Conference Session

Learning as a Community

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Meyer, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Patrick Gee, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Laura Masterson, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

opportunities in engineering. Additionally, somestudents have a very specific idea of an engineer. Through the use of the tours we are able tointroduce them to a variety of different job opportunities in engineering.In 2007 and 2008 we took the students on selected tours of engineering research areas at IUPUI.In both groups students were to write a reflection paper about the tours. The papers includedevidence that students were excited about what they had visited. It was clear that for many ofthem, the research areas they saw were new and informative. In the first year the reflections weredone as an assignment in their learning community class. In the second year those takingEnglish did it as part of their English class. However it was graded by their

Conference Session

Assessment of K-12 Engineering Programs and Issues

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Doug Kueker, Vivayvic; Pam Newberry, Project Lead the Way

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

made complex because there are multiple viewpoints from which one mayexamine a curriculum. Porter25, 26 (2002, 2004) makes distinctions regarding the four levels atwhich curricula analysis may occur. Table 1 reflects the focus of curricula analysis at each of thefour levels.Table 1. Primary Focus of Curricula Analysis at Each Dimension of a Curriculum Level Primary Focus of Curricula Analysis Intended Curriculum Analysis is concerned with examining the content (e.g., declarative, procedural, tactile, and situative knowledge) and the performance expectations, which is the level at which a student is expected to know and use the

Conference Session

Sustainability in Engineering Curricula

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cynthia Murphy, University of Texas, Austin; David Allen, University of Texas, Austin; Cliff Davidson, Carnegie Mellon University; H Scott Matthews, Carnegie Mellon University; Braden Allenby, Arizona State University; Chris Hendrickson, Carnegie Mellon University; John Crittenden, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

potential to play a leadership role: “environment” is one of thethree “legs” of sustainability, while civil and architectural engineering represent significantanthropogenic flows of materials and energy and reflect the needs and desires of society. Page 14.897.2In the first of a two-step benchmarking process, the administrative heads of 1368 engineeringdepartments (or the equivalent) at 364 US universities and colleges were contacted and asked tocomplete a questionnaire about the extent to which sustainable engineering was being integratedinto their departments. More than 20% of those contacted responded. Within that 20%, morethan 80% of all

Conference Session

Design Communications

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sharad Oberoi, Carnegie Mellon University; Susan Finger, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

them and act as a tangible representation of knowledgebuilding process to assist in design reflection. These can also serve as an assessment instrumentby the instructors to track the group processes unobtrusively and automatically.A related issue is that beyond the final products produced by teams each year, the knowledgeproducts from this discovery process are a resource that can be valuable to students working onprojects in subsequent semesters. However, the knowledge generated by students in projectcourses is not typically accessible to students in subsequent semesters. Because of this, time islost when students rediscover what they could glean from the legacy of their forerunners’knowledge construction efforts. Perhaps even more serious is

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics, Academic Integrity

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

student honor code. Discussing specific surveyquestions with the students after they completed the survey did seem to change their impressionof some activities; data to quantitatively test this assertion have not yet been collected.Qualitative data from the ethics homework and final reflective essay written by the studentsindicates that linking cheating behaviors to professional ethics may be an effective way to impactstudents’ views on these matters.BackgroundEducating students on ethical issues is an important aspect of all engineering curricula. It isrequired by ABET accreditation standards3 and emphasized as an important part of the Body ofknowledge for Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering4,5. At the University ofColorado at

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Josef Rojter, Victoria University of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

-linear world of knowledge. It can thus reflect more closely the professional reality. Page 14.100.5 Table 1. Five curriculum planning models MODEL BRIEF DESCRIPTION ISSUESContent-led Content (knowledge) to be taught is Lacks flexibility identified and sliced-up into smaller components.Rational Learner needs are identified and learning This is a rigid and systemic outcomes (LO) are selected accordingly. model with resource

Conference Session

Measuring Success of Graduate Program Components

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Sanger, Western Carolina University; Ken Burbank, Western Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Scholarship of ApplicationAn important issue left unaddressed in Boyer’s work is who are these peers? Does engagedscholarship dictate a broader set of peer evaluators than other academics? The traditionalstandards of scholarly work are clear goals, adequate preparation, appropriate methods,significant results, effective presentation and reflective critique 4. Sandmann succinctly organizesthese standards into purpose, process and outcomes5. If the purpose of the scholarship ofengagement is economic growth, then the measurement of outcomes would include jobs created,markets opened, sales increased…the typical economic impact indicators and not in the domainof most engineering academics. For engineering faculty, the scholarship of application

Conference Session

Tree-huggers, Diggers, and Queers--Oh my!

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

George Catalano, State University of New York, Binghamton; Caroline Baillie, Queens University, Kingston

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

manner: (1) new paradigms for ethicaldecision-making are introduced; (2) a specific ethics case is introduced and examined; and(3) series of reflective questions for the ethics case from the perspective of each of the newparadigms are generated; and (4) final thoughts and commentary are offered. The firstapproach we shall examine is an outgrowth of the ethics of freedom. Page 14.542.2II. Engineering and FreedomA commonly held perspective is that Western culture is a body of knowledge derived fromreason with the foundation of reason serving as a springboard towards a vast accumulationof understanding related to reality or nature, including human

Conference Session

Improving the Teaching Skills of Graduate Students

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Lynn Brannon, Pennsylvania State University; Sarah Zappe, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

and the accompanyingassignments. In addition, each course session is described below:Session 1, Getting Started: The Basics – The purpose of this session is to encourage the studentsto reflect on their prior experience as learners and consider how this will impact them in theirown teaching. The course opens with a discussion on how to prepare for the first day of class, abrainstorming activity on “what is an effective teacher,” and a discussion on “my biggest fears inteaching.” At the end of class students are asked to complete a questionnaire on the TAs’teaching responsibility, prior knowledge on teaching and background information. Students aregiven a reflection assignment that requires them to recall the most effective and least

Conference Session

Computational Tools and Simulation I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dianne Raubenheimer, North Carolina State University; Jeff Joines, North Carolina State University; Amy Craig, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

computerprogramming course. The skills learned in such freshman level courses are being iterated andexpanded on in subsequent courses in these curricula in order to create a ‘computational thinkingthread’. One unforeseen consequence of the computer based modeling course was an increase inthe student’s problem solving ability. This study explores the role that computing has onstudent’s problem solving abilities and tries to quantify its impact. Students in several freshmanand senior level engineering courses across different disciplines were asked to solve a commonproblem solving task as well as reflect on the process they used to solve the problem. Thestudent’s solutions were scored using a protocol based on Wolcott’s ‘Steps for better thinkingrubric’ The

Conference Session

Innovation in Construction Engineering Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thuy Nguyen, University of Texas, Austin; Fernando Mondragon Solis; William O'Brien, University of Texas, Austin; Kathy Schmidt, University of Texas, Austin

Tagged Divisions

Construction

options, paths. Always allow “Undo”. imaginary characters/roles. Offer solutions in all cases. Case studies. Students learn about an Metaphors. To create visible pictures in actual event related to subject matter, then the mind, grasp finest details of conceptual analyze and discuss many aspects of the model. problem. Modelessness. Give users total control at Concept clouds. On a prepared handout of all time. Avoid modes that lock users into key concepts to be learned, students one operation with no exit option. visually highlight best understood Reflect the user’s mental model. Built on concepts, then compare with instructor’s

Conference Session

Innovative Methods to Teach Engineering to URMs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wei Zheng, Jackson State University; Gordon Skelton, Jackson State University; HuiRu Shih, Jackson State University; Evelyn Leggette, Jackson State University; Tzusheng Pei, Jackson State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

studies. Furthermore, theinstructions in these courses has usually less focus on addressing students’ motivation,confidence, and reflection in learning, which are critical for students to effectively implementlearning strategies and persist in their learning efforts. Students who failed in their engineeringstudies may often attribute their failures to lack of ability in learning engineering rather than lackof effective use of learning strategies. They may eventually decide to quit from engineeringprograms. Thus, there is an imperative need for engineering faculty to adapt new instructionalstrategies that can help students to effectively regulate their learning motivation, strategies, andefforts, particularly at their early learning stages.Self

Conference Session

Beneficial Case Studies in AEC Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edmond Saliklis, California Polytechnic State University; Robert Arens, California Polytechnic State University; Joseph Hanus, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

”from the ground-up, as one would build a building. However, the authors have come toappreciate that a different model, and potentially a more fruitful and pedagogically sound model,can be created by emulating the best practices from Architecture programs.PART 2 Undergraduate Architecture Studio:In his influential book Educating the Reflective Practitioner (1987), Donald Schön, argues thatprofessional education should be centered less on developing a specific set of skills in studentsand more on their ability to reflect first, then act in situations where established theories may notapply. He addresses the implications of the “ground-up” approach to educate Civil Engineersmentioned above, when he writes, “Civil engineers know how to build roads

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Education Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Oscar Nespoli, University of Waterloo; William Owen, University of Waterloo; Colin Campbell, University of Waterloo; Steve Lambert, University of Waterloo

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

interruptedcase, where the case was delivered in modules, reflecting steps in the design process. A teachingnote was provided to each instructor and served as a recommended guideline for implementation.IntroductionThe Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and General Motors ofCanada Limited (GMCL) support a program to enhance engineering design education at theUniversity of Waterloo. Waterloo Cases in Design Engineering (WCDE) has been established todevelop, implement and promote the use of engineering design cases across the Faculty ofEngineering curriculum.The unique feature of the WCDE program is that cases are developed from students’ own workterm reports. The University of Waterloo is a co-operative engineering school where

Conference Session

Programming for Engineering Students II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Birmingham, Grove City College; Vincent DiStasi, Grove City College; Gary Welton, Grove City College

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

(N = 2493).This survey employed the Soloman-Felder Index of Learning Styles (ILS), on which scores arecollected for four types of learning preferences: ≠ active versus reflective ≠ sensing versus intuitive ≠ visual versus verbal and ≠ sequential versus globalThese learning styles are measured on a scale from -11 (suggesting a preference for the firstnamed method) to +11 (suggesting a preference for the second term). A total of 1400 studentscompleted this questionnaire, for a response rate of 56%. Page 14.841.4The second survey, conducted in November, was also sent to the entire student body. Most ofthis survey assessed the extent

Conference Session

Engineering and Technology for Everyone

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia Carlson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

SA % A% D% SD % NE % Using such features as an electronic journal, my students engage 20.7 34.5 6.9 1.7 36.2 in self-reflection (which may aid them in learning self- management skills). Using paired, small group, or whole class input, my students have 20.7 31 1.7 1.7 44.8 participated in giving and/or responding to peer feedback on their work. Using an electronic portfolio approach, I am able to assess a wider 13.8 41.4 3.5 1.7 39.7 range of learning artifacts from my students (for example, not just a final product but also materials from the various stages of development

Conference Session

Professional Practice and AEC Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Suining Ding, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

collaborative studio was assessed by two approaches.One is final oral presentation and the other one is final project evaluation. Four assessmentelements were used for the oral presentation. They are technical content, clarity, visual materialsand response effectiveness. Five assessment elements were used for final project evaluation.They are composition, graphic presentation, professionalism, functionality and synthesis. Basedon the data analysis, it is clear that engaging practitioners in a collective studio can solve thedesign problems from more technical and professional perspectives. One significant findingemerged from this analysis reflected the strong correlation between technical content and designoutcomes.Statement of PurposeIntroduction of

Conference Session

Information Literacy Integration and Assessment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Barbara MacAlpine, Trinity University; Mahbub Uddin, Trinity University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Libraries

expressed dissatisfaction withthe preponderance of citations reflecting Google searches in the mini-design reports. After thelibrarian became involved, he noted that the quality of cited material showed definiteimprovement. The research logs that the students turned in were their primary form ofassessment and feedback. These were required for the final report, were graded by the librarian,and accounted for a small percentage of the final grade on the mini-design project. Almost all ofthem received the maximum number of points; many of them had good analyses of why aparticular database (or Google) was most effective for their topic. While a few student groupsreported spending only an hour on their library research, most of them spent significantly

Conference Session

Liberal Education and Leadership

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julia Williams, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Richard House, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Anneliese Watt, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

own teachingof communication to the intrinsic motivation of personal or departmental conviction. Manywould likely agree with a respondent who reported teaching communication “because it’s theright thing to do.” The stated reasons for this imperative vary, with some respondents citingcompetitive advantage for graduating job-seekers, while others report that they want toencourage reflection or critical thinking. One view is compatible with a distinction between“soft skills” and core engineering competencies; the other implies what one respondent termed a“symbiotic relationship” in which engineering and its communication practices are inextricablefrom one another.The account changes appreciably, though, when respondents describe motivations

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Education Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katie Cadwell, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Greta Zenner, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Naomi Chesler, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Wendy Crone, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

reflective essay based on the video content was added as arequired assignment for all students. This assignment was designed to further encourage viewing Page 14.460.3of the video and assess understanding of the concepts it presented. The assignment is provided inAppendix I.New topics for which learning objects were introduced in Spring 2009 included Human Factorsand Ergonomics and Design Ethics. For the topic of Human Factors and Ergonomics, studentswere encouraged to watch a video on the topic and/or view narrated slides produced by a BMEfaculty member. An optional evening workshop was later offered for students whose currentdesign project required

Conference Session

Sustainability and Environmental Issues

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Belle Wei, San Jose State University; Patricia Backer, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

threat to the stability and quality of the world environment.According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), globalwarming appears to be accelerating, resulting in higher increases in global temperature andhigher rises in the sea level. To effectively address this problem, there is a need fortransdisciplinary, transnational approaches, reflecting the complexity of the problem and theinterdependence of people’s lives around the world. Consequently, the Davidson College ofEngineering at San José State University (SJSU) has programmatically encouraged andsupported the development of new green engineering curriculum and research, collaborating withSilicon Valley companies, many of which are at the forefront of

Conference Session

Experiments in Remote-access Laboratories

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

M. Reza Emami, University of Toronto; Michael G. Helander, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

research and development, most remotely-accessiblelaboratories have remained as isolated technical novelties, with most projects being shutdownonce their initial funding runs out. This point is reflected in the fact that most works in theliterature address only the technical merits and potential benefits of remote access technologies, Page 14.1209.2rather than addressing the impact of remote experimentation on engineering pedagogy. Clearly, anew fundamentally different approach to remotely-accessible laboratories is required.Recently, a new paradigm for remotely-accessible laboratories, namely the eLaboratory, wasintroduced by the authors5. This

Conference Session

Projects and Problems in First-Year Courses

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Senay Purzer, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

problem. Eric’sagreements with his team members were short and mostly in the form of “yeah”; however, thefact that his team members frequently sought his approval reflected his decision-making role. E2: Eddie Ok. I think. You think we should get going on some design concepts now? E3: Eric Sure E2: Eddie If we can’t think of any more criteria and constraints. E3: Eric Yeah E2: Eddie To put across E3: Eric Yeah. E1: Elvin All right so, traffic light E3: Eric And then, to improve on that solar power traffic light. E1: Elvin Solar… (writing) E3: Eric And then just a simple stop light, red light, you stop, no red light you don’t. E1: Elvin So, solar powered pedestrian? E3: Eric Yeah, solar powered

Conference Session

The Best of Design in Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Renee Rogge, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Kay C Dee, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Glen Livesay, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

resultsprovide motivation for design instructors to consider helping their students manage stress inappropriate ways, to reinforce the idea that the design experience is a key opportunity totransition to professional work habits, and to encourage students to reflect on their experiencesand their learning. These attributes were correlated with better overall ratings of learning andinstruction. Page 14.476.2 1IntroductionDesign courses are, in many respects, different from other engineering courses. While studentsmay consider traditional courses as discrete or compartmentalized “units” of learning orconcepts

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design in the Classroom

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Foster, University of Toronto; Alexandra Heeney, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

, fully supported group oral presentation.The revised learning objectives reflect continuing efforts within the Praxis Sequence to avoidprescribing particular tools and processes, in favour of providing more abstract goals thatstudents can meet using their choise of specific approaches.The learning objectives for Praxis III, as with all Praxis courses, cover both design andcommunications. This pairing of objectives is intended to emphasize that a design is only asgood as the effectiveness with which it is communicated.Design challengeA key goal during the design of Praxis III was ensuring that students did not perceive thedesign as being a “paper project” that existed solely within the context of the course, butrather perceive the course as

Conference Session

Exemplary Teacher and Counselor Professional Development

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Becker, Utah State University; Jim Barta, Utah State University; Rebecca Monhardt, Utah State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

cultural knowledge reflecting their specific community into mathand science curricula.The findings presented are based on surveys, phone interviews and observationsconducted with teachers and CAP members representing each elementary school. Thefindings indicate that it is critical to have fully functioning CAPs, as their input andsupport is tantamount to the success of the professional development, and in turn, haseffects class-wide and school-wide. Page 14.1314.2 1IntroductionThe American Indian population of the United States was estimated at 1.86 million in2000, with a total of about 4 million reported

Conference Session

Student Attitudes and Perceptions

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farrokh Attarzadeh, University of Houston; Deniz Gurkan, University of Houston; Miguel Ramos, University of Houston; Mequanint Moges, University of Houston; Victor Gallardo, University of Houston; Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi; Reddy Talusani, Houston Community College System; Shruti Karulkar, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Assessment Activities Program Objective 1 - Increase students’ capacity to engage in “real world” problem solving.≠ Participation in inquiry-based laboratory provided ≠ Students wrote lab reports describing students with an opportunity to apply conceptual different components of the laboratory knowledge in a practical, work-like setting. process.≠ Students developed conceptual maps that illustrated ≠ Concept maps were assessed for accuracy. connections between engineering technology concepts. ≠ Students submitted evaluations of mentors.≠ Mentors provided guidance on laboratory activities. This ≠ Mentors were asked to reflect on their strategy has two learning components: 1) helping

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

that these elements are included inrequired courses. Programs must produce documentation that students have actually learned thisinformation and acquired these skills; the result of an outcome based system. Russell et al.5 notethat the Civil Engineering BOK represents a long term direction for the profession, and over timemore of its requirements could be explicitly reflected in accreditation requirements. It isassumed, therefore, that similar expectations would hold true for the EnvE BOK.In January 2007 professors representing environmental engineering programs from across theU.S. met in Tempe, Arizona, to discuss whether a BOK for EnvE was needed and what it shouldcontain.6 At this NSF-sponsored workshop there was significant disagreement in

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics: Using Case Studies

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

and reflection in order to reach anethical decision. All of the potential scenarios encountered by practicing engineers could neverbe covered in one code of ethics. They are principles and standards to follow and not a cookbooksolution outlining steps to resolve every ethical situation.MethodologyA junior level course was developed a number of years ago titled Technology in WorldCivilization (Loendorf17, 2004) that was designed to broaden the students' perspective of pasttechnologies and how they were discovered and used. The main objectives of the course were to:(a) promote awareness of technological development, and (b) provide a rudimentaryunderstanding of their social, political, economic, and cultural impact. Three years ago, alearning

Conference Session

Global Engineering Education: Developments, Implementations

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edmundo Tovar, Polytechnic University, Montegancedo; Paola Carina, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; Karen Castillo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Tagged Divisions

International

AC 2009-2268: SUCCESS CRITICAL FACTORS FOR IMPLEMENTING QUALITYSYSTEMS IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATIONEdmundo Tovar, Polytechnic University, MontegancedoPaola Carina, Universidad Politécnica de MadridKaren Castillo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Page 14.1093.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR IMPLEMENTING QUALITY SYSTEMS IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATIONAbstractQuality assurance in higher education is by no means only a European concern. All over theworld there is an increasing interest in quality and standards, reflecting both the rapid growthof higher education and its cost to the