Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ivana Milanovic, University of Hartford; Tom Eppes, University of Hartford

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

the desire of faculty to adopt new best practices. However, it has beenobserved that too often students lack the necessary creativity, initiative and ability to developrobust solutions. Some have addressed this issue by developing innovative laboratory structures Page 14.1051.2throughout the curriculum that better prepare seniors for the challenge1. Others have sought toconnect students with local industry either prior to or during the capstone project2-8.The quest for improvement has lead to two fundamentally different approaches: industry-sponsored and internally-sourced projects. Within our programs, both are being employed. Inaddition, the

Conference Session

Design in Freshman and Sophomore Courses

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Madiha Khurshid, University of Calgary; Marjan Eggermont, University of Calgary; Daryl Caswell, University of Calgary

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

have examples of student design work. Page 14.27.2 Figure 1: Example of modular affordable housing - Spacebox in The Netherlands 1IntroductionThis design project is for the courses ENGG 251/253 Design and Communication at the SchulichSchool of Engineering at the University of Calgary. The two courses are mandatory for first yearengineers and run for two semesters. There are approximately 740 students enrolled in thecourse. The course is a collaboration of art, engineering and communication created in responseto the challenge to innovate. The course is built around 4 pillars: drawing, design,communication, and teamwork.This course

Conference Session

Sustainable-energy Education: Lessons Learned

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Linfeng Zhang, University of Bridgeport; Xingguo Xiong, University of Bridgeport; Junling Hu, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

, there are only two U.S. universities providingindependent graduate programs in this area and neither of them is in Connecticut. In order toprepare the technical and scientific workforce in this field, the School of Engineering at UB ispreparing the licensure application material for M.S. Sustainable Energy Engineering program.The Sustainable Energy Engineering degree certifies that knowledge has been gained in theSustainable Energy Engineering discipline. Graduates will combine knowledge of energy withengineering principles to produce solutions and innovations in sustainable energy generation andutilization. In addition, program graduates will have critical thinking skills for producingscholarship in the SEE area, showing enterprise in

Conference Session

Design Projects in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Emilia Bratschitsch, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences; Adrian Millward-Sadler, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

mostly real industrial tasks. The internship students have to work withhighest responsibility, precision, innovation and reliability. Often they are instructed withinvestigations of new methods or even debugging of new software.The main benefit for our students is that they can apply their special knowledge and theexperiences in suitable projects. Here they collect valuable experience which helps them tochoose their future professional field. The young engineers are also able in this way to select adiploma thesis topic, which is supported by the department.The benefit for the department is that we receive a very broad response about the quality ofour engineering education not only about the technical knowledge but also about our

Conference Session

Technical-Capacity Building & Exporting of Higher Education to Developing Countries

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Russel Jones, World Expertise LLC

Tagged Divisions

International

Carnegie Mellon University. Purpose built state-of-the-art learning and teachingfacilities have been built for each university.Texas A&M University at Qatar offers undergraduate degrees in chemical, electrical,mechanical and petroleum engineering. It graduated two students in 2007 and a full classin 2008. It is beginning to offer two graduate programs, a Master of Engineering Degreeand a Master of Science Degree. The undergraduate curriculum integrates cutting-edgeand applied research with innovative classroom instruction to ensure that its graduates areequipped to assume leadership roles after graduation.Carnegie Mellon Qatar has offered undergraduate programs in Computer Science andBusiness Administration since 2004. It has recently added a

Conference Session

Two-Year/Four-Year Articulation and Cooperation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Abraham Michelen, Hudson Valley Community College

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

technical buyers that daily use the free service to look for partsand other information for design, testing and other purposes. Globalspec presents detailedproduct information provided by a broad base of manufacturers of optical components,mechanical parts, electrical products, semiconductors, materials, manufacturing systems,instruments, sensors, process systems and many other industrial products. Also, it a bigrepository of technical knowledge in thousands of Learn More…pages that are availableto its users.It offers a unique, specialized, searchable database of parts, components and servicesalong with innovative, engineering-only information retrieval capabilities, both of whichare unmatched by any other search engine. The utility of Globalspec

Conference Session

Graphics and Visualization

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Magesh Chandramouli, Purdue University; Gary Bertoline, Purdue University; La Verne Abe Harris, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Design Graphics

built, and (9) facilitatesnon-destructive testing as product is available beforehand.IX. ConclusionThe goal of this study was to design an innovative framework integrating visualization Page 14.947.8with the various aspects of construction design to aid the overall constructionmanagement process and to generate pragmatics designs. With modern constructionactivities becoming increasingly complex by the day, the process of planning and designis getting increasingly multifaceted. The effective resolution of such multifacetedproblems will require the synchronization among various disciplines and exploiting theadvances in various related disciplines. This

Conference Session

Engineering Education in India, Central and Eastern Asia

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Fazil Najafi, University of Florida; Ashutosh Upadhyay, University of Florida; Nick Safai, Salt Lake City College

Tagged Divisions

International

, andconstruction systems. The world, which we see today, would have been very hard to imaginewithout the effective contribution of civil engineers. The road system, skyscrapers, harbors,transportation facilities, utilities would have been obsolete and cities like New York, HongKong, London, would not exist.In this period of globalization, civil engineering is exploring new horizons. In some countrieslike Dubai and China, engineering is challenged to its limits to create innovative structures.However, in this harsh global economic climate, for civil engineers it is important to stay up todate with the latest technology so that they can realize their importance.The curriculum of civil engineering at the University of Florida (UF) and the Rajiv

Conference Session

Freshman Experience in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Meyer, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Stephen Hundley, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; H. Oner Yurtseven, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

-levelengineering and technology courses, too. Finally, ongoing improvement of the type and natureof learning experiences offered to students in first-year experiences courses should continue. Page 14.1217.6Emerging engineering and technology innovations, coupled with the increasing diversity—in allits forms—of entering students, will require that faculty involved in first-year experience courseskeep abreast of the best practices from industry partners and from colleagues in engineering andtechnology programs at other institutions. The ultimate goal of such learning communitiesshould continue to be the ability for students to succeed in college, preferably

Conference Session

New Trends in CHE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Keith, Michigan Technological University; Daniel Crowl, Michigan Technological University; David Caspary, Michigan Technological University; Jeffrey Allen, Michigan Technological University; Dennis Meng, Michigan Technological University; Jeff Naber, Michigan Technological University; Abhijit Mukherjee, Michigan Technological University; John Lukowski, Michigan Technological University; Jay Meldrum, Michigan Technological University; Barry Solomon, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

.”Inherent within the nation’s initiative should be the development of educational programsrelated to fuel cells and other aspects of the hydrogen economy. Although it is commonfor engineering curricula to lag behind technology in emerging fields, MichiganTechnological University, through their innovative Enterprise Program, has been activein introducing hydrogen technology research within the undergraduate curriculum. Page 14.678.2After describing the structure of the MTU enterprise program, the Alternative FuelsGroup Enterprise and its projects will be presented. Following this will be a descriptionof the elective courses and supplemental material to the

Conference Session

Robots in Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Fernandez, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; Richard Fischer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; Paul Drews, Missouri University of Science and Technology; Amir Mobasher, Alabama A&M University; Maegan Grady, Saint Mary's College, University of Notre Dame; Robert Rucker, Vanderbilt University; Jessica Tham, Louisiana Tech University; Thomas Bierbower, Randolph High School

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

the students to become familiar with the vision and mission of NASA.e. Increase research thrust within the engineering programs- the resarch provided the opprtunity for the faculty and students to synthesize the knowledge towards development of new and innovative products that is critical to NASA’s mission.f. Following the summer program one student joined a local engineering company and is continuing in a graduate program; three sudents have entered graduate school on a full-time basis; and the high school student has changed his future college program to engineering.References1. Springfield, Jr., James F., and George E. Cook. Robot Simulation. Nashville: Vanderbilt University School of Engineering.2. Bucher, Ralph, and D. Misra

Conference Session

Industry Collaborations in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jorge Alvarado, Texas A&M University; Michael Golla, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

relationship with the goal of understanding their needs. Academic instructors then visitthe industrial distributor’s or manufacturer’s facilities to learn more about their line of work and to seefirsthand the level of technological innovation. The visits are intended to help each part (industrialdistributor or manufacturer, and academic institution representatives) understand each other needs andidentify possible ways of working together. This particular phase is critical in developing common trustand genuine desire to collaborate in the long-term.Identification of the distributors or manufacturers needs including human resources and trainingAfter initial visits, the academic representatives (instructors or designated faculty members

Conference Session

History of Aerospace Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathy Schmidt, University of Texas, Austin; Mark Maughmer, Penn State University

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace

AC 2009-394: IS STUDENT PERFORMANCE DECLINING? A LOOK ATTWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF DATAKathy Schmidt, University of Texas, Austin KATHY J. SCHMIDT is the Director of the Faculty Innovation Center for the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. In this position, she promotes the School's commitment to finding ways to enrich teaching and learning. She works in all aspects of education including design and development, faculty training, learner support, and evaluation. Contact k.schmidt@mail.utexas.eduMark Maughmer, Penn State University MARK D. MAUGHMER is a professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. When he is not teaching, he is involved in

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Holt, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.; Hongchi Shi, Texas State University, San Marcos; Harold Stern, Texas State University, San Marcos

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

climateconditions with limited power resources. Yet, in order to keep materials costs low automobilemanufacturers must deploy these capabilities using as few microprocessors as possible. Forthese reasons, the microprocessors used in automotive applications must be both high-performance and energy-efficient. These demands are at cross purposes with traditional high-performance microprocessor design, and the industry has responded with innovative embeddedmulticore architectures. Instead of throttling up the performance of a single processor core(which is very power intensive), a new breed of microprocessors incorporates multiple lowpower processor cores onto a single chip. This approach results in a higher throughput systemcapable of running many concurrent

Conference Session

Engineering Education in India, Central and Eastern Asia

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Creese, West Virginia University; M. Adithan, Vellore Institue of Technology

Tagged Divisions

International

take up innovative project works and funding them. 7) Mandatory industrial training for a period of 4 to 6 weeks during summer months and the requirement for students to maintain an Industrial Training Diary. 8) Continuous training and professional development of faculty through the Academic Staff College of VIT University. 9) Organizing guest lectures, conferences, symposia, workshops and seminars in emerging areas of technology as well as on recent trends in the existing technologies by visiting professors, scientists, and practicing engineers from industry. 10) Higher emoluments and performance incentives for faculty and staff.Conclusions The goals of VIT University are to become a Centre of Excellence and a

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Maixner, United States Air Force Academy; James Baughn, UC Davis

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Conference &Exposition, Session 2008-1466.9 th Incropera, F.D., DeWitt, D.P, Bergman, T.L., and Lavine, A.S., Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, 6 ed.,Chapter 3, Wiley, New York, 2007.10 Moran, M.J., Shapiro, H.N., Munson, B.R., and DeWitt, D.P., Thermal Systems Engineering: Thermodynamics,Fluid Mechanics, and Heat Transfer, Chapter 16, Wiley, New York, 2003.11 Anderson, M.L, Snyder, M.P., and Maixner, M.R., Engineering Tools Seminar: An Innovative New Course toPrepare Students for the Rigors of the Mechanical Engineering Program, Proceedings of the 2009 ASEE AnnualConference & Exposition

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yul Chu, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

& David A. Patterson, Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, third edition, Morgan-Kaufmann, San Francisco, California, 2003.[4] Lillian Cassel et al, “Distributed Expertise for Teaching Computer Organization & Architecture”, Working Group Reports in the 5th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, Helsinki, Finland, July 2000.[5] D. Ellard, D. Holland, N. Murphy, and M. Seltzer, “On the Design of a New CPU Architecture for Pedagogical Purposes”, in Proc. WCAE 02 – workshop on Computer Architecture Education, on 29th International Symposium on Computer Architecture, Anchorage, AK (USA), 2002, pp.28-34.[6] Christopher T. Weaver, Eric Larson, and Todd Austin, “Effective

Conference Session

Civil ET Curriculum

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jorge Tito-Izquierdo, University of Houston-Downtown; Alberto Gomez-Rivas, University of Houston-Downtown; George Pincus, University of Houston-Downtown

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

-1994). Dean Pincus received the Ph.D. degree from Cornell University and the M.B.A degree from the University of Houston. Dr. Pincus has published over 40 journal articles, 2 books and is a Registered Professional Engineer. Page 11.519.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006POSSIBLE SESSIONS: 10. Innovative Curriculum in Engineering Technology 1. Curriculum Development in Civil Engineering Tech. 20. The Future/Direction of Engineering Technology Effective use of Technology Teaching Structural Analysis and DesignAbstractThis paper

Conference Session

Outreach and Recruitment

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rafic Bachnak, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Korinne Caruso, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Jack Esparza, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Marc Mendez, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

, Martha Cyr, and Ben Erwin, “Integration of data acquisition and analysis for elementary and middle school education,” Proc. 2000 ASEE Annual Conf., Session 1359, CD-ROM, 6 pages, June 2000, St. Louis, MO.3. Radha Balamuralikrishna and Clfford Mirman, “Promoting engineering technology programs at the high school and middle school levels using hands-on approach,” Proc. 2002 ASEE Annual Conf., CD- ROM, 9 pages, June 2002, Montreal, CA.4. Mary Vollaro, “Field trips: An innovative approach in teaching Manufacturing Processes to traditional undergraduates,” Proc. 2002 ASEE Annual Conf., CD-ROM, 6 pages, June 2002, Montreal, CA.5. R. Bachnak, “Field trips: linking the classroom with industry,” Proc. ASEE-GSW Annual Conf

Conference Session

International Case Studies, Collaborations and Interactions

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charlie Edmonson, University of Dayton; Donna Summers, University of Dayton

Tagged Divisions

International

Engineer: A new International Program atthe University of Texas at Austin”, ASEE Proceedings, 2005, Session 14602. Shumann, L.J., et. al., “The Global and Societal Challenge – An Innovative Approach to ABET Criterion 3H andBeyond”, ASEE Proceedings, 2005, Session 34303. Hsu, T. and Yu, N. “The International Cooperation of Engineering Education in Taiwan” ASEE Proceedings,2005, Session 26603. Sanders. M. and Patro, S., “The Global Classmates Concept- Engineering Student Experience in a Global Team”ASEE Proceedings, 2005, Session 11624. Min, K., et. al., “Global Enterprise Perspective Initiative in a Production Systems Course”, ASEE Proceedings,2005, Session 36575. Sadat-Hossieny, M., et. al., “Globalization of Engineering Curricula in the United

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Industrial Technology

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ranjeet Agarwala, East Carolina University; Tarek Abdel-Salam, East Carolina University; Craig Sanders, East Caroilina University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

components from both mental analysis and hands-on viewpoints. Thispaper provides useful pointers to programs in planning, structuring, evaluating andassessing offerings of such new courses within their departments.References1 Meek, S., Field, S., Devasia, S., “Mechatronics Education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah,” Mechatronics, Elsevier, 13:1-11, 2002.2 Giurgiutiu, V., Lyons, J., Rocheleau, D., Liu, W., “ Mechatronics/Microcontroller Education for Mechanical Engineering Students at the University of South Carolina,” Mechatronics, Elsevier, 15:1025- 1036, 2005.3 Wild P.M., Surgenor B.W., “An Innovative Mechatronics Course for a Traditional Mechanical Engineering Curriculum,” American Society of

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wenshen Pong; Tim Le, San Francisco State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Engineering Curriculum, Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Vol. 128, No.2, 75-82 (April 2002).4. Pauschke, J.M. and Ingraffea, A.R., Recent Innovations in Undergraduate Civil Engineering Curriculums, Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Vol. 122, No.3, 123-133 (July 1996).5. Pessiki, S., Lu, L.W., and Yen, B.T., Experience with an Undergraduate Structural Engineering Laboratory, Page 11.476.8 Proceedings of the Structures Congress, ASCE, New York, 1369-1374 (1994).6. Belarbi, A., Behr, R.A., Karson, M.J., and Effland, G.E., Formal Assessment of the AN

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Howard, East Carolina University; Joseph Musto, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

pointing out that throughout the history of engineering, tools areoften used before they are fully understood; that is, innovations often lead to better theoreticalunderstanding rather than vice versa.Whatever the course content, a common goal of almost all freshman engineering courses is tomotivate the students. Often, engineering faculty interpret this goal as a need for design-buildexperiences, since the stereotypical engineering student likes “hands-on” activities. However,these freshman design/build projects can have the effect of rewarding students who come intocollege with good hands-on skills and discouraging other students. Dee and Livesay4 surveyedstudents who left engineering and asked them to select the type of courses they would most

Conference Session

ChE: Curriculum Reform & Assessment

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Turton, West Virginia University; Joseph Shaeiwitz, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

, organic, chemical processes attraditional chemical companies to batch production and product innovation at consumer and life-science oriented companies.5,6 Therefore, to remain relevant, most academics agree that biologyshould now be included as an enabling science, along with chemistry and physics. But whatother changes are needed? The starting point for any curriculum change is virtually the same in every department. Anexamination of the chemical engineering curriculum shows very little difference betweendepartments. The unified curriculum in chemical engineering, which has historically setchemical engineering apart from other engineering disciplines, may now be a weakness ratherthan a strength, which would suggest that it is time for a

Conference Session

Defining Technological Literacy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathryn Neeley, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Technological Literacy Constituent Committee

: Prerequisites for Building the Interdisciplinary Scholarly CommunityRequired to Achieve the Goals of What We Now Call “Technological Literacy” This problem of naming highlights a very important characteristic of the effort on whichwe are embarking. We are seeking to create something that has never existed before rather thanattempting to resurrect or recreate something that once existed but has somehow been lost. This Page 11.652.9effort will require both intellectual and organizational innovation, beginning within but spreadingbeyond the academic community. It will require the expertise of engineers, humanists and socialscientists, public

Conference Session

ChE: Experimental Design & Error Analysis

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

. Comparison of the results obtained from the two different scales reveals a significantdifference between the two average masses, although the repeatability is good as indicated by thelow values of standard deviation and SDOM. One innovative team performed a calibrationcheck on each scale using three 50 lb weights from the gymnasium, and determined that one ofthe scales was introducing a systematic error of about 2.8%. The team proposed a calibrationcorrection to account for the systematic error associated with the less accurate scale. Page 11.677.7AssignmentFinally, students are asked to select appropriate devices from a scientific catalog for

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University; Mariano Savelski, Rowan University; Robert Hesketh, Rowan University; C. Stewart Slater, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

received his B.S. from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. from the University of Delaware. After his Ph.D. he conducted research at the University of Cambridge, England, and joined the faculty at the University of Tulsa in 1996. Robert employs innovative methods such as cooperative learning and inductive teaching techniques in his classesC. Stewart Slater, Rowan University C. STEWART SLATER is Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Rowan University. He received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Prior to joining Rowan, he was Professor of Chemical Engineering at Manhattan College. Dr. Slater's research and teaching interests are in separation and

Conference Session

International Exchange/Joint Programs in Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Rowe, Sheffield Hallam University; Tim Mulroy, Sheffield Hallam University; Ian Robinson, Sheffield Hallam University; Boon Han Lye, Kolej Bandar Utama International College

Tagged Divisions

International

• The idea represents an academic challenge Page 11.607.8 • A strong innovator leads the process • A broad involvement and commitment of staff • Endorsement from the management • Combined top-down and bottom-up strategy • Consistence with institutional mission and policy • Continuous evaluations • Budget for development costs • Complementarity • Differences that impede • Personal relationshipsAll of these factors have contributed to the development of the two partnership arrangementsdescribed in this paper. A further two can be added beyond the enlightened self interest identifiedin the

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Clark Merkel, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; David Fisher, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

same less Assembly more same less programmingWorking with PICs more same lessWorking with PLCs more same less Working with more same less HandyBoardBibliography:1. Rockwell Automation, Web Page: “Pico Controllers” at http://www.ab.com/plclogic/pico/2. Petruzella, Frank D., “Programmable Logic Controllers”, 3rd Ed. publishe by McGraw-Hill.3. P.M. Wild, B.W. Surgenor, “An Innovative Mechatronics Course for a Traditional MechanicalEngineering Curriculum”, “Proceedings of the 1999 American Society for Engineering

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair Rowley, Wright State University; Kumar Yelamarthi, Wright State University; Thomas Bazzoli, Wright State University

where freshman students couldexperiment on their own, experience prototype frustrations and success, and have fun at the sametime. Construction of a bridge using K’NEX parts and testing it for loading capacity was foundto be a good project for this effort. Parts were readily available and inexpensive and could beassembled in multiple ways allowing for innovation during construction. Using the enrollmentregistration prior to the first class, students were randomly formed into teams of four. Teammembers were picked from the same lecture section. For the female students we tried to have atleast two on a team. The teams were given four days to build prototypes and test them before thecompetition. As an aid, the course web site provided details and