Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Chloe Mann; Emily Fitzpatrick; Jessica Deters

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference Enduring Commitment: Exploring Why Low-Income and First- Generation Students Choose to Stay in Engineering Chloe Mann, Emily Fitzpatrick, and Dr. Jessica Deters University of Nebraska – LincolnAbstractGiven the intense challenge of engineering schooling, gatekeeping capabilities of the courses,and the high dropout level of engineering students, this study aims to uncover what factors fuelstudents to show enduring commitment throughout the course of their engineering education. Anabundant number of studies focus on student persistence; however, this study focuses on studentswith minoritized identities

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Balaji C. Kartikeyan; James E. Steck; Alok Menon

notes that the cost of maintenance and insurance arehigh and not easily recoverable from student fees. As an alternative approach, some institutionsutilize flight simulation as an education tool to enhance the aerospace engineering curriculum [5,6, 7], for training flight instructors [8], and enhance the learning experience [9]. In addition toflight simulation as a means to understand the dynamics of flight and human factors associatedwith it, some institutions also offer courses on aircraft flight test using these flight simulator tools.The Department of Aerospace Science and Technology at Politecnico di Milano (DSTA-PoliMi)has developed a unique graduate course on flight testing that focuses on hands-on experience [10].Students are required

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Eduard Plett

engineering courses are often confronted with educational and technological as well as economic challenges. In particular, providing engineering students with practical, hands-on experiences can be difficult due to the high cost and complexity of renewable energy equipment. This paper presents several technical solutions for providing cost-effective equipment to help teach alternative energy engineering courses.KeywordsEnergy, alternative, renewable, technology, equipment1. Introduction, problem description and objectives of this paper 1.1 The need for transformation in energy engineering education The main topic of the 2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference is “Next Generation Engineers: Transforming Engineering Education”. One area that appears

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Alejandra T. Velasco; Abhishek Juneja

concepts. Similarly, de la Flor et al. [15] created an educational lab-escape room for teaching heat transfer concepts in chemical engineering, highlighting thepotential of this approach in addressing interdisciplinary topics. While traditional escape roomsrequire physical setups, recent advancements have facilitated the development of virtual escaperooms, leveraging technologies such as MATLAB for programming riddles and clues. Thisvirtual approach enhances flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, making escape roomsmore accessible to educational institutions with limited resources [16]. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 2024 ASEE Midwest Section ConferenceResponding

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Kaylee Cunning; Jamilla E. S. L. Teixeira; Joseph Tighi; Isabella M. Bueno; Jessica Deters

advances technical knowledge and enriches the educational experience.It also calls for increased investment in research opportunities to prepare a diverse and capablefuture engineering workforce, addressing real-world environmental and engineering challenges.By promoting sustainability and inclusivity, this study contributes to the development ofinnovative solutions and the empowerment of the next generation of engineers.KeywordsUndergraduate research experience; waste plastics; asphalt research; sustainable infrastructure;hot mix asphalt; engineering education; engineering role modelsIntroductionConsidering the global needs to ensure a safer and sustainable planet, a recent ABET brief report[1] discusses the necessity of preparing students to

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Sourav Sutradhar; Oghenetega A. Obewhere; Karen Acurio-Cerda; Moses Dike; Rajesh Keloth; Shudipto K. Dishari

Education, 2024 2024 ASEE Midwest Section ConferenceKey findings. The findings were analyzed across several categories, including current energy-related curriculum topics, teaching methods, course formats, and materials used. The analysisalso covered teacher preparedness, needs for new courses, hands-on activities, outreachprograms, student participation, barriers to STEM initiatives, and how university faculty cansupport interpreting and implementing the Nebraska College and Career Ready ScienceStandards (NCCRS-S).In response to question on whether specific aspects of energy conversion and storage device aretaught in their classrooms currently: 60% of teachers reported covering a range of topics, such asCO2 generation

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Theresa M. Swift; Robert S. Woodley; Keith Miller; Erik Swanson

problems in three different electrical engineering courseseither by the students in the course or by undergraduate teaching assistants. The success level ofeach is examined and compared finding common themes throughout the three courses.KeywordsCo-Production, Teaching Assistant, Electrical EngineeringIntroductionStudent involvement in their own learning is a growing topic of study as a way to get studentsinvested in their education [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Significant work has been done in the humanities,education, and science courses. Courses with high mathematical content such as engineeringcourses are less well represented. The ways in which students can become involved also varieswidely from students serving as teaching assistants (TAs) [1] to

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Heather L. Walker; Daesoo Kim; Edgar C. Clausen

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference Chemical Engineering Courses in Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment Heather L. Walker, Daesoo Kim and Edgar C. Clausen University of Arkansas, Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical EngineeringAbstractIn an effort to provide students with a better background in sustainability and life cycleassessment (LCA) prior to employment, two new undergraduate/graduate elective courses havebeen added to the Chemical Engineering curriculum at the University of Arkansas. Introductionto Sustainable Process Engineering covers foundational topics in sustainability, including theinterconnectedness of the

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Saurabh S. Singh; Adam C. Lynch; Abdulaziz Abdulaziz

effectively enhanced students' understanding of systems engineering and digitaltransformation. Incorporating case studies, particularly using the KEEN framework, intoengineering courses is beneficial. Future studies could explore more diverse case studies andlarger samples.Keywords: KEEN, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Case Study1.0 Introduction In the realm of engineering education, integrating practical, hands-on activities isessential for deepening students' understanding of complex topics. One effective pedagogicalapproach is the use of case studies, which engage students directly with real-world scenarios.This method is particularly beneficial in courses focused on Systems Engineering and DigitalTransformation, where the principles and

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Hamzah Mousa; Margarita O. Genes; Adam C. Lynch

students from the other classes, their future industrialcolleagues.Keywords: Projects, PBL, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Six Sigma, graduate students1.0 Introduction1.1 Background In the recent years, methods of teaching have developed and became more interactivethrough the incorporation of various educational approaches which immerse students in real-worldproblem solving, improve the hands-on experience and encourage the collaboration amongstudents working in groups of 3 to 5. This concept comes in agreement with the definition ofProject-based learning (PBL), which was defined by Barrows and Tamblyn as: The learning thatresults from the process of working towards understanding or resolving a problem [1]. Research indicates that

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Kaycie Lane; Jason Hawkins

focused on using coding in general to solve civil engineeringprojects, giving it quick a wide range of possible skills and topics to cover. After reviewing relevantliterature [4], [5], [8], [9], [10], the department selected Python as the coding language because it is open-source (Eliminating license fees normally not paid by consulting firms for proprietary software) andbecause Python is integrated in backend GIS programming and being currently integrated into Excel [11].Prior to CIVE 202, students will have taken an introductory scripting course in Python through thecomputer science department (thereby exposing students to entry-level coding prior to civil engineeringspecific coding) and to visual basic code in CIVE 201 (Civil Engineering

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Molly McVey; Priscilla L. Shum

Teaching, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 368–383, 2016.[2] K. L. Lewis et al., “Fitting in to move forward: Belonging, gender, and persistence in the physical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pSTEM),” Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 420–436, 2017.[3] P. L. Ackerman, R. Kanfer, and M. E. Beier, “Trait complex, cognitive ability, and domain knowledge predictors of baccalaureate success, STEM persistence, and gender differences.,” Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 105, no. 3, p. 911, 2013.[4] D. Verdín, A. Godwin, A. Kirn, L. Benson, and G. Potvin, “Understanding how engineering identity and belongingness predict grit for first-generation college students,” 2018.[5] H

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Ibukunoluwa E. Salami; Segun S. Oladipo; Logan A. Perry

study have thepotential to enhance student retention, graduation rates, and academic performance, takingthe first steps in transforming the statics course into a catalyst for success in students'engineering pursuits.KeywordsStatics, DFW, Concepts, Instructors, Qualitative, InterventionsIntroductionEngineering statics is a branch of engineering mechanics that focuses on the effects of forceson objects, systems, and structures that are at rest or in equilibrium [1]. Statics introducescomplex engineering topics and concepts and is typically a foundational and a pre-requisitecourse in civil, architectural, and mechanical engineering programs [2]. Students areexpected to lean on their background in mathematics, physics, and engineering for this

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Nosakhare I. Idiaghe; Jessica Deters

by how they are mentored [12]. Inthe mentoring relationship, various forms of support that undergraduate researcher gain fromtheir mentors span intellectual, personal, emotional, and professional [13]. These forms ofsupport has been shown to increase undergraduate researchers’ engagement in their discipline © American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference[13]. Literature has also shown that undergraduate student researchers view buildingrelationships with their mentors and colleagues as the most crucial aspect of their researchexperience [39] and generally consider mentors who communicated regularly as good mentors[14].Theoretical FrameworkThe

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Charles Baukal

]. If the groups are too small, there is a greater risk that noone in the group will know how to solve a given problem. If the groups are too large, then it ismore likely not all students will actively participate. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 2024 ASEE Midwest Section ConferenceThe timing of the activity is flexible but generally would be in the middle to the end of the class,after a particular topic has been covered. Problems assigned at the end of class have theadvantage of a hard time deadline and also give students who finish more quickly theopportunity to leave class early rather than waiting for other groups to finish.BenefitsSmall group problem solving is an

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Heath A. Schluterman; Aysa L. Galbraith; Leslie B. Massey

and understanding. Theprogram specifically targeted students who were either Algebra or Precalculus-ready, offering amore practical and engaging approach to foundational math education. Students enrolled in theE-Math program generally outperformed their peers in traditional Algebra courses, with notableimprovements observed among those who were Precalculus-ready. The retention rates for E-Math students were higher compared to those in traditional Algebra courses, particularly forstudents with stronger math backgrounds. This indicates that the E-Math program was successfulin maintaining student interest and aiding their progression through the engineering curriculum.Furthermore, E-Math students demonstrated comparable completion rates in key

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Kimberly J. Cornett

of Table 1. The indicators in Table 1 were written to address a variety © American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conferenceof domains (cognitive, affective, and skills-based) and levels of complexity so that students areassessed throughout the development of their expertise [8].Performance indicators 3.1.1 and 3.2.1 were created as first steps with a lower level ofcomplexity. Students need to demonstrate an ability to be informed consumers of communicationwho able to understand and critique technical documents and presentations. With the rise ofartificial intelligence, these critiquing skills are critical for the next generation of engineeringstudents

Collection

2024 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Alyssa J. Ball; Brandon Crisel

furthering theoutreach of the curriculum to more courses. The team expands their scope in an effort to extendthe outreach of e-Portfolios to other departments within the College of Engineering to achievethe same goals for a wider variety of engineering students, and considers other applications suchas recruiting, grading, and other documentation use cases. The team also discusses the mosteffective means of implementing curriculum such as this in order to protect the integrity ofacademic programs and property, while ensuring the ease and accessibility of an electronicportfolio for all students.KeywordsProfessional Development, Engineering Education, High Impact Practice, Electronic Portfolios,Curriculum ImplementationBackgroundThe Biggadike e