Asee peer logo
Well-matched quotation marks can be used to demarcate phrases, and the + and - operators can be used to require or exclude words respectively
Displaying results 541 - 570 of 671 in total
Conference Session
Capstone Design III
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Mary Kasarda, Virginia Tech; Brenda Brand, Virginia Tech; Eugene Brown, Virginia Tech
Tagged Divisions
Design in Engineering Education
design notebooks. MCPS teachers were especiallyhelpful to the undergraduates in their efforts to teach the design process to the high-schoolstudents by agreeing to grade their students’ assignments (some of which were conceived andassigned by the capstone students) and logbooks at the request of the engineering students. Inaddition, the engineering students were periodically required to generate progress memos, a mid-semester report, and a final design report as part of their requirements for ME 4015. At theconclusion of the robot redesign at mid-semester, the engineering students made a 30-minuteprofessional presentation to faculty advisors, teachers, and high-school students. After thisevent, time was dedicated to self-reflection by the
Conference Session
Aspirational Visions of Civil Engineering in 2025 & Policy 465
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Jeffrey Evans, Bucknell University; Daniel Lynch, Dartmouth College; David Lange, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
Tagged Divisions
Civil Engineering
andsocial sciences legs and the obligation to develop these within the profession broadly, asa matter of basic professional competence.The 20th century has seen a major expansion in the math and science ‘legs’ that supportcivil engineering education. Reflecting this heritage, the natural science and math ‘legs’are separately and explicitly articulated in the current ABET outcome 3(a) [An ability toapply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering] . The importance of mathand natural science to civil engineering education is further emphasized by splitting thisABET outcome 3(a) into four separate outcomes in the current working draft of thesecond edition of the BOK. In addition there are ABET outcomes 3(c) [An ability todesign a system
Conference Session
Optical and Wireless Communication Systems
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Adam Neale, University of Waterloo; Jason Shirtliff, University of Waterloo; William Bishop, University of Waterloo; Cutberto Santillan Rios, University of Waterloo
Tagged Divisions
Electrical and Computer
, none of the available tools accurately reflected the laboratory materialenough to warrant use in the course. Most of the existing simulators either did not use thedesired antenna configurations or did not facilitate altering the desired parameters of interest.The tools that did allow the detailed examination of the desire parameters of interest were toocomplicated and contained too many features for the simple pre-lab exercise. Also, none of thetools attempted to explain the underlying theory in a way suitable for students. Thus, it wasdetermined that a simulation tool should be developed by the university to facilitate the needs ofthe dipole antenna laboratory study.The end product of this development is a suite of four simulation tools
Conference Session
Student Teams and Project-Based Learning
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Adam Carberry, Tufts University; Merredith Portsmore, Tufts University; Chris Rogers, Tufts University
Tagged Divisions
Educational Research and Methods
approach of this research is to employ an outreach program as a non-classroom basedpedagogy of engagement. A number of non-outreach opportunities outside the classroom forengineering students have been studied to determine if they do indeed encourage intentionallearning goals and active reflection by the student on what he or she learns throughout theexperience.[22-25] These opportunities range from volunteer community service to field education,such as internships and co-ops.[26] Research has shown that these experiences not only allowstudents to gain a sense of civic responsibility, but that they also help students to developprofessional teamwork and communication skills, assist in identifying career paths, preparestudents for the demands of
Conference Session
Multidisciplinary Course Innovation
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Lionel Craddock, Bluefield State College; Daphne Rainey, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute; Susan Faulkner, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute; Frank Hart, Bluefield State College; Martha Eborall, Bluefield State College; Lewis Foster, Bluefield State College; Stephen Cammer, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute; Betsy Tretola, Virginia Tech; Bruno Sobral, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute; Oswald Crasta, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute; Bruce Mutter, Bluefield State College
Tagged Divisions
Multidisciplinary Engineering
disciplines to utilize this new teaching/learning paradigm, developproject-centric coursework, deploy the project-centric course to BSC students, and form the basisfor continuous improvement in the curriculum as needed to reflect this new teaching/learningparadigm. The BSC professors were provided the necessary mentoring and tools to develop anddeploy a course that facilitates multidisciplinary teaching/learning, thus advancing thepreparation of current and future generations of scientists, engineers, and educators.Project-Centric Cyberinfrastructure Education: Course DevelopmentImplementation of a project-centric teaching paradigm was aimed at engaging students inapplying the concepts of cyberinfrastructure. During the process of course development
Conference Session
Outreach Projects and General Energy Education
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Elizabeth DeBartolo, Rochester Institute of Technology; Margaret Bailey, Rochester Institute of Technology; Melissa Zaczek, Cummins; Timothy Schriefer, Rochester Institute of Technology; Patrick Kelley, Carnegie Mellon University; Mallika Ramaswamy, Rochester Institute of Technology; Nicholas Ryczko, Pratt & Whitney
Tagged Divisions
Energy Conversion and Conservation
, and a take-home activity; details for each are included below.Within a set of activities, the middle school students should be exposed to educational activitiesranging from basic comprehension to design and evaluation to reflecting on what they’ve learnedat home. The design team used Bloom’s Taxonomy7 as a guideline in this, and similar goalshave been set for other middle school engineering modules8. Kits developed to date include HeatTransfer, Chemical Energy, Electrical Energy, Solar Power, and Wind and Water Power.Instruction Manual: The instruction manual consists of a guide sheet, lesson plans, handouts,and assessment forms. The contents of the Instruction Manuals are available online so teacherscan browse and decide which kit(s) to use
Conference Session
New Engineering Educators: Off the Beaten Path
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Bobby Crawford, USMA; Tony Jones, USMA
Tagged Divisions
New Engineering Educators
that welearned is to have all of the required materials prepared well in advance.This EDP was also more difficult for the students. They have a large variety of materialsto choose from (as opposed to being restricted to a two-liter soda bottle) and amultifaceted problem: focus on scoring or attacking the opponent, speed versecontrollability, etc.; the number of tradeoffs is significant. The LEGO sets are capable ofbuilding very complex machines but the rules of the contest limit the size that the cadetscan use and a single nine volt battery power supply rewards those who design efficiently.The student satisfaction with the EDPs throughout the course is reflected in the followingstudent comments: “The past 26 lessons have been quite
Conference Session
Teaching Ethics
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Waleed Abulfaraj, King Abdulaziz University; Mohamed Hassan, Alexandria University, Egypt
Tagged Divisions
Engineering Ethics
misconduct. These will always be fundamental concerns. But there ismore to engineering ethics than this. There is the more positive side that focuses on doing one'swork responsibly and well, whether in the workplace or in community service22.Service learning may be defined as22: Credit-bearing educational experience in which studentsparticipate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect onthe service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of the course content, abroader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.The concept of service learning is not new to higher education, or to the engineeringprofession22. The idea of integrating service with education has
Conference Session
Design in Engineering Eduaction - Poster Session
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Jennifer Miskimins, Colorado School of Mines; Ramona Graves, Colorado School of Mines
Tagged Divisions
Design in Engineering Education
multidisciplinary senior capstone design class and the criteria that itspecifically was responsible for meeting. It was (and is) felt that this course was the maincomponent that links the curriculum together, and, therefore, it was also the linchpin of verifyingfulfillment of the various criteria.The first document also focused on certain curriculum issues that were present at the time in2000. Several of the survey and interview questions used for all data sources (students, alumni,industry recruiters, etc.) reflected concerns about certain classes, course sequences, and overallcurriculum flow. Although not intended as such, this document provided a history of these issuesfor new faculty to review and become familiar with history of curriculum development
Conference Session
Cognitive and Motivational Issues in Student Performance I
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Dawn Williams, Howard University; Lorraine Fleming, Howard University; Marcus Jones, Howard University; Ashley Griffin, Howard University
Tagged Divisions
Educational Research and Methods
Higher Education. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.4. Tinto, V. (1988) Stages of Student Departure: Reflections on the Longitudinal Character of Student Leaving The Journal of Higher Education: Ohio State University Press. Page 12.387.105. Rendon, L. I., Jalomo, R.E., and Nora, A. (2000). Theoretical considerations in the study of minority student retention in higher education: In Rethinking the Departure Puzzle: New Theory and Research on College Student Retention, edited by J. Braxton, 127-156. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press.6. Kuh, G.D. (2001). Assessing what really matters to student learning
Conference Session
Engineering Without Borders: Programs Involving Students
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Ivan Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University; Richard Devon, Pennsylvania State University
Tagged Divisions
International
distributed in differentlocations in order to design products for a global market. Using teams distributed in differentlocations over the world implies that the design team is representing a broader and diversecommunity and, therefore, making more significant, creative and widely accepted contributionsto the final product. Global design also implies a commitment to create safe consumer productsto benefit the international community, protecting the global environment, supporting culturaldiversity, and respecting international agreements and standards.It is evident that if the world is changing the academic programs should change also to reflect thenew tendencies the future engineers are going to be facing. Most of the engineering programshave a design
Conference Session
Industrial Collaborations and Applications
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Jason Durfee, Eastern Washington University; William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University; Donald Richter, Eastern Washington University
Tagged Divisions
Engineering Technology
take some pride in the work that they have completedincluding getting their work submitted to this university symposium. Additionally, steps arebeing taken to institute a seminar-type environment where students that complete undergraduateresearch will have the opportunity to present their work to the other students within thedepartment.Conclusions, Reflections, and the FutureAlthough having students do work with industry is not a new concept, recognizing the synergismof enhancing student growth and learning as well as advancing the success of local industry is amore recent concept. Eastern Washington University is situated close to many smallmanufacturing companies that are vital to the economic and technological success of thesurrounding area
Conference Session
Innovations for the Senior Year of the ME Curriculum
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Showkat Chowdhury, Alabama A&M University; Abdul Jalloh, Alabama A&M University; Ruben Rojas-Oviedo, Alabama A&M University; Mohamed Seif, Alabama A&M University; Amir Mobasher, Alabama A&M University
Tagged Divisions
Mechanical Engineering
university,reflects the uniqueness of the traditional land-grant institution, which combines professional,vocational and liberal arts pursuits. The University provides baccalaureate and graduate Page 12.342.3studies that are compatible with the times to all qualified and capable individuals who areinterested in further developing their technical, professional, and scholastic skills andcompetencies. AAMU is located in Huntsville, Alabama, which is known internationally as acenter of aerospace and defense technology. Huntsville is considered as a leader in high-techresearch, engineering services, information systems design and in the manufacturing
Conference Session
Preparing Engineers for the Global Workplace
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
John Harb, Brigham Young University; Richard Rowley, Brigham Young University; Spencer Magleby, Brigham Young University; Alan Parkinson, Brigham Young University
Tagged Divisions
International
primary implementation role for the college is to provide resources to the departments to facilitate accomplishment of the department/college vision. Page 12.788.7 3. Departments have the stewardship and responsibility to effectively and efficiently educate students, preparing them to excel. To do this, departments should plan strategically and implement those plans in order to constantly improve. Strategic changes made by departments should be reflected in learning outcomes defined for their students and should be included as part of regular assessment cycles. 4. Departments
Conference Session
Best Zone Paper Competition
Collection
2007 Annual Conference & Exposition
Authors
Mark Miles, United States Military Academy; C.M. Chewar, United States Military Academy
efficient solution. As expected, the response that this particular problem invoked was “knowledge-seeking”behavior. Out of 22 students in the class, 14 came to the Instructor/Developer as they wereworking on the problem for feedback and guidance on how to take the next steps. Of those thatcame to the instructor for additional instruction, their attitude can be summarized: “Now that I’ve done this and know where I’m trying to get to, I’m not sure what to do next.”This provided the opportunity to provide clues, which were nudges toward analytical steps orinferences. Ultimately, the products that students submitted reflected many extremely complexand creative solutions to the problem.3.2. Assignments 2 & 3:Of course, we were
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