Lessons Learned in Implementing a Multi-disciplinary Senior Design Sequence John-David Yoder and Juliet Hurtig T.J. Smull College of Engineering Ohio Northern UniversityAbstract:During the 2003-4 academic year, the authors advised four student senior capstone teams.Unlike traditional capstone teams at Ohio Northern University, these teams were intentionallychosen to be multi-disciplinary, including students from two departments and a variety ofmajors, and faculty with varying specialties. Two teams worked on a national roboticscompetition, one team for an industry-sponsored project, and one team on
fuels. Most of the mechanical engineering students have very little research experienceby the time they graduate and even less so in engines, fuels and engine exhaust emissions.To address some of these problems an undergraduate research program was developed andimplemented in the mechanical engineering department. Initially, the program catered to a verysmall number of students seeking to work on research projects in the subject area. However, inthe last two years, the National Science Foundation has been funding the project under itsResearch Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The funding allows up to eightstudents from different institutions to work with the faculty and graduate students onexperimental and analytical projects in
Investigating Functional Roles on Engineering Student Teams: A Developmental Perspective Ms. Jeannie Brown Leonard, Dr. Linda C. Schmidt, Dr. Paige E. Smith, & Dr. Janet A. Schmidt University of Maryland, College ParkIntroductionTeams are a principal but unpredictable learning environment in engineering. Being assigned ateam project in an engineering course is like drawing a Chance card in the game of Monopoly.Once in a while you advance to GO but more often you must go directly to Jail or face someother setback. Well-functioning teams have been shown to improve learning and retention innon-engineering fields, especially for members of
trained andlocated near business stakeholders. Recent events have clearly shown that cost drivers exert thenecessary pressures to invalidate this claim. The challenge then, is for software engineeringprograms in higher education to construct curricular models that achieve outcomes that includeknowledge of, if not some measurable level of competency in, outsourced development bestpractices. We present a process-oriented undertaking between three campuses, Arizona StateUniversity East, Arizona State University Tempe, and Georgetown University, to experiment withlearning objectives focused on outsourced development models.Students in the Division of Computing Studies program at Arizona State University’s East campusenroll in a four-semester project
skills, effort,initiative, and creativity?While these questions, and many others like them are valid and should be discussed in academiccircles, there is no single answer that will satisfy all educators. Further, it is not the intent of thispaper to attempt to provide rational argument to sway the opinions of other engineeringprofessors. It is the intent of this paper to discuss the concept of rewarding competency andcompliancy with grades less than an ‘A’, and discuss incentive factors developed to encouragestudents to strive for excellence. Specific examples will be given based on two years experienceteaching a senior level course in wastewater treatment that requires a plant design project as asubstantial portion of the final grade.I have
to provide valuable real project workexperiences to students, while allowing professionals to obtain specific limited services atsubstantially reduced costs, while freeing their staff to perform more complex activities in theoffice. The ARA Program was designed to provide a wide range of services to localprofessionals and businesses in the region. Anticipated services that will be available include;architectural design and drafting, graphic services, existing conditions drawings for buildingrenovations, "as-built" drawings for completed projects, and product research. These servicesare intended to provide assistance in short duration projects, under the direct supervision ofarchitects, professional engineers and industrial managers.As
project, this paper reports the lessons learned in managing this rather large andcomplex project which brings together two quite different educational institutions. The results todate have been quite positive.IntroductionIn 2003 WPI began a three-year project, "K-6 Gets a Piece of the PIEE (PartnershipsImplementing Engineering Education)." This project is funded by the NSF Graduate TeachingFellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program, the goal of which is to involve engineeringgraduate students with K-12 science and engineering education. Some small number of thesegraduate students will decide to pursue careers in K-12 education, but for most, the intenseexposure provided by the Fellowship program should lead to increased involvement with K
Internships: Lessons learned beyond the classroom. David Laxman, Michael Bright, Stephen Renshaw Information Technology, Brigham Young University1. IntroductionThis paper describes ways in which our internship taught us to use project development models,learn new technology, and communicate our ideas effectively with management. We provide alist of ten guidelines to effectively communicate as interns and describe how businesses canbenefit from internships.Our internship, provided by Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD), has helped usapply our IT education, gain real-world IT experience, and learn to communicate withmanagement. CUWCD hired us to produce a web-based
Making Student Conference Trips an Assessable Learning Opportunity David L. Silverstein University of KentuckyAbstractThere never seems to be enough class time in any course. Student participation inconferences, particularly when combined with faculty absences, causes strain on analready tight course schedule. Since students are already attending a conference forreasons that are ostensibly educational in nature, why not utilize the opportunity toprovide for an assessable contribution towards course and program learning objectives?In addition to course specific objectives, this project contributes towards ABET EC2000expected outcomes in
On The Relationship Between Program Missions And Analytic Techniques In Evaluation of Mutually Exclusive Alternatives Snehamay Khasnabis, Joseph Bartus, Emadeddin Alsaidi Wayne State University/Michigan Department of Transportation/PARSONSAbstractThe purpose of economic evaluation of project alternatives is to ensure that the project selectedfor implementation from a mutually exclusive set is the one with the highest benefits. This typeof evaluation is often termed ex-ante analysis, conducted to identify the specific project whereresources should be allocated. A number of analytic techniques may be used to evaluate mutuallyexclusive alternatives. Similarly, alternatives may be evaluated under
developed an integrated junior-year curriculum supported by anIntegrated Systems Laboratory and related projects. The projects provide opportunities forstudents to apply their newly acquired tools in an integrated setting prior to enrolling in thecapstone course. Project requirements can include work measurement, work design andergonomics, engineering economics, simulation, statistical analysis and experimental design,project management, and technical communication. In addition to a description of the laboratoryand projects, the rationale and a description of the curriculum is presented. Also included is apreliminary analysis of the impact of this approach on student learning.IntroductionABET program criteria for industrial engineering require
Unifying an Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Course through Machine Learning Laboratory Experiences Ingrid Russell, Zdravko Markov, Todd Neller, Michael Georgiopoulos, Susan Coleman University of Hartford/Central Connecticut State University/Gettysburg College/University of Central Florida/University of HartfordAbstractThis paper presents work on a collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundationthat incorporates machine learning as a unifying theme to teach fundamental concepts typicallycovered in the introductory Artificial Intelligence courses. The project involves the developmentof an adaptable framework
sequence is described. The effective use of industry sponsors toformally assess the student’s performance will be presented as will the recruitment of sponsors.The dynamics of group size and structure will also be discussed. The information presented inthis paper is based on the five years that the program has existed at Stevens.Initially established to meet ABET 2000 criteria and introduce Civil Engineering students to realworld design problems, the industry-sponsored program began during the 2000-01 academic yearwith two industry consultants (both Stevens Alumni), and 18 students. This program has grownto involve eight industry sponsors and 40 students. The diversity of these projects parallels theCivil Engineering profession and provides the
enrolling inBIOE400 (Undergraduate Research) where they can earn one to three credit hours, depending ontheir involvement and efforts spent on the project. This course can be counted as one of theelectives towards their degree requirements. Other students involved in research projects get paidfor their efforts. At the same time, some students take advantages of the various scholarshipprograms that are available during the summer time. These programs include the NSF CellularEngineering IGERT Undergraduate Research program, the matching fund program for theBrown Undergraduate Research Internships from the Dean of School of Engineering, and theNSF REU opportunities from individual faculty. In this presentation, an overview of variousundergraduate
Providing Safe Housing through Independent Study Dr. Lisa A. Wipplinger United States Military AcademyAbstractThe Civil and Mechanical Engineering department at the United States Military Academy hasteamed up with The Center for Earthquake Resistant Housing to work toward affordable, easilyconstructed earthquake resistant housing in developing countries. A series of independent studyprojects involving design, analysis and research are being developed as courses for small teamsof cadets. Each course will focus on a specific piece of the large project, helping to move italong more quickly. These projects will provide opportunities for life-long learning
Session 2266 Using Available Faculty Expertise to Add Relevance to a First Course in Heat Transfer Robert Edwards Pennsylvania State University at Erie Martin Dropik Pennsylvania State University at Erie Robert Simoneau Pennsylvania State University at ErieAbstract:Heat transfer courses for mechanical engineering students are typically lecture based, but ofteninclude an open ended project to provide a real
, student teams are required to design, build and test (DBT) an experimentaldesign project of their own choice.This project requires experimental problem solving skills, builds upon the analytical andnumerical techniques they have acquired in their engineering science courses, and will then beexpanded upon in a multi-disciplinary capstone laboratory design course in the spring semesterof their senior year. The project is coordinated through the ME program Design of ExperimentsPlan and further supports the ME program's Professional Component Plan by requiring the use ofengineering design with open-ended problems, integration of professional tools, anddemonstration of professional communications. This experience takes place from a point ofview that
AC 2005-862: AUTHENTIC ENGINEERING DESIGN IN A FRESHMAN“TRANSITION TO COLLEGE” COURSEDoug Schmucker, Trine University Page 10.241.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2005 Authentic Engineering Design in a Freshman “Transition to College” Course Douglas G. Schmucker Western Kentucky UniversitySummaryThrough a series of three hands-on, learn-by-doing projects, students prepare to enter a civilengineering program in this first-semester course. This paper documents these three projects anddescribes how the course is integrated with university criteria for
process of building those tools is in bettersuited to the discipline of Computer Science.A primary goal of this course now is to prepare students for subsequent courses inembedded system development. These courses focus on the hardware, software, andapplication of microprocessor and microcontroller based systems. C has become thelanguage of embedded processors and C is gradually replacing assembly language inmany applicationsi,ii. In fact, 80% of new embedded systems are developed using the Clanguageiii. Integrated development environments, e.g. Embedded Workbench from IARSystems, include powerful C development tools and simplify the management of multiplesoftware modules. The user is presented with a familiar project environment thatresembles
) Page 10.1052.12. Modeling an existing part (testing comprehension)3. Creating a new part from scratch (application) Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering EducationIn this paper, I discuss how these steps are implemented in a large-size, required first-yearengineering graphics course in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The third step isemphasized and illustrated through a unique rapid prototyping project in which students design anew body for a radio-controlled model car that is subsequently fabricated through the generouscontribution of
Capstone Design: Sculpture and Structure Roy McGrann, Gary Mackiewicz, Jacquelyn Walsh, Katherine Williams, Jill Griffin/Yvonne Hobbs/and Margaret Crocker Binghamton University / Sculptor /The Discovery CenterAbstract Obtaining funding for senior design projects can be a challenge. This paper presents anexample of a community and university project for which the funding was obtained from acharitable foundation. The project was successfully completed as one of the projects in theinterdisciplinary capstone design course at Binghamton University (SUNY). The Discovery Center, which is a hands-on children’s
Preliminary Results from a “Course-less” Curriculum Study R.L. Kolara, K. Gramoullb, T.R. Rhoadsc, R.C. Knoxa a School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science b School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering c College of Engineering University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73019 kolar@ou.edu (contact author) ABSTRACTIn 2002, we received an NSF planning grant that builds upon our Sooner City project,which was funded through the Action Agenda program
“E-team” projects proposed by studentteams. “E” stands for Entrepreneurship or Excellence.Although we planned to involve engineering students from the entire College of Engineering andfrom the Business School, the overwhelming majority of the approximately 100 participants todate have come from Biomedical Engineering. Participation by others has been hindered bysome interdepartmental problems of controls and bureaucratic rules. Perhaps these difficultiesare generic and arise from the engineering tradition of professional isolation by specialization.Entrepreneurial product development needs teamwork involving technical specialists as well asthose skilled in business. The goal was to introduce the participants in many facets of entrepre
campus as well as in some engineering departments. The course revitalization iscentered on enabling more direct student participation in design projects. It begins with two-persondesign teams that design, build and test weekly projects involving LEGO® parts, sensors, and theRobotic Command eXplorer (RCX). The course progresses in the semester to finally encompasslarger design teams of fourteen students, with each team designing a complex, autonomous, robotic-styled system. This revision was to enable a more flexible mix of engineering student majors(Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Environmental), as some departments had different enrollmentsfor each semester. Furthermore, the philosophy shifted from a primarily project management to amore
Truly Interdisciplinary: The ONU ECCS Senior Design Experience Juliet K. Hurtig John K. Estell Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Department Ohio Northern UniversityI. AbstractAll seniors in the College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University are required to complete acapstone project. Following the merger of the former Computer Science and Electrical &Computer Engineering departments in 2001, the Electrical & Computer Engineering andComputer Science (ECCS) Department developed a year-long, three course senior designsequence common to all three majors offered: computer engineering
projects. Similarly, we teach our students the virtues of use-cases andspiral development models, frequently ignoring the true keystones of student success in theproject world: teamwork, collaboration and the processes that tie everything together.There are really two objectives for this paper. One is to describe a method for teaching process,quality and measurement in a way that is engaging and enables students to really internalize thematerial. The second objective is to describe an approach that helps students understand (andexperience) the role and importance of sociological issues and how to address them in a way thatsubstantially increases the probability of project and personal success. It is based on the premisethat software engineering is
alarger institution which has entered the competition several times previously. The authors, asadvisors of two different ongoing projects share their years of experience with those colleagueswho are interested in sponsoring engineering students in such challenging competitions. Theybriefly discuss elements of group dynamics and discuss why the success rate of the projectsdepends heavily on successful team building. They discuss steps for successful creation of teamsthat the strength of their members complement each other and propose tested techniques thatmay significantly enhance the relative potential of such teams. The instrumental role of theadvisor is discussed. His/her project management activities must gradually be taken over by oneor
interface with hardware and software, and how to teach. After two years, theprogram has worked quite well, with all team members appreciating the chance to workon a real world problem, to work with students in other disciplines, and to learn how towork effectively on a team of people with many different backgrounds.Introduction Seniors in most undergraduate engineering programs undertake some kind ofsenior capstone design project. These are usually team projects that can range from paperdesigns to physical prototypes. In many cases, the teams are primarily composed ofengineers within the same discipline1; mechanical engineers working with othermechanical engineers and so forth. As a result, all team members have similar expertiseand
through technology transfer from Oak Ridge National Laboratory toengineering technology faculty, students, and industry are highlighted. Product development,prototyping, fabrication, instrumentation, controls, and testing procedures were integrated intorelevant engineering technology courses.BackgroundWestern Carolina University is committed to supporting economic development throughengagement and partnerships. The university established a campus-wide mandate for engagementwith regional business and industry and has provided support to departments active in thisendeavor. Engagement activities focus on sustaining economic development and boostingentrepreneurial startups through innovative and creative projects that develop intellectual capitaland
Development of an Automated Liquid Handling System for Science Lab Automation Akihiko Kumagai, Tien-I Liu, Stefan Setiadharma, Yasuhisa Komura Department of Mechanical Engineering California State University, Sacramento Sacramento, CA 95819-6031AbstractIn recent years, various automation technologies developed in engineering fields have beengaining attention from scientists and researchers to improve productivity, accuracy and quality ofwork in their science labs. This paper presents a unique case study of a private companysponsored project to develop a prototype of an automated liquid handling system