Weaving The Capstone Tapestry
- Conference
- Location
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Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2007
- Start Date
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June 24, 2007
- End Date
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June 27, 2007
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Engineering Technology
- Page Count
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20
- Page Numbers
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12.1597.1 - 12.1597.20
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--2270
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/2270
- Download Count
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477
Paper Authors
James Everly University of Cincinnati
James O. Everly is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology at the University of Cincinnati. He received a BSEE and MSEE from The Ohio State University in 1969 and 1970, respectively. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a registered professional engineer in the state of Ohio. He is currently Chair of the IEEE Cincinnati Section, and in 1997 he received the IEEE Professional Achievement Award. He has held several research and management positions in industry working for such companies as Battelle's Columbus Laboratories, Rockwell International, and Claspan Corporation. He joined the University of Cincinnati in 1985.
Laura Wilson University Cincinnati
Laura Wilson is a Field Service Instructor at the University of Cincinnats College of Applied Science. Her main focus is Humanities, specifically English composition and Technical Writing. She holds a Master of Arts from Bowling Green State University in Scientific and Technical Communication.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Weaving the Capstone Tapestry
Abstract
This paper focuses on bringing together the technical and humanities threads that comprise the first two years of a baccalaureate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) at the University of Cincinnati. College students often view courses in English as well as analog and digital electronics as stand-alone course sequences or separate “threads” taken during the first two years of their baccalaureate educational experience. A junior-level course in Topics of Applied Design offers the opportunity for interdisciplinary teaching with the principal focus on a controlled capstone experience wherein interdisciplinary topics are woven into a capstone tapestry. One goal of the Applied Design course is for students to clearly identify various pre- junior level coursework threads and weave them into a successful capstone experience. The pre- junior humanities component of the course is re-introduced via technical report writing, project poster board development, and PowerPoint presentations. Similarly, the associate degree level of Electrical Engineering Technology coursework is re-introduced via a pressure sensor project comprised of a collection of analog and digital circuits studied during the first two years of college. The paper presents the "project philosophy" together with specific technical and humanities project components. Students can work independently or in teams composed of two or three students for the purpose of cost sharing. However, each student is required to build a project prototype and write a project proposal. In addition, a project notebook is maintained by each student and used to record ideas, data, test results, and experiences throughout the project.
Introduction
The course Topics of Applied Design is offered autumn quarter of the junior year for baccalaureate students in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. Prerequisites for the course include three course sequences in electronics, electric circuits, and digital electronics. In essence, students have completed the major technical sequences required for an associate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. The primary focus at the beginning of the junior year is to introduce students to a course in applied design that utilizes a capstone project as a learning vehicle to bring together concepts previously introduced in both analog and digital electronics. In addition, the junior capstone course is used as a stepping board toward Senior Design. This paper focuses on
• Bringing together the technical and humanities threads that comprise the first two years of a baccalaureate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. • Employing interdisciplinary teaching with the principal focus on a controlled capstone experience wherein interdisciplinary topics are woven into a capstone tapestry. • Having students clearly identify technical coursework threads by using the technique of annotated bibliography. • Teaching students how to author a project proposal using a well-defined project and reverse engineering the proposal to give a desired outcome.
Everly, J., & Wilson, L. (2007, June), Weaving The Capstone Tapestry Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2270
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