Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sandra Yost, University of Detroit Mercy; Mohan Krishnan, University of Detroit Mercy; Mark Paulik, University of Detroit Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

this course,” 37% ofthose who responded either agreed or strongly agreed.We believe that these disappointing results reflect some resistance from the students to engage inthe kind of independent enquiry-based learning that the instructor expected from them throughoutthe course. After discussion, it was suggested that in the second offering of the course, theinstructor provide a little more structure and guidance early on to gradually build up the students’confidence in their ability to seek the relevant information needed to solve novel problems.4.1.4 EE355: Advanced Electronic SystemsTo the statement: “I find the design projects interesting and effective in connecting theory withpractice,” 83% of those who responded either agreed or

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Teams

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samantha Jacques; Deepti Suri, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

13.1101.10 is shown.Use Cases Do not reflect Use cases are The purpose of the All sections are primary appropriate in UC case is clear appropriately business scope, but and there is completed: events and are superficial in sufficient detail to description, actors, not readily detail, not write good preconditions, basic derivable from providing requirements, but flow, alternative the work enough some key items are flows, exception context

Conference Session

Improving Technical Understanding of All Americans

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Rose, Ball State University; Jim Flowers, Ball State University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

Computer Use by ChildrenAs the problem scenario is presented, the instructor assigns students to small groups of 3 to 5individuals. Over a six-week period, these cooperative groups engage in a cycle of planning,self-directed study, collaborative analysis and debate, self-reflection, and cooperative decision-making and writing. In essence, these learning groups collaboratively select and apply thetechnology assessment process and analytical methods they discovered earlier in the class to theexigencies of this issue. Eventually, the results of their analytical work enable them to proposefour policy options. Accompanying each is a future scenario that might result if these policieswere adopted

Conference Session

Assessment of Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jyhwen Wang, Texas A&M University; Alex Fang, Texas A&M University; Michael Johnson, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

reasonable effort to acquire knowledge that was not previously taught. In the reference section of the final report, the students listed the library and internet resources used in the project.One possible weakness of this self learning experience is that the students might not acquireknowledge with significant depth. This is reflected in the self evaluation that the students werereluctant to give themselves a higher score. It is understandable as the capstone course is a 2-credit hour course and students would not be able to put the same amount of time as they wouldfor a 3-credit hour course.3. Rapid prototyping projectProject ObjectivesFor years, industry has strived to produce physical prototypes to demonstrate and promote newand innovative

Conference Session

Computed Simulation and Animation

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bill Genereux, Kansas State University, Salina

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

ofthought ignores the realities and interconnectedness of the world. Some writers such as PeterBlewett have expressed dissatisfaction with “professional programs that treated humanities andsocial sciences as an after-thought at best and an onerous irrelevancy at worst.” 2 Others call foreach discipline to recognize and appreciate the value of disparate fields of thought. “Scientistswould doubtless be better people if they were culturally literate, and ditto for humanists if theywere scientifically informed.” 3The importance of a broad based education is reflected in current ABET curriculum Page 12.959.2requirements for engineering and engineering

Conference Session

Teaching Methods for the 21st Century: Part 2

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anastasia Micheals, San Jose State University; Emily Allen, San Jose State University; Jeanne Linsdell, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Materials

report and how it is to be structured.To address these issues, a two-semester research program was developed with the objective ofensuring that the time needed to write and grade these writing assignments was well spent. Theprimary goals of the program were to develop a new formulation for the writing assignments thatwas more reflective of and appropriate for real-life engineering situations, to clarify the iterativecommunication loop between student and teacher regarding the effectiveness of the writing, andto create an evaluation process that would promote consistency among multiple instructors.The writing assignments were reformulated in the form of contextual assignments, modeled onreal-world settings in industry, and covering a range of

Conference Session

Introductory Materials Science for the 21st Century

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dhananjay Kumar, North Carolina A&T State University; Devdas Pai, North Carolina A&T State University; Cindy Waters, North Carolina A&T State University; Jagannathan Sankar, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Materials

which is what I like. I like the pre-quizzes because that means that I actually have to read the chapter before taking them.”Another supplementary tool is the external links section of Blackboard. Each topic covered inthe course has links associated and the students are encouraged through extra credit, or in-classquestions to visit those sites. The classroom experience involves board lecture, team quiz-bowltype questions and partner work. At times PowerPoint slides are used to supplement theinstructor’s board lecture and this also serves to keep the learning activities varied. Page 12.1332.7Instructors’ Reflection: The course credit for

Conference Session

Capstone Design & Project Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Waldron, Grand Valley State University; Pramod Chaphalkar, Grand Valley State University; Shabbir Choudhuri, Grand Valley State University; John Farris, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

by National Science Grant No. 0234478, Principle Investigators: Lucy King and Tony Lin, Kettering UniversityTable 5: Issues for faculty and outside evaluators A. Assessment of the Prototype a. Build Quality (perhaps a rubric) b. Performance versus the specifications. B. Assessment of intermediate work products. a. Specifications and constraints i. Complete? ii. Reflect the desires of the sponsors? b. Quality of alternative concepts generated i. Are the alternative concepts documented well? ii. Are they based on different operating principles? iii. Do they

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wei Lin, North Dakota State University; G. Padmanabhan, North Dakota State University; Scott Pryor, North Dakota State University; Dennis Wiesenborn, North Dakota State University

constructed usingstraw bails as building blocks. TMCC is currently building a windmill on its campus. All theseactivities reflect the current enthusiasm of the Native American community in developingrenewable energy, sustaining a healthy environment, and developing cutting edge industries intheir land. The Native American youth are becoming increasingly aware of and interested inthese topical areas. Therefore, it was decided to offer project topics in these areas with the hopethat the students will see the relevance of the topics to their land and social conditions. Forinstance, environment, renewable energy, and nanotechnology were selected as the focus areasfor the summer camp of 2006.Each year, 2 months before the summer camp, projects were

Conference Session

Innovative Mechanics Education Programs and Projects

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean Nocito-Gobel, University of New Haven; Gregory Broderick, University of New Haven; Samuel Daniels, University of New Haven; Michael Collura, University of New Haven; Richard Stanley, University of New Haven

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

of courses taken by students during their first two years in the traditionalcurriculum reflects a traditional approach to learning mechanics in civil (CE) and mechanical(ME) engineering programs. Students took their first physics course, PH150Mechanics/Heat/Waves, in the traditional curriculum second semester freshman year in whichthey were introduced to basic particle kinematics and kinetics and force resolution. Firstsemester sophomore year, students gained an understanding of the behavior of simple structuresunder various loadings, and investigated stresses and deformations as they relate to the design ofsimple mechanisms and structures in CE205 Statics and Strengths. This 4 credit coursecombined topics from both Statics and Strength of

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics and Global Issues

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dawn Bikowski, Ohio University; Melissa Broeckelman, Ohio University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

-), 3 absences result in the grade being lowered 2 steps (e.g., A to B+).Coming to class more than 10 minutes late is marked as an absence.Academic HonestyThe Student Code of Conduct prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty, which include cheatingand plagiarism. Also, for this class, papers that students turn in must reflect the work of thatstudent only, and not of any proofreaders. Academic honesty will be introduced and practiced inthis class. If, after the class has covered this topic, a student engages in course-related academicdishonesty in this class, the student’s grade for the paper will be lowered, the student’s advisormay be notified, and the case may be submitted to the Office of Judiciaries.It is very important that you are

Conference Session

Digital and Embedded System Design

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Clint Kohl, Cedarville University; Keith Shomper, Cedarville University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

to become more familiar with the application. The culmination of these interviews is reflected in the software Page 12.348.6 requirements document (SRD). The SRD includes a full description of the application’s features from a user’s perspective. It also presents the application in context with the systems (e.g., hardware, software, process) with which it must integrate. The final version of the SRD is due six to seven weeks into the semester. 4. Software Design Document: At 12 weeks, the software design document (SDD) is due. The SDD begins where the SRD left off by describing the user-visible components (e.g

Conference Session

Teams and Teamwork in Design II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Jones, Virgnia Tech; Richard Goff, Virginia Tech; Janis Terpenny, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

reflect back on the semester’sactivities and develop some lessons learned for the next project team on which the learners areinvolved.There are three Design Review Boards (DRB) scheduled throughout the semester. The threeDRBs consist of both an oral presentation and a written report. The oral DRB presentations aremade in front of the class and a review board consisting of a panel of experts (in this case a fewrandomly selected learners from the course, instructor, and experienced engineer) who reviewand provide comments on the design at various stages during the semester. The Preliminary DRBconsists of a 10-minute presentation and a written preliminary design report that address thefollowing: ‚ Adequately defined the customer

Conference Session

IE and EM Program Innovation

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patrick Mantey, University of California-Santa Cruz; RAM AKELLA, University of California-Santa Cruz; John Musacchio, University of California-Santa Cruz; Yi Zhang, University of California-Santa Cruz; Kevin Ross, University of California-Santa Cruz; Subhas Desa, University of California-Santa Cruz

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management

therefore unique in reflecting both this combination and its integration.We expect the TIM program to answer the identified needs in the “high-tech” companies ofSilicon Valley, to produced engineering leaders whose education encompasses engineering,management, management of technology and the technology enabling effective management.The uniqueness and value of the TIM program lies in the integrated systems approach tocoverage of both the technology and business aspects of “high tech” enterprises. Our proposedM.S. and Ph.D. programs in TIM will provide graduates with the knowledge and skills requiredto make important contributions to the development and use of information systems andinformation technology, and tools for analysis and optimization of

Conference Session

Technology Literacy for Engineering Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Byron Newberry, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

illiterate consumer—is a problem to be solved. But the solution strategy in thiscase is not to educate consumers about technology, but rather to increasingly design technologyto cater to consumers’ low level of technological knowledge.In a research paper on why engineers sometime design poor user interfaces for technologies, theauthors attribute such failures to the fact that engineers are biased toward designing the interfaceto reflect the underlying mechanism of the technology, an interface style which the engineer,who understands the underlying mechanism, finds intuitive but the user does not. Rather, theauthors conclude, a black box model for the user interface is more effective for the user—that is,an interface which is modeled upon the tasks

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Beckman, University of Pittsburgh; Mary Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Gena Kovalcik, University of Pittsburgh; Matthew Mehalik, University of Pittsburgh; Robert Ries, University of Pittsburgh; Kim Needy, University of Pittsburgh; Laura Schaefer, University of Pittsburgh; Larry Shuman, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

progress at the end of the first yearwith respect to research and pedagogy with a special emphasis on describing the new coursedevelopment.1. IntroductionThe hallmark of US engineering has always been innovation, especially in the design of newproducts and processes that are optimized to reflect performance and price ideals. Althoughengineering designers have focused on performance and price criteria for over a century, the Page 12.371.2growing recognition that the world’s resources are finite while its population continues toincrease have led to a new criterion – sustainability – that now must be incorporated into thedesign process often as an

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Thompson, University of South Carolina; Jed Lyons, University of South Carolina

competent Competent Very competent1. Appropriately engage children in problemsolving activities that incorporate math andScienceconcepts2. Conceptualize activities that use math andScienceconcepts to solve problems.3. Manage a class using hands-on/laboratoryactivities4. Can develop appropriate forms of assessment5. Construct developmentally-appropriate plans6. Aware of individual differences and needsamong students7. Conduct my own inquiry into authenticquestions that emerge from student experiences8. Conduct interviews with students to investigatenaïve conceptions9. Reflect on my own teaching10. Adjust instructional plans to meet studentneeds11. Use appropriate questioning techniques tofacilitate student learning12. Use computer technology and

Conference Session

EMD Curriculum Design

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Raymond Krizek, Northwestern University; Ahmad Hadavi, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management

recommend future directionsfor the program. At the end of each year, most of the graduates undergo an exit interview by anexternal professional regarding their experience in the program. The results are analyzed by theinterviewer and a summary report is prepared for the program director. These interviews providean excellent resource to assess the “immediate” degree of satisfaction with the program and toidentify any areas that need attention. In addition, periodic alumni surveys are conducted,usually three or more years after graduation, to solicit “reflective” feedback about the strengthsand weaknesses of the program.FacultyAlthough students in the MPM program have access to any appropriate and available course inthe University, the “heart” of the

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John McLaughlin, MacLaughlin Associates; Gail Hardinge, College of William and Mary; Eugene Brown, Virginia Tech; Kirk Jenne, Office of Naval Research; Robert Stiegler, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

knowledge about what scientists and engineers do in their jobs, and anincrease in interest in STEM careers.Student focus groups were held in four schools. Comments made by students reflected a highdegree of satisfaction with the content and the opportunity to interact with scientists andengineers. Specifically, students noted the benefits of a problem solving approach, saying [It]“shows why you’re learning stuff”, and “you’re having so much fun that sometimes you forgetthat you’re learning.” One student offered to the group that the VDP activities would be “goodto have all over the country…it could change the way people think about things…like pollutionproblems and ways to stop it and fix environmental problems.”During the spring of 2007, the VDP

Conference Session

Standards Based Approaches to K -12 Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sara Titus, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; John Raczek, University of Maryland-College Park; Bruce Jarrell, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Carolyn Parker, George Washington University; Taryn Bayles, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Julia Ross, University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

mathematical simulations. The authors speculate that thisdecrease may reflect a new appreciation for the complexity of engineering design and a healthyreassessment of their expertise after exposure to the curriculum unit. Similar decreases inconfidence in math have been reported in the literature.5 Close attention will be paid to whetherthis trend persists in future trials and modification will be made to the module as necessary toaddress this issue. Finally, students also took a Post Module Questionnaire at the completion of thecurriculum unit. This questionnaire was broken into two sections. The first section askedstudents to indicate whether their interest or skills in certain areas increased, decreased orremained the same as compared to

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Frehill, New Mexico State University; Ricardo Jacquez, New Mexico State University; Lauren Ketcham, New Mexico State University; Amanda Lain, New Mexico State University; Heather Williams, New Mexico State University; Rose Pena, New Mexico State University

undergraduate major. This student faced a number of challenges including having totake additional undergraduate courses to meet deficiencies. In addition, (s)he was not as familiarwith the faculty in the department, which meant that (s)he changed advisors twice in the courseof their graduate program.In discussing the students with the advisors, it was clear that all of the advisors cared about theirstudents. The advisors often considered themselves to be mentors, which connoted a strongercommitment in their minds than “advisor.” The advisors were well aware of personal challengesthe students faced and how cultural forces might have a differential impact upon their students.As shown in Table 1 and reflected in discussions with the students, there were

Conference Session

Improving ME education: Broad Topics

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir Mobasher, Alabama A&M University; Ruben Rojas-Oviedo, Alabama A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

feature to enhance retention rate at the sophomore level forconcentrating studies in engineering disciplines. Citing evidence of project oriented financialsupport for the students is an attractive technique for motivation. This motivation assuresstudents in multi task projects and thereby builds strength. This strength reflects students’learning and directs them towards completing their educational goals in engineering. In a truesense these potential graduates may involve in as many multidisciplinary tasks as they mayencounter in the working arena.RECRUITING STRATEGYEntering new freshmen as well as transfer students constitute big weight of the composition ofthe student body within a given program. It is therefore important to formulate a

Conference Session

Engineering Without Borders Programs Involving Students

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Iskandar Hack, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne; CARMEN BOJE, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

International

Page 11.691.9trends globally, culturally and economically. It was to develop a shared vision of engineering bythe year 2020 and several scenarios were developed to reflect the diversity of the future society. Exchange programs that encourage domestic students to study abroad, conduct research andexplore foreign cultures has been and continues to be an important component of the educationalexperience for U.S. graduates, who must be competitive with the global market. Therefore, it isnecessary that articulation agreements with universities overseas be established to ensure thatcourses are accepted for graduation requirements. In addition, providing students withinternational research internships can also help them think globally. The

Conference Session

Design Methods and Concepts

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Voltmer, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Bruce Ferguson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

placed upon course project. Page 11.541.7The project is presented as much like a real-world problem as possible. A “client” presents aproblem and scenario and asked for designs to solve the problem subject to stated constraints.The instructors present the students with a timeline with milestones since the students havelimited exposure to project management at this point in their education. The timeline is presentedusing a Gantt chart organized by major tasks and milestones, and the importance of adhering tothis schedule is stressed. Reflections on previous competitions indicate that “schedule slip”,specifically testing in advance of the

Conference Session

NEW Lab Experiments in Materials Science

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Valerie Maynard, Northwestern University; Matthew Hsu, Northwestern University; Katherine Chen, California Polytechnic State University; R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Materials

module to introduce the nanoscale to students, targeting high schooljuniors/seniors and their teachers. We mention teachers explicitly because in almost all cases, wesuspect that these materials must be educative for them. This is the responsibility of anymaterials that introduce new content.Our primary mission is to engage all students in the classroom with materials consisting of asound selection of content and best-practices. Reflecting the reasons stated above for introducingnanoscale learning, we want to motivate interest in science, and we want to contribute to theachievement of several learning goals.The module is designed to take about 2 weeks. This is a significant chunk of curriculum time,but the learning goals and tasks are not add-on

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Eduaction - Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mysore Narayanan, Miami University; Ronald Earley, Miami University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

Page 12.145.8signify thinking about thinking (Nelson, 1989, 1991 November). In other words, 7Nelson says that to learn how to think critically, one must reflect on one’s ownthought processes. Students need to recognize that some selected ideas andtheories may have distinct advantages over others, depending on the context withwhich they are presented to the reader. Nelson further recommends that studentsshould be encouraged to understand and learn how to navigate through the Perryscheme (Perry, 1970, 1981, 1984). The scheme proposed by W.G. Perry Jr.contends that students can apply knowledge and progress with greater ease if thelearners are initially

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Kadlowec, Rowan University; Howard Pearlman, Drexel University; Greg Biren, Rowan University; John Chen, Rowan University; Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University; Ali Navvab, Gloucester County College; Anthony Marchese, Rowan University; Robert Sterner, Rowan University

performances. The objectives of this module are as follows: (1) Perform background research on actionpotentials and muscle physiology. (2) Develop experiments to record and measure humanmotion, ground reaction forces and muscle activation through EMG. (3) Analyze the body as adynamic system, tracking positions and determining joint angles. (4) Apply Newton’s Laws andEuler equations to determine joint reaction forces and moments. (5) Determine muscle activitythrough use of EMG. Measurements and Calculations: By placing reflective markers on body landmarks andrecording motion with the use of high speed video cameras, position data is acquired. Jointforces and moments will be calculated for simple 2-dimensional motions in lower level

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle Daniel, University of Cincinnati; James Allen, University of Cincinnati; Anant Kukreti, University of Cincinnati

from lower to middle income families. This particular institution employs aPaideia teaching philosophy. The lessons created by Project STEP fellows attempted to adhereto this philosophy by providing students opportunities to explore and reflect on the activitiespresented. To aid the students in their quest for self-learning, class work and projects were oftenconducted in a group style format. The following activities were presented between September and December of 2005: Environmental Science Algebra 2 The Water Recycler (TWR) Cincinnati Evacuation Planning (CEP) The Bengal’s Oily Mess (BOM) City Planning (CP) Each lesson was presented

Conference Session

Building Blocks for Public Policy in Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joel Haight, Pennsylvania State University; Richard Devon, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

develop appropriate corrective measures and describe these measures quantitativelyand qualitatively in detail. The teams will explain how these measures will be implemented andjustify their effectiveness and expected costs. Each team will present findings in class or developa web page to reflect on the findings. This assignment will be carried out in collaboration withthe Engineering Design Course ED&G-100 to help students potentially in future policyinfluencing positions to interact with students who may be in future positions of influencing suchsocietal-based designs and infrastructure as roadways, bridges, mines, communication systems,levees, transportation systems, etc.”Problems that Arose in the Dispatch of the AssignmentUnfortunately

Conference Session

Engineering and Public Policy Pioneering Courses

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Sicker, University of Colorado-Boulder; Tom Lookabaugh, University of Colorado-Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

or former ITP students and composed awide variety of technical and non-technical backgrounds. Nearly 80% of these individuals havetechnical backgrounds (meaning undergraduate degrees in engineering, science or mathematics)and 70% have two or more years professional work experience. ITP has a strong internationalstudent body and the survey reflects this with 36% of the respondents being from abroad.Finally, the majority of those surveyed attended the SFTP events in the last 18 months. 5.2. Survey ResultsThe main body of the survey contained a long series of questions employing a seven-point Likertscale to measure students’ attitudes on a broad range of topics concerning the SFTP events. Wenow present some of the more interesting findings.In