Collection

2003 ASEE North Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Frank Peters; John Jackman; Sarah Ryan; Sigurdur Olafsson

metacognitionhas been found to be an important component of learning [1,4]. In a computer-basedenvironment, where each step of a student’s progress can be monitored, encouraging reflectionand self-evaluation at each step becomes a viable option.We have designed a new active learning environment where students in each course completeone or more modules that relate to the course content. These modules are designed withseveral goals in mind: o Each module presents a realistic engineering problem that students must solve using the declarative and procedural knowledge acquired during the course. o The modules are interconnected so that the relationships between previously isolated parts of the curriculum are

Collection

2003 ASEE North Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Gwendolyn C. Archibald

by the end and actually wouldn't have minded another week! Everything fromrockets to web pages to crashing cars, all of it was an enjoyable experience!” All thefeedback provided by the students and staff is taken into consideration each year inorder to continuously improve the program. Some of the long-term effects of the campare only beginning to come into focus. The University of Iowa College of Engineeringreported a number of new engineering students were former ACE Academy students.BenefitsAs mentioned earlier, some of the benefits to the students are that they are able to seepractical and exciting real-life applications of the study of math and science. They arealso able to experience life as a The University of Iowa student through

Collection

2003 ASEE North Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Waddah Akili

is as if what students have learned in math& science classesnever happened, or what has remained in their minds is so “fuzzy” that they are unable to use.(3) Lack of: intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and self-confidence. The traditional approachto teaching in combination with creativity-suppressing examination system has profoundlyaffected students’ learning abilities. Colleges of engineering in the Region have set up pre-engineering programs to help prospective engineering students get over their deficiencies.Unfortunately these programs were instituted to teach English only, and paid very little attentionto reviving math/science or building up desirable traits through a proper learning environment.A Proposal: The author’s

Collection

2003 ASEE North Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Douglas F. De Boer

intended.ConclusionEngineers need to be sensitive to the aesthetic aspects of their work. This is necessary for thepublic appreciation of the work done. Engineering lab reports provide one opportunity to givestudents feedback on aesthetics. Furthermore, modern word processors have raised the barfor what is considered acceptable. In response, engineering educators should sensitizestudents to the basics of typography and aspects of it that are unique to SMET writing. Figure 1. Typefaces are allusive. What does each typeface remind you of?Citations[1] J.H. Kok, Patterns of the Western Mind, Sioux Center, IA: Dordt College Press, 1998, p. 209.[2] Public Broadcasting System, Building Big, “Bridges,” TV broadcast October 2000.[3] C. Seerveld, Rainbows for the

Collection

2003 ASEE North Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Nancy J. Schneider; Gary W. Fischer

Student Leadership Institute – Challenging Students to Solve Real World Problems Nancy J. Schneider Director, Student Development and Scholarships Student Development Center College of Engineering The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 nancy-j-schneider@uiowa.edu Gary W. Fischer Associate Professor & Associate DEO Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Director, Student Development Center

Collection

2003 ASEE North Midwest Section Conference

Authors

B. L. Steward; T. J. Brumm; S. K. Mickelson

Understanding patterns in student learning styles to guide curriculum innovation B.L. Steward, T. J. Brumm, S. K. Mickelson Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Iowa State University ABSTRACTStudent learning styles effect how students learn. If there is a mismatch between moststudents’ learning styles in a class and the teaching style of the instructor, student learning canbe compromised. Learning styles of the students of two curriculums in the Agricultural andBiosystems Engineering Department (ABE) at Iowa State University, Agricultural Engineering(AE) and Agricultural Systems Technology (AST), were measured in