Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

P.K. Raju, Auburn University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

2006-1150: INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING THROUGH REAL-WORLDCASE STUDIESChetan Sankar, Auburn UniversityP.K. Raju, Auburn University Page 11.842.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 Introduction to Engineering through Real-World Case StudiesIntroduction By the year 2020, the world population will approach 8 billion people, and muchof that increase will be among groups that today are outside of developed nationsi. Themarketplace for engineering services will be worldwide, and jobs will move freely.Information sharing allowed by the Internet, broadband communication links, and highspeed computers has the effect of tying cultures, knowledge

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Hands-on & Real-World Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Menicucci, Montana State University; James Duffy, Montana State University; Betsy Palmer, Montana State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

three key findingsof research on learners and learning outlined in the NRC publication are4: 1. Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside of the classroom. 2. To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must: a. have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, b. understand facts and ideas in a conceptual framework, and c. organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application. 3. A metacognitive approach to instruction

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Real-World Case Studies & Projects

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Liesl Hotaling, Stevens Institute of Technology; Richard Sheryll, Center for Maritime Systems, Stevens Institute of Technology; Rustam Stolkin, Center for Maritime Systems, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

virtually every engineering discipline. Additionally,students are motivated by an exciting and stimulating design scenario.The use of projects based on small robotic vehicles is now widespread in engineering curricula,however these are predominantly wheeled, terrestrial vehicles. Such projects often reduce to littlemore than exercises in applied programming, losing valuable opportunities to present substantial Page 11.488.2mechanical challenges or to incorporate real interdisciplinary engineering design. In contrast, theunderwater environment presents unique design challenges and opportunities. The motion of anunderwater vehicle, through a three

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Real-World Case Studies & Projects

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Yao, East Carolina University; Gene Dixon, East Carolina University; William Howard, East Carolina University; Ric Williams; Keith Williamson, East Carolina University; Geoffrey Dieck, East Carolina University; Steve McLawhorn, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

constraintsmimicked real-world project constraints. Students were required to develop their gripper designmodel with solid modeling software—AutoDesk Inventor—and, with help of the faculty, buildthe gripper using rapid prototype equipment.Professional Practice: The project provided an effective platform for students to applyprofessional practice skills also taught and demonstrated during course lectures. Lecturesemphasized teamwork skills such as leadership, followership, role assignment, trust,accountability and performance assessment.All teams were required to give a 20-minute presentation in order to reinforce lectures andoutside reading assignments related to these professional skills. The impact and importance oforal skills was emphasized by using

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Hands-on & Real-World Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jonathan Rice, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Taryn Bayles, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Greg Russ, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Julia Ross, University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

effectiveness was judged based on the amount of energy that can becollected and distributed via the system versus a cost analysis for its design.Overall, the course is setup to combine the apprehension of fundamental engineeringconcepts in lecture with their application during the design project. This particularproject is important because it educates aspiring engineers about renewable energysources. The development of such systems that are efficient and effective are becomingincreasingly vital to economical, industrial, and social growth worldwide. As part of theINSPIRES (INcreasing Student Participation, Interest and Recruitment in Engineering andScience) curriculum (funded by the National Science Foundation – InstructionalMaterials Development ESIE

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Hands-on & Real-World Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Ye, Polytechnic University; Ilya Brutman, Polytechnic University; Gunter Georgi, Polytechnic University; Lorcan Folan, Polytechnic University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the standard Lego remote control. With the remote it is easy to start or stop a program stored on the RCX or control the motors connected to it manually. • The RCX is programmed with Robolab. Robolab is a graphical based programming language similar to LabView. It is easy to learn and has real world application. • The RCX allows using existing Lego sensors with the new underwater robots. This eliminates the cost of having to obtain new sensors; the sensors that where designed for the RCX can be used with minimal modifications. Page 12.766.7The RCX also has disadvantages. Mainly: • The RCX doesn’t work

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Real-World Case Studies & Projects

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roth Elliot, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; Phillip Jacob, Northwestern University; Stacy Benjamin, Northwestern University; Bruce Ankenman, Northwestern University; James Colgate, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

has been a founder of Chicago PT, LLC, a start-up devoted to developing intelligent assist devices for the physical therapist. Dr. Colgate is also a member of the Board of Directors of Methode Electronics, Inc., a global, diversified manufacturer of electronic components. Dr. Colgate is currently the Director of IDEA - the Institute for Design Engineering and Applications - which is chartered with integrating design education throughout the engineering curriculum at Northwestern.Phillip Jacob, Northwestern University Phillip Jacob is the Marketing Coordinator for the freshman engineering and design course (EDC) at Northwestern University. He has been involved in recruiting real world

Conference Session

FPD 8: Teaching Design in the First Year

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ann Saterbak, Rice University; Tracy Volz, Rice University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

top 25 US engineering schools run a team-based freshman design courseproviding students with real-world engineering opportunities.4, 7 These first-year experiencesprovide the greatest opportunity for students to acquire baseline proficiencies in the attributeslisted in the NAE “Educating the Engineer of 2020” report that can then be honed in theirsubsequent courses. First-year engineering experiences often focus on the key aspects of theengineering design process: research, ideation, and prototyping. Because of the central nature ofdesign in engineering practice, students across all engineering fields can participate inmultidisciplinary teams to solve authentic challenges.Much of the assessment work for first-year engineering design courses

Conference Session

Service Learning and Societal Issues in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; Kenneth Reid, Ohio Northern University; Jed Marquart, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

profession:Two questions asked for each student’s perception of the activity contributing to their awarenessof the engineering profession as an overriding construct. Specifically, the survey queries were: • “This project provided me with insight as to what it is like to be an engineer,” and • “This project reinforced my decision to become an engineer.”One additional question asked students to report on their awareness of the application ofengineering to society as supported by their projects: • “The project I worked on allowed me to apply the engineering design method to a real world problem.”The survey results for these questions are shown in Table 3. Table 3. Overall awareness of the engineering profession

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 6: Design and Design Chanllenges

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Haolin Zhu, Arizona State University; Benjamin Emery Mertz, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

apply the designprocess with design iteration), teamwork, communication skills, and it incorporated courseworkthat was linked to real-world multi-disciplinary engineering problems. The course structure thathas been utilized involved two relatively independent parts. It began by introducing theengineering design process as well as basic engineering skills, tools, and software for the first 6-7 weeks, and ended with a 7-8 week multidisciplinary, hands-on, team design project. Studentslearned the concepts needed for the project during the first half of the semester, but they did nothave to connect concepts from one unit to the next until the final design project in the secondhalf of the semester. This structure was originally implemented to

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Monday 5-Minute Work-in-Progress Postcard Session

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Haolin Zhu, Arizona State University; Benjamin Emery Mertz, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

specific needs. Below is an example excerpt from the final designreport: “Similar products exist on the market that integrate math practice into board games; however, most of these products fail to implement a cohesive real-world theme to keep students engaged. One such example is the Math Star Word Problem game, which uses a theme of space travel [citation]. This theme does not, however, extend to the math problems themselves, so the theme is therefore disrupted at regular intervals; in addition, this approach does not provide the students with any real-world applications for math.”For connections, the impact of the first two approaches is very similar as the percentages ofteams connecting background research to the

Conference Session

FPD9 -- Technology & Textbooks

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Keith Hargrove, Morgan State University; Marie Dahleh, Harvard University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

theemerging global competition of the production of engineers. The use of multimedia andinformation technologies has provided a tool for learning delivery in engineeringeducation, and this project provides a methodology to incorporate real-world experiencewith decision making in an academic setting. The use of a multimedia case study is usedfor an engineering design course to encourage team work, improve presentation skills,and simulate real world decision making. An evaluation of the project suggests thatstudents are susceptible to this pedagogy for engineering instruction, and that it canpromote critical thinking and team work in an academic environment.IntroductionThe industry foghorn continues to resonate across the engineering academy on the

Conference Session

FPD1 - Early Success and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amy Bell, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Moshe Kam, Drexel University; Joan Carletta, University of Akron; Douglas Gorham, IEEE

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. A background lecture that motivates and introduces the problem and provides the necessary technical background (for presentation to the students). The impact of the problem’s solution on society is demonstrated and illustrated in the context of the real- world, contemporary application. 3. A student project assignment that recaps the problem and details the hands-on project to be conducted (for distribution to the students who would conduct the project). This assignment details what the students will do and discover. 4. A faculty project description that details the hands-on project (for distribution to the EE/CE/CS faculty who would use the project in class). This description includes a description of

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 6: Design and Design Chanllenges

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Haolin Zhu, Arizona State University; Amy Trowbridge, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

water, and advancepersonalized learning. Engineering education literature has shown that exposure to real worldproblems and applications in society increases students’ interest and learning5. The NAE GrandChallenges provide a diverse set of real world engineering problems that can be used in coursesto provide students with these contextual learning opportunities. Several institutions haveincorporated the NAE Grand Challenges into courses throughout the engineering curriculum inorder to provide context for the technical content5-8 or to introduce the engineering professionand disciplines9-11. Many institutions have also established co-curricular programs such as theGrand Challenge Scholars Program which aims to educate the next generation of

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Focus on Student Success 2

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Genaro Zavala, Tecnologico de Monterrey; Universidad Andres Bello; Esmeralda Campos, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico; Carlos Eduardo Martinez-Torteya, Tecnologico de Monterrey

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

classsessions.The introductory course approaches its objectives through five modules; the first introduces theuniversity and the new educational model. The subsequent four modules present one challenge,each introducing the students to an avenue. The avenue challenge exposes them to disciplinarycontent and tools relevant to their professional interests in engineering, connecting the contentwith real applications. Challenges have three main characteristics: (1) The challenges relate toreal-world situations the students will experience after obtaining their disciplinary degrees. (2)Through solving the challenge, students develop sufficient disciplinary and transversalcompetencies established for the course level and the discipline. (3) Students must realize

Conference Session

FPD I: Attacking the Problems of Retention in the First Year

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arturo A Fuentes, University of Texas, Pan American; Horacio Vasquez, University of Texas, Pan American; Robert A. Freeman, University of Texas, Pan American

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Engineering Ethics & Safety Figure 3. Mapping of the CBI Modules to Objectives of the Introduction to Mech. EngineeringChallenge Development Example: Bridge Failure ChallengeIn general, to develop challenges for Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, the authors took abackward design approach (see curriculum development process section). The process startedwith identifying all the target concepts that students needed to learn and understand by the end ofthe challenge. Then, the objectives, sub-objectives, difficulties, and real-world applications andcontexts were specified. This development process for the bridge failure challenge is presentedbelow:  Primary Objectives By the next class period students will be able to: o

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 9: Focus on Student Learning, Lifelong Learning, and the Whole Student

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Liya Ni, California Baptist University; Helen Yoonhee Jung P.E., California Baptist University; Ziliang Zhou, California Baptist University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

collegefreshman students due to its complexity and the numerous formulas the students need tomemorize. The issue is compounded by the lack of adequate connection between classroomlearning and the engineering applications in the real world. This not only causes anxiety amongpart of the student body but also ill-prepared them for subsequent courses requiring suchknowledge. A student can barely pass calculus I and still be lacking some critical skills inhandling trigonometry problems in statics and circuits [1].The engineering application of trigonometry is everywhere, such as in automobile enginecrankshaft design, in robotic arm movement programming for assembly line operation, and inland survey result calculation. To promote the study of trigonometry and

Conference Session

The Best of First Year Programs: Best Paper Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joshua L. Hertz, Northeastern University; Noah Daviero, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

end upbeing perceived by students as unexciting [6]. Experiential learning techniques cause a learner to have a direct sense experience withpractice based on real-world tasks [7]. These techniques are closely associated with problem-based learning, as both are learner-centered models that emphasize the autonomous actions of thelearner in co-creating the educational experience. The role of the instructor in these techniques is,to a large degree, to design the experience, guide the learner, and provide feedback such thatlearning outcomes are met regardless of the choices made. Critics of experiential learning pointout that it can de-emphasize the careful analysis and use of theory that an academic environmentaffords the student [8

Conference Session

FPD XI: Tidbits and Cookies

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Emery Mertz, Arizona State University; Sara A. Atwood, Elizabethtown College

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

enjoyment in creating something "I've always liked to build new from nothing or fix broken things (we things" or "I enjoy also included coding or computer program constructing something development in this category) useful."Practicality Indicate desire to apply skills to real world “I enjoy applying math and applications science to real world problems” “I have always wanted to

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 3; The Best of All the FPD Papers

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan F. Freeman, Northeastern University; Courtney Pfluger, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University; Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Joshua L. Hertz, Northeastern University; Chirag Variawa, Northeastern University; Jennifer Ocif Love, Northeastern University; Mark L. Sivak, Northeastern University; Bala Maheswaran, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

of programming knowledge that gets ingrained into the brains of engineers and changes the way they think…” “Programming is a critical part of real world engineering problem solving that can be used for an incredibly wide range of applications. Engineers can use programs to perform long series or calculations and algorithms, autonomously control software and hardware systems, organize and graph data sets along with…” “All we need are the critical thinking skills to know what we would want a machine or a system to do for us, and a program can complete this thought and turn it into an ideal situation” “Engineering and computer programming are becoming increasingly integrated, as we depend on technology to make our lives and

Conference Session

FPD 7: Beyond Course Content

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan F Freeman, Northeastern University; Beverly Kris Jaeger, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students also reported that theyprefer the real-world applications, the hands-on aspects, and the sense that they were seeingactual engineering problems. This is neither surprising nor unique. What is of interest is that theessential elements are identified in order to produce the most meaningful and authentic resultsfor the students’ decisions and pathways. In addition, several students expressed that the twocourses could be integrated, thus wanting design and programming connected. Upcomingsections will discuss the questions separately with more detail, and evaluate more of thecomments provided by the students in each area. Page 24.880.7Question

Conference Session

FPD 8: Teaching Design in the First Year

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wallace Martindell Catanach III, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Mary Lynn Brannon, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Christopher Stephen Smith, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the entire engineering design process tocreate a product concept from start to finish. It took the concepts that I had learned from lectureand made me apply these concepts to real life.”Very interesting were the responses to the survey item, “What would you prefer to use as analternate media or engineering tool instead of the pencil and napkin for making the drawing?”Students creatively said:  “If I was still at the restaurant I would have asked for a kids coloring menu. I would have gotten a bigger sheet then lose leaf and at least three colors.”  “Type ideas on a phone or a note card.”  “A golf score card would be a good idea that is a real world application for sure.”  “Perhaps a tablet or some form of technology

Conference Session

FPD VI: Presenting "All the Best" of the First-Year Programs Division

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; Benjamin Mertz, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

 liked to build things" or "I enjoy  new from nothing or fix broken things  (we  constructing something useful."  also included coding or computer program  development in this category) Practicality  Indicate desire to apply skills to real world  “I enjoy applying math and science to real world  applications  problems” Specific Field  Indicate a desire to study a particular  “I have always wanted to study Aerospace  branch of engineering (only for those  Engineering” or “I want to build skyscrapers  responses that indicate certainty of specific  (Civil Engineering

Conference Session

Service Learning and Societal Issues in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Savilonis, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; David Spanagel, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kristin Wobbe, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

College ofEngineering, an institution which promised integrated project work in all four years of itscurriculum.3 Before and since, and in many places besides Olin, promising engineering studentshave been enticed to attend a variety of innovative technical education programs that promisereal-world experience, training in widely applicable communications skills, and an impeccablefoundation in the principles of design and professional standards of practice.For example, WPI placed project-based learning at the core of its academic program in the early1970’s when it redesigned its graduation requirements to include two major projects.4 Oneproject undertaken within the student’s major field of study is usually completed during thesenior year. Another

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Poster Session

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Reza Kamali, California State University San Marcos

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Raman noted—classroom and academic climate and interest and career goals—by creating a sequence of lectures to connect the classroom topics into real world applications inthree hybrid lower-division Electrical Engineering courses for students at the California StateUniversity San Marcos. The new courses are seeking to change students’ perspective aboutengineering and help create a more inclusive environment by improving the existing Introductionto Electrical Engineering course and developing two new courses: Electrical Engineering ClinicsI and II. In these courses students from different educational backgrounds will learn thefundamentals of Electrical Engineering through a hybrid model that allows them to learn conceptsand skills through hands

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Computation in the First Year

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Darren K. Maczka, University of Tennessee at Knoxville; Rehan Shah, University College London; Andrew L. Gillen, University College London

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

assess, manage, communicate and ethically use data (Prado& Marzal, 2013). However, with the recognition of the increasing importance of computationalliteracy as a valuable learning outcome within undergraduate courses, a new framework ofdata-informed learning i.e., learning that emphasizes the use of data within a specific disciplinarycontext, while constructively building on students’ past experiences, is being used progressivelyas a tool to promote lifelong learning in higher education (Maybee & Zilinski, 2015).An empirically motivated case-study by Magana et al. (2016) discusses a similar notion termed“authentic computational learning” (learning that is meaningful to the learner, contextual to thediscipline and relevant to real-world

Conference Session

FPD II: Hands-on Curriculum in the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Beverly K. Jaeger, Northeastern University; Susan F. Freeman, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. This second semester ‘programming’ course had not fullymade the connection between software written to solve a practical problem and how it might be used todrive hardware/devices in a visible experiential way. As a result, students were skeptical, expressing adisconnect with real-world and career applications. This weak cause-and-effect association at timesresulted in a somewhat uninterested learning population. It became apparent that students did not deeplyunderstand the importance of writing code in relation to engineering problem solving. We as instructorssaw an opportunity to take a role in bridging this gap.Challenge #2: Resources. A further challenge relates to resources: How can we demonstrate the value ofprogramming and problem

Conference Session

FPD11 -- Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John-David Yoder, Ohio Northern University; Beverly Jaeger, Northeastern University; John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

practice and display technical presentationskills. In addition, students often note that there seems to be a lack of connection betweencoursework and the ‘real world.’ While laboratory experiences can help students with this7, it isalso helpful to have examples so that the students can relate course content to their ownexperiences and interests outside of the classroom. Additionally, the ABET criteria requires thatstudents have a knowledge of current events related to the engineering profession3. It is alsoclear that having an understanding of engineering history can help us learn from prior mistakes8.The OME presentations provide the instructors with a wealth of examples that can be referredback to during lectures. They further provide students

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Integrating Computing into the First Year

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa DeWitte, University of Florida; Pamela L. Dickrell, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

decision about their major, as well as a general appreciation andcooperation for all branches of engineering. While Engineering Design and Society already hasan emphasis on multidisciplinary design approaches, a series of supplemental hands-ondemonstrations were designed to target the student’s individual interests with a themeddemonstration for each branch of engineering. These activities are generally 10 to 20 minutes inlength, while incorporating real-world applications, selected explanations of discipline-specificengineering concepts, data collection, sensor integration using Vernier and Arduino systems, andexamples of manufacturing methods utilized in the rest of the course. The resulting classroomdemonstrations are easily reproduced at low

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 4: The Best of the All: FPD Best Papers

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; David Reeping, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. In performing a qualitative content analysis of 45 relevantjournal articles from different disciplines, Rule identified four overarching themes that candescribe authentic learning.5 First, authentic learning involves problems rooted in the real world. Page 26.1280.4The use of a real problem carries with it the possibility of a solution having an impact on peopleoutside of the course, thereby enabling students to become engaged as stakeholders in theproblem being addressed. Second, authentic learning occurs through the application of higher-level inquiry and thinking skills. From the context of the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy,6 whileauthentic