Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

James . McDonald

time the capstone course was offered. It is afour credit-hour course lasting twelve weeks, and eight students were enrolled for the Summer1998 term. Students worked in groups of two, and completion of the project described hereinalong with appropriate written and oral reporting as the term progressed were the solerequirements of the course.Student BackgroundThe Computer Engineering curriculum puts a strong emphasis on microcontrollers and embeddedsystems, with a required three-course sequence in these areas leading up to the capstone course: 1. ECE 374 Microcomputers I gives an introduction to microcontrollers, including assembly-language programming, software design, and some interfacing. It covers Chapters 1 through 6 and parts

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1999 Annual Conference

Authors

William Durfee

engineering schools have realized the need for a new model of design education whichstresses not only technical competence, but also provides training in communication, managementand the complete product design cycle, as well as a number of practical, creative designexperiences. Many schools have implemented new courses and programs which include theseexperiences. Large state universities, however, have specific characteristics which require specialattention. These include: (1) large numbers of students, (2) students entering with a wide diversityof backgrounds, abilities, ages and learning styles, and (3) large numbers of transfer studentscoming from public two-year community colleges and four-year non-specialty colleges. Programsthat work in small

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Martin Bowe; Daniel Jensen

working on a reverse engineering /redesign project. During this half of the semester, 75% of the lectures now have asignificant hands-on component. The primary purpose of this paper is to report on theeffectiveness of this hands-on content. In addition, we will provide an overview of thedivision of the course into redesign and original design sections. The primaryassessment tool being used is a survey which students fill out after each lecture. Eachstudent survey took approximately a minute to complete and was designed todifferentiate between four things: 1) student’s interest in that lecture’s subject matter, 2)that day’s learning experience, 3) their ability to apply material covered that day and 4)their interest in exploring that lecture’s

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

John C. Duke; Jack Lesko; Flynn L. Auchey; Siegfried M. Holzer

experiences into the engineering mechanics-staticscourse have been developed and scaled in an effort to bring these experiences to all sections ofengineering Statics taught at Virginia Tech. During the fall of 1997 a set of experiments weredeveloped to assist in the comprehension of mechanics of statics principles by providingconcrete experiences. Hands-on-exercises were developed to support the concepts of forcecomponents, vectors, free body diagrams, moments, two and multi-force members, plane trusses,frames and machines, and internal forces and moments in beams.Introduction“Engineering is a fundamental human process” 1. One has only to watch a child conceive asolution to reaching a treat initially placed out of reach to support Petroski’s claim

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

S. Kant Vajpayee

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Phillip Farrington; Mel Adams; Mary Spann; Dawn R. Utley

Session number: 2242 ASSESSING THE TRAINING OF TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS MOVING INTO MANAGEMENT Dawn R. Utley, Mel Adams, Mary S. Spann, Phillip A. Farrington University of Alabama in HuntsvilleIntroduction Even undergraduate engineering students want to become managers. In fact,statistics indicate that the career aspirations of 50% of all engineering students includemoving into a management position within 5 years of their graduation 1. Moving from atechnical professional to a tech-manager requires a different skills set. Technicalprofessionals are required to be task-centered specialists while managers are asked to

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Heidi Diefes; William LeBold; William Oakes

makeacademic, career, and personal decisions. Assessment data is presented on the relativestrengths and weaknesses of the various programs.I. IntroductionAcademic advisement has consistently been criticized as one of the weakest services providedin higher education and engineering education:“...advisement is one of the weakest links in higher education.”1“...academic advising is scandalously poor in higher education...advising of engineeringstudents is worse than most.”2“...quality of counseling, academic counseling and career guidance were rated the lowest of 30undergraduate factors evaluated.”3To improve its advising efforts, the Department of Freshman Engineering at Purdue Universityhas developed a suite of courses and services to meet the diverse

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Sung Kim; Kevin Logeais

at the point of work isonly one parameter that can effect this grinding equation. Other parameters that can be adjustedare the wheel diameter, wheel speed, wheel composition, and workpiece-wheel speed ratio.Improvements in these other parameters will generate even more heat at the point of work,making the coolant delivery system even more critical.1. IntroductionTo design and implement a high-pressure coolant delivery system is more efficient to aid inmaking a step drill grinding process. To produce the pilot section of a step drill is work relatedand pertinent to a grinding process. In aircraft skins and stringers, step drills are used to createhighly accurate holes that are for the fasteners or rivets that hold the aircraft skin to the

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Josue Njock-Libii

variety of purposes in engineering courses. These include theformulation and illustration of natural and empirical laws, curve fitting using linear regression,linear interpolation of data, and the modeling of a variety of behaviors over short intervals.Accordingly, different features are emphasized for different purposes.Four features of the straight line that are commonly encountered are the following:1)A line that is uniquely defined by two distinct points through which it passes.2)A line that is uniquely defined by specifying one point through which it passes and a direction.3)A line that has zero curvature everywhere along its length.• On sabbatical leave from Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815-1499

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Clark Colton; Bonnie D. Burrell

Session NO. 2642 How to Initiate Dialogue in Student Research Teams Bonnie D. Burrell and Clark K. Colton Department of Chemical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139AbstractIn the process of integrating teambuilding training into a chemical engineering projectslaboratory, we concluded that a pedagogical tool was needed to move the student teams throughthe early team life cycle and communication stages in order to create the needed trust to begineffective communication. The tool we developed consists of two parts: (1) an

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

W. Benard Carlson; Takeo Higuchi

developing creative ideas.Hence, I was delighted in 1997 to learn about a set of techniques for keeping a creative notebookdeveloped by Takeo Higuchi, a technical manager at the Mitsui & Company in Japan. Higuchibegan developing his notebook system in 1984 and has been modifying it continuously sincethen. While the notebook is at the center of his system, he has recently begun to experiment withusing a Sony pocket voice recorder to help capture ideas. Higuchi calls it the Idea MarathonSystem (IMS) because he sees life as a marathon race in which we must be continuously learnand create new ideas.At first glance, the principles of IMS may seem deceptively simple: 1. Keep a notebook for your creative ideas. Treat it as your special

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1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Rafiq Noorani; Omar Es-Said; Boris Fritz; Anthony Barrata

various technologies and their integration intoa product development process. The result of testing of the prototype samples provides neworientation for making stronger prototypes.1. INTRODUCTIONEngineering design and manufacturing have long been recognized as the most critical coreactivities of the industrial product development process [1]. A number of evolutionary changeshave taken place over the past couple of decades in the areas of both design and manufacturing.Current methods in product development involve an integrated approach in which design,analysis and optimization, prototyping and testing are all integrated [2].The new methodology of integrated product development delivers a single, comprehensivebenefit. It enables us to create the

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1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Stanley J. Pisarski

themeasurements and calculations performed on the circuits, closely mirrors the topics covered inthe lecture sections. PSpice is the main software package that is used in this course 1. Sincemany authors have integrated PSpice into their text books and provided examples, it seemsnatural to use the software to solve both easy and complex problems.The students begin by hand-coding various simple circuit configurations into PSpice circuit fileformat. A text editor is used to enter the program and PSpice is invoked to simulate the results.Mixed reactions evolve from the students. Some students feel the exercise is simply additionalwork while others realize the real power behind using software simulators lies not only in theirability to solve simple circuit

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Sima Parisay

. The course was upgraded in two directions: (1)implementation of a classroom (course) assessment portfolio, and (2) implementation of webtechnology. Details of the assignments and tests, used as pedagogical tools in this course, areexplained. The collection of these assignments and tests in a self-assessed andnonselective/working portfolio are described. The second direction for upgrading the course wasutilizing Web-based tools as another computer-based instructional tool. As the first step in thisdirection, part of the information for this course was provided on the Internet, as well as utilizinga threaded message board. The concerns in design of web pages are explained. Instructor’sperception is that the upgrading directions for this course

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1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Michael McGeen; Larry Groser; J. Michael Hassler; Douglas C. Stahl; Craig Capano

by FedEx is being done in, as they say, real time.”1 This idea Page 4.295.1has been implemented to various levels of sophistication as “project-specific web sites.” Facultyand students of the Architectural Engineering and Building Construction Department atMilwaukee School of Engineering are implementing this technology into the students’ capstonedesign projects. This paper describes the rationale for the project and reports initial progress.As with all industries, the construction industry is feeling growing pains as it figures out howbest to use the Web. The term “project-specific web site” (PSWS) was apparently first used in1994 by Framework

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1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Deborah K. van Alphen; Sharlene Katz

; and • a source for further satellite-oriented student projects.In the body of the paper we will discuss: • the decision to use amateur radio satellites and equipment; • front-end design choices and trade-offs; • amateur radio satellites; • equipment selection for the project; and • other uses for the resulting earth station.II. The Decision to Use Amateur RadioOur goals in initiating this project were to (1) provide a high-interest level communicationsystem design experience in the field of satellite communications and (2) develop a system withtransmission capability as well as reception. Due to the plethora of satellite communicationsystems currently under development or in service (Odyssey, Iridium, Teledesic, etc.), and

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Timothy Robert Wyatt; Pedro Arduino; Emir Jose Macari

allows visualization of relevant features ofthe problem under study. It has been implemented in the C programming language and makesuse of the OpenGL graphical library. The current version runs on 32-bit Windows platforms.The virtual geotechnical laboratory, shown in Figure 1, consists of a conventional triaxial testingdevice containing a cylindrical soil specimen, and a blackboard to record lab data. The testdevice is typically used to consolidate the soil specimen under a given level of confinement.The soil is then sheared under the application of an axial load, using either drained or undrainedconditions. Soil response is monitored with the aid of electronic instrumentation such as loadcells, linear variable differential transducers (LVDTs

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1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Brian Hajak

with copies of Nuclear News for each of the three months of the course, andalso provides the students with copies for the next nine months. In addition, students areencouraged to bring articles from current magazines and newspapers to class where we applywhat we’ve learned to what the reporters are telling us. It’s important to note here thatdigression is a critical part of this course.Ron Knief’s textbook 1 is used as the primary text. Even though it doesn’t cover the breadth ofthe industry, applications covered include discussions of issues and questions often raised inthe public and political arenas, just the kind of questions students are drawn to, and thetechnical understanding of which are important for nuclear applications to have a

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

J. Bredeson; M. E. Parten

objectives and assessment process that we have settled on are presented.IntroductionThe Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is recognized in theUnited States as the sole agency responsible for accreditation of educational programsleading to degrees in engineering. To be considered for accreditation, engineering programsmust prepare graduates for the practice of engineering at a professional level.The major changes in ABET 2000 from previous ABET requirements is contained in theBasic Level Accreditation Criteria1, specifically the first 3 criterion, which are given below Criterion 1. Students The quality and performance of the students and graduates is an important consideration in the evaluation of an engineering

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

William B. Perry; Victor Barocas; David E. Clough

GEEN 1300 and CHEN 4580. Each module introduces aproblem relating to material in the course, which must be solved using programming andcomputational methods. Listed below are the six sophomore- and junior-level courses in whichprogramming modules have been implemented: Year Semester Course(s) Sophomore Fall CHEN 2120 Material and Energy Balances Sophomore Spring CHEN 3200 Chemical Engineering Principles 1 (Fluid Mechanics) Junior Fall CHEN 3210 Chemical Engineering Principles 2 (Heat Transfer) CHEN 3838 Applied Data Analysis Junior Spring

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Lisa Bogaty

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Raymond B. Landis

: • They do not feel they have adequate information and background to be effective in guiding their students toward engineering as a field of study and as a career choice. • They view their lack of effectiveness in engineering guidance as a problem. Page 4.301.1 • They would welcome a solution to this problem. 1999 ASEE Annual Conference ProceedingsThe author’s solution was to offer a modified version of Cal State L.A.’s ENGR 100, Introductionto Engineering course. The modified course was designed to accomplish three objectives:1. Increase participants’ awareness of engineering as a career opportunity for their students.2

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1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert L. Green

thatinvolves the use of actual marketing proposals submitted by civil/construction engineering firmsas a part of a competitive selection process for a project can provide an opportunity for studentsto learn and to apply marketing principles. If properly developed this exercise will also benefitthe engineering students in the following areas:1. Students learn teamwork by working together in a small group to prepare their student "firm" presentation.2. Students learn to use usual aids, especially computer generated slides, as an integral part of their presentations.3. Students learn to make an oral presentation that combines an engineering approach to a project/problem with a marketing strategy to be competitively selected for that project.4

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

R. J. Helgeson; Douglas Sterrett

lecture and discussion. The students then use the remaining timeworking on computer assignments and/or team project work, with the instructor basically servingas a consultant.Throughout the semester the following 5-step design process is introduced, explained, reiterated,and its use strongly encouraged: 1. Define the problem 2. Gather pertinent information 3. Generate multiple solutions 4. Analyze each solution and select one 5. Test, refine, and implement the solution selectedEach team is graded, with all of its members receiving the same grade. The team project gradewas comprised of a score from each of these components

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Milin Shah; Guoqing Tang; Bala Ram

application topic through the use of text,audio and video in a multimedia software application. In addition, through two computerlabs, students have the opportunity to explore and discover important aspects of the topic,and gain hands-on experience. As one of the four groups, this team of three authors ischarged to develop one module for Calculus I, and one for Calculus III, and to design twocomputer labs for each module.This project is a logical continuation of resources developed through recent pilot studies, Page 4.304.2such as “Early Design Experiences” [1], “Introducing Biology into EngineeringCurricula” [2], “IMPEC: An Integrated First-Year Engineering

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Erdogan Sener

objectives/skills foreseen by ABET, the skills list given belowwas distributed to each IAB member. The IAB members were then asked to rank these skillsfrom 1 to 11 since there were 11 requisite skills. Despite several written correspondences andphone calls, it was not possible to get a ranking from all the members. In the end, however, itwas possible to get a response from more than half (14 responses altogether) on which theanalysis to be described in this paper was based. ABET list of skills:a. Demonstrate an appropriate mastery of the knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools of their disciplines.b. Apply current knowledge and adapt to emerging applications in mathematics, science, engineering and technologyc. Conduct, analyze and

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Frank Cheng; Daniel M. Chen

changes. This procedure integrates concepts, tools, and methods offast product design, manufacturing process planning, and plant floor/cell control support 1. Amongthe important technologies for implementing this solution is simulation 2. Companies such asGeneral Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have used simulation technology to lower the costs andshorten the product development life cycle. Their practice demonstrates that current simulationpackages are capable of providing an interactive and accurate virtual environment with whichdesigners can model and evaluate designed products and processes for low cost and reliablesolutions, and without delaying production time and risking equipment damage 2,3,4,5.Currently, in automotive industries the high

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Enno 'Ed' Koehn

engineering program criteria have been considered in a specific curriculum.In particular, the findings suggest that both undergraduate and graduate students believe that 4areas have been incorporated into the civil (construction) engineering program at a high level.These include: mathematics through calculus and differential equations, structural engineering,major design experience or course, and geotechnical engineering. In addition, 1 area,construction management, has been rated at a high level by graduate students.I. IntroductionOver the years there have been recommendations from employers and various technical andprofessional organizations to revise the engineering curriculum to ensure that students areprepared for the professional practice of

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Craig Johnson

assessment. Periodic assessment of company reports and individual journalsencourage the student to improve themselves.IntroductionThere are two issues concerning assessment that engineering educators should address: 1)usingassessment as a process to improve Engineering Technology (ET) programs, and 2)developingtechnical assessment skills in students. The first issue is current and relevant to TAC-ABETprogram criteria. The second issue is less visible, but student assessment skills can also berelated to TAC-ABET as well as industry criteria.Assessment can be applied to both processes and products. Education, for example, is a process.As educators, one of our jobs is to assure and improve the quality of that process. As engineers,we have tools to do

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert A. Johnson; J. Shawn Addington

feedback process.IntroductionThe transition to ABET Criteria 2000 denotes a shift from the traditional quantitative analysis ofan engineering program’s curriculum (sometimes referred to as “bean-counting”) towards a moreoutcome-based evaluation procedure. Thus, as engineering programs around the country preparefor their first accreditation under the new guidelines, the development of an effective assessmentmechanism is becoming an increasingly vital concern.1-7The nature of Criteria 2000 provides each engineering program with the flexibility it needs inorder to develop and maintain a quality curriculum, regardless of the constraints or limitations ofits environment, i.e. whether it operates within a doctoral-granting university or a