Building an Innovative Engineering Curriculum from the Ground Up: Lessons and Success Stories
- Conference
- Location
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Fairfield, Connecticut
- Publication Date
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April 19, 2024
- Start Date
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April 19, 2024
- End Date
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April 20, 2024
- Page Count
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9
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--45756
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/45756
- Download Count
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25
Paper Authors
Tolga Kaya Sacred Heart University
Dr. Tolga Kaya is currently a Professor and Director of Electrical and Computer Engineering programs at the School of Computer Science and Engineering. Dr. Kaya oversees the growth of Engineering programs at Sacred Heart University. Before joining SHU, Dr. Kaya was an Associate Professor at Central Michigan University’s School of Engineering and Technology between 2010-2017. Dr. Kaya worked as a research scientist at Yale University from 2007 to 2010 at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. For several years, he has worked as a technology consultant (Brightwell Corp.) and a senior analog circuit designer (Microelectronics, Inc.).
Dr. Kaya’s research primarily focuses on sports data analytics on wearable devices to monitor athletes’ physiology. He currently incorporates machine learning techniques to predict athlete performance and injury. He is well-known in the field of hydration research and sports data analytics. Dr. Kaya also focuses on Internet of Things (IoT) devices and 3D printing technologies. His past research involved bacteria hydrodynamics as well.
Dr. Kaya researched education technology and teaching pedagogies in the last decade. He implements active learning strategies in his classrooms and focuses on student-centered learning. All his courses have significant hands-on components with plenty of activities to help students link theory with practice.
Besides his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering, Dr. Kaya also has an M.A. in Education Technology and an MBA focused on management and marketing.
Kevin N. Bowlyn Sacred Heart University
Kevin N. Bowlyn received a dual B.S. from Eastern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 2008 and has earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University in 2010 and 2017, respectively. His research interests are in d
Abstract
It is challenging to build brand new Engineering programs at a liberal arts college. This work outlines the 5-year development process of Electrical and Computer Engineering programs. While challenged with limited number of major classes besides liberal arts courses, engineering courses were developed by embedding lab components for each one. The sequence and course content structure were discussed throughout the paper with project examples. Creative ways of a large makerspace utilization for projects and teaching platform development were detailed. In a new program, developing a culture and legacies is as important as the courses themselves, which were discussed in detail. Several best practices of classroom management, lab utilization, project execution, and collaborations between upper and level classmen that sparked and inspired ideas were detailed in this reflective paper, which will give guidance to new programs as well as established programs who are looking into revising their curriculum.
Kaya, T., & Bowlyn, K. N. (2024, April), Building an Innovative Engineering Curriculum from the Ground Up: Lessons and Success Stories Paper presented at 2024 ASEE North East Section, Fairfield, Connecticut. 10.18260/1-2--45756
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