portable web-service.While there are other works on efficient ways to create teams for the senior design project, ourapproach combines the robustness of some prior approaches with the portability of modernsoftware solutions. A genetic algorithm was used by researchers at the University of NorthCarolina, Charlotte 1 for the same problem, to varying degrees of success. The inputs to thealgorithm were binary choices (yes/no) for each project, based on the student’s ranked top 3preferences. Our approach, however, allows students to bid on projects, dividing up their points tobetter indicate their relative interest in projects. Typically, the form will enforce splitting uppoints across at least 4 − 6 projects, allowing us to gauge more than just the
are taught in decontextualized situations. While students in their courses interact with models invarying contexts, teaching focuses on algorithmic steps to find a solution. In this paper, we develop aframework to understand how representation is described, taught and learned in analysis-focused classesand in design-focused classes. 1. Introduction—Nature of the problem“Engineers create the world that never was,” famously stated Theodore von Karman, comparingengineers with “scientists [who] discover the world that exists” ("Foundation", n.d.). Arriving at Caltechin 1929 coming from Aachen, Germany, he restructured aerodynamics education placing an emphasis onthe scientific and mathematical foundation ("JPL", n.d.). Overall, the American
with five undergraduate studentswhere they explore the concept of design awareness and brainstorm ideas for a tool to help themstay aware of the design process even while they are deeply engaged in it.IntroductionDavid Foster Wallace [1], began a commencement speech with this story: There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning,[]. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water?”In this story, Wallace is pointing to the concept of awareness of the “water” (or context) withinwhich we live. In our work, we use this story
the design and implementation of afaculty development program. The objectives of this program were: (1) to promote facultyadoption of non-traditional instructional methods and materials that have been proven effectiveby classroom research studies and (2) to improve institutional support for teaching at each of theeight SUCCEED campuses. The study finds that the percentage of responders giving requiredteam assignments vary from a low of 35% at one institution to a high of 72%. Assistantprofessors are more likely to do so than associate or full professors. Female professors are morelikely than male professors to use in-class group activities and the internet in their teaching, andthe assistant professors and female professors are more likely to
within the engineering education community hasfocused on preparing engineers for the technological and global challenges of the future. Suchconversations often consider the skills that engineers will need and how we can best helpstudents develop such skills. For example, ABET shifted to skills-based assessment ofengineering programs 1. Additionally, the National Academies proposed a list of the desiredattributes of “The Engineer of 2020” followed by suggestions on how to educate the engineer of2020 2, 3. As engineering education researchers have developed assessment tools and techniquesto evaluate development of needed skills among students and ways that they are used byprofessionals 4, 5, few studies have been able to follow the same students
challenges that students encountered when they used freebody diagrams to interpret system equilibrium. This study also indicates the effectivenessof PPDs in externalizing students’ understanding of system equilibrium. This research isrelevant to engineering instructors and researchers who want to develop students’abilities to use cognitive strategies effectively. It may also interest engineering instructorswho are willing to apply new instructional methods and tools to facilitate students toovercome complex design challenges.TheoryEffective formative assessment process has repercussions on all aspects of students’learning [1], [2]. It can help students understand marking criteria and subject standards [3],produce significant learning gains, and
Impacts of Project-Based Learning in Science and EngineeringAbstractLong-term impact of formal project work for science and engineering alumni from WorcesterPolytechnic Institute was studied through an externally-conducted web-based survey. The surveyincluded 39 Likert scale questions targeting impacts grounded in 1) institutional undergraduatelearning outcomes and 2) areas of unanticipated impact that emerged from a pre-survey onlineideation exercise. The survey was distributed to over 10,000 randomly-selected graduates andhad a response rate of 25%. Results showed that project work had long-term positive impacts onalumni in terms of professional skills, world views, and personal lives. Mann-Whitney U testsrevealed
Numerous studies have examined identity in regards to engineering and engineeringeducation. These studies focus particularly on areas such as gender 1-3 ; recruitment, retention, andburnout4-6 ; and identity development in becoming an engineer.7-10 Various methods have beenemployed to study identity in these contexts, including surveys, “draw an engineer” tests,ethnography, and personal narratives. While each of these methodologies is important andsupplies its own contribution to the discussion of identity, they may not provide an in-depth,interpersonally developed understanding of the participant’s own subconscious and consciousperceptions of his or her reality (or thick description—e.g., Geertz11 ). In other words, thesemethods can supply a good
, which manyhave already done1-3,6. Specifically, we sought to explore the “active” portion of “activelearning.” In Prince’s words, “The core elements of active learning are student activity andengagement in the learning process,” (Reference 1, page 1, emphases added). The active recallof information has been shown to increase information retention, compared to that resulting frompassively reading the same material repeatedly6. It makes sense to break a long lecture intosmaller units, punctuated by activities, given the conventional wisdom that students have anattention span of roughly 10 to 15 minutes7, and that student self-reported interest is highest atthe beginning of a lecture and decreases throughout a lecture8. Might active learning
different RBIS, the percentage of required critical componentsimplemented in conjunction with the RBIS was examined. Use of all critical components foreach RBIS varied from 55-83%. Higher percentages (65-83%) were associated with RBIS thathad one required critical component, such as concept tests. For RBIS with higher numbers (3-5)of critical components (such as Problem Based Learning and Collaborative Learning), though thepercentage of users with complete fidelity (all critical components) was low (3-66%), thepercentage that did not include any components was also low (most with 0% of users having noor only 1 critical component used in the classroom). To highlight the relationships between usersand critical components, a Chi Square was completed
manufactured by Netmedia, and is called the“BasicX”. The BasicX is about the size of a postage stamp (shown in figure 1) and isprogrammed in a form of Basic making it relatively easy for students to learn how to program1.Some of the students who were taking the mechatronics course had programming experience andsome did not, so the weekly project handouts assumed that the students had never programmedbefore. A development board made by Netmedia was also used for this course (shown in figure2). The BasicX is similar to a processor called the Basic Stamp, produced by Parallax, that isused by many universities who are teaching mechatronics courses. The BasicX was chosen overthe Basic Stamp for several reasons. The BasicX is capable of floating-point
isdeveloped influences the identity development. Carlone and Johnson’s theoretical frameworkcan be applied to engineering identity development. In this case, we focus on the culturalcontext in which the identity develops, namely the MSI campus.Researchers have conducted studies on identity development of engineering students,specifically. They found that three factors influence the development of an engineering identity,(1) how engineering is understood as a science, (2) the rules that govern the behavior of anengineer, and (3) the environmental setting of the institution in which one learns to become anengineer28, 29. It is this latter factor that we have examined in this study. Taken together, theimportance of studying the development of an
. [1]. The course has been developed using Matlab as the primary programming platform. A low-cost USB interface device is used to connect mechatronic hardware to student laptop computers. Experiments including LEDs, temperature sensors, distance transducers, light sensors, solar cells, DC motors, and stepper motors, as well positioning tables and servo-controlled robots, have been developed. The course culminates in a creative design project, in which teams of students combine the various types of hardware used in the laboratory into a new application of their choosing. Based on both student and instructor feedback, the initial implementation of the course has been overwhelmingly positive.I. IntroductionIn the fall of 1999, Milwaukee School of
and bases, registers and memory addressing, and howto use the Optimate OP-613 input/output interface. The Optimate OP-613 interface allows thestudent to program its numeric input and output range, such as: Location 1 = input 0000 to 9999BCD, Location 2 = input 20.00 to 63.00 BCD, Location 3 = output 00.00 to 99.99 BCD andLocation 4 = output 0000 to 9999 BCD. Input switches can also be programmed as momentarycontact or toggle switches with LED indicators attached. In the laboratory students mock-purchase a laptop, load the PLC programming software, get software updates through the webfrom the manufacturer, then design and programming a more complicated ladder logicapplication.Week 4Timers, counters, and PLC functions involving digital bitsare
2001-02 academic year agreed with this general trend). Mechanical Engineers have littleexperience relating Laplace-space or Frequency-space equations to physical systems. Thebenefits to student learning of hands-on experiences and design experiences have been welldocumented [1-3]. Such work is strongly encouraged by the ONU Engineering Strategic Planwhich states “A balance of 'hands-on' applications and theoretical expertise and understandingshould be established in order to best prepare the students for future professional endeavors [4].”ABET also continues to stress the ability to design systems and conduct experiments asimportant criteria [5]. The authors sought to improve student learning and student interest in thiscourse (as well as this
leaders have called for incorporating thedevelopment of professional skills, like problem-solving for open-ended engineering designproblems, across all the different engineering courses. Following such a call, I, the author of thispaper, incorporated an engineering design project into the Computer Programming for Engineerscourse taught at University of Florida for two semesters, hoping that such instructionalintervention positively impacts students' problem-solving skills.2. Frameworks2.1 Conceptual Framework2.1.1 Social Problem-solvingThere are many ways in which literature has defined problem-solving; still, assessment tools formeasuring such skills are scarce. In this study, I used a model developed by D'Zurilla et al. [1] inwhich their team
, demographic surveys, and three tasks. Descriptive statistics and statistical tests provide insights.Performance discrepancies between IT and non-IT backgrounds are statistically significant. Feedback indicatespositive perceptions of low code. 1. Introduction In recent years, the intersection of technology and education has undergone a profound transformation, withemerging paradigms reshaping traditional approaches to teaching and learning. One such paradigm that hasgarnered increasing attention is low-code development—a revolutionary approach to software creation thatempowers individuals, regardless of their technical background, to design and deploy fully functional applicationswith minimal coding expertise. Low-code platforms provide
selecting VS Code and our approach to introducing it to engineering students. To assist students with diverse programming backgrounds, we provide comprehensive guidance with hierarchical indexing. By seamlessly integrating VS Code, known as a rich text editor, with a selection of extensions, our aim is to streamline the learning process for students by enabling it to function as an IDE. We perform an experimental evaluation of students' programming experience of using VS Code and validate the VS Code together with guidance as a promising solution for CS1 programming courses. 1. IntroductionIntegrated Development Environments (IDEs) play an important role in learning a
incorporate math and scienceinterests and experiences.IntroductionIn view of the current situation of the STEM education pipeline, the President’s Council ofAdvisors in Science and Technology (PCAST) recently called for one million additional STEMgraduates over the next ten years.1 One way to address the need for more STEM graduates isthrough understanding what causes students to choose engineering and how to more effectivelyrecruit them upon entrance into college.A potential way to begin to address this need for a greater pool of new engineering students isthrough the interpretive framework of critical engineering agency. This perspectives is rooted incritical science agency theory which has been developed in qualitative research in scienceeducation
engineeringenterprise, and discussion on broadening participation has increasingly permeated STEMdiscourse and engineering education agendas for decades.1-3 Yet, even with pervasive college-based initiatives aimed at broadening participation, results remain stagnant; the national averagefor underrepresented minority BS engineering graduates is flat, hovering at ~10% for the last 15years4,5 while the national average for women engineering BS graduates peaked at ~21% in2002.5,6 Clearly, a need exists to identify models that bolster diversity; very likely, these modelswill be multifaceted and complex.Inclusive Excellence Research ProjectThe Inclusive Excellence Research Project is an NSF-funded investigation at the University ofColorado Boulder that takes a
curriculum presents several unique challenges. These challenges arisefrom both the structure of the current MET program and the specific learning needs of MET students.Firstly, the existing MET catalog is already packed with essential courses, making it difficult to introducenew AI/ML courses. Teaching the full spectrum of AI/ML, from theory to coding, typically requires 1 Fall 2024 ASEE Middle Atlantic Section Conferencemultiple courses. However, with limited space in the program, adding one or more dedicated AI/ML coursesis a significant challenge. This would require a complete curriculum overhaul, which may not be feasiblegiven the current structure.Secondly, most
, have emerged as critical platforms for fostering creativity, problem-solving, andentrepreneurial skills among engineering students. These events not only provide participantswith opportunities to apply their technical knowledge and collaborative abilities but also exposethem to real-world challenges that mirror those faced by professionals [1]. A recent study alsofound that ICPs improved students self-awareness and open mindedness [2]. However, despitetheir potential benefits, ICPs are often accompanied by significant barriers that may hinder thebroad participation of all student groups, especially underrepresented students in STEM.Addressing these barriers is crucial for creating inclusive and effective learning environmentsthat address the
) 1 has emerged as a revolutionary force, reshaping industriesand societies across the globe. At its core, Generative AI refers to a class of AI algorithms capableof generating new content, ideas, or solutions autonomously, often mimicking human creativityand ingenuity 2. This transformative technology has found applications in a myriad of sectors,including entertainment, healthcare, finance, and education 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 refer to Figure 1., Beyondthese examples, Generative AI continues to permeate various other sectors, from manufacturingand agriculture to transportation. Its ability to generate realistic simulations, optimize complexprocesses, and augment human capabilities holds immense promise for the future of work andsociety at large
four-bar mechanism often involves multiple objectives and constraints, such asminimizing mechanical stress while maximizing motion efficiency or achieving a specificmotion trajectory. ML algorithms, particularly optimization techniques like Genetic Algorithms(GA), along with more advanced AI methods such as deep learning, can automate and improvethis process by efficiently searching through a large space of design possibilities. [1, 2, 3] GAsmimic natural selection processes, evolving better designs through iterations. In four-barmechanism synthesis, GAs can optimize the estimation of parameters related to link lengths andjoint positions to achieve desired motion profiles (e.g., coupler curve shape or motion path)without manually solving
procedures for the examples along withassessment tools faculty can use to assess the examples.Introduction:The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has been a growing trend in recent years,with early applications focusing on providing more efficient and effective ways to support thelearning process, such as automated grading and personalized learning [1]. As the incorporationof AI into education progressed, it also became a widely debated topic given the concerns oforiginality and plagiarism [2]. As the access to AI platforms such as ChatGPT is free and easilyaccessible and it is not possible to deny AI’s potential use by students to complete theircoursework. While these concerns are valid, it is crucial for educators to guide
theirdevelopment as skilled communicators. Relying solely on AI can lead to a decline in criticalthinking and creativity. It is important to carefully consider the ethical implications of using AI-generated content, particularly in academic and professional settings, where the boundarybetween AI assistance and plagiarism could become less clear. Additionally, the potential misuseof personal information and data security concerns related to AI writing tools should bethoroughly examined. It's worth noting that AI tools may encounter challenges in understandingcomplex contexts, cultural references, and emotional subtleties, potentially leading tomisinterpretations in the generated content.The ”AI Writing Tools” used for the analysis are listed in Table 1
/engineering “aha”moment prior to delving into the math. The examples are focused on visual intuitive, andexperience-based feedback systems where sometimes the connection to traditional textbookblock diagrams is not obvious. The examples are grouped into three categories: 1. Mechanical examples, including (a) Balancing bird, where gravity-based feedbackkeeps the bird balanced at a specific orientation, (b) Roly-Poly toy, where gravity-basedfeedback leads to a steady state equilibrium, and (c) Flush Toilet, self-contained feedbackmechanism to achieve desired water level. 2. Electrical and Electromechanical examples, including (a) the use of Bi-metal toexplain sensing, error and action in A/C, Car Blinker, and Kettle, (b
programming language has long been a staple in college computing education. AlthoughJava and Python are popular languages, C is still a top programming language of instruction [1], [2].Even if the introductory courses are taught in other languages, many programs still provide coursesthat teach the languages, typically in systems programming courses or operating systemcourses [3]–[5].However, unlike Java or Python where there is a single authorative compiler, C programming issupported by many compilers, editors, and other tools. In addition, installing a C developmentenvironment has traditionally been challenging for Windows systems. As a result, some institutionsopt for installing the C development environment in a server and have the students
, students will complete a labassignment (Lab 1) without any AI assistance to establish a baseline understanding. They willthen engage with ChatGPT to review Lab 1 questions, asking clarifying questions to facilitatetheir learning. Following this AI-assisted learning phase, students will complete a second labassignment (Lab 2), featuring similar questions but without AI support.The proposed study will analyze performance and behaviors associated with ChatGPT usage,aiming to illuminate the educational implications of AI integration. Ultimately, it seeks tounderstand AI's impact on computational thinking and overall learning efficacy while identifyingchallenges such as potential cheating and diminished learning outcomes. Additionally, it willexplore
instructor. However, often, a student would not complete the assignment during lab hours, so would have to wait for office hours to get an instructor's help. To submit, a student would upload the developed program files, then wait a week or more for grading to be completed and feedback to be provided.I n the last decade, many auto-graded programming assignment systems have been developed, both in academia and commercially [1–4]. Such systems are often web-based, save instructor's time with grading, and provide students more rapid feedback. Such systems have enabled instructors to switch from assigning one-large-program to many-small-programming assignments each week, wherein each assignment was more focused on a