Pedagogy in undergraduate cosmic ray research projects with hands-on explanation of engineering versus engineering technology for community college students

Tak Cheung, Ph.D., professor of physics, teaches in CUNY Queensborough Community College. He also conducts research and mentors student research projects.

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Abstract

A cosmic ray research project with the detection of high energy muon showers can serve as a hands-on explanation to the question of “What is the difference between engineering and engineering technology” asked by community college students. Conducting a variety of student projects in parallel within a semester is necessitated by the complexity of the muon shower detection technology, already documented by several detection centers around the Globe. Our unique community college setup includes the remote tracking of the Sun by a muon telescope moving along the ecliptic, and the inclusion of high school students in the Outreach mission of our community college. The pedagogy analyzes a student engineering project as having three components, namely, engineering science, engineering math, and engineering technology. The science aspect of data analysis would span from correlational study of the solar activity with measured cosmic ray flux to the analytical study of ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) data and Alice Collaboration pion decay data, depending on the students’ backgrounds. The engineering designs in terms of the measurement science of photomultiplier and counting circuit are covered in the first few practical lessons on the designs of data collection. The engineering math aspect typically spans from Landau distribution analysis to Monte Carlo muon trajectory simulation, consistent with the different math requirements in the ABET accredited programs. The building skills of detection and tracking systems are compulsory as the engineering technology component in the pedagogy. The compulsory component is consistent with the engineering technician job requirements listed on indeed dot com and the relatively larger enrollment of engineering technology students in our community college. The variation of the percentage of each of the three pedagogical components (science, math, technology) to fulfill the DEI mission in an open-admission community college setting is presented with assessment. Expansion of the pedagogy for medical related student projects as orthopedic robots is discussed, consistent with the relatively high demands from the high school students in our Outreach and DEI mission in an urban community college setting.

Citation
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Armendariz, R., & Stalerman, C., & Cheung, T. (2024, October), Pedagogy in undergraduate cosmic ray research projects with hands-on explanation of engineering versus engineering technology for community college students Paper presented at 2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference, Farmingdale State College, NY, New York. 10.18260/1-2--49453

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - A cosmic ray research project with the detection of high energy muon showers can serve as a hands-on explanation to the question of “What is the difference between engineering and engineering technology” asked by community college students.  Conducting a variety of student projects in parallel within a semester is necessitated by the complexity of the muon shower detection technology, already documented by several detection centers around the Globe.  Our unique community college setup includes the remote tracking of the Sun by a muon telescope moving along the ecliptic, and the inclusion of high school students in the Outreach mission of our community college.  The pedagogy analyzes a student engineering project as having three components, namely, engineering science, engineering math, and engineering technology.  The science aspect of data analysis would span from correlational study of the solar activity with measured cosmic ray flux to the analytical study of ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) data and Alice Collaboration pion decay data, depending on the students’ backgrounds.  The engineering designs in terms of the measurement science of photomultiplier and counting circuit are covered in the first few practical lessons on the designs of data collection.  The engineering math aspect typically spans from Landau distribution analysis to Monte Carlo muon trajectory simulation, consistent with the different math requirements in the ABET accredited programs.  The building skills of detection and tracking systems are compulsory as the engineering technology component in the pedagogy.  The compulsory component is consistent with the engineering technician job requirements listed on indeed dot com and the relatively larger enrollment of engineering technology students in our community college.  The variation of the percentage of each of the three pedagogical components (science, math, technology) to fulfill the DEI mission in an open-admission community college setting is presented with assessment.  Expansion of the pedagogy for medical related student projects as orthopedic robots is discussed, consistent with the relatively high demands from the high school students in our Outreach and DEI mission in an urban community college setting. 
AU  - Raul Armendariz
AU  - Corey Stalerman
AU  - Tak Cheung
CY  - Farmingdale State College, NY, New York
DA  - 2024/10/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Pedagogy in undergraduate cosmic ray research projects with hands-on explanation of engineering versus engineering technology for community college students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/49453
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--49453
ER  -

Pedagogy in undergraduate cosmic ray research projects with hands-on explanation of engineering versus engineering technology for community college students

Paper Authors

Raul Armendariz City University of New York, Queensborough Community College

Corey Stalerman

Tak Cheung

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