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Structured Programing Methodology and Its Role in Cognitive Development in Problem Solving Skills

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Conference

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah

Publication Date

June 23, 2018

Start Date

June 23, 2018

End Date

July 27, 2018

Conference Session

A Technology Potpourri I

Tagged Division

Engineering Technology

Page Count

26

DOI

10.18260/1-2--30998

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/30998

Download Count

602

Paper Authors

biography

Omer Farook Purdue University Northwest

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Omer Farook is a member of the faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology at Purdue University, Nothwest. Farook received the diploma of licentiate in mechanical engineering and B.S.M.E. in 1970 and 1972, respectively. He further received B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. in 1978 and 1983, respectively, from Illinois Institute of Technology. Farook’s current interests are in the areas of embedded system design, hardware-software interfacing, digital communication, networking, image processing, and biometrics, C++, Python, PHP and Java languages. He has a keen interest in pedagogy and instruction delivery methods related to distance learning. He has a deep commitment to social justice and in achieving economic and educational equity.

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Jai P. Agrawal Purdue University Northwest

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Jai P. Agrawal is a professor in electrical and computer engineering technology at Purdue University, Calumet. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from University of Illinois, Chicago, in 1991, dissertation in power electronics. He also received M.S. and B.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, in 1970 and 1968, respectively. His expertise includes analog and digital electronics design, power electronics, nanophotonics, and optical/wireless networking systems. He has
designed several models of high frequency oscilloscopes and other electronic test and measuring instruments as an entrepreneur. He has delivered invited short courses in Penang, Malaysia and Singapore. He is also the author of a textbook in power electronics, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. His professional career is equally divided in academia and industry. He has authored several research papers in IEEE journals and conferences. His current research is focused on renewable energy technology, smart energy grid.

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Ashfaq Ahmed P.E. Purdue University Northwest

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Ashfaq Ahmed is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology at Purdue University Northwest. Ahmed received his bachelor's of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Karachi in 1973 and master's of applied science degree in 1978 from University of Waterloo. He is the author of a textbook on power electronics, published by Prentice-Hall. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Indiana. He is a senior member of IEEE. Ahmed’s current interests include embedded system design, electric vehicle, and VHDL design.

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Wangling Yu Purdue University Northwest

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Dr. Wangling Yu is an assistant professor in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology Department of the Purdue University Northwest. He was a test engineer over 15 years, providing technical leadership in the certification, testing and evaluation of custom integrated security systems. He received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from the City University of New York in 1992, specializing in control theory and electronic technology.

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Hassan Abdullah Alibrahim Purdue University Northwest

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I'm Hassan Alibrahim. A graduate teaching assistant at Purdue University Northwest Since August 2017. An active member in the national honor society for engineering technology, Tau Alpha Pi. Recognized as an outstanding student by the College of Technology at Purdue University Northwest for the 2015 -2016 academic year.

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Ahmed S. Khan Academic Platform, Lombard, IL Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-5330-5380

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Dr. Ahmed S. Khan has more than thirty-five years of experience in research, instruction, curricula design and development, program evaluation and accreditation, management and supervision.

Dr. Khan received an MSEE from Michigan Technological University, an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management, and his Ph.D. from Colorado State University. His research interests are in the areas of Nanotechnology, Fiber Optic Communications, Faculty Development, and Social and Ethical Implications of Technology. He is the author of many educational papers and presentations. He has authored/coauthored the following books:

• Nanotechnology: Ethical and Social Implications (2012)
• Technology and Society: Issues for the 21st Century and Beyond 3E, (2008)
• The Telecommunications Fact Book and Illustrated Dictionary 2E (2006)
• Fiber Optic Communication: An Applied Approach, Prentice Hall, N.J. (2002)
• Technology and Society: A Bridge to the 21st Century (2002)
• Technology and Society: Crossroads to the 21st Century (1996)
• Technology and Society: A Spectrum of Issues for the 21st Century (1994)
• The Telecommunications Fact Book and Illustrated Dictionary (1992)

Dr. Khan is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), and a member of American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), and has been listed in Who’s Who among America’s Teachers. Dr. Khan also serves as a program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

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Qudsia Tahmina The Ohio State University

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Dr. Qudsia Tahmina, The Ohio State University at Marion

Dr. Qudsia Tahmina is an Assistant Professor of Practice at The Ohio State University at Marion and teaches first year engineering courses.

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Abstract

Structured Programing Methodology and Its Role in Cognitive Development in Problem Solving Skills

Abstract

The paper expounds the practices utilized in teaching a two course sequence for the undergraduate curriculum, 1) Introductory C++ Software Design course and 2) An Embedded Systems Design course. This two course sequence is exclusively based on Structured Programing Methodology (SPM). The pedagogical underpinning for these courses is in strict adherence to the Structured Programing model, and is based on the interdependence among problem solving, cognition, and program (software design) development [1].

Presented is a learning model that these courses adhere to for the purposes of Problem Solving both in general and specific to Engineering and Technology. Cognitive skills are developed, honed, and enforced by practicing the SPM. The model aptly taps into the innate nature of C and C++ language syntax which requires every design application to begin and have a minimum of a single function. The model never relies on flow charts, instead employing Nassi–Schneiderman diagrams (NSD), a graphical design representation for structured programming [2]. Alternatively, the SPM model also relies on utilizing pseudo code design as the first step, as it is natural to human cognition and problem solving. This approach displays auto-morphism, as source and target are indistinguishable at several levels: 1) between pseudo code and language specific syntax code, 2) between software model and hardware model, 3) between physical model and virtual model in memory. The model specifically utilizes pointers structure exclusively for Inter Functional Data Communication. As practiced in this SPM model, the authors begin with exploiting memory both directly and indirectly (with pointer). The remainder of the process is learning Program Flow Control language constructs and their appropriate usage. The model presents language constructs as an extension to physical hardware’s attributes, there by leading practitioners in the discipline of software hardware integration.

The paper serves as the pointer to fellow academicians for adopting this approach in their classrooms.

[1] Problem Solving And Cognitive Foundations For Program Development: An Integrated Model. By: Fadi P. Deek, James A. Mchugh; College of Computing Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102 [2] Hans-Georg Fill (2009). Visualization for Semantic Information Systems. p.32

Farook, O., & Agrawal, J. P., & Ahmed, A., & Yu, W., & Alibrahim, H. A., & Khan, A. S., & Tahmina, Q. (2018, June), Structured Programing Methodology and Its Role in Cognitive Development in Problem Solving Skills Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30998

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