AC 2011-565: UNDERGRADUATE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS THATACHIEVE DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMESFiras Akasheh, Tuskegee University Dr. Akasheh is an Assistant Professor at the Mechanical Engineering Department at Tuskegee University. He joined in 2008.Denny C. Davis, Washington State University Dr. Davis is Professor of Bioengineering and Director of the Engineering Education Research Center at Washington State University. He has led numerous multidisciplinary research projects to enhance engi- neering education. He currently leads projects creating and testing assessments and curriculum materials for engineering design and professional skills, especially for use in capstone engineering design courses. He has been a Fellow
focused problem, question, or topic appropriate for the purpose of the task 2. Identify relevant knowledge and credible sources 3. Synthesize information and multiple viewpoints related to the problem, question, or topic 4. Apply appropriate research methods or theoretical framework to the problem, question, or topic 5. Formulate conclusions that are logically tied to inquiry findings and consider applications, limitations, and implications, and 6. Reflect on or evaluate what was learned.Toward improving these outcomes through LtW, ODU implemented two faculty initiatives: (1)Faculty Workshops designed to teach faculty the techniques identified as the best practices toteach and assess writing, and (2) Action Projects designed
has served or is serving on several national committees, currently the Board of Governors for the American Institute of Constructors (AIC), the Associated Schools of Construction Region 6 Director from 2006 to 2009, and the Educational Chair for the State Chapter of the National Association of Home Builders from 2003 to 2006. Knoll’s collaboration with the local and state chapters of AGC and NAHB are key to her program’s success. She coordinators the career internship program for the Department of Civil Engineering each summer. Knoll’s teaching interest lie in the area of construction project management; safety and overall leadership skills required for students to be successful in their careers.Dr. Ann Saterbak, Rice
techniques. The primary focus of his studies at OU has been in power systems, and he will be joining the ExxonMobil Corporation in Baton Rouge, La., upon graduation.Dr. Mark B. Yeary, University of Oklahoma Mark B. Yeary received the B.S. (honors), M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station, in 1992, 1994, and 1999, respectively. Following his graduation in 1999, he was a member of the DSP group and a lecturer with the Depart- ment of Electrical Engineering, TAMU, where he continued to lead a variety of industrially sponsored projects. Since Fall 2002, he has been with the University of Oklahoma (OU)’s School of Electrical and Computer
processing.A parser is used to process string input into a form that will be evaluated by a program which forthis project could be an array containing the tokens of interest4. The initial application for the useof a parser to this problem would be to define a grammar, which is a description of a language,that would match the Boolean theorems and replace them with the simplified input. The parsingapproach was attractive because grammars can be recursively defined, which would solve theproblem posed by a regular expression-based solution. This is an unusual use of a parser, since itis generally not the purpose of the parser to manipulate the data, but rather to put it into a formfor manipulation by some other part of the program4
Page 25.410.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Designing for Improved Success in First Year MathematicsIn responding to the need to improve retention in the first year of engineering, many institutionshave developed a range of academic support programs, including learning communities, peermentoring, summer bridge programs, tutoring and supplemental instructional workshops.1,2,3,4,5Other institutional efforts are aimed at curricular changes involving new approaches to teachingand learning, such as student-centered pedagogies and design projects in first-year engineeringcourses.6,7 However, students’ difficulties with first year mathematics courses remain awidespread and consistent barrier
number of scientific research papers to the various reputed peer review journals and conferences. He has strong experimental and computational background with more than 14 years of experience. He has funded projects from NASA, DOE, NNSA, NSF, and various small businesses supporting DoD, MDA, and NASA-related research. He serves as scientific reviewer for a number of national and international journals publications on nuclear science and engineering.Dr. M. Golam Faruk, Prairie View A&M University M. Golam Faruk* earned his M.S. degree in the Nuclear Engineering program from the University of Texas, Austin in 2000. He also earned another M.S. and a Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engi- neering (ECE) from
interests are STEM education with an emphasis on science, project-based learning, and engineering education. Page 25.474.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012Do High School Computer and AP Courses, and SAT Test Scores Help Students Choose STEM Majors In College? Page 25.474.2 AbstractA quantitative case study design was employed to investigate the relationships between students’computer and Advanced Placement (AP) course taking, SAT test scores, and their STEM majorselection. Study
tools that dwarf human abilities. Page 25.476.3 Moore’s law, which states that the number of transistors on a standard chip will double everytwo years, has held since 1970. It is, of course, a law in neither the political nor the scientificsense, but rather is a pattern of technological evolution, spurred by human ingenuity andcompetitive spirit. The human genome project, predicted to take 15 years to complete in 1990,was finished in only ten and the life-cycle of technology products gets shorter and shorter.McKibben talks about our moment in technological history as being at the “knee of the curve” ofexponential growth in technological
research projects totaling approximately $7 million in research expenditures. Jackson’s current research interests include image processing, embedded systems, sensor and sensor network development, VHDL hardware descrip- tion language, and programmable device technologies. Page 25.38.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 A Custom-PCB Design for Microcontroller EducationBackground and MotivationMuch time and effort has been spent attempting to discover the best approaches to the problemof microcontroller education. The methods and processes of teaching
program followed by enrollment in a summer schedule composed of CollegeAlgebra or Chemistry I, a kinesiology course, and a university experience course for a total offive to six hours of classes. During the six-week summer session, MAPS students learned aboutthe biofuel industry and developed engineering projects on biofuel topics. MAPS students werehoused in university dormitories and supervised by engineering student mentors and MAPSadministrators. Evenings were spent in study halls, mentored by university students. Additionalactivities included a high ropes challenge, cultural trips, community activities, and professionaldevelopment. Field trips to an industry research facility and biofuels plant allowed students tomake connections with
in the 1930s tomanage river flows and control flooding. When water levels on the Ohio river were projected toexceed 61 feet above at the Cairo, Illinois river gauge, the US Army Corp of Engineers(USACE) ordered the detonation of explosives that would intentionally flood farms in BirdsPoint-New Madrid Floodway, but spare Cairo from sure destruction. The induced breach andflooding of the 53,824 ha of Missouri farmland resulted in the loss of 2011 crops (i.e., wheat,corn and soybeans) and caused damage to future soil productivity [9]. While the floodway was originally constructed in 1928, it had never been activated until2008, despite earlier extreme flood events. Taken in isolation, the floodway decision faced bythe USACE in 2011 has
impact of student learning on the following class are-as: Class assignments, homework, quizzes and exams. Variances between the cohorts were as-sessed as part of the second and third semester exams. Two years of results enabling longitudinalcomparison are now possible. This research project has yielded data in a field that has not beenpreviously explored within the associated demographic environment. The complete analysis on thecomprehension and student perceived value have been analyzed and very interesting results thathave been obtain here within this paper.INTRODUCTION Throughout history there have been many attempts to incorporate different technologies in theclassroom.1 Some of these technologies have seen more success than others when
20 20 2. Attendance and class 10 10 participation 30 25 3. Mid-term examination 40 30 4.Final Examination 15 5. Case studies 100 100 Total Page 25.193.13Table 2: Suggested linkage of ethics related topics to various coursesCourse title Ethics related topicsConstruction Planning and Project Public opinion, whistle blowingimplementation
Mills suggested four categories that seemed to identify most students’ learningbehavior. The author has previously worked on a similar project and has presented hisinitial findings in a paper entitled “Assessment of Perceptual Modality Styles” at the2007 ASEE National Conference at Honolulu, Hawaii. In this, follow-up presentationhe presents his latest findings and compares them with the data he had procuredpreviously. Hunter R. Boylan is the Chairperson for American Council ofDevelopmental Education Associations. In his book, What Works: Research-BasedBest Practices in Developmental Education, Dr. Boylan gives tips for accommodatingdiversity through instruction. His tips are to train faculty in alternative forms ofinstruction if they are
. Thomas after having served as the Founding Dean. He holds a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering and an M.B.A. With a background of more than 20 years in industry, Bennett teaches and publishes on diverse topics including materials engineering, technical innovation, technology transfer, manufacturing, leadership, and engineering education. He is an EAC of ABET Commissioner for SME and leads the SME Center for Education.Dr. Hugh Jack P.Eng., Grand Valley State University Hugh Jack is a professor of product design and manufacturing engineering at Grand Valley State Univer- sity in Grand Rapids, Mich. His specialties include automation, design projects, and internet application development.Steve Wendel, Sinclair Community
designed toexpose high school students and their teachers to both the technical applications and social implicationsof cyber-related activities. This integrated approach to teaching strives to educate new scholars whounderstand not only the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) but also thepolitical, social, historical, ethical, and legal aspects of this evolving discipline. K12 teachers attendprofessional development workshops throughout the year. The workshops help the teacher prepare forthe week long residential camp during the summer that both the teachers and student attend.Results of the project will be included, as well as activities developed such as: historical/policy essaycompetitions, cryptographic treasure hunt, and
. Initiallythe teaching methods included lectures, discussions, videos, exams, and written projects(Loendorf6, 2004). Over time the teaching methods have been expanded to include recreatedartifacts (Loendorf & Geyer9, 2008), demonstrations (Loendorf & Geyer10, 2009), othercollections of technologies (Loendorf & Geyer11, 2010), and innovative visual content(Loendorf8, 2011).An additional teaching method was incorporated right from the very beginnings of the course butwas so tightly integrated into the course that it was almost overlooked. That method wasstorytelling. Stories with a historical perspective as well as personal experiences abouttechnology are intertwined throughout the entire course. These stories, in many ways, help thestudent
UGTAs to a paidexperience with built-in oversight and deliberate efforts to improve teaching, learning, and skilldevelopment. The program has become increasingly institutionalized within the Ira A. FultonSchools of Engineering, and visibility of the program increases with each semester.UGTAs are sophomore and upper-division undergraduate students in good academic standingwho spend about three to five hours each week working with an engineering class. UGTAs meetwith their faculty instructor to prepare for activities, assist their faculty in facilitating classroomactive learning projects, and may hold office hours or review sessions throughout the semester.Through their presence in the classroom, UGTAs
community are aware of uranium in the ground water, as the area has beenplagued with water quality problems. This legacy cycle will give the students information needto become informed citizens.Summer ResearchWith a summer experience at Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s Research Experience forTeachers (RET) project, the teacher conducted research on baseline water quality prior to in siturecovery (ISR) mining for uranium. This research was instrumental to the understanding ofwater quality in our community, both personally and professionally. The teacher moved to anarea that has been riddled with ground water quality and uranium mining controversy. Prior tothis research, the teacher knew nothing of the importance water quality. The teacher was
. It provides avisual aid for students to solve problems and it is able to guide (tutor) them through the processof solving a truss design by providing immediate and intelligent feedback and guidance.The objective of this project is to evaluate and improve on the Mechanix program whilemeasuring its effectiveness for student learning. This will be done through both quantitative andqualitative means with freshmen students at Texas A&M University. An experiment will analyze Page 23.894.2the effects of Mechanix on both short-term impact and longer-term retention measured throughhomework assignments, exam questions and pre/post concept
by contributing to ongoing faculty research projects or pursuing anindependent research topic. More than 555 participants have completed the USRG program sincethe summer of 2000.The objectives of the program are to: 1) provide immersive research experience(s) forengineering undergraduates; 2) increase participant’s interest in pursuing graduate studies withan emphasis on the Ph.D. program; 3) increase participant’s awareness of the graduate schoolexperience; 4) provide an outlet to enhance participant’s writing and communications skills; 5)increase participant’s understanding of the graduate school application process for admissionsand fellowships; and subsequently, 6) position participants to be more competitive for graduateadmissions and
, educational researchers and college instructors have been exploring newmethods for using technology to enhance the learning process. The level of use varies byinstructor and institution.Georgia Tech began the Classroom 2000 project in the 1990s, with the intention of investigatingdiverse approaches for incorporating technology in the classroom.1 This project continues todayunder the revised name, eClass.2 Classroom 2000/eClass was designed to investigate the ideathat students are able to devote more attention to content when they do not need to focus oncopying notes. Other schools, even high schools, have selected to adopt specific technologies,such as the tablet PCs for widespread instructional use. For example, secondary school districtsin Ontario
lecturing and alternative instructionalmethods including cooperative learning and activity-based class sessions were an integral part ofthe success in IMPEC and have been integrated into the new course. The goals of providing mo-tivation and context for the fundamental material taught in the first-year mathematics and sciencecourses, a realistic and positive orientation to the engineering profession, and the training inproblem solving were also brought into the new course from IMPEC. ECE292D served as themodel for the hands-on, team-based problem solving and design projects and E123 provided themodel for integrating disciplinary writing and speaking
chairs the student’s dissertation and oral examcommittees. At best, an advisor is a confidant, mentor, sponsor and major advocate in thedepartment now and later in the student’s career. The advisor can be the launching pad for thestudent’s career by providing the opportunity to work on well-funded projects, by introducing thestudent to contacts and influential people in the field and by providing opportunities to exercisethe student’s skills outside of the university. Ideally, the relationship between the student and heradvisor will progress during her time in graduate school from that of teacher and researchdirector to that of mentor and professional colleague.(Note: When applying to graduate school at a particular university, the student
language of continuing utility, but withoutthe complications of variable typing and declarations. Early laboratory experiences includeprogramming loops to cause stepper motors to move a flag, control through photocell feedback,and measuring acoustic velocity and distance by appropriately thresholding a reflected acousticsignal. As a final project, students write a program to control the movement of an ultrasonicsensor to image a metal target encased in an opaque gelatin package.1. IntroductionSince computation is ubiquitous in engineering practice, a freshman course in computation orcomputer programming is a feature of most engineering curricula. These courses are often lessthan satisfactory for both the students and the instructor. While contact
(frames/sec) Brute force MATLAB 0.8 Vectorized MATLAB 3.3 DSK Hardware 15.0Now that the system has been built, it will be used in a number of courses during the next year atboth the Naval and Air Force Academies. Once the students become familiar this sonardevelopment system in a course such as Advanced DSP, it will make an excellent springboard forstudents to develop more advanced projects for their Senior Design projects (with hopefully agreater success rate). We believe this approach to teaching DSP applications will develop betterstudent skills in MATLAB, C, C++, algorithm development
students who begin theirengineering studies at Georgia Southern transfer to neighboring states to earn degrees at schools suchas Clemson (South Carolina), Auburn (Alabama), Florida State, and The University of Tennessee.When the current research project began, data was available only in the form of hard copy. Thisresearcher first accessed data on students enrolled from Fall 1990 to Fall 1998 — data that had beencollected and stored in databases developed within the institution. In 1998, the Board of Regents(BoR) of the University System of Georgia required most of the state’s public institutions to convert to aUniversity-System-wide data gathering and storage system. The “Banner” system was implementedmore or less statewide in 1998. Institutions
English class I probably wouldn’t havenoticed this in the [Engineering 170] presentations, but when [“Jay”], when they were doingtheir presentation. First they started off with some audience. Did you notice that, too? And thenhe got off and he like addressed us like we were students. I was like, Uh, I don’t think you’resupposed to do that” (Bruce, December 6, 2000).One focus group participant also offered the faculty a suggestion for making an improvementwith the linked classes:“You just need to [get] a little bit better organized, so we’re not doing the same project for eachclass at the same time. I mean, for a little while there…I was getting my two groups mixed up. Itwasn’t too bad, but if we could set them apart a little better, so we’re not
and to overcome some of the challenges of single-chip designs. It will showmethods that will allow the students greater insight into real-time operation of their assembly andC programs in the final product configuration. Specifically, the M68HC912B32 microcontrolleris covered. Tools covered include evaluation boards used as BDM pods and targets, a source-level BDM debugging system, and the HP54645D Mixed-Signal Oscilloscopes.IntroductionThe use of microcontrollers in academic laboratories is increasing in many different disciplinessuch as engineering, engineering technology, and the sciences. The application ofmicrocontrollers in the lab is well documented. This is especially true for student senior andresearch projects, which tend to require