Conference Session

FPD6 - First Year Curricula Development

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana; Richard Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana; Eric Sprouls, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students to a systematic, engineering problem solvingmethod. Problems have been selected to preview many of the engineering courses that thestudents will take as sophomores, including statics and circuits. Additionally students learncomputer applications EXCEL, MATLAB and VISUAL BASIC. Finally, Introduction toDesign, taken during their second semester, has been developed to include two parallel paths.The first path focuses on learning how to solve open-ended design projects while working inteams. These projects vary from semester to semester, but normally consist of a mechanicalfocus, a civil focus, and an electrical engineering focus Î which exposes students to the threeareas of concentration that they must decide upon in their sophomore year

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Shantanu Bhattacharya; Jordan M. Berg; Darryl James

, familiar phenomena such as fluidmixing behave counter to the intuition developed by students in a standard engineeringcurriculum. We present a laboratory project designed to stress this point to students taking a first-year graduate introduction to microsystems. The pilot group found the results surprising andcounter-intuitive. It appears that the project was instrumental in clarifying key concepts inmicrofluidics. IntroductionAfter several decades in which microsystems research mainly addressed electromechanicalsystems [1], the focus has begun to shift to fluidic systems. This shift is driven primarily bypotential application of microsystems to chemistry, biology and medicine [2]. An introductorycourse in

Conference Session

Integrating Design into the BME Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristine Csavina, Florida Gulf Coast University; James Sweeney, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

. Page 14.822.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Jumpstarting the Capstone Experience Through a Bioengineering Product Design CourseIntroductionFaculty at Florida Gulf Coast University have developed Bioengineering Product Design (BME4800C) specifically to introduce concepts and skills in bioengineering product design in thesemester prior to our capstone experience – thus, jumpstarting students into their senior designprojects. Our intent has been to use a reverse engineering, semester-long project to familiarizestudents with FDA regulations, intellectual property issues, and design with SolidWorks, amongother topics, in their junior year so more attention can be paid to the design

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Holden, California Maritime Academy

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

AC 2009-1016: THE UBIQUITOUS MICROCONTROLLER IN MECHANICALENGINEERINGMichael Holden, California Maritime Academy Michael Holden is an assistant professor at the California Maritime Academy, a specialized campus of the California State University. He teaches instrumentation and controls. Professor Holden also works as an engineer in the autonomous vehicle field. Page 14.1258.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 The Ubiquitous Microcontroller in Mechanical EngineeringIntroductionThis paper will describe a project aimed at integrating the teaching of microcontroller skills inseveral classes

Conference Session

Engineering Collaboration: Faculty and Student Involvement in K-12 Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Eschenbach, Humboldt State University; Mary Virnoche, Humboldt State University; Lonny Grafman, Humboldt State University; Forrest Stamper, Hoopa Valley High School; Laura Atkins, Humboldt State University; Rebecca Raymond, Humboldt State University; Katie Mills, Humboldt State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

diversity of engineering students and improving education for all engineering students. Two of Beth’s current projects are an NSF sponsored S-STEM grant and the project described in this paper.Mary Virnoche, Humboldt State University Mary Virnoche is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Humboldt State University. Mary collaborates with colleagues in STEM areas to increase interest and diversity in those fields. She is currently working with a team on an NSF S-STEM project. In recent past her action research focused on the Expanding Your Horizons conference designed to generate and retain girls' interest in science and engineering. Mary completed her doctoral work at

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bijan Sepahpour, The College of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

areunaware of its existence and its associated possibilities in the research, development, andapplication areas. This paper provides two practical and interesting examples of applications ofMEMS. The first one discusses the “Design of a Two-Stage Accelerometer for AutomobileAirbags” and the second focuses on the “Design of a Micro-Actuator” that triggers/closes aMEMS Circuit when a change in temperature of T occurs. These projects have been designedfor sophomore level students. Pedagogical measures have been taken for their realisticeffectiveness (nation-wide). Therefore, the framework of the projects has been set at a levelthat sophomores may succeed in understanding them and developing interest in MEMS. Theirimagination will also be challenged. A

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Freudenthal, University of Texas, El Paso; Mary Kay Roy, University of Texas, El Paso; Alexandria Ogrey, University of Texas, El Paso; Ann Gates, University of Texas, El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

plan at UTEP (“CS-1”), a large fraction of incoming freshmen mustattend several semesters of preparatory “pre calculus” math courses. Most of these students willhave limited if any prior exposure to programming or engineering. The initial implementation ofour course was intended solely to provide an engaging first experience with programming, andfollowed Mark Guzdial’s “Media Computation” curriculum. Dr. Guzdial’s curriculum hassuccessfully engaged Liberal Arts students in programming through the creation of aestheticallymotivated multimedia projects. Attendees in pre-engineering and pre-professional programsreported lack of interest in these aesthetically- focused projects and requested more practicalprojects and assignments. The course has

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Moore, Petroleum Institute; lana El Chaar, Petroleum Institute; Lisa Lamont, Petroleum Institute

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2009-1197: PRACTICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN COURSES: A BAROMETERFOR THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF FEMALE EMIRATI ENGINEERINGUNDEGRADUATES?David Moore, Petroleum Institutelana El Chaar, Petroleum InstituteLisa Lamont, Petroleum Institute Page 14.963.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009Practical Engineering Design Projects: A Barometer for Future Success of EmiratiFemale Engineering Undergraduates?The Petroleum Institute is a fledgling engineering university located in Abu Dhabi in theUnited Arab Emirates. Set up in 2001by ADNOC (one of the richest oil companies in theworld), and managed by Colorado School of Mines (one of the most celebratedengineering colleges in

Conference Session

Trends in Construction Engineering Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gouranga Banik, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Construction

buildingconstruction is for the formwork (ACI 347 report). The collapse of a temporary structure duringconstruction involves a high risk of serious injuries, deaths and substantial property loss. A clearunderstanding of the design and construction of temporary structures is a critical function notonly for the designers but also for developers, contractors, suppliers of construction equipment,inspectors and all users of temporary structures. These temporary structures may pose substantialchallenges for the contractors since the projects design professionals rarely mention them in theproject documents. The lack of clear design, plan and specifications for these structures leaves alarge number of choices open to the contractor. Since no typical plan and

Conference Session

Freshman Experience in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harry Franz, University of Houston, Downtown; Recayi 'Reg' Pecen

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

complete agroup project using various software packages. The focus of this paper is on the teachingtechniques and the subjects presented in the course. The varied topic choices for the studentproject work are also discussed.Many engineering and technology programs have added and deleted a first year course thatpresents the fundamentals of engineering and technology. This type of course is usually addedwhen the students entering an engineering technology program are found to lack the necessarypreparation for the program courses. On the other hand, this type of fundamentals course is oftendeleted when programs are streamlined to reduce the total number of required program credits.Learning strategies and teaching methods used in the fundamentals

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Education Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katie Cadwell, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Greta Zenner, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Naomi Chesler, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Wendy Crone, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

, successfuldesigners require proficiency in an auxiliary set of skills related to the design process. We havecreated professional development training materials on topics associated with auxiliary designskills for students within this design course series. Topics include working in teams, interactingwith clients, presentation skills, design ethics and regulations, and global design. The trainingmaterials consist of an online video archive of experts speaking on such topics and associatedactive learning exercises. Using online, pre-recorded expert lectures makes class time availablefor conducting the active learning exercises, including working on design projects. The trainingcontent is modular, allowing small or large portions to be incorporated in a range of

Conference Session

Sustainable-energy Education: Lessons Learned

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Bass, Oregon Institute of Technology; Thomas White, Oregon Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

AC 2009-689: CURRICULUM CHANGES RESULTING IN A NEW B.S. INRENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERINGRobert Bass, Oregon Institute of Technology Dr. Robert Bass is an assistant professor at the Oregon Institute of Technology, where he directs the Renewable Energy Engineering bachelors degree program (BSREE), the first engineering program of its kind in North America. He is also a member of the Oregon Renewable Energy Center, OREC, where he participates in undergraduate research projects concerning microhydro power generation, solar thermal absorption chillers and electrochemical production of hydrogen. In addition to running the BSREE program, Dr. Bass also specializes in teaching courses in

Conference Session

Instrumentation and Measurement Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farid Farahmand; Leela Mohan Kesireddy, Central Connecticut State University; Mark Lynch, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

their hardware/softwaredesign issues. As a result, these students will be in disadvantageous position in thecurrent competitive job market.In this project we introduce an introductory multi-disciplinary-based laboratoryexperiment, which provides basic theoretical knowledge about various types of sensingdevices. The laboratory experiment and related lectures are primarily for studentsenrolled in different undergraduate science (biology, physics, bio molecular, etc.),engineering, and technology courses possibly with limited background in electronics. Theproposed experiment can be utilized as an add-on component to courses with laboratoryactivities covering physical computing, instrumentations, computer-based measurementtechnology, or related

Conference Session

Integrating Math, Science, & Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Pennell, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Peter Avitabile, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; John White, University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

of inputs5.The Laplace Transform is another topic that is viewed quite differently by mathematicians andengineers. When introduced in a differential equations course, the Laplace Transform is usuallyregarded as a tool for solving linear, constant-coefficient differential equations. Since there areeasier ways to solve this class of equations, students are often left wondering why anyone woulduse the transform method. When the Laplace Transform is approached from the engineeringpoint of view, however, its utility is more apparent.The authors of this paper (a mathematician and two engineers) are collaborating on a programwhose goal is to develop interdisciplinary, multisemester projects designed to improve students’learning of basic STEM

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Division Technical Session 10

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Miller, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

eitherlanguage. Many students struggled with understanding the C programming language. They alsostruggled to switch to the lower-level of abstraction when assembly programming wasintroduced. Since the instruction set was introduced in the latter portion of the course, it alignedwith the more complex projects, which made these projects particularly tedious since they had tobe implemented in assembly.To address these issues, the outline of the course was modified to begin with an introduction tothe instruction set architecture (ISA) and assembly programming, and later introduceprogramming in C. There were several intended benefits to this switch. By starting with theISA, students would have a better understanding of data storage on the device and how

Conference Session

Writing and Communication

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Necia Werner, Carnegie Mellon University; Suguru Ishizaki, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

of a single course. It’s a bit likeinvestigating dark matter; one can hypothesize without seeing it that it exists because of radiationsignals observed when particles collide, but not really understand what it’s composed of or howit holds galaxies in the universe together. Our goal in this project is to provide student writerswith a means to jumpstart their understanding of writing as compositional decision-making byequipping them with the means to quickly, and literally, “see” their composing decisions.To help students notice and reflect on composition decisions in their writing, our team of writingresearchers, educators, and statisticians is piloting use of a suite of computer-aided learning toolsfor corpus-based text analysis in core

Conference Session

Community Engagement Division Technical Session 5

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica N. Jones, University of Florida; Tiffanie R. Smith, University of Florida; Naja A. Mack, University of Florida; Imani Sherman, University of Florida; Juan E. Gilbert, University of Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Community Engagement Division

development program, and a local technology training company. It details thegeneralized struggles and successes of the students, the lessons learned, and a second curriculumand class structure based on those findings. Finally it presents unanswered questions and presentsrecommendations for future courses presented by University/community/businesspartnerships.1 IntroductionAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2014 and 2024, the job market for SoftwareDevelopers will grow by 17% 1 which is ”much faster than average”. In Florida, Application andSystem Software Developers will grow by approximately 31% and 24%, respectively 2 . Theserates are 1.8 and 1.3 times the national projection. In order to fill these job openings, recruiters

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Asad Yousuf, Savannah State University; Claire Cynthia Lehman, Bill's Robotic Solutions; Mir M. Hayder, Savannah State University

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

Paper ID #18508Environmental Monitoring Robotic SystemDr. Asad Yousuf, Savannah State University Asad Yousuf is the Coordinator and Professor of Electronics Engineering Technology at Savannah State UniversityMr. William Lehman, Bill’s Robotic Solutions William Lehman is President of Bill’s Robotic Solutions which he started in July of 2013. He has had over twenty years of experience in software and hardware development. He has worked on numerous projects in digital communication systems, robotics, and aerospace applications. Mr. Lehman received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1979 from

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division Poster Session

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Constanza Miranda, Pontificia Universidad Catholica de Chile; David Leal Martinez, Aalto University; Maurice Forget, Aalto University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

Breakers Course, a course targeted to take the students out of the books and into applying their core competences and the scientific methods to put urban legends to the test and understand all sorts of phenomena.Mr. Maurice Forget, Aalto University c American Society for Engineering Education, 2017 Geographically Distributed Teams in Engineering Design: Best Practices and Issues in Cases of International Teams Working from Opposite HemispheresAbstractIt is not rare to have engineering design teams in companies, working from different parts of the worldon a shared project. This new addition to the working context has been triggered by advances incommunication technologies and the knowledge economy. This begs

Conference Session

Pre-College: Perceptions and Attitudes on the Pathway to Engineering (2)

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J. Jill Rogers, University of Arizona; Amy Annette Rogers; James C. Baygents, University of Arizona

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Pre-College Engineering Education Division

human condition. Engineering service learning and biomedicalprojects are presented to pique the interest of a broad population of students. ENGR 102 HSallows students to try hands-on, design and build projects while still in high school where therisk is low and teacher scaffolding and contact time is high. This broad approach to anintroduction to engineering course at the high school level is important to attracting the mostdiverse, brightest, and creative problem-solvers into the profession.This paper will briefly describe the ENGR 102 HS course curriculum. Five years of studentcourse evaluation survey data (2011-2012 to 2015-2016) for 1469 students both female (N= 289)and male (N=1180) were explored. Statistically significant differences were

Conference Session

Engineering Management Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Caleb Wolters, University of Dayton; Sandra L. Furterer, University of Dayton; Kellie Schneider, University of Dayton

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management

is currently working on a university project titled Transforming the Industrial Engineering Technology Curriculum through a Graduate Level Management of Systems Engineering Course.Dr. Sandra L. Furterer, University of Dayton Dr. Sandy Furterer is an Associate Professor at the University of Dayton, in the Department of Engineer- ing Management, Systems and Technology. She has applied Lean Six Sigma, Systems Engineering, and Engineering Management tools in healthcare, banking, retail, higher education and other service indus- tries, and achieved the level of Vice President in several banking institutions. She previously managed the Enterprise Performance Excellence center in a healthcare system. Dr. Furterer

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Poster Session

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Natalie C.T. Van Tyne, Virginia Tech

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

are people with common traits of human nature.Our research questions are as follows:  How do team members describe manifestations of trust as a key factor in team success?  How can faculty remove barriers to the development of trust among members of student teams?End-of-semester surveys revealed that teams that exhibited a high level of trust often stated thatthe choice of design project did not affect the ability of the team to be successful, while teamswith a low level of trust often blamed the choice of project for their difficulties factors.Successful teams also seem to exhibit a type of “team chemistry” whereby they enjoyedsocializing as well as working together. The trust reinforces this type of

Conference Session

Technical Session 6: Modulus Topics Part 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicholas Hawkins, University of Louisville; James E. Lewis, University of Louisville; Brian Scott Robinson, University of Louisville; James Christopher Foreman, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

systems and power generation industry prior to academic career. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 Computational Instruction through PLCs in a Multi-Disciplinary Introduction to Engineering CourseAbstractThis paper is focused on the inclusion of hardware-based Programmable Logic Controllers(PLCs) in a first-year engineering introduction course, Engineering Methods, Tools, & PracticeII, at the University of Louisville’s JB Speed School of Engineering. Each academic year, morethan 500 first-year engineering students are exposed to this interactive course, which introducesstudents to fundamental engineering skills – including teamwork, design, project management

Conference Session

Engineering Economy Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Wilck, College of William & Mary; Paul C. Lynch, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy

provide details on an Engineering Economy course offered to apart-time (evening) MBA program at William & Mary. The students included engineers andnon-engineers. All students had taken multiple courses in accounting and finance prior to takingEngineering Economy. Thus, the focus of the course was on relevant applications of engineeringeconomy through journal paper reviews, public media, traditional homework assignments, andthe creation of a Social Security tool. The course was not focused primarily on typical timevalue of money concepts, since those concepts were well known from the finance courses.The course included a project, which was completed in pieces. The project was to build anindividual Social Security tool in Microsoft Excel. The

Conference Session

ConstDiv Technical Session 1 - Capstone & Case Study

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tyler Jack Moravec, The University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Kelli R Kopocis, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Terry Lee Stentz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Tagged Divisions

Construction Engineering

seem to be a large gap in theknowledge that a finance student has versus what they will be required to know in order to enterinto the construction management field. However, there are many advantages that a financestudent can bring to a construction engineering and management program. Finance students aretaught to think critically and analyze every detail of a company in order to determine its valueboth in the short term and the long term. A construction project is managed much like acompany. By the end of the project, the goal is to build a product on schedule, on budget, and percontract. Finance students are trained to identify how and where profit can be made throughcritical analysis of financial statements. A large portion of the work a

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Subodh Bhandari, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Amar Raheja, California State Polytechnic University; Fang Tang, Cal Poly Pomona; Zekeriya Aliyazicioglu, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Erika DeJonghe, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Tagged Topics

Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

focus on work with children and families recovering from trauma. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 REU Site in UAV Technologies: Assessment of the Program after the Second YearAbstractThe Research Experience for Undergraduates in UAV Technologies project is funded by the NSF’sEEC Program. The main goal of this project is to increase undergraduate students’ participationand interest in research on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) technologies. Undergraduate studentsfrom 2- and 4-year institutions are involved in multidisciplinary research projects at Cal PolyPomona. The REU site supports 10 students for 8-10 weeks of summer research per year, with theprojects

Conference Session

Educational Research and Methods Division Poster Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph C. Tise, The Leonhard Center; Sarah E. Zappe, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Esther W. Gomez, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Manish Kumar, Pennsylvania State University; Rachel Miriam Vriend Croninger, Pennsylvania State University; Stephanie Cutler, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Engineering Education at Penn State. She holds a doctoral degree in educational psychology emphasizing applied measurement and testing. In her position, Sarah is responsible for developing instructional support programs for faculty, providing evaluation support for educational proposals and projects, and working with faculty to publish educational research. Her research interests primarily involve creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship education.Dr. Esther W Gomez, Pennsylvania State University, University Park Dr. Esther Gomez is an assistant professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Gomez’s research program focuses on how me- chanical

Conference Session

International Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julianne Vernon, University of Michigan; Claude Brathwaite, City College of New York, NYC Louis Stokes Alliance

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

International

Paper ID #15025Authentic International Research Experience: Program Model in Cartagena,ColombiaDr. Julianne Vernon, University of Michigan Julianne Vernon is a Research Program Officer at the University of Michigan, the College of Literature, Science, and Arts where she is coordinating the implementation of faculty led research projects into introductory chemistry and biology lab courses. She received her bachelors of engineering in chemical engineering from the City College of New York and her doctorate degree at University of Florida in Environmental Engineering. She has experience developing international and national

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 7: Experiential Learning

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Thompson P.E., University of Louisville; Brian Scott Robinson, University of Louisville; Jaqi C. McNeil, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

framework primarily through a series ofwritten assignments.This year, the instructors aimed to enhance students’ understanding of the PE framework anddevelopment of critical thinking skills through a collaborative team project investigating vectors.Students mapped out paths on campus using a tape measure and compass, then described theirpaths using vectors. They were asked to reflect critically on the results, considering sources oferror in their measurements, and write a team report explicitly addressing elements from the PEframework.Student surveys conducted at the end of the semester suggested a better student impression ofcritical thinking development as a result of the added vector assignment compared to previousyears with only written

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session II

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gon Namkoong, Old Dominion University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

formulate, solve, and properly tacklemultidisciplinary problems.Particularly, this paper addresses the effectiveness of combined virtual and physical hands-onactivities in students’ learning which was infused in the capstone senior design project. Seniordesign projects are open-ended and are similar to the research that scientists perform toward amore comprehensive understanding of nature or new scientific knowledge. As a reinforcedlearning methodology to greatly assist students’ reasoning and problem-solving skills, virtuallearning was first integrated at the planning stage of their projects. This approach is in contrastwith the typical senior design courses where only limited resources are available for planningexperiments. Using virtual learning