogressed to the point that a trainer employing a Pentium or Core 2 device would

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2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Todd Holden; Vazgen Shekoyan; Sunil Dehipawala; George Tremberger; David Lieberman; Tak Cheung

) is illustrated with a representative model that shows a latent variable“Hands-on Aptitude” having manifestations in kinematics and laboratory grades, and hasa 100% loading on another latent variable “Concept Theory Aptitude”. Extension toother pre-engineering course grades is discussed briefly.Keywords: structural equation model, LISREL software, educational researchIntroductionStructural equation models (SEM) have been used to probe the aspects that concerncausative hypotheses/elements contained in engineering and technology educationalresearch datasets 1. The causative hypotheses/elements would convey causal assumptions,but not necessarily a model that would generate validated causal conclusions. Structuralequation model analysis is an

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Yacob Astatke; Craig Scott; Kemi Ladeji-Osias; Petronella James

degree programs have been growing substantially faster than overall highereducation enrollment. A survey of online learning conducted in 2009 by the Sloan Consortiumindicated that enrollment in one or more online courses reached 4.6 million students in 2008 [1]The 17 percent growth rate for online enrollments is significantly higher than the 1.2 percentgrowth rate of the overall higher education student population during the same time period [2].The authors of the survey entitled, “Learning on Demand: Online Education in the UnitedStates, 2009″ [1] conclude their report by stating that “online enrollments in U.S. highereducation show no signs of slowing.” One discipline that has lagged behind all others in thedevelopment and delivery of online

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Todd Holden; P. Schneider; E. Cheung; J. Prayor; R. Duran; J. Ye; George Tremberger; David Lieberman; Tak Cheung

well. A simple lizard projectile motion numericalexample is provided for educational purpose such that the interested readers can verifytheir operation of the free student version of LISREL.Keywords: Shannon entropy, structural equation model, LISREL software,bioinformatics, fractal dimension, lizard motion data for educational purposeIntroductionStructural equation models (SEM) have been used to probe the aspects that concerncausative hypotheses/elements contained in datasets 1, 2. The causativehypotheses/elements would convey causal assumptions, but not necessarily a model that Copyright ASEE Middle Atlantic Regional Conference Delaware April 20-21 2012would generate validated causal conclusions. The acceptance and consistency within aSEM

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Wenli Guo; Vazgen Shekoyan

However, very few students actually do this (you caneducation introductory physics course focusing on use Blackboard to track the number of students whoconcepts with minimum math requirements for non- have opened the solution file), although we know thatscience majors. Every semester it impacts about 180 majority of them had difficulties with homeworkQCC students. The overwhelming majority of students problems. Other researchers have found similar resultsin this course intend to become licensed teachers. [1].Schoolteachers play a critical role in inspiring and Educational literature in various disciplines such astraining the next generation of

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Bruce Char; Jeremy Johnson; David Augenblick

Computation Lab for Freshman Engineering Students ∗ Bruce Char, Jeremy Johnson and David Augenblick Keywords: Introductory computing, computer-based training, technical computation, mathematical mod-eling, Extended Abstract1 IntroductionComputation Lab has been offered for the past five years to 800-1,000 Drexel freshmen including mostfreshmen engineering students. Course objectives include: 1. To introduce students to desktop computational tools that can handle numeric, symbolic, and visual- ization needs for technical

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2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Mauro J. Caputi; George DeMarco; Jacqueline Pierson; Brittney Schmidt; Evan Sick

tube Hot glue sticks Poster board Twine Elmer’s glue Paper Rubber bands Masking tape Wooden dowel Scotch tape Each Team must also stay within a budget credit of $15 to procure these materials, up tothe maximum allowable quantity of each material. More details about materials and budget areshown in a full GDC example project discussed later in this paper. 1 The GDC projects have been designed with a difficulty level sufficiently high toroutinely surpass the brainstorming capacity of an individual Team. This strongly motivates theTeam to seek out not only the help

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Mauro J. Caputi; Tiffany LaBozzetta; Michelle Llanos; Mary Kate Sirianni; Necol Habib

Department challenged the primaryauthor with transforming the previous ENGG 9A - Introduction to Engineering, a 2 creditlecture-only course meeting twice a week, into a course that would better meet the needs of thestudents and the Department. The new course, ENGG 15 – Designing the Human-Made World, is a 3 credit coursecombining a much needed Project Lab component to a revised classroom Lecture component,with 2 lecture meetings and 1 two-hour lab meeting per week.PROJECT LAB STRUCTURE The Project Lab consists of 12 two-hour meetings during the semester. Initially, the Labwas comprised of six projects and one student presentation. This structure remained in place forthe first five Seasons of DESIGN 15, from 2005 to 2008. Each Lab Team

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2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Wenli Guo

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Robert T. Bailey

University Maryland, Statics (EG301) is taught to first-semester sophomores as one oftheir foundational engineering courses. The popular textbook by Hibbeler [1] has been used forsome time, and prior to 2010, instructors taught this course using a traditional lecture/whiteboardapproach. Overall student performance was generally good, but in an attempt to improve studentlearning, the author adopted a modified version of the PowerPoint® slides that accompanyHibbeler’s textbook beginning in 2010. This paper describes the impact of using these slides(and the attendant instructional approach) on student performance and perceived learning.Two student cohorts were considered: (1) the 2005 and 2009 classes (47 students), who weretaught by the author using

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Muhammad Faysal Islam; Mohammed Nazrul Islam

Incorporating Systems Engineering and Project Management Concepts in First Year Engineering Curriculum Muhammad Faysal Islam1 and Mohammed Nazrul Islam2 1 Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC 2 Department of Security Systems, State University of New York, Farmingdale, New York AbstractDuring the first and second years of undergraduate engineering programs, most students focustheir studies to build a solid foundation of mathematics, writing composition, engineeringgraphics, programming languages, economics, and other social

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Laura-Ann S. Chin; Kenneth A. Kroos; Justinus A. Satrio

,  Kenneth  A.  Kroos2,  and  Justinus  A.  Satrio1   1  Department  of  Chemical  Engineering   &   2Department  of  Mechanical  Engineering   Villanova  University   Villanova,  PA  19085

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Jesse E. Jaeger; Jibin T. Chacko; Richard A. Maier; James Patrick Abulencia

students can relate to. The goals were to 1) generate a scenario wherestudents can better learn course material by requiring them to teach their peers, and 2) create arepository of videos that can be used in subsequent iterations of the course.Surveys were given out to the student participants at the conclusion of the project, and consistedof five questions evaluated using a five level Likert rating scale, as well as three free responseprompts. The major conclusions derived from the data are: 1) this assignment was enjoyable toexecute, and useful for participating student to learn major concepts in the course, 2) the videosgenerated were useful in teaching their classmates, and 3) this assignment can be extended toother courses. Overall, the paper

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Martene Stanberry

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Yacob Astatke; Craig Scott; Kemi Ladeji-Osias; Grace Mack

, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students at our university. The paper will alsoprovide a brief analysis of the results from the use of the math placement method for the FOMprogram participants, as well as a comparison of these results versus students who did notparticipate in any summer enrichment program.Key words: Online math course, summer enrichment program, improve engineering retention I. Introduction According to government data, about half of the students who enter college in the UnitedStates will not make it to graduation. Although several factors are causing students to leavecollege without a degree, most surveys have shown that the two main reasons are poor academicperformance and financial hardship [1]. Courses in

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Warren Rosen

takes place on a figure-8 track about 18’ on a side. Part of the course in shownin Figure 1. The central feature is a 2’-wide crossover bridge built from plywood. The bridge has6’ ramps and a 2’-long deck section. Building the car with sufficient torque to climb theapproach ramp while still achieving high top speed is one of the key challenges for the students.The starting line can be seen toward the upper left of the figure. The course is outlined with ducttape and flag posts mark the turning points.Students begin the competition with a short lecture on torque and gear ratios. They are alsoshown short videos of the course and starting sequence. Next, they are given car kits andchallenged to build the fastest car for the course. The kits

Collection

2012 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Qinghai Gao

fingerprints. Then thesubtemplates constructed through randomized selection will be matched against thesupertemplate. These methods have two advantages: (1) it protects the privacy of a user’sfingerprint data; (2) it increases the number of available biometrics for a user. Our preliminaryexperiments show promising results.Keywords: Verification, partial fingerprint, minutiae, supertemplate, subtemplate, privacyIntroduction Currently, a majority of fingerprint verification systems utilize minutiae points (ridgeending and ridge bifurcation) as the distinguishing characteristics. Deformation factors, such astranslation, rotation, and skin wetness and elasticity, can significantly change these minutiae andresult in false non-match. Verification