Conference Session

Launching Successful Academic Careers

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Engelken, Arkansas State University

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

AC 2010-837: THE “RESCUER FROM AFAR” SYNDROME: CAUTIONS FORTHE NEW ENGINEERING EDUCATOR, OR THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS ASTHEY SEEMRobert Engelken, Arkansas State University Dr. Robert D. Engelken was born on November 14, 1955 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He graduated from Walnut Ridge, Arkansas High School in 1974, obtained the B.S. - Physics from Arkansas State University in 1978, and obtained the M.S.E.E. and Ph.D.-E.E. from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1980 and 1983, respectively. He has been on the engineering faculty at Arkansas State University since 1982 and is currently Director of Electrical Engineering, Professor of Electrical Engineering, and a Professional Engineer in the state of

Conference Session

Focus on Faculty

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keisha Walters, Mississippi State University; Soumya Srivastava, Mississippi State University; Adrienne Minerick, Mississippi State University; Jacqueline Hall, Mississippi State University; Kaela Leonard, Michigan Technological University; Amy Parker, Mississippi State University; Heather Thomas, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2010-467: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON A GRADUATEPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE: CAREER ISSUES FOR WOMEN INENGINEERINGKeisha Walters, Mississippi State University Dr. Keisha B. Walters is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Mississippi State University. She received her B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Clemson University in 1996 and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University in 2001 and 2005. Dr. Walters’ research involves the development and surface modification of stimuli- responsive and bio-inspired polymeric materials. She has been a member of ASEE since 2002.Adrienne Minerick, Mississippi State University Dr. Adrienne Minerick

Conference Session

How to Get Published: Tips from Journal Editors

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bevlee Watford, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

success may be published as educational briefs. By focusing on educationaldevelopments and practice, Advances in Engineering Education complements the Journal ofEngineering Education, which focuses on rigorous engineering education research. AEE’s intentis to reach a steady-state of four issues per year with six to ten articles per issue. The intendedaudience is engineering educators, both in the US and internationally.ElSayed: The International Journal of Process Education is a “start up” journal with a uniquephilosophy. Our journal is innately interdisciplinary. The editorial board composed withdiversity in mind, including organizational type (different Carnegie classifications.) At this timewe have successfully published our inaugural edition

Conference Session

Effective Methods for Recruiting Women to Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eleanor M. Jaffee, Smith College; Donna Riley, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

me, it wasn‟t even a thought in myhead” (61:10). Several students reported a desire to become the mentors and role models theythemselves may have lacked for next generation. “…I wouldn‟t mind teaching an engineeringclass to children at a younger age. I wasn‟t exposed to engineering at an early age, and I wish Ihad been, and I want others to have that exposure so if they find they like it they can go on andbecome engineers” (25:34), explained one ethnic minority student. Another student remarked, “Iwould want to be a mentor. I would love to be part of a school or after school program…havingthat role model to help you see, and motivate you, is great” (27:17).Another possibility is that the encouragement of an influential other offers these

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Luis Godoy, University of Puerto Rico; Pedro Covassi, National University of Cordoba (Argentina)

they solved structural failureinvestigations”, Proc. 2010 ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Blacksburg, VA, April 2010.[7] Bransford, J.D., A.L. Brown, and R.D. Cocking, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School,National Research Council, Washington, DC, 2001.[8] Vick, S.G., Degrees of Belief: Subjective probability and engineering judgment, ASCE Press, Reston, VA,2002.[9] Godoy, L. A., “Learning-by-Doing in a Web-Based Simulated Environment”, Proc. 6th Annual Int. Conf.Information Technology in Higher Education and Training, IEEE, Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, July 2005.[10] Godoy, L. A., “Developing a Computer-Based Simulated Environment to Learn on Structural Failures”,Paper 1849 in: Proc. ASEE Annual Conf., Austin, TX, June

Conference Session

Innovative Courses/Pedagogies in Liberal Education I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Deborah Sinnreich-Levi, Stevens Institute of Technology; Susan Metz, Stevens Institute of Technology; David Silverstein, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

and clear when writing and creating slides. • Keep audience in mind. Giving an Oral Presentation: • Practice the presentation with some friends prior to the presentation. • Test the PowerPoint on a projector prior to the presentation. • Interact with the audience. • Slow down when speaking. • Explain technical terms. • Focus on different ways to communicate with different audiences. • Avoid note cards. o Know slides well enough to speak from them.In response to the question “Tell us what you would do to improve the WCC Workshop,” therewere a number of interesting responses including: • Give the workshop to freshmen engineering students. • Focus on how to practice giving a

Collection

2010 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Paul C. King; Gerarda M. Shields

collaboration in thereal world. There is a strong symbiosis as architects and engineers work together to determine the mostappropriate form and function of a structure or space. Each profession has certain goals in mind duringthe project. For example, the architect is mindful of how people will use and enjoy the structure orspace. The civil engineer looks to create a structure or space that is safe and efficient. Each professionalneeds to recognize what is important to them as well as their team members. Strong interpersonal skillssuch as: communication, patience, compromise, negotiation, leadership, listening, respect and others areneeded by all team members to achieve a common goal. This collaborative model was used to developthe IP coursework, and

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donna Llewellyn, Georgia Institute of Technology; Caroline Noyes, Georgia Institute of Technology; Robert DeHaan, Emory University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2010-1059: PERCEPTIONS OF K-12 AND COLLEGIATE STEM TEACHINGCAREERS BY COMPUTING, ENGINEERING, AND SCIENCEADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY AND ADVISORSDonna Llewellyn, Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Donna C. Llewellyn is the Director of the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)at Georgia Tech. Donna received her B.A. in Mathematics from Swarthmore College, her M.S. in Operations Research from Stanford University, and her Ph.D. in Operations Research from Cornell University. After working as a faculty member in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, she changed career paths to lead CETL where she works with faculty, instructors, and graduate students to

Conference Session

Instructional Innovations in Architectural Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Davis, University of Hartford

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

AC 2010-493: INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO STUDIO DESIGNCURRICULUMDaniel Davis, University of Hartford Page 15.774.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO STUDIO DESIGN CLASS CURRICULUMAbstractAt the University of Hartford, we have established an architectural program founded onintegration. Architecture by its very nature is connected to other disciplines, yet architecturaleducation is often criticized for a lack of integration in the curriculum. By increasing theawareness of the interrelationship between different areas of study, we are attempting to strike anew and more effective

Conference Session

Creativity and Innovation in Engineering Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Niall Seery, University of Limerick; Donal Canty, University of Limerick; Ronan Dunbar, University of Limerick

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

theoretical review and clarification. Br J Educ Psychol,. 63(Pt 1): p. 3-19. 14. Prosser, M. and K. Trigwell, (1999) Understanding Learning and Teaching: The Experience in Higher Education. 15. Felder and Brent (2005) Understanding Student differences Journal of Engineering Education 94(1), p.57-72 16. Wilson, V., Harris, M. (2004) Review of Effective Teaching and Learning of Design and Technology. International Journal of Technology and Design Education 223-241 17. Pink, D., (2005). A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future the Berkely Publishing Group, Published by the Penguin Group. New York

Conference Session

Modeling Student Data

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

To treat everyone fairly, we need to ignore the color of people’s skin. .82and Global KinshipSkilled Disposition I try to consider different points of view on an issue in my work before .91and Open-mindedness making up my own mind, even when I have a strong first impression.Peaceful Resolution If people in engineering (or business) industries were treated more fairly, .90 there would be fewer problems and less conflict and disagreement in this country.In concert with item response theory, in addition to item per subscale minimums, one to twoitems per subscale were reverse scored items in support of best practice in survey development.Although at first, the

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jiabin Zhu, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Jonathan Hicks, Purdue University; Monica Cox, Purdue University; Osman Cekic, Purdue University; Rocio Chavela Guerra, Purdue University

. Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds). (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 2. Seymour, E., G. Melton, D.J. Wiese, & L. Pederson-Gallegos (2005). Partners in innovation: teaching assistants in college science courses. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. 3. Allen, R. R., & Rueter, T. (1990). Teaching assistant strategies: An introduction to college teaching. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co. 4. NSF (2008), Graduate Students and Post doctorates in Science and Engineering: Fall 2006. National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics, 08-306. 5. Prieto, L.R., Yamokoski, C. A

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experience

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Cox, Purdue University; Jeeyeon Hahn, Purdue University; Nathan McNeill, Purdue University; Asawaree Kulkarni, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

. 92, pp. 329-336, 2003.6. McNeill, N.J., M.F. Cox, H.A. Diefes-Dux, T. Medley, and J. Hayes, "Development of an Instrument to Collect Pedagogical Data from Graduate Teaching Assistants within Engineering Laboratories," in American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Pittsburgh, PA, 2008.7. Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999. Page 15.375.8

Conference Session

Culture, Society, and Co-op

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrian Millward-Sadler, University of Applied Science, Graz; Annette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences; Frank Newman, University of Graz

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

AC 2010-242: FACILITATING ENGINEERING STUDENTS IN THE LANGUAGECLASSROOM: MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES PROFILES TO IMPROVEFOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCEAdrian Millward-Sadler, University of Applied Science, GrazAnnette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied SciencesFrank Newman, University of Graz Frank Newman is a senior lecturer at the Department of Translation Studies at the University of Graz in Graz, Austria. Frank has been teaching English, mainly writing skills, and American culture since 1984. He also teaches English for Engineers at the Graz University of Technology and was involved for many years in in-service teaching training in Austria and abroad. His current focus is using wikis in language teaching

Collection

2010 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Haruna Hosokawa; Judy Robinson

that was appropriate for kindergarten students. Judy Robinson, a retired BostonPublic Schools teacher was working with TechBoston as a consultant to help new robotics 1teachers. Ms. Robinson took on the task of writing a curriculum that was appropriate for K-2students. Alpha-Robotics was developed with a several goals in mind. First of all, we wanted thecurriculum to be aligned with BPS's K-2 curriculum, particularly in science and math. Weenvisioned employed a multidisciplinary approach that would also address 21st Century skillssuch as teamwork and creativity. The Engineering Design Process, part of Massachusetts Scienceand Technology

Conference Session

The Influence of Cooperative Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexander Yin, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

define problem-solving as “the cognitive process directed atachieving a goal when no solution is obvious to the problem solver (p. 287). xvi” This definitionsuggests that problem-solving has four characteristics. Problem-solving is 1) cognitive (i.e., it isan internal process that occurs in the person’s mind), 2) process-oriented (the manipulation ofknowledge), 3) goal-directed (i.e., the process is guided by the person’s goals), and 4) personal(dependent on the person’s skills and knowledge). According to Donald xvii, the problem-solvingprocess in engineering involves the following thinking skills: a) Breaking down complex problems to simpler ones b) Appling fundamentals to new problems

Conference Session

Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Michalson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Stephen Bitar, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Robert Labonté, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

was created with two primary goals in mind. First, it was important to design thecourse in such a way that the students could see the relevance of their previous course work byproviding an opportunity to apply that core knowledge to solving an engaging problem, andsecond, the course must teach the students some of the fundamentals of systems engineering byshowing them how to decompose complex problems into a series of manageable steps. Withthese primary goals in mind, we conceived of an ECE Design course that would: ≠ Require students to apply material from their core ECE courses, ≠ Require material from at least one advanced core courses (since the core sequence requires 4 out of 5 available slots in a typical

Conference Session

Enhancing K-12 STEM Education with Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Macho, Buffalo State College

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

. Page 15.31.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 A functional conceptual framework for teaching technological literacyAbstract This is a presentation of an epistemological framework for teaching technologysuch that it will bring about improved technological literacy in ALL K-12 students.Design, Living, Productivity, and Foundational Technical Concepts anchor ourconceptual framework for teaching technology educators. This conceptual framework forteaching technology literacy is functional, standards based, and can accommodatemultiple pedagogies. It meets the standards of ITEA/CTTE, the _______ State Dept ofEd., NCATE, and others. It also aligns with drafts of the NAEP Technological LiteracyAssessment. We have

Conference Session

Enhancing K-12 STEM Education with Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Virginia Westheider, University of Cincinnati; Patrick Brown, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

society.14. For some reason, even though I study, science seems unusually hard for me. Statement SA A N D SD15. I like to be challenged by science problems.16. Science labs help me to understand how science can be used in the real world.17. I feel confident in my ability to use lab equipment well.18. Science and engineering are of little relevance (importance) in my life.19. I am confident that I can get good grades in science.20. I don’t mind doing an experiment several times to check my answer.21. Science in enjoyable and stimulating to me.22. I feel like I am answering real questions during science labs.23. I don’t like working with partners during science labs.24. I

Conference Session

Creativity and Innovation in Engineering Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christina White, Columbia University; Austin Talley, University of Texas, Austin; Daniel Jensen, United States Air Force Academy; Kristin Wood, George Washington University; Andy Szmerekovsky, US Air Force Academy; Richard Crawford, University of Texas at Austin

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

AC 2010-2278: FROM BRAINSTORMING TO C-SKETCH TO PRINCIPLES OFHISTORICAL INNOVATORS: IDEATION TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCESTUDENT CREATIVITYChristina White, Columbia UniversityAustin Talley, University of Texas, AustinDaniel Jensen, United States Air Force AcademyKristin Wood, George Washington UniversityAndy Szmerekovsky, US Air Force AcademyRichard Crawford, University of Texas at Austin Page 15.602.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 From Brainstorming to C-Sketch to Principles of Historical Innovators: Ideation Techniques to Enhance Student CreativityAbstractThe heart and soul of engineering is innovation and our ability to improve the human

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vincent Pizziconi, Arizona State University; Susan Haag, Arizona State University; Tirupalavanam Ganesh, Arizona State University; Lynn Cozort, Arkansas State University; Stephen Krause, Arizona State University; B.L. Ramakrishna, Arizona State University; Deirdre Meldrum, Arizona State University; Brian Lunt, Arizona State University; Amaneh Tasooji, Arizona State University; Albert Valdez, Arizona State University; Victoria Yarbrough, Arizona State University

Pre Survey 3.19 .963Is a problem solver for society's problems (pollution) Post Survey 3.56 .869 .0012. “Draw An Engineer” Assessment Results2.1 “Draw An Engineer” - Assessment Results of Teachers (Pre): Fifty-seven K-12 teachersparticipated in the Draw an Engineer pre-assessment exercise. Participants were asked to closetheir eyes and imagine an engineer at work and then, they were instructed to draw what theyimagined in a designated space. Next, they were asked to describe what the engineer was doingin the picture, describe three words/phrases that come to mind when you think of that engineerand what an engineer does in a typical day. The findings are

Conference Session

Normative Commitments and Public Engagement in Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erin Cech, University of California, San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

AC 2010-129: TRAINED TO DISENGAGE? A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OFSOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AMONGENGINEERING STUDENTSErin Cech, University of California, San Diego Erin Cech’s research examines individual-level, cultural mechanisms that reproduce inequality, especially those pertaining to sex segregation in science and engineering fields. Her dissertation explores the self-expressive edge of inequality, analyzing how gender schemas and self-conceptions influence the career decisions of college students over time. Her other work examines the experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual engineering students (with Tom Waidzunas), the work devotion of and perceptions of inequality among high

Conference Session

Clearing up Student Misconceptions in Materials

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Rosenblatt, Ohio State University; Andrew Heckler, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Materials

Cosmology and Astrophysics. In the past eight years, he has focused on Physics Education Research, studying fundamental learning mechanisms involved in learning physics, the effects of representation on learning and problem solving, and the evolution of physics understanding during and after a physics course. As part of the education component of an NSF MRSEC center, he is also leading a project to identify and address student difficulties in learning materials science. Page 15.1126.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Student Understanding of the Mechanical Properties of Metals in an

Conference Session

Think Outside the Box! K-12 Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brittany Luken, Georgia Institute of Technology; Stacey Mumbower, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

decisions. Another important lessonwas learned during Activity 1. Students seemed to elect modes of transportation they were Page 15.962.6comfortable using or had experience with. To foster further learning, the facilitators let studentsengage in discussion with one another on the pros and cons of taking a plane, riding the bus,riding the train, and driving to a vacation destination. This experience was unique because itallowed students to teach students from their own experiences. It also helped students form moreopen-minded opinions about modes of transportation that they had not experienced.Introduction to Transportation Engineering at Westlake

Conference Session

Potpourri of First-Year Issues

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Flores, UTEP; James Becvar, UTEP; Ann Darnell, UTEP; Helmut Knaust, UTEP; Jorge Lopez, UTEP; Josefina Tinajero, UTEP

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Dreyfuss, Walter E. Dickson, “Workshop: Training faculty to train students in peer-ledteam learning,” 38th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Session W3D, October 22 – 25, 2008,Saratoga Springs, NY.6. Thomas Grose, “10 ways to save: Engineering educators suggest inventive cost cuts,” in ASEE PRISM, pp. 53-55, September 2009.7. David K. Gosser, Mark Cracolice, J.A. Kampmeier, Vicki Roth, Victor Strozak, and Pratibha Varma-Nelson,Peer-Led Team Learning: A Guidebook, The Workshop Project, Prentice Hall, 2001.8. Roth, Vicki, Ellen Goldstein, and Gretchen Marcus, Peer-Led Team Learning: A Handbook for Team Leaders,The Workshop Project, Prentice Hall, 2001.9. L.S. Vygotsky, Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes

Conference Session

Design in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sami Khorbotly, Ohio Northern University; Kenneth Reid, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

interdisciplinary teams, students had to split up the tasksin the project and team members were required to have effective intra-team communication. Teams weretasked to develop and submit a team charter to the instructor.Project AssignmentFrom the instructor’s point of view, the biggest challenge of an interdisciplinary capstone course isidentifying a project to be assigned. The project must be selected while keeping in mind that the assigneesare only freshman-level students without any significant engineering background since at this point intheir careers, they are not yet exposed to circuits, electronics, statics, or materials classes. In the sametime, the class must be involved enough to keep students busy for most of the quarter and to satisfy

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Pearce; Phil Barker, Heriot Watt University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2010-959: A CASE STUDY IN THE USE OF ANIMATED VISUAL MODELS INCOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING EDUCATIONDave Pearce, University of York Dave Pearce is a Lecturer in the Department of Electronics at the University of York. He graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1985, and worked in industry for 11 years designing optical fiber systems and local area networking equipment before commencing a PhD in wireless access methods in 1996. He is now responsible for the teaching of communications engineering at undergraduate and postgraduate level at York.Phil Barker, Heriot Watt University Phil Barker is a Learning Technology Adviser at the Institute for Computer-Based Learning in the School of

Collection

2010 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Alva L. Couch

. 7Bibliography1. Teaching, as Learning, in Practice. Lave, Jean. 1996, Mind, Culture, and Activity, Vol. 3(3).2. Enhancing Learning by Community. Tinto, Vincent. s.l. : NEA Higher Education, 1997, Thought andAction , pp. 53-59.3. Denning, Peter. Educating a New Engineer. Communications of the ACM. December 1992, Vol. 35(12),pp. 83-97.4. Cooperative Dyads: Impact on Text Learning and Transfer. McDonald, Barbara, Larson, Celia andDanserau, Donald. 1985, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Vol. 10, pp. 369-377.5. A Flexible Framework for Online Collaborative Learning. Redmond, Petria, Lock and Jennifer. 2006,Internet and Higher Education, Vol. 9, pp. 267-276.6. Designing and Teaching Courses to Satisfy the ABET Engineering Criteria. Felder, Richard and

Collection

2010 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Elif Kongar; Kurt A. Rosentrater

explained in this paper to demonstrate theapplicability and results of this approach. Discussion and future research are also provided.II. Problem DescriptionAs Tam [1] stated, a wide variety of engineering students and professionals are interested insustainability issues, but do not come from environmental backgrounds. As a result, coursesaimed at including sustainability issues must strike a balance between providing usefulenvironmental and sustainability knowledge and yet remain appropriate for those coming from anon-environmental background. With this in mind, the final project of the 500-level StatisticalQuality Control and Continuous Improvement course at the University of Bridgeport (UB)required students to conduct case study research

Collection

2010 ASEE Zone 4 Conference

Authors

A.M. Vollstedt; E. L. Wang

student. This research supports the common belief held by many faculty: studentgrades are not the best indicator of student quality.IntroductionCritical thinking is the process of gathering information and actively analyzing, synthesizing,applying, or evaluating it in order to make decisions, form beliefs, or choose a course of action 1.Increasing engineering students‟ critical thinking skills is important because the higher theircritical thinking level, the more successful they will be in solving problems. Students must thinkcritically in order to gather data to solve problems, defend their solutions to problems, makeopen minded decisions, and communicate their ideas.Critical thinking is typically measured in terms of skills associated with