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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Norman Asper; Bijan Sepahpour

the past fiveyears at the College of New Jersey. The success rate of this approach is measured by theperformance and creativity level of the two generations of students/graduates who experiencedthe new environment with both the students/graduates of prior years and students/graduates ofother institutions. The foundation of the proposed model is laid in the first semester of thefreshman year by introduction of a formal course in fundamentals of engineering design andreinforced in the second semester by a course that brings the elements of liberal arts andhumanities into perspective. In the remaining three years of the curriculum, design projects andexercises are strategically incorporated all through the engineering courses - targeting the

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Heather Nachtmann

Society for Engineering EducationProposalA take home exam was assigned that required students to write a proposal to a potential clientrequesting funding for a proposed cost estimation system. The take home exam asked thestudents to evaluate the current cost estimation system, make recommendations based upon thecourse knowledge base, project potential development and implementation problems, andestimate the cost of implementing the system. The proposals were primarily assessed infollowing areas:• depth of analysis,• feasibility of recommendations,• assessment of potential problems,• validity of estimated system cost, and• writing quality.Student performance on these proposals exceeded the instructor’s expectations. This examallowed the students

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Jess Everett; Joseph Orlins; Beena Sukumaran; Kauser Jahan; Linda Head

),Electrical and Computer (ECE), and Chemical Engineering (ChE) are participating in the project.The purpose of this paper is to introduce the initiative and describe two projects: • A weather station designed and built by a Clinic team of ECE, Mechanical Engineering, and CEE majors; and • Soil sampling and measurement procedures developed by a team of CEE majors.INTRODUCTIONField methods are an important part of engineering often ignored in the undergraduatecurriculum. Using funds from the National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum, andLaboratory Improvement (CCLI) program, plus matching funds, the College of Engineering atRowan University is incorporating field methods, both sampling and measurement, across itsengineering

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Zbigniew Prusak

decade 1, 2, 3, 4 shed lighton the growing emphasis put by the industry on development of so called ’soft skills’ as a necessarycomponent of skills possessed by successful engineers and technologists. Many examples ofapproaches that evaluate creativity, efficiency and overall output of engineering work are availablefrom academic and business point of view 5, 6, 7, 8 . Newest ABET accreditation standards alsorequire goal-oriented education that strives to define educational objectives for a program, andimplement and evaluate instruments for conveying necessary knowledge. Experimentation andhands-on projects are believed to be one of the best avenues to teach the concepts of the abovementioned core knowledge and skills of present day engineers 9

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Maria Reyes; Jennifer Adair; Barry McNeill; Mary Anderson-Rowland

. This highly successful program has an outstanding record of recruiting andretaining engineering students to the College. The primary purpose of the two-week residential scholarshipprogram is to encourage the students to pursue engineering, computer science, or construction and toprepare them for the academic demands of these majors.Each year the program includes a team project. During the 2000 SBP, the MEPcollaborated with the Tempe Chamber of Commerce (TCC) to provide the SBPparticipants with real engineering experience even before they began their freshmanclasses. These SBP participants, in teams of four students each, designed a web-basedversion of the TCC newsletter “The Business Advocate.” This MEP/TCC partnershipbenefited both groups

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Natalie Mello

Session 2560 Managing Global Experiences for Engineering Students Natalie A. Mello Worcester Polytechnic InstituteAbstractWorcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has long embraced a project-based curriculum that nowextends to the four corners of the globe. With established programs in Europe, the Far East,Latin America, Australia, the US and new initiatives in Hong Kong and Taiwan, WPI providesopportunities for undergraduates to complete meaningful off-campus experiences. WPI offersstudents the freedom to complete degree requirements away from campus in a professionalexperience under the

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Ram Mohan; Siamack Shirazi; Ovadia Shoham; Mei Zhuang; Marilyn Amey; Krishnamurthy Jayaraman; Keith Wisecarver; George Chase; Ed Evans; Charles Petty; Andre Bernard

from nine laboratories at Michigan State University, The University of Akron, and theUniversity of Tulsa. The objective of the program is to teach undergraduate and graduate studentspractical use of multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD).The impact of multiphase flow research on solving practical engineering problems is an integralpart of the learning experience. Industrial participants in the project provide specific designproblems related to emerging technologies. Specific projects suggested by the industrial sponsorsfor the first cycle are: Performance of a large tank separator (Chevron), Optimization of designand operation of degassing tanks (Dow Chemical), Optimization and Comparison of hydrocycloneshapes (Krebs Engineers), Mixing

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Stuart Steele

Session 2793 Assessment of the Student’s Design & Problem Solving Experience Utilizing Notebook Computers and a Wireless Environment Stuart Steele Polytechnic University Brooklyn, NYAbstractThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how students utilizing notebook computers and a wirelessenvironment can improve their design experience in engineering and technology based coursesincluding computer science and project courses. Issues affecting both notebook use and wirelessoperation will be presented. Teaching models

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Nicholas Cain; Julia McLees; Jason Bara; Gary Wnek; Bradford Crosby; Gary Huvard

curriculum give students valuable and marketable engineering skillsafter only two years in the program. Our students, with some faculty guidance, are running anengineering consulting practice and working on a myriad of interesting and educational projects.Appropriate projects for student consultants are generally of the following types: diagnostic,development, or design. Diagnostic problems address questions such as “What is the oilymaterial that is contaminating this filter?” or “Why is the flooring material in our factoryfailing?” or “Why does our fiberglass preform process produce scrap during the summer monthsbut not during the winter?” Almost any phenomenon that needs an explanation fits thisChemEngine project profile. Development projects

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

William Sullivan; Kimberly Sward; Janis Terpenny

notes, software, materials for on-linetesting/assessment, and collaboration with industry through team projects. In addition, the paperexamines the role of the virtual classroom in today’s classroom and its potential for future use.Assessment results and discussion on key questions related to the efficacy of web-basedmaterials in education in general are also included.I. IntroductionThe application of computer based learning as a supplement to classroom instruction is still inmany ways in its infancy. Many key questions have yet to be answered; such as is computer-aided learning a replacement for some classroom time, does it favor one type of learning styleover another, and how do developers effectively display concepts and ideas in ways that

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Charles Pierce

not recognize the strong link between the disciplines of geotechnical andstructural engineering. To help students understand this connection and more fully comprehendfundamental geotechnical engineering concepts, an approach of using a real field constructionproject to support the teaching of this introductory course is being developed. For this approachto work most effectively, the entire course must be centered on a selected project. TheUniversity of South Carolina and metropolitan Columbia are experiencing a building boom,making this an ideal opportunity for this approach. One of the most recognized projects oncampus is the construction of a new arena for basketball and ice hockey. The high visibility ofthis project generates greater

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Steve Beyerlein; Dan Gerbus; Edwin Odom

five years. The exercise is based on Goldratt’s theory ofconstraints and serves as a barometer of student preparation and team development in our year-long capstone design course. Results are presented in a graphical “prerequisites tree” that guidescourse sequencing. Prerequisite Trees were found to be quite similar from year to year. Items atthe bottom of the tree, requiring initial attention, are not technical and are not generally project-dependent. These items tend to be personal and inter-personal issues, including self-learningskills, well-founded self-confidence, appreciation for diverse skill sets, and strong oral/writtencommunication. The process of developing a classwide Prerequisites Tree during the first weekof class underscores

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

William Watkins; John Sullivan

Astronautics(Engineering) (AAE) has joined forces with the Aeronautical Technology Section (AOT) of theUniversity’s Department of Aviation Technology (AT) on experimental basis to provide seniorlevel students with a design/build/text experience in an interdisciplinary team environment. Thepaper identifies the two types of projects (specific objective and research) used in support ofinterdisciplinary activities. It describes previous projects and discusses some of the successesand difficulties experienced in pursuit of this effort. Industry’s reaction to these interdisciplinaryteam activities is discussed, as well as, future plans for the expansion of interdisciplinarydesign/build/test team projects.IntroductionPurdue University provides a unique

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Gilbert Wedekind; Christopher Kobus

Session 1566 Optimal Design of a Thermal Recuperator Gilbert L. Wedekind, Christopher J. Kobus Department of Mechanical Engineering Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309AbstractThis paper describes the final design project for the senior level Fluid and Thermal SystemDesign course, which is a precursor to the Capstone Design Project at Oakland University. TheFluid and Thermal System Design course is geared to taking students through the entiretaxonomy of the design process; from knowledge, comprehension and application, to analysis,synthesis and

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Frederick Orthlieb

approaches to engineering education" are being well served by program assessment underEC2000. In particular, those faculty who strive to make engineering curricula more authentic by using open-endedproblems in classes and embedding inquiry-based learning in course labs and projects know that they are helpingstudents to develop knowledge and skills that variously include "(b) an ability to design and conduct experiments,as well as to analyze and interpret data; (d) an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams; (f) anunderstanding of professional and ethical responsibility; (g) an ability to communicate effectively; (h) the broadeducation necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global/societal context; (i) arecognition

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Andrew Scanlon; Andrea Schokker

Session 1395 Integration of Analysis and Design in the Structural Engineering Curriculum Andrea J. Schokker, Andrew Scanlon The Pennsylvania State UniversityAbstractIn the Civil Engineering curriculum, coursework tends to be compartmentalized with the resultthat students often find it difficult to understand the relationships among concepts covered indifferent courses. Even within individual courses, students sometimes have difficulty tyingtogether material from different parts of the course. In an attempt to overcome theseshortcomings a project is

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Michael Gorman; Edmund Russell III; Donald Brown; William Scherer; Kathryn Neeley

range of intended goals. The University of Virginia’s engineering school hasboth an undergraduate thesis that has been required of every student since the early 1900s and anestablished Systems Engineering capstone project that has been in place since 1988. Both projectstreat constraints in areas such as economics, the environment, ethics, politics, sustainability, andsocial considerations as integral parts of engineering problem solving and decision-making. In sodoing, they anticipated and reflect the integrated approach of EC 2000.Most students who major in Systems Engineering (SE) use their capstone project as the basis forthe undergraduate thesis, which is jointly advised and must be jointly approved by a facultymember from the humanities

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Mark Plichta; Mary Raber

Page 6.999.1 Copyright @2001, American Society for Engineering EducationThe Enterprise Program includes an extensive multi-year, multi-disciplinary design experience.Within this option the college/university establishes a number of engineering/business entities,called enterprises, and students choose to join the company and work with other students and fac-ulty to make the enterprise a successful venture. Each Enterprise, for the most part, operates muchlike a real company in the private sector. The employees (students) solve real-world problems,perform testing and analyses, make recommendations, build prototypes, manufacture parts, staywithin budgets (real and imaginary), and manage multiple projects. The objectives of

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert Wells; Jeffrey Mountain; Donald Goddard

hands-on engineering experience.Since full-sized production equipment can be prohibitively expensive, we have used portabledesktop equipment in this project. Initial costs for individual apparatus have ranged from $4,000 Page 6.620.1 Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering Educationto $20,000, depending on the sophistication of the machine and optional features. Ongoing costshave been limited thus far to consumables such as machining stock and plastics. The machineshave been mounted on mobile

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

David J. Ahlgren; Igor Verner

contest-oriented curricula they have generated. Because robot design is an interdisciplinary process,contest-oriented curricula share a "threaded" approach in which the primary assignment--todevelop an optimal robot for the competition -- is declared as the general goal of the curriculum.This goal threads knowledge and skills through the various disciplines taught in the course,creating a purposeful, project based learning process.The paper presents experiences of the authors in developing robotics curricula at undergraduatecollege and high-school levels. We compare contest-related curricula, learning subjects, robotdesigns, and learning outcomes. Our assessment is based on educational surveys developed bythe authors and administered at the 1999

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Leslie Dorworth; Barbara Mania-Farnell; Susan Scachitti

overcoming gender-related issues common in business environments. The instituteaims to do this by providing pertinent education and information, appropriate networkingopportunities and experiences, and general support in aiding leaders as they develop essentialskills that will support lifelong success.The institute resulted from the efforts of various faculty members and administrative staff atPUC who hold a stake in the TEAMS fields. Their interest in gender equity prompted an officialcommittee to be formed under the PUC Women’s Studies program in 1996. The committee hasevolved over several years conducting focus groups and coordinating various projects within thecommunity. Eventually, their focus turned to the important subject of leadership

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Les Kinsler; David Delker

microprocessor-based controlapplication. The industry partner agreed to allow the C programming class to write theapplication as a class project. This project required the students to incorporate interrupts, timing,signal monitoring, real-time calculations, and extensive interfacing to input and output devices.This paper focuses on the unique interaction between students and industry and the benefits thatthis real-world process brought into the course and into the academic program.IntroductionApplications in C Programming for Engineering Technology, CMST 222, is a course designed tointroduce non-Computer Science Technology majors to the C language. Most of the students inthis class have limited exposure to third-generation programming languages. Applied

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Xudong Yu; William White; Scott Smith; Keqin Gu; Jerry Weinberg; Cem Karacal; George L. Engel

LEGO RCX platform isparticularly interesting in this respect. From the electrical engineering perspective, it provides avariety of pre-constructed sensors as well as motors. From the mechanical engineeringperspective, robot bodies can be constructed from the simple building blocks of standard andspecialized LEGO parts, which include gears, axles, and hinges. Finally, from the computerscience perspective, there are a variety of programming languages available that support inputfrom sensors and output to motors, including numerous languages that require no previousprogramming background.4With the development of these inexpensive and accessible platforms, robotics projects providean opportunity to directly interact with technology, as well as an

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Mary Cardenas; Patrick Little

in a self-taught mode with guided computerexercises to the other extreme in which students work on open ended design projects under amentor who encourages and comments on ongoing work, and guides the students to engage invisual and creative application of principles. In light of this range of reported experiences, it maybe useful to review the experience of other, less technical, disciplines’ approach to studio, andthen consider a set of specifications offered initially by Kuhn in the context of architecture.1.1 Characteristics of Studio EducationOne could look to any of the artistic disciplines for insights into studio education, as suggestedby Walker and Jennings, above. A number of papers have, for example, considered the role andpurpose

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Eckehard Doerry; Bridget Bero; David Hartman

corporate design contents, placing increasing emphasis onindividual problem-solving creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and teaming and projectmanagement skills. NAU’s Design4Practice program explicitly teaches these skills within anovel curriculum centered around a carefully crafted sequence of project-oriented courses. Thispaper discusses our efforts to extend the program to provide international training opportunities,including integration of the Design4Practice curriculum with that of partner institutions abroad,support for joint projects, and international teaming in interdisciplinary project-oriented courses.1.0 IntroductionA characteristic feature of economic change in the last decade has been the growing trendtowards globalization

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Nigel Middleton; Debra Lasich; Barbara Moskal

period in theAmerican Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998. This number wasincreased for another three year period, to 195,000 through the American Competitiveness in theTwenty-first Century Act of 2000 12. After the year of 2003, it is hoped that the availability ofU.S. trained scientists and engineers will increase to the level that is necessary to fill theavailable positions. The project described in this article is a direct response to the currentshortage of U.S. scientists and engineers. One manner in which to increase the overall pool oftrained scientists and engineering majors is to increase the participation of underrepresentedgroups within these fields 9, 10, 13.Colorado School of Mines (CSM) is dedicated to the belief

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Zbigniew Prusak

approaches had become largelyinsufficient. As search for more efficient transfer of engineering knowledge and skills continues,some engineering programs have been almost totally revised to allow room for learning throughdoing, by creating educational environment that closer reflects real-world engineering practice 12 . Such environment accentuates team projects using laboratory experimentation as a mean fordevelopment of skills needed in realization of the projects. Since majority of successfulimprovement undertakings start with setting a goal, engineering activities are not limited to solvinga technical problem; these also encompass explanation of why a particular solution to a problem isthe best and implementation of the solution 13, 14 .2

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Rudy Rogers; Rebecca Toghiani

means, DOE grantedour laboratory a study to determine feasibility of safely storing above-ground natural gas insynthetic gas hydrates. The research suggested a process that provided rapid hydrate formation,complete conversion of interstitial water, and packing of hydrate mass as it formed; 156volumes of gas at standard temperature and pressure stored in 1 volume of the ice-like hydratewas accomplished. Subsequently, as a semester project, a group of five senior chemicalengineering students were asked to put the hydrate research findings into an innovative large-scale plant design for their capstone design course; they were to select, size and cost theequipment; they were to create process flow charts, perform mass/energy balances, and performan

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

William Callen; Steven Usselman

predecessors confronted just a few years ago. They are far more likely to findthemselves working in teams that take full responsibility for key projects or for solving critical problems demandingtimely response. Those teams may well include not just technicians, but people informed about economics andpublic policy and able to communicate their ideas to diverse audiences. Indeed, the most successful contributorswill likely be those individuals who reach across disciplines and blur the lines between the technical and non-technical dimensions of the task at hand. It will help, too, if they are sensitive to matters of race, ethnicity, andgender. For the teams may well consist of a broad range of individuals, and the tasks at hand are those of a

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2001 Annual Conference

Authors

William Smyer; L. R. Johnson

Session 2525 IE Capstone Design Course with IE and ME Team Collaboration W. N. Smyer, E. W. Jones, and L. R. Johnson Mississippi State UniversityAbstractThis paper presents an overview of the capstone design course in Industrial Engineering atMississippi State University, a required course for the Bachelor of Science degree in IndustrialEngineering. In the course, students are formed into project teams, each of which selects onemanufactured product to analyze as part of a comprehensive venture analysis.The unusual aspect of this course, and the focus of this paper, is the