Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Chris Ramseyer; Beth Brueggen

preparation by theprinciple investigator. Neither of these outcomes was considered appropriate. Materials wereready to complete improvements to the laboratory work area to increase efficiency, and allmaterials and testing equipment required for the first eight weeks were available on the first dayof Camp Concrete.To further instill a sense of mission and urgency,each day of the first week was pre-planned withgroup meetings and work. The meeting topicsincluded an orientation to the summer's goals,introduction to the research topics and instruction oncompleting literature reviews, creating a test matrix,planning work, keeping records of the research in alab book and writing a research report. The worksessions included initial cleaning and

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Melissa Miller; Randall Reynolds

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) 2004 Use of Computer Simulation Games for Instructional Purposes in Middle School and Jr. High Melissa Miller, Randall Reynolds Science Teacher Lynch Middle School/Math Teacher Gravette Junior High SchoolSummaryThe 2004 Summer RET program at the University of Arkansas provided an opportunity for twopublic school teachers to conduct research in the area of designing and managing supply chains,as well as in basic industrial and systems engineering. Emphasis was placed on how theseconcepts can be explored through the use of a simulation game that would provide a high interestclassroom

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Stephanie G. Adams; Lance C. Perez

Recruiting and Retaining Students from Underrepresented Groups for Graduate School at the University of Nebraska Stephanie G. Adams Assistant Dean of Research College of Engineering and Technology Associate Professor Department of Industrial and Management Science Engineering University of Nebraska, Lincoln Lance C. Pérez Director of Graduate Studies College of Engineering and Technology Associate Professor and Associate Chairman Department of

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Kamesh Namuduri; Ravi Pendse

which have IAScurriculum certified by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) 4. If one of these institutions happens to be within the vicinity, it is strongly advised topartner with such an institution. Especially, institutions designated as Centers ofAcademic Excellence are already well established with several IAS related education,training and research programs. Associating with such CAEIAE institutions andpartnering with the teaching and research faculty at these centers will tremendouslyreduce the amount of initial preparations that are needed to offer IAS courses and trainingprograms at your own institution. The University of Tulsa, in Oklahoma is one of the first few universities that receivedthe CAEIAE designation

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

R. L. Kolar; K. M. Dresback; E. M. Tromble

teaching andresearch in areas of national need,” and it is administered by the Department of Education. Here,“need” has a dual meaning: students must demonstrate financial need, and fellowships areawarded to disciplines viewed as traditionally having a shortage of well-qualified domestic stu-dents. Engineering is one such discipline. Since, from the outset, the program has targeted stu-dents who are interested in academic careers, statutory requirements dictate the course of studythat GAANN Fellows pursue must include a structured education component, so that, upon grad-uation, they are prepared for both the educational and research missions of academia. Herein, wepresent an overview of OUr (University of Oklahoma) GAANN program, which we have

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Avery Schwer; Donna Dufner; George Morcous

Construction Systems College of Engineering University of Nebraska – LincolnAbstractFaculty are working with students on a research project developing a project managementsoftware program. This research project uses case-based reasoning (CBR), an artificialintelligence (AI) approach that overcomes most of the drawbacks of rule-based expertsystems (e.g., codification of the knowledge base) by looking for previous cases that aresimilar to the current problem and reusing them to solve the problem. CBR has beensuccessfully used in solving design, diagnoses, and prediction problems. The objective ofthis research is to develop a generic project management

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

A. Lambert; D. J. Russomanno; P. Palazolo; S. Ivey

multi-disciplinary engineering educators workingcollaboratively on one of two National Science Foundation grants (DUE-0122950 andDUE-0422097), where multiple areas of overlap exist between the predictedcharacteristics described in The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the NewCentury and the goals and objectives of this program. Other examples are presented tohighlight links between what is predicted in 2020 engineering education and what existsin 2005 through incorporation of outreach initiatives and industry partnerships. All ofthese programs represent “enhanced educational experiences” designed to engageundergraduate engineering students through “non-traditional” instruction and support. While “non-traditional” engineering

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Judith Collins; Alysia Starkey; Beverlee Kissick; Jung Oh

foundsupport for our concerns: “Evidence is rapidly mounting that students cannot select appropriatesources of information, do not understand the structure or purpose of different sources ofinformation, and cannot critically evaluate the information they retrieve”1. This trend appears incase studies of professional settings, as well. A poll in the journal of Chemical EngineeringProgress documented Chemical Engineers’ use of time to retrieve and use information onmanagement, regulatory requirements, economic forecasts, and research methodologies.Respondents depended on personal collections or other engineers for information, because morethan half were not able to find and use appropriate information2. Higher education may haveassumed that corporations

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Stephanie Ivey; Anna Lambert

When They Stay and When They Don’t: Examples of First Semester Retention Rates and Relationships to Learning Styles Stephanie Ivey and Anna Lambert Department of Civil Engineering, The University of MemphisAbstractOur research presents initial findings of a pilot-scale project performed at The Herff College ofEngineering, The University of Memphis, in the 2004-2005 academic year. This projectinvestigates the persistent issues surrounding difficulties in retention of first-semesterengineering students and examines the possibilities of variances in student learning styledifferences as potential contributors to students leaving engineering programs. While theresearchers

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Larry N. Bland

educationin the professional skills for our engineering students. These action items culminated in theABET initiative that became known as Engineering Criteria 2000. A look at multiple reports of the National Research Council (NRC) indicates consistentrecommendations to integrate science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) andliberal arts. [6] Not only do other students need to learn technical skills and processes, STEMstudents need educational interventions to improve their writing, communication skills andunderstanding of the needs of society as a whole. Current course content must consider andincorporate: cultural awareness, international business and communications issues, politics,social/cultural issues, global nature of

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Ameya A. Chandelkar; Deepak G. Bhat

classroomeducation and research on high temperature mechanical behavior of cutting tools, steels for diecasting dies, tool steels, engine and turbine parts, ceramics and composites operating at elevatedtemperatures. It is available as a valuable educational and research tool for students and faculty,as well as to regional manufacturing industries, who may be able to use this testing service,thereby supporting the operation and training opportunities for students on an on-going basis.IntroductionThe discovery of materials and their unique properties has played a vital role in the evolution ofhuman civilization, from the Stone Age to the present day, as depicted in Fig. 12. As newdiscoveries are made, and new materials are developed, their properties and

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Brandon W. Olson

class. Teamassignments are generally conceptual in focus, and are completed exclusively in class.Practically, team assignments provide an excellent venue for extending simple concepts andtools to real world situations, as well as providing context, motivation and real-time feedback.The intellectual and communal support structure of the team seems especially beneficial tomarginal students whose future in engineering is in jeopardy. Initial assessment metrics haveindicated that student approval and performance have been overwhelmingly favorable. Studentshave demonstrated improved conceptual understanding as well as computational skills. Whilethis example is not all encompassing, it does demonstrate the application of team based learningto

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Christi L. Patton; Daniel W. Crunkleton; John M. Henshaw; Douglas Jussaume; Robert L. Strattan

& Computer Sciences, MechanicalEngineering, Petroleum Engineering, and Physics & Engineering Physics.Undergraduate enrollment in the college was 854 for Fall 2004 with 363 of those inengineering majors.Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility is a three-year advanced vehicle designcompetition sponsored by General Motors and the Department of Energy1. TheUniversity of Tulsa is one of the seventeen university teams in the engineeringcompetition. The challenge of the event is for participating teams to reduce the fuelconsumption and emissions of a crossover sport utility vehicle without compromising itsperformance or utility characteristics. The competition is managed by the Department ofEnergy’s Center for Transportation Research

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Nathaniel Scott; Carl Greco; Todd T. Schlegel

residuum of an ECG in real time. Theprogram requires 8-10 beats to initialize and begin calculation.Proceedings of the 2005 Midwest Section Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education 4ImprovementsTWR Version 1.0 was developed primarily using one record: Demo HF QRS Healthy Male. Itdoes not always produce reasonable or useful results on other records. Much improvement isneeded to create a robust and adaptable TWR calculator. Suggested improvements fall into twocategories: Direct Program Improvement, and Methodology Improvement.Direct Program ImprovementOne of the most obvious improvements to the program would be an autoscale

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Jason Weiss; Farshad Rajabipour; Thomas Schmit; Sebastian Fait

a matter of few secondswhile the instructor could obtain a simultaneous measure of students understanding of thematerial being taught. The software provides a summary of each student’s answer as well as thepercentage of students who chose the right or any of the wrong answers (Figure 4).In his book, Mazur [13] described a methodology in which he uses a similar personal responsetechnology to enable peer-interactive learning in physics classes. He described how theyincorporated a “convince your neighbors discussion” after the questions were initially answered,which resulted in a high degree of students obtaining the correct answer. Mazur explained howthe conventional lecture could be modified to more of a discussion format and students

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Karen S. Hays

and habits of prudent behavior in the laboratory so thatsafety is a valued and inseparable part of all laboratory activity.1In 1997, the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas began thedevelopment of laboratory safety training for all undergraduate students participating in theinstructional laboratories. Over the past eight years, this program has expanded. Initially, thetraining consisted of a simple one hour session for undergraduate students, focused primarily onHazard Communication and the departmental lab rules. Now, the laboratory safety programincludes safety seminars held monthly for all chemical engineering graduate students, trainingfor the instructional laboratory teaching assistants and periodic reviews

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Warren Lewis

and Edge Cam have seen the benefits of the latest technologies, and are currentlyusing it in training courses. After attending training with these companies and witnessing firsthand the impressive nature of new video technology, specifically a program called Camtasia, Ibegan to research it, learn it, and use it in the past year. The following paper will discussCamtasia and how to use it, how to integrate it with other media and software, how it can benefitstudents and professors alike. "Proceedings of the 2005 Midwest Section Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education" 2The Technology and How to Use It

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Scott C. Smith

instructions, including conditionalbranches, and adding instruction prefetch capability so that the branch instructions were able tobe executed in one clock cycle. Furthermore, the students were required to write an assemblylanguage program to perform a sign magnitude multiplication using the microprocessor, andwrite a testbench, which initially loads the program from a text file into the microprocessor’sprogram memory, executes the multiplication program and writes the resulting product to themicroprocessor’s data memory, and then writes the contents of the data memory to a text file andchecks the calculated product to ensure that it’s correct. The project was performed in5 randomly selected groups of 4 members each. Groups of 4 were chosen because

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Andy Moore; C.J. Fisher; Pat Crosby; Wayne Helmer; Chih-Hao Wu

allow fordifferent selectable engine speeds. The ultimate purpose for the station was that it beused as an instructional test facility to acquaint students with electronic fuel injection andIC engine performance characteristics. The first phase of this research describes thedesign and construction of the low-cost EFI dynamometer system using the Megasquirtprogrammable engine computer [2],[3],[4].Dynamometer Theory A dynamometer is a device used to measure engine performance. To develop theperformance equation consider the steady state energy equation for an open systemwritten on a rate basis assuming that there is only one flow stream where Qin is positiveand Win is positive: Qin + Wiu + m(hin + ke in + pe in) = m(hout + ke out

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Stephen B. Taylor; Darin W. Nutter; James A. Davis; Joseph J. Rencis

. Theimplementation of these retention strategies require additional funding to help an institution bearthe financial load of more faculty, facilities, or resources and thus has been investigated more bylarger COE programs or by those with outside funding. The programs that are choosing to initiate a completely overhauled curriculum arefocused primarily on the COE as a whole. The approach most of these institutions take is togeneralize the first two years of the curriculum by having the freshman take the same SMEcourses that are required for all engineering degrees. This places these engineering students in atheoretical academic community within the COE program that can, in itself, improve freshmanretention 18. These new curricula offer engineering

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Ing-Chang Jong

such a system has its owndisplacement center. Generally, the displacement center of a body is located at the point of inter-section of two straight lines that are drawn from two different points of the body in the initialposition and are perpendicular to the virtual displacements of these two points, respectively.5This is illustrated in Fig. 5, where the body AB is imagined to slide on its supports to undergo avirtual displacement to the position A′B′, and its displacement center C is the point of intersec-tion of the straight lines AC and BC that are drawn from the initial positions of points A and Band are perpendicular to their virtual displacements AA′ and BB′ , respectively. Proceedings of the 2005 Midwest Section Conference of the

Collection

2005 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Kellie Schneider; C. Richard Cassady

other required undergraduate coursessuch as Calculus and Chemistry. Unfortunately, our initial data collection efforts have been quitediscouraging. Last fall, 35 PrinIE students were also enrolled in University Chemistry I, and 16of those students will be repeating Chemistry because they either withdrew from the course ormade a D or an F. Similarly, 26 PrinIE students were also enrolled in Calculus I, and 11 students Proceedings of the 2005 Midwest Section Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education 6will be repeating the course. Therefore, we are working closely with the Enhanced LearningCenter and the