bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mathematical and Scientific Foundations for an Integrative Engineering Curriculum
Authors: Carr Robin , Thomas D. H. , Venkataraman T. S. , Smith Allan L. , Gealt Michael A. , Quinn R. , Tanyel M.
Published: January 2013

All fields of engineering, whether chemical, civil, electrical, materials, mechanical, etc., encompass a common body of essential mathematics and science. In the freshman year of Drexels E4 program, this common mathematical and scientific foundation is cultivated in the Mathematical and Scientific Foundations of Engineering I, II and III (MSFE I, MSFE II, MSFE III). In an integrated fashion, MSFE I presents the essential calculus, physics and engineering mechanics vital to the freshman engineering student. In the first two quarters, MSFE II presents chemistry with clearly defined engineering applications and significance: in the third quarter, MSFE II presents living systems with the same thrust. Also in the third quarter, MSFE III presents basic circuits and circuit elements, and a brief introduction to electromagnetic theory.
A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. III. Gender Differences in Student Performance and Attitudes
Authors: Felder Richard M. , Felder Gary N. , Mauney Meredith , Hamrin Charles E. , Dietz E. Jacquelin
Published: January 2013

In a continuing study under way at North Carolina State University, a cohort of students took five chemical engineering courses taught by the same instructor in five consecutive semesters. This report examines gender differences in the students' academic performance, persistence in chemical engineering, and attitudes toward their education and themselves. The women in the study on average entered chemical engineering with credentials equal to or better than those of the men, but exhibited an erosion relative to the men in both academic performance and confidence as they progressed through the curriculum. Possible causes of the observed disparities are suggested and remedial measures are proposed.
A Survey of Capstone Engineering Courses in North America
Authors: Todd Robert H. , Magleby Spencer P. , Sorensen Carl D. , Swan Bret R. , Anthony David K.
Published: January 2013

Senior project or Capstone‐type courses have existed at engineering schools for many years. Capstone courses provide student engineers the opportunity to solve real‐world engineering projects, and have been highly regarded as important learning activities. A survey of Capstone courses in engineering departments throughout North America was conducted in order to understand current practices in Capstone education. This study was conducted for presentation at the 1994 Advances in Capstone Education Conference, held at Brigham Young University, which brought together engineering educators interested in improving Capstone experiences. This conference was sponsored by ASEE, ASME, SME, and NSF. Response to the study was very high, with 360 departments from 173 schools responding to the survey. Survey results were categorized into five major areas of interest: Profile of the Respondents, Course Description Information, Faculty Involvement in Capstone Education, Project Information, and Industrial Involvement in Capstone Education. Graphs provide the results of responses to survey questions.
Professional Preparation: A Course That Successfully Teaches Needed Skills Using Different Pedagogical Techniques
Authors: Lonsdale Edward M. , Mylrea Kenneth C. , Ostheimer Martha W.
Published: January 2013

To bridge a gap we perceive to exist between the traditionally educated engineer, who is skilled primarily in high tech, and the broader trained engineer being called for by industry, we have developed a senior level course entitled Professional Preparation. This course is built around a group design project, but also includes exposure to a wide variety of needed skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, ethics, writing to learn, producing documentation and making oral and written reports. Student and employer reaction to the course is uniformly enthusiastic. Data collected from a survey of over 400 of our graduates shows a marked difference in their perception of the importance of and their educational preparation in specific skills with additional differences between those who took this course and those who did not.
Integrating Design Across the Engineering Curriculum: A Report From the Trenches
Authors: Wilczynski V. , Douglas S. M.
Published: January 2013

Abstract

The emphasis from ABET to integrate the design experience across the curriculum has initiated a call for action to engineering departments across the country. This challenges engineering educators to include design in a wide variety of engineering courses and to prevent this emphasis from foreshadowing the subject material of each course. A comprehensive approach is needed where the design work is not a separate entity, but rather is an additional tool which can be used to teach the fundamentals of engineering. This paper reports on the advances of one institution in responding to the call to integrate design across the engineering curriculum. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) has established a design philosophy that treats design education as a developmental process to be practiced during each of the four undergraduate years. To put that philosophy into practice, the USCGA has restructured the engineering curriculum to ensure that students experience design content in their courses each year. This viewpoint of design as a developmental process is consistent with the broad educational objectives of the institution. This paper presents examples of design work from courses in each year of the students' education to illustrate the variety of design problems used to incorporate design across the curriculum. The experiences at the U. S. Coast Guard Academy have been positive and indicate the design across the curriculum initiative can be implemented without drastically impacting faculty workload.
A Product and Process Engineering Laboratory for Freshmen
Authors: Beaudoin Diane L. , Llis David F. O.
Published: January 2013

Abstract

In a new Product and Process Engineering Laboratory, teams of two or three freshman engineering students explore six engineered products or processes by playing the successive roles of user, assembler, and engineering analyst. This format provides a hands‐on, collaborative learning environment to improve students' manipulative, problem‐solving, and creative thinking skills. The lab also endows freshmen with a desired, early identity as engineers. Student responses to the first two offerings of the laboratory have been positive.
Effective Transfer of Computer Graphics to Video Format
Authors: Ribando Robert J. , Snyder Dianne M. , Cahen George L.
Published: January 2013

Abstract

A course in computational fluid dynamics provides nearly unlimited opportunities for intensive use of computer graphics. Possibilities include in‐class demonstrations of fundamental numerical principles and of various applications by the instructor, as well as use by students in homework assignments. In addition, graphical material on videotape is readily available from government and other laboratories. In this paper we report on the delivery of such a computer graphics‐enhanced course live over television to students at multiple remote sites. Steps taken to enhance the presentation of computer graphics on television and to ease use by individual students at many widely scattered sites are reviewed in detail.
National Aerospace Design Competitions: Industry/University Partnerships
Authors: Newberry Conrad F. , Rutherford John W. , Gouhin Patrick J.
Published: January 2013

This paper describes the growth of the individual and team national undergraduate and graduate AIAA/Industry design competitions. These design competitions have been developed primarily to enhance the university capstone design education experience of both undergraduate and graduate aerospace engineering programs. The competitions represent an Industry/University partnership to improve the design capability of individuals, corporations and the nation at large. The AIAA serves as the facilitator in this process. The student design teams respond to RFPs developed by AIAA Technical Committees. The competitions are funded by interested corporations. The AIAA design competition model or template could easily be implemented by any professional engineering society to nurture and encourage student capstone design efforts in that society's discipline. Students, corporations, the AIAA and the nation benefit from these competitions which enhance the competitiveness of all of the participants and thereby the competitiveness of the national community. The paper also includes an assessment of these competitions and some thought about their future direction.
Teaching Statistical Experimental Design Using a Laboratory Experiment
Authors: Ludlow Douglas K. , Schulz Kirk H. , Erjavec John
Published: January 2013

An experimental project introduces the concepts of statistical experimental design to undergraduates in a laboratory setting. A safe, inexpensive and easily operable experiment uses a gas chromatograph to give quantitative results and to allow students to concentrate on applying statistical skills without being impeded by complex equipment or experimental methods. One of the unique aspects of the experiment is a trade‐off between the two most significant variables, forcing students to compromise in the selection of optimum conditions. Such compromises are typical in many real‐world industrial situations. The experiment has been used for several years in the undergraduate chemical engineering laboratories at the University of North Dakota. Keywords: Statistics, Experimental Design, Laboratory.
An Experiment in Integration: Calculus and Physics for Freshmen
Authors: Hundhausen Joan R. , Yeatts Richard
Published: January 2013

This paper describes an experimental course integrating calculus and physics for freshmen, conducted with partial support of an NSF Curriculum Development Grant. A primary goal of the Project was to provide a better foundation for higher‐level engineering/science courses by enabling students to transfer and apply fundamental knowledge; applications and mathematical modeling were emphasized. A weekly Laboratory/Workshop, which proved to be highly motivational for students, was featured. Having team‐ taught the course three years in succession, the authors have much to share regarding the actual implementation of the course and its special challenges, student preparation and receptivity, and choice of materials. Assessment data indicate that the performance and retention of participating students in the next Physics course were significantly improved, but long‐term effects are difficult to track and measure.
Promoting Active Learning with Cases and Instructional Modules
Authors: Richards Larry G. , Gorman Michael , Scherer William T. , Landel Robert D.
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we propose the use of cases and instructional modules to teach invention, engineering design, and elements of technology management. One way to learn is to study and reflect upon the experience of others. Such experience may be captured in a case. Cases promote active learning by requiring students to assume the roles of participants in the decision making process. Cases are also a vehicle for raising business issues and human resources concerns not usually considered in traditional engineering courses. Real world design and engineering involves risk and uncertainty, tradeoffs and priorities, ethical issues, human elements, and impact assessment. Cases expose students to open ended, ill defined problems whose solution often depends on making assessments, judgments, and decisions about the technical competencies of the organization.
The Evolution of the Engineering Community: Pressures, Opportunities, and Challenges
Authors: Haddad Jerrier A.
Published: January 2013

The practice of engineering is undergoing significant changes due not only to the inexorable progress of technology but also to the changes being wrought in business practice the world over. The manufacturing sector is showing decline in numbers of engineers, and the service sector is growing. The advent of the truly global economy augers still further change. Perhaps the most pervasive changes are due to the digital revolution along with the molecular biology revolution. Inevitably the engineering disciplines will find new branches and engineering education will find new paths to follow as a result.
Incidental Writing in the Engineering Classroom
Authors: Hawkins Susan , Coney Mary B. , Bystrom Karl‐Erik
Published: January 2013

Currently, most of the writing that students do in engineering classes is formal writing, such as laboratory or design reports, produced at the end of the design process. Although appropriate for communicating the results of this process, formal writing tends to be less effective at helping students master the design concepts presented in the class. A potentially more beneficial form of writing is “incidental writing,” informal writing that students do throughout the course of the design process. Students enrolled in an engineering class developed under an NSF‐funded program at the University of Washington kept journals throughout the class. Analysis of the journals indicated that incidental writing enables students to communicate with instructors, and improves not only the students' writing skills and comprehension of class material, but also their problem‐solving abilities and ability to monitor their thinking and learning strategies.
Using Academic Integrity to Teach Engineering Ethics
Authors: Vesilind P. Aarne
Published: January 2013

Ethics can be taught by using case studies to which students can relate. Since all students appreciate and understand problems of academic dishonesty, the nature of ethical problems in academics can be used to illustrate ethical problems encountered in professional engineering. If students can be sensitized to the value of ethical behavior while in school, they will carry this understanding over to their profession. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that academic integrity can be used to introduce the basic concepts of professional engineering ethics. A videotape and instructor's manual using this pedagogical technique is described.
Introducing Cooperative Learning into a Dynamics Lecture Class
Authors: Howell K. C.
Published: January 2013

Numerous references have suggested that cooperative learning can significantly increase student understanding. Yet, structuring a lecture class to be given over totally to cooperative learning groups is overwhelming to most instructors and many remain unconvinced of its value. In this department, a limited experiment has served to introduce cooperative learning to the students as well as the instructor. Through a series of cooperative problem solving exercises, “lecture” classes become more active learning environments.
Flight Test Engineering—An Integrated Design/Laboratory Course
Authors: Abbitt J. , Carroll B. , Fearn R. , Rivers R.
Published: January 2013

Recognizing the need for more design opportunities as well as practical field experience in the undergraduate curriculum, the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Mechanics & Engineering Science at the University of Florida has introduced a course entitled “Flight Test Engineering.” Students are organized into teams which conduct a series of four flight test experiments including one involving an original design project. The course promotes interdisciplinary interaction in our curriculum and is supported by a variety of other courses in our department by contributions of assistance in data analysis, equipment calibration, wind‐tunnel testing of equipment mounts, software development, and systems integration. As part of their original design project, students generate written technical documents and drawings and present oral reports to the Federal Aviation Administration to receive approval for installation of their equipment in the aircraft.
Defining “Engineer:” How To Do It and Why It Matters
Authors: Davis Michael
Published: January 2013

Controversy concerning whether “software engineers” are, or should be, engineers provides an opportunity to think about how to define “engineer” and what effect different definitions may have on our understanding of engineering. The standard definitions of engineering are shown to generate more confusion than insight. Engineering should be defined historically, as an occupation, and ethically, as a profession. An engineer is a member of the engineering profession, that is, a member both of an occupation that is engineering by “birth,” “adoption,” or “marriage” and of the profession committed to engineering's code of ethics. Today, few “software engineers” satisfy either of these conditions. It is an open question whether they should.
Change in Engineering Education: One Myth, Two Scenarios, and Three Foci
Authors: Goldberg David E.
Published: January 2013

Change is coming to engineering education, but many reform efforts have proceeded without explicitly examining the prime movers of change, the forces that resist change, or the facets or foci of the system that are most in need of change. This essay frames the current debate by seeing change as motivated by external competitive and technological forces. Resistance to change is viewed as being reinforced by the fundamental myth of engineering education that asserts the supremacy of basic research over all other engineering academic activities. After providing evidence that the myth resulted largely from an overestimation of the role of science and an underestimation of the role of engineering in World War II, the essay considers needed organizational, integrative, and programmatic changes. Among these are the creation of student‐faculty teams responsible for delivering a quality education, bottom‐up alliances with industrial clients, and a number of proposals aimed at helping the profession explore its human, philosophical, and historical underpinnings. The essay concludes by warning that times of great change risk making matters worse through the unintended consequences of reform. A principled methodology of reform is suggested that advocates distributed and competitive implementation together with a special appreciation for knowledge that is difficult to articulate.
Methodology for Improving Quality of Instruction
Authors: Houshmand Ali A. , Papadakis Constantine N. , McDonough James F. , Fowler Thaddeus W. , Markle Glenn
Published: January 2013

This paper describes a Teaching Effectiveness Improvement Program based on a multidisciplinary approach and the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) principles. The success of the program underscored the value of cross‐functional teams for teaching effectiveness improvement programs. In the case study discussed in this paper, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the University administration and students participated extensively in framing the requirements and the structure of the program. The program was implemented in the College of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati to improve teaching effectiveness over the last three years. The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle was used as a framework for improving teaching. The Student evaluations of faculty were used to measure the effectiveness of this program and the results are very promising.
An Analysis of Male/Female Academic Performance for Engineering Students at The Royal Military College of Canada
Authors: Dececchi T. , Timperon M.E. , Dececchi B. B.
Published: January 2013

This paper describes a method for measuring the effects of academic and living conditions on the academic performance of female cadets in engineering at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). For the purposes of this paper systemic harassment is defined as policies, practices, procedures, actions or inactions, that appear neutral but have an adverse impact on an identifiable group. Two different measures of academic performance are used in this paper, the average grade of cadets, and the retention rate of cadets in engineering programmes. Both measures indicate that female cadets, particularly those studying engineering at the college, are adversely affected by the systemic discrimination that exists there. The paper also describes the educational system as it existed at RMC during the period of the study, discusses the perceptions of the affected group as reported elsewhere, and provides a model for analyzing the results.
Lessons From Using TQM in the Classroom
Authors: Stedinger Jery R.
Published: January 2013

This paper describes efforts to apply Total Quality Management (TQM) concepts and the ideas of customer focus, data‐based decision making, and continuous improvement to instruction in a 100‐student, junior‐level probability and statistics course. By adopting a customer focus and establishing a dialogue with the students in the course, it became clear that lectures, handouts, and homework assignments could be more effective. Things often went wrong because students and the instructor had different expectations about what was or should be happening. This experience suggests that establishing a dialogue with students, building a teacher‐student partnership for learning, and addressing differences in expectations and objectives are crucial to the development of an effective learning environment in engineering classrooms.
Participation is More than Attendance
Authors: Woods Donald R.
Published: January 2013

Here is a novel approach to stimulate active student participation in lecture classes. Students designed an instrument to assess involvement in class discussion. The students then used the instrument. Each student was responsible for observing and assessing one classmate. The teacher monitored the process by collecting the instruments and recording the assessments before forwarding the results to each student. A dramatic increase in the level of active student participation was subsequently observed, to an extent that further use of the instrument was considered unnecessary.

Ideas are given about how to introduce reflection and assessment into your classes, how to develop students' skill in assessment and how to develop instruments, in general, with a specific example of how to do this for participation. Ideas are given on how to use the instrument in other contexts, such as participation in design projects, group laboratory activities, or active participation in lecture/discussions. Practical suggestions are presented about how to implement changes in the classroom.
Using Total Quality Principles for Strategic Planning and Curriculum Revision
Authors: Shelnutt J. William , Buch Kim
Published: January 2013

This paper describes the long‐term strategic planning process of the College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a process that began in the Fall of 1992 and continues today. The chronology of activities comprising this process, as well as the output of the process thus far, are presented in enough detail that they may serve as a blue print for others. First, we discuss some of the forces driving the college's educational reform efforts, especially those related to the use of TQM as the vehicle for change. Throughout the case study, we point out how (and why) certain Total Quality principles, including customer relationships, shared vision, assessment and continuous improvement, and sub‐systems alignment, became integral parts of the strategic planning process.
Incorporating Group Writing Instruction in Engineering Courses
Authors: Schulz Kirk H. , Ludlow Douglas K.
Published: January 2013

Group writing is an important and integral part of the engineering workplace which is rarely addressed in most undergraduate engineering curricula. Virtually every engineering student takes courses in composition and writing; however, these courses inevitably emphasize the development of individual writing skills. Engineering students need to be exposed to different group writing styles and learn to be effective group writers. The key elements to effective group writing include group dynamics and leadership and group members attitudes towards revision and criticism. By discussing with the students the key points to successful group writing, engineering students will turn in better assignments to their instructors and will be better prepared for the engineering workplace.
Introducing Electronic Design Automation Tools into the Engineering Curriculum
Authors: Chren William A. , Cleaver Thomas G. , Cook Clare , Ogunfunmi Tokunbo , Richolson Ron , Vai Mankuan
Published: January 2013

The incorporation of electronic design automation (EDA) tools in engineering curricula will better prepare graduates to enter the modern engineering marketplace. The engineering courses appropriate for EDA introduction are discussed, as are the tools themselves and their sources. Issues of computing platform, operating system, and tool suites are presented. Internet accessible public domain documents are provided to aid engineering schools in setting up a comprehensive EDA curriculum.
A Model for On‐Line Learning Networks in Engineering Education
Authors: Bourne J. R. , Brodersen A. J. , Ccampbell J. O. , Dawant M. M. , Shiavi R. G.
Published: January 2013

This paper describes a model for implementing on‐line learning in engineering education. Relationships between traditional learning strategies and network‐enabled engineering education are discussed. The model proposed is based on a World Wide Web implementation that includes presentation materials, on‐line conferencing, demonstrations, and interactive capabilities that permit computer‐mediated question and answer sessions. An example of a course implemented using these techniques for a first year engineering course is given. Guidance for engineering educators who wish to implement components of the model is provided.
Integrating Design Education, Research and Practice at Carnegie Mellon: A Multi‐disciplinary Course in Wearable Computers
Authors: Amon Cristina H. , Finger Susan , Siewiorek Daniel P. , Smailagic Asim
Published: January 2013

The Engineering Design Research Center (EDRC) at Carnegie Mellon University has created a two‐semester design course that integrates research and education through industrially‐sponsored design projects. Over the six semesters that the course has been taught, teams of undergraduate and graduate students have designed and fabricated five new generations of wearable computers. These computers have been delivered to industrial and government customers for use. The Wearable Computer Design course at the EDRC is cross‐disciplinary and inter‐departmental, drawing students from four colleges in nine disciplines including five engineering departments (chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and engineering and public policy), architecture, computer science, industrial administration and industrial design. Students in this course learn about design theory and practice, participate in research, and successfully deliver products to sponsors. The students are exposed to the design cycle from concept, to multi‐disciplinary design tradeoffs, to manufacturing, and finally to customer satisfaction and user feedback. This class also serves as a testbed for learning about the needs of a multi‐disciplinary design team, for anticipating the needs of geographically‐distributed design teams, for reflecting on the interplay between product design and design process, and for evaluating the design tools and design methodologies that have been developed at the EDRC.
Measuring the Effect of Experiential Education Using the Perry Model
Authors: Pavelich Michael J. , Moore William S.
Published: January 2013

This paper reports data on how well one engineering curriculum with extensive experiential components helps students mature toward more complex thinking; toward being better able to make good decisions on ambiguous, real‐world, engineering problems. Hour‐long, structured interviews were used to assess students' thinking based on William Perry's Model of Intellectual Development. These cross‐sectional data show Colorado School of Mines students progressing an average of 1.0 Positions during their undergraduate years. This may be an unusually high achievement. If so, the data speak to the value of experiential education in a curriculum. However, the data are disturbing in that only one quarter of graduating seniors show progression to the level needed in their professions (above Position 5), while one third of them still fall below Position 4. We argue that, to get more students to progress above Position 5, professors teaching experiential engineering courses need to be knowledgeable about developmental models like Perry's and need to use those insights proactively in mentoring their students.
Engineering in Context: An Empirical Study of Freshmen Students' Conceptual Frameworks
Authors: Atman Cynthia J. , Nair Indira
Published: January 2013

Calls for curricular reform in engineering include teaching engineering principles in the broader context of society. In this paper, we empirically investigate how freshmen students perceive the broader societal context of science and technology. We explored the questions:

What is the framework of knowledge and attitudes of engineering freshmen on science, technology and society (STS) issues?

How different are their frameworks from those of students in other majors?

We used a structured, open‐ended interview methodology to elicit knowledge about two STS issues: “human energy needs” and “global climate change.” Our sample consists of ninety‐two students. Each student was interviewed about one topic. First, we found that there was no difference in the attitude expressed about technology by engineering students and students who are not engineering majors. Both groups think science and technology solve problems more often than they create problems. Second, we found that, although the difference is not large, engineering students consistently mentioned more concepts than students with other majors, and they mentioned these concepts more often. Qualitatively, the specific concepts mentioned by the two groups were almost identical for both topics. The engineering students mentioned more technological concepts and students in other majors mentioned more societal concepts for the human energy needs topic. In summary, the knowledge and perceptions of STS issues of freshmen engineering students and students who are not engineering majors are largely similar. This suggests that common, interdisciplinary STS courses are a good approach for providing general technological literacy for both groups.
Why Isn't My Professor Using Graphics in the Freshman Programming Course?
Authors: Park William
Published: January 2013

A new approach to teaching computer programming to freshmen is discussed. The course is designed to heighten student interest through the use of computer graphics programming. The students are given a relatively small number of programming tools and must create increasingly elaborate images on the screen as their knowledge of basic computer programming develops and their own personal collection of library routines grows. The lab problems culminate in a demonstration of a periodic waveform constructed from its Fourier Series coefficients.
An Engineering Student Retention Study
Authors: Moller‐Wong Cheryl , Eide Arvid
Published: January 2013

National engineering enrollment peaked in the early 1980's and, with rare exception, has declined or remained flat for the past fifteen years. Historically, engineering enrollment has focused on new student recruitment, but recently much more attention has been directed toward the issue of student retention. Our efforts at Iowa State University to examine retention issues were divided into two parts. Phase I of the study, which is presented in this paper, was targeted to accomplish several objectives. First, we had to design and assemble a data base that would allow for individual tracking of students. Once a complete profile of our students population had been assembled, it was possible to identify accurately a range of descriptive variables. Next, using the established data base we developed a retention analysis tool that would statistically suggest and identify students who are potentially at risk of attrition. To do this we examined a range of independent variables against a set of dependent risk categories. Statistical analyses and logistic regression methods were performed to provide a predictive model. Phase II of this study is currently in process and involves a multitude of attrition variables which were not considered, quantified, or integrated into Phase I. When factors such as background, social integration, attitude, etc. can be successfully measured and integrated into the data base the accuracy of our current model is expected to improve.
The Development of a Shared Interdisciplinary Intelligent Mechatronics Laboratory
Authors: Arkin Ronald C. , Lee Kok‐Meng , McGinnis Leon F. , Zhou Chen
Published: January 2013

This paper describes experience in developing an interdisciplinary mechatronics laboratory and success in using the lab to support academic instruction. It emphasizes the strategies and procedures that were important in creating an interdisciplinary laboratory in a traditional discipline‐oriented academic institution. The strategies address objectives, acquisition and allocation of funding, and exploiting the existing infrastructure. Procedures such as the formation of a managing body and support for staff are also an important aspect of successful interdisciplinary laboratory development. The specific use of the lab is illustrated by two case studies, and its various benefits are discussed.
Study Habits and Academic Achievement of Engineering Students
Authors: Blumner Harry N. , Richards Herbert C.
Published: January 2013

A study habits index measuring distractibility, inquisitiveness, and compulsiveness in test and homework situations was administered to 69 (27 women and 42 men) first‐year, college engineering students. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and grade‐point averages were also obtained. Two hypotheses were entertained: a) students who earn the highest grades, in contrast to less successful peers, will tend to be less distractible and more inquisitive; b) the advantage of such study habits will be evident when effects of academic aptitude (SAT performance) are controlled. Statistical tests supported both hypotheses. No significant sex differences were found for aptitude or grades, but women scored higher on the compulsiveness study habits scale than men. We argue that special programs to help some students study more meaningfully would likely improve overall academic performance.
The Creative Experience in Engineering Practice: Implications for Engineering Education
Authors: Klukken P. Gary , Parsons J. Roger , Columbus Peter J.
Published: January 2013

This research came about as an outgrowth of mounting concern among industrial leaders about the impact of traditional engineering education on the creative potential of future engineers. As there is little agreement on creativity or how to teach it, we chose to begin the study without assuming a theoretical stance about engineering creativity. Instead, we started with a search for first‐hand information about creativity and the creative process experienced by working engineers. This phenomenological research paradigm is a way to describe a complex, dynamic experience without prior assumptions, the results of which can then be used to generate theory or develop a structure directly from the data. This approach has similarities to an expert system development, in which the knowledge and skills of an expert are gathered and processed to develop an understanding of the system or phenomenon.

Eight professional engineers from the southeastern United States were selected by peer nomination as examples of (expert) creative engineers. They were trained in different areas of engineering (eg. chemical, mechanical, industrial) and worked in organizations ranging from large international consulting firms to small regional businesses. These subjects were interviewed about their experiences in doing creative work and their thoughts about the creative process, including the impact of relevant educational experiences. These interviews were audio‐recorded and subjected to a phenomenological data analytic procedure, which extracted the experiential themes and educational issues.

The experiential themes involved in the creative process of working engineers clustered as

Desire and fulfillment (motivation),

Autonomy and support (environment),

Openness and knowledge (tools), and

Engrossment and connection (process).

This paper discusses the implications and application of these themes for curricular innovation in engineering education.
Systematic Design of a First‐Year Mechanical Engineering Course at Carnegie Mellon University
Authors: Ambrose Susan A. , Amon Cristina H.
Published: January 2013

Carnegie Mellon University offers a first‐year course titled Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering to introduce undergraduate students to the discipline of mechanical engineering. The goals of the course are to excite students about the field of mechanical engineering early in their careers, introduce basic mechanical engineering concepts in an integrated way, provide a link to the basic physics and mathematics courses, and present design and problem‐solving skills as central engineering activities. These goals are met through a combination of real‐world engineering examples, classroom demonstrations, and hands‐on experience in assignments and laboratories. Over the eleven semesters that this course has been taught, teams of first‐year students have designed and assembled energy conversion mechanisms using miniature steam engines and Meccano sets to drive a mobile vehicle or to generate electricity for lighting a bulb. This paper describes the systematic process used to design this course and emphasizes this process of carefully integrating lectures with classroom demonstrations, laboratory experiments and hands‐on projects to encourage students' active learning.
Perspectives on the Role of Educational Technologies
Authors: Flori Ralph E.
Published: January 2013

Educational technologies and software hold tremendous potential for improving the process of teaching and learning through, for example, delivering information, facilitating communication, and promoting certain aspects of cognition. While this paper discusses these, its overall aim is to view the larger picture of what educational technologies can and cannot do. It begins by noting the overall aims of higher education and posing the question: What part can educational technologies play in achieving these goals? The paper summarizes Perkins' five facets of any learning environment in order to provide a framework for evaluating educational technologies and to reveal that most technologies provide only part of the total learning environment. Specifically, the “task manager” facet plays the most important role in achieving the aims of education, but it is difficult to create software with meaningful task management capability.
Experiences in Discussing Ethics with Undergraduate Engineers
Authors: Abraham Seth , Knies Allan D. , Kukral Kristen L. , Willis Thomas E.
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we describe a successful framework for discussing ethical issues with undergraduate students. Our approach is based on the idea that academic integrity is a prerequisite for professional ethics. Key features of our approach include a reliance on student‐to‐student interactions in a small‐group environment and a focus on academic integrity. We have tested our approach on our entering students using group leaders who are juniors and seniors. We have found a large (and increasing) number of students who have a heightened awareness of ethical issues and an interest in improving the awareness of their peers. We believe the model can be applied successfully to other institutions.
Better Learning Through Curricular Design at a Reduced Cost
Authors: Murray Martin H.
Published: January 2013

At Queensland University of Technology the teaching of engineering science to first year students has undergone a substantial modification in the past three years. The best aspects of on‐cam‐pus and distance education have been combined to produce a student‐centered program, comprising comprehensive print resources, peer assisted study sessions, tutorials, computer‐based exercises, a design‐and‐build project, and brief context‐setting lectures. The paper describes the development and operation of these components of the program and how the change from formal content‐driven lecturing has brought about a significant improvement in students' performance in the course. Importantly, the changes have also enabled a reduction in the cost of the course.
Benefit Without Cost in a Mechanics Laboratory
Authors: Butterfield Roy
Published: January 2013

This paper describes, in some detail, a very simple “building block” experiment designed to motivate students towards the mastery of the basic principles of stability, dimensional similarity and the interpretation of practical measurements. The experiment consumes very little of either money, space, or time and can easily be adapted to challenge students of widely different abilities.
A Survey of Dual Career Hiring into Engineering Faculty Positions
Authors: Schulz Noel N. , Schulz Kirk H. , Crow Mariesa L.
Published: January 2013

Dual career couples are now the norm instead of the exception in the modern workplace. Many universities encounter couples who are seeking two tenure‐track faculty positions, and the success of many academic searches hinges on finding suitable employment for each member of a dual career team. Couples in these situations are often unsure of the most effective strategy for finding two suitable academic positions and often rely on anecdotal information when searching for professorial positions. With these shortcomings in mind, we designed a survey to determine the common attributes of successful dual career searches where both members of the dual career team successfully found tenure‐track positions in engineering. This paper reports the findings of this survey and provides some guidelines to dual career couples seeking academic positions and to administrators and faculty seeking to work out hires involving dual career couples.
Decision Making in the Engineering Classroom
Authors: Nair Indira
Published: January 2013

This paper outlines the exploration of an analogy between the developmental stages of engineering education and the stages of moral development of an individual as synthesized by Kohlberg. This exploration is used to discuss the components of education necessary to educate the “post‐conventional engineer.” The exploration is relevant to understanding the historical or evolutionary stage of engineering as a profession in order to set a framework for engineering education. This analysis raises some of the issues for incorporating decisionmaking into engineering education. The paper also proposes some simple classroom techniques that can aid in developing the dimensions of social responsibility as part of the engineering classroom and decisionmaking.
A Motivational First‐year Electronics Lab Course
Authors: Carlson Bruce , Schoch Paul , Kalsher Michael , Racicot Bernadette
Published: January 2013

An elective laboratory course has been developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to motivate freshmen for further study of engineering in general and to spur interest in electrical and computer engineering in particular. The course philosophy is that hands‐on laboratory and design experiences build student confidence, stimulate curiosity, and demonstrate the relevance of engineering work — thereby increasing motivation and retention. This paper describes the structure of the new course and reports on the evaluation results, which confirm that carefully structured hands‐on experience is an effective way of motivating freshmen. Evaluation results also indicate that the course has increased student creativity and confidence. Since the lab course is just one credit, it appears possible to address the motivation problem without overloading already crowded first‐year engineering programs.
Annual Progress Reports: An Effective Way to Improve Graduate Student Communication Skills
Authors: Pierson Marcia Martens
Published: January 2013

A perennial problem in engineering education is the development of communication skills that allow students to present their ideas clearly and effectively. At Iowa State University, a cooperative program has been set up to provide one‐on‐one mentoring in communication skills for graduate students participating in the Power Affiliates Program. Graduate student research is funded on an annual basis by a consortium of utility companies. A system comprising a seminar and individual consultation assists students in preparing their required annual progress reports for their spring symposium. Students in the program for several years show improvement in their writing skills and their understanding of communication processes.
Engineering Education for the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Denton Denice D.
Published: January 2013

Engineering education faces many challenges today. Changes in the external environment, such as funding reductions and increasing costs, are forcing colleges of engineering to face their futures creatively. Engineering faculty, in particular, are well‐placed to play leadership roles in generating a campus‐wide response to the challenges faced. Working with the rest of the university and with external partners, including K‐12, industry, government, foundations, and other countries, engineering faculty can restructure higher education in order to continue producing well‐educated graduates and high‐quality research.
Increasing Student Awareness of Ethical, Social, Legal, and Economic Implications of Technology
Authors: Guilbeau Eric J. , Pizziconi Vincent B.
Published: January 2013

The accreditation criteria for engineering programs require that the curriculum introduce students to the ethical, social, economic and safety issues arising from the practice of engineering. Graduates must also demonstrate competence in written and oral communication skills. This paper describes a bioengineering course we developed at Arizona State University to satisfy these criteria and also meet the literacy and critical inquiry requirement of the university. The primary goal of the course is to increase the students' awareness of the global “societal” issues arising from the development and use of bioengineering technology. Secondary goals include improvement of skills in literacy and critical inquiry, oral communication, and teaming. We use cooperative learning to ensure student participation, creative controversy to stimulate interest in the topics being discussed, and TQM tools to enhance team performance. This paper describes the course content, its organization and structure, the methods used to assess student performance, and the strategies we use to facilitate learning. We also discuss how students have reacted to the course and our experiences in delivering the course.