bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
By "fancy or agreement": Locke's theory of money and the justice of the global monetary system
Authors: Uberti Luca J.
Published: April 2017

Locke argues that the consent of market participants to the introduction of money justifies the economic inequalities resulting from monetarization. This paper shows that Locke’s argument fails to justify such inequalities. My critique proceeds in two parts. Regarding the consequences of the consent to money, neo-Lockeans wrongly take consent to justify inequalities in the original appropriation of land. In contrast, I defend the view that consent can only justify inequalities resulting directly from monetized commercial exchange. Secondly, regarding the nature of consent, neo-Lockeans uncritically accept Locke’s account of money as a natural institution. In contrast, I argue that money is an irreducibly political institution and that monetary economies cannot develop in the state of nature. My political account of money has far-reaching implications for the normative analysis of the global monetary system and the justification of the economic inequalities consequent upon it.
A 2x2=4 hobbyhorse: Mark Blaug on rational and historical reconstructions
Authors: Maas Harro
Published: April 2017

Over time, Mark Blaug became increasingly sceptical of the merits of the approach to the history of economics that we find in his magnum opus, Economic theory in retrospect, first published in 1962, and increasingly leaned to favour 'historical' over 'rational' reconstructions. In this essay, I discuss Blaug's shifting historiographical position, and the changing terms of historiographical debate. I do so against the background of Blaug's personal life history and the increasingly beleaguered position the history of economic thought found itself in after the Second World War. I argue that Blaug never resolved the tensions between historical and rational reconstructions, partly because he never fleshed out a viable notion of historical reconstruction. I trace Blaug's difficulty in doing so to his firm conviction that the history of economics should speak to economists, a conviction clearly present in his 2001 essay: "No history of ideas, please, we're economists".
The Vienna circles: cultivating economic knowledge outside academia
Authors: Dekker Erwin
Published: April 2017

This article examines the intellectual scenery of interwar Vienna. It argues that its central institution was not academia, but rather the circles ('Kreise'). The prominence of these circles can partly account for the creative outburst in the social sciences in interwar Vienna. The article also helps to explain the peculiar character of the knowledge produced in interwar Vienna which is just as much concerned with social and political issues as it is with more traditional scientific issues. The lack of formal institutions and the marginal position of the University of Vienna also had downsides. It caused uncertainty in terms of career prospects and professional identities, although the informal interaction within the circles full of rituals and alternative institutions could partly make up for this. The uncertain future for scholars ultimately contributed to the enormous wave of migration from Vienna, frequently even before the political situation became an acute threat.
Challenging the majority rule in matters of truth
Authors: Lahno Bernd
Published: April 2017

The majority rule has caught much attention in recent debate about the aggregation of judgments. But its role in finding the truth is limited. A majority of expert judgments is not necessarily authoritative, even if all experts are equally competent, if they make their judgments independently of each other, and if all the judgments are based on the same source of (good) evidence. In this paper I demonstrate this limitation by presenting a simple counterexample and a related general result. I pave the way for this argument by introducing a Bayesian model of evidence and expert judgment in order to give a precise account of the basic problem.
An Integrated Bandwidth Adaptation Scheme for Multimedia Wireless Networks and its Connection-Level Performance Analysis
Authors: Lu Ning , Bigham John
Published: April 2017

This paper presents an integrated bandwidth adaptation scheme for multimedia wireless networks using application utility functions. With the proposed scheme, each call in the network is assigned a utility function according to itsadaptive characteristics. Depending on the network load theallocated bandwidth of ongoing calls are upgraded or degraded dynamically so that the achieved utility of the network is maximized. Appropriate call admission control and bandwidth reservation policies are also incorporated into the scheme to provide QoS guarantees to the new and handoff calls, respectively. Extensive simulation experiments have been conducted to evaluate the connection-level performance of the proposed scheme. Results show that our bandwidth adaptation scheme is effective in both increasing the utility and bandwidthutilization of wireless networks while keeping the call blocking and handoff dropping probabilities substantially low.
Basic Electricity Courses Revisited
Authors: Arfa Khaled , Olivier Guy , April Georges-Emile
Published: April 2017

Teaching basic electricity courses to engineering students

from other fields is a difficult task. Several factors

compound the problem such as: large student

groups, lack of interest, the high level of abstract

thinking required, the varied topics to be covered and

the use of complex arithmetics. New approaches have

been implemented to alleviate the problem. Amongst

them, avoiding the use of complex numbers significantly

reduces the student apprehension and passive

resistance to the topic.
Interactive Learning Applied in Undergraduate Mechanical and Mechatronics Courses at the University of Waterloo
Authors: Imbert Jose , Jahed Hamid , Owen William , Stubley Gordon
Published: April 2017

It has been shown that when students are actively

involved in the learning process they learn the

concepts presented better than with “traditional”

learning techniques where the students do not

participate or participate very little. Ideal

implementations of this approach require significant

one to one interaction with students, which can be

relatively easily done in small classes; however, this

can be very challenging in undergraduate engineering

courses that can have anywhere from forty to one

hundred students. Interactive teaching techniques

have been implemented in four undergraduate courses

at the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics

Engineering of the University of Waterloo.
The Concept of Concept Courses
Authors: Britton Ron
Published: April 2017

n/a
Design of a sustainable personal mobility system (SPMS)
Authors: Buchal Ralph O. , Day Adam , Robinson J. Cooper
Published: April 2017

Engineers must consider social and environmental impacts of engineering, particularly sustainability. Student design projects should help develop this competency. A suitable theme is design to address the challenge of global warming. Personal transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and students at Western have worked for several years on the design of a Sustainable Personal Mobility System (SPMS). SPMS is a vehicle sharing system using ultralight electric vehicles (ULVs) powered by renewable energy. Western undergraduate students have developed and analysed the SPMS concept, and have concluded that it is feasible to provide convenient and cost-effective personal mobility while reducing GHG by at least 85% compared to private cars. The design of a suitable ULV would be an excellent new direction for student projects, including existing solar car teams.
Towards a scale and tool for the appraisal of CEAB attributes - Progress report on a field test
Authors: Cloutier Guy M. , Savard Pierre , Boudreault Yves
Published: April 2017

CEAB 2014 requires the appraisal of ‘attributes’. Quasi-competencies are not easy to ‘measure’. Results risk having a ‘local’ meaning with little transferability between institutions. From its interest into CDIO, and in parallel to its partaking in the DOCET project, École Polytechnique developed a 7-level scale, fieldtested by nearly 100 appraisals pre-graduation work experiences. The paper summarizes the rationale behind the 7-level scale when compared to the 5-level CDIO scale, the possible mapping onto the EQF, and reports on the appraisals of students after 16 weeks internships. Supervisors appear to use the tool as a relative Likert-type scale, and will have to undergo a learning curve. Attributes appraisal tools need to be engineered rather than to be determined by consensus.
Using iPods & iPhones for Hands on Programs (HOPs) In Mechanical Engineering Laboratories
Authors: Doman Darrel , Hubbard Ted
Published: April 2017

This paper presents a new laboratory experiment recently conducted at Dalhousie University where Apple iPod Touches and iPhones were used to provide Hands On Programs (HOPs). Both iPod Touches and iPhones contain accurate 3-axis accelerometers that can be used to take real measurement of vibrating systems. The Apple App Store contains a number of applications that utilize the built-in accelerometers. A basic free App was downloaded by the students. The department rapid prototyped a simple iPod / iPhone holder attached to a cantilevered vibrating beam and after a brief familiarization period the students collected the raw data and emailed themselves the results over the classroom Wi-Fi. The students then analyzed the data using an instructor-supplied spreadsheet. This lab allowed the students to be introduced to such concepts as: data collection, vibration of continuous systems, resonant frequencies, quality factor and damping, and finally data analysis.
Progress on Defining the CEAB Graduate Attributes at Carleton University
Authors: Harris Jessica , Steele Alan , Russell Donald
Published: April 2017

The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) is requiring engineering programs to demonstrate that their graduating students have certain specified attributes beginning in 2014. At Carleton University we have been working on developing our approaches to meeting this requirement for some time. This paper presents some of the aspects of our efforts that appear to be unique. It was important to include in the process coverage of the Ontario government's Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations (UDLEs). After reviewing the UDLEs we created what we are describing as a thirteenth Graduate Attribute – Limits of Knowledge. With the establishment of this attribute both the CEAB and UDLE requirements are covered with a single process.Considerable effort was given to the process for defining competencies (specific and measurable criteria associated with each of the broad attributes) in a clear and functional manner.Our process separates each competency into three components: area of knowledge, expectation levels and context. The area of knowledge is a noun phrase that clearly descrives the specific aspect of the graduate attribute to the beasured. The expectation levels include both threshold and target specifications using the revised Bloom's Taxonomy as a cognitive hierarchy. The final component of each competency is contect which allows each discipline to specify a possibly unique area of application.
Teaching Building Design and Construction Engineering. Are we ready for the paradigm shift?
Authors: Forgues Daniel , Staub-French Sheryl , Farah Leila M.
Published: April 2017

Drastic changes are occurring in the construction industry. Building Information Modeling (BIM) processes and technologies, and new Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approaches are transforming the way buildings are planned, designed, built and operated. With the needs for new skills to cope with these accelerating changes, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) associations in the United States are working with universities to reengineer teaching programs, integrating architecture training within an engineering and construction curriculum. Leading universities are already developing new programs, such as BIM studio courses, and promoting new ways to teach practice knowledge within design laboratories.These changes are also starting to occur in the Canadian industry. Some large governmental bodies are starting to request that their projects are designed and built using BIM. Canadian universities must respond to these changing requirements to prepare future architects, engineers, and construction managers for these new challenges and emerging industry needs. This paper provides examples for how to bridge this gap by bringing practice knowledge and research to the classroom. First, it synthesizes the impact of BIM and IPD on engineering practices in Canada. Second, it describes curriculum development undertaken between a school of architecture and two engineering departments for the development of multidisciplinary design studios to teach integrated design and BIM. Case studies are set in urban contexts and include the development of new buildings as well as refurbishment proposals for an industrial obsolete landmark. Finally, learning from this teaching and research experience, it raises questions and issues regarding our readiness to cope with this paradigm shift.
Engineering Outreach Using a Hands-On Case Study Approach
Authors: Scherer Martin , Brock Lindsay , Lambert Steve
Published: April 2017

University-led outreach programs have been active in Canada for over 20 years. Today, more than 200,000 students participate in these programs with a variety of activities such as camps, workshops, and community outreach programs [1]. Almost three quarters of these students participated in workshops, including in-class led by teachers with materials provided by Universities as well as on-campus activities. At the University of Waterloo, the Engineering Science Quest (ESQ) program has been running for 20 years to expose elementary school children to hands-on science and engineering. The goals of the program are to excite children about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and to show them through hands-on activities that these can be directly applied to solve real-world problems. A secondary goal is to improve their scientific, engineering and technological literacy [2]. All activities are designed to complement the Ontario elementary school curriculum. About 2200 students participate in ESQ, in over 100 one-week sessions, each summer. ESQ runs a further 200 workshops in elementary classrooms.Until recently, Waterloo did not run workshops designed for a high school audience. The focus to date of ESQ activities has been on elementary school audiences, to promote continued interest in science and engineering. For the older high school audience, a need was identified to more strongly reflect the work done in a post-secondary environment. This has been done through participation in First Robotics, and recent „Designing the Future‟ events, wherein students are exposed to engineering design through a combination of hands-on design exercises, lectures, and displays of University student projects. To further develop these workshops, the Outreach group has joined forces with the Waterloo Cases in Design Engineering (WCDE) group to integrate more realistic contexts and computer simulations into these activities.
IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF A COGNITIVE APPRENTICESHIP APPROACH TO CIVIL ENGINEERING
Authors: Poitras Gerard J. , Poitras Eric G.
Published: April 2017

From the onset of formal engineering education, engineering curricula have been based largely on science and mathematical knowledge. Applied subject based learning is a common teaching model in engineering education programs today. The professor passes information to the students, the newly acquired knowledge is applied to specific problems and communication between students and professor (and between students themselves) is limited. Furthermore, the engineering curriculum may neglect the critical skills that are necessary for a graduate student to be successful in the workplace, namely the reasoning and strategies that experts employ when they acquire knowledge or put it to work to solve complex real-life tasks (Collins et al., 1991). The purpose of this study is to design an optimal learning environment that meets the requirements of particular learning styles. We investigate a novel approach to teaching civil engineering, referred to as cognitive apprenticeship (Collins et al., 1991; Collins, 2006). The cognitive apprenticeship embeds learning in activities and makes deliberate use of the social and physical context. It tries to acculturate students into authentic practices through activity and social interactions in a way similar to that evident in craft apprenticeships. Collins et al. (1991) have developed a conceptual framework to design learning environments according to four principles regarding content, method, sequence and sociology. Traditional teaching practices do not sufficiently emphasize the reasoning and strategies that experts use to acquire knowledge and apply it to solve real-life problems (Collins et al., 1991), nor do they address students’ individual differences with regard to learning style preferences (Lowery, 2009). Therefore, the cognitive apprenticeship approach was implemented and evaluated to teach civil engineering and compared with a traditional teaching approach.Two experiments were conducted in order to compare the traditional and cognitive apprenticeship approach. The first was done with one group of students attending two different courses taught by the same professor. The first course was taught according to a traditional approach and the other, by a cognitive apprenticeship approach. The second experiment was conducted with a different group of students within the same course where one section of the course was taught according to a traditional approach and the other with a cognitive apprenticeship approach.
A Course about the Environment for All Engineering Students
Authors: Henshaw Paul
Published: April 2017

The course 85-250 Engineering and the Environment began in 2009 and has been delivered to two cohorts of students at the University of Windsor. This course is currently required for sophomore Environmental, Civil, Mechanical and Industrial undergraduates (approximately 180 students), and provides them with environmental awareness in order to achieve the graduate attribute 3.1.9 Impact of Engineering on [Society and] the Environment. In addition, the course curriculum is shaped by two Engineers Canada exam syllabi. The course begins with basic biological concepts of how matter cycles and energy flows in nature, and philosophical concepts in resource allocation/pollution (e.g. tragedy of the commons), and then quantitative elements of dimensions, risk calculation and mass balances are introduced. The latter part of the course examines applications of these principles to two topics of interest to a broad range of engineering disciplines: pollution prevention and energy conversion. Delivery of the course is by traditional lecture format supplemented by weekly tutorials with approximately 50 students each. Tutorial assignments consist of either individual problem solving (quantitative material) or group problem solving (philosophical concepts). Evaluation is through submitted tutorial assignments, clicker questions, exams (two mid-term and one final), an online mini-course, and presentation of a group project. All exams are multiple-choice, with an instant feedback assessment technique used in the mid-terms. Students complete a self-contained online mini course in Occupational Health and Safety, which includes WHMIS training. The textbook is a custom print product which includes chapters extracted from three textbooks supplied by the publisher. Student feedback regarding methods of delivery and evaluation will be presented.
Industry Focus Group Forum Approach for Assessing Undergraduate Engineering Program Outcomes
Authors: Ferens Ken , Kinsner Witold
Published: April 2017

This paper shares the experiences of conducting an industry focus group forum to assess the undergraduate engineering program at the University of Manitoba. In the first meeting, the objective of the industry focus group was to identify gaps between expected and (perceived) actual abilities of new graduates at the time they enter the work force, and to construct learning outcome statements, with the intention that they be used to guide developers to redesign the curriculum and program so that the graduates would meet local industry expectations in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. There were 21 gap areas identified, and significant correlation of the gaps was found with other industry surveys; however, there were some notable differences.
ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION IN ENGINEERING CURRICULA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Authors: Tran A. , Paradi J. C.
Published: April 2017

The importance and implications of entrepreneurial education in engineering curricula have been well-documented, leading to its rapid growth in many Canadian Engineering schools in recent years. For undergraduate students, this education promotes interdisciplinary and diverse thought with awareness of the political, financial and social environments that inevitably influence their careers and possible business initiatives on the local and/or global stage. For graduate students developing leading-edge technologies, this education encourages the much needed commercialization of innovations in Canada. However, entrepreneurial education is often outsourced to business schools which emphasize theory over pragmatic real-world approaches. This paper describes a latter approach: an entrepreneurial program designed for engineering students at the University of Toronto (UofT). Specifically, we report on the curriculum of courses offered and taught by practicing entrepreneurs who lecture in the context of their own experiences. The result is a program focused less on theoretical work and more on the opportunities and obstacles likely to be encountered in an entrepreneurial career. Our program has evolved over more than 20 years. It has been a great success with students, in terms of their satisfaction as well as in their business formation and value/wealth creation after graduation. This has consequently led to its popularity; we currently serve 180-200 students each year out of the many who apply. With such demand exceeding our capacity, plans for expansion are underway and expected to run smoothly as the program is purposely designed in modules to make the courses easy to “clone”, and for new instructors to be trained quickly. Moreover, we see potential for other faculties at the UofT and other universities to adopt and modify our model to suit their future needs.
A COMPARISON OF BIOMIMETIC DESIGN AND TRIZ APPLIED TO THE DESIGN OF A PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELL
Authors: Currie Jessica , Fung Keith , Mazza A.G. , Wallace J.S. , Shu L.H.
Published: April 2017

The Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an attractive energy conversion device that can provide efficient and clean electrical energy. However, limitations in water management can deleteriously affect its conversion efficiency. Overcoming this technological challenge is essential. In this paper, two design methodologies, biomimetic design and TRIZ, were used to find potential solutions to this water management problem. Each design method produced two potential solutions. We found biomimetic design to have more potential for bias by the designer’s prior knowledge of biology. This bias can serve to either hinder or help the design process. A notable finding is that biomimetic design and TRIZ can be considered mutually inclusive in the potential solutions generated in this study. This suggests that either design method could have been used to produce the same solutions.
TEACHING ENGINEERING DESIGN AND COMMUNICATION IN FIRST YEAR USING RUBE GOLDBERG PROJECTS
Authors: DeMontigny David , Smithson Heidi , Wright Connor
Published: April 2017

First year engineering classes tend to be very large and impersonal, which can make it difficult for instructors to engage the students. Since the first year of courses is critical in setting students up for success in engineering, being able to inspire them and give them some hands on experience during their introduction to engineering design plays a significant role in bolstering their confidence and interest as they enter more demanding and technical upper-level courses. With an aim toward achieving this inspiration and engagement, the first year engineering design and communication class at the University of Regina included the production of Rube Goldberg machines as the term project. This proved to be a very effective mechanism for teaching students how to work on a design project from start to finish. The students had fun and stretched their imaginations. As a result, the overall feedback from students was very positive, but areas for improvement have been identified.
TOOLS AND METHODS FOR PAPERLESS STUDENT DESIGN PROJECTS
Authors: Buchal Ralph O. , Perkins Andrew
Published: April 2017

Despite the advances in information technology, many activities in the design process are still predominantly paper-based. Adopting paperless processes will prepare our students for new ways of working, will streamline many existing processes associated with student design projects, and will facilitate dissemination and archiving of project documentation. This paper discusses methods and tools to support shared computer workspaces, digital design notebooks, digital review and markup of documents and CAD models, and digital design documentation including CAD models and video. We evaluate available software tools including Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft OneNote and Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended.
TEACHING EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN METHODOLOGY USING TOYS AND SOFTWARE TOOLS
Authors: Lye Leonard M.
Published: April 2017

Most engineers do not have adequate training on how to deal with the design and analysis of multi-factored experiments. Yet, both ABET and CEAB clearly state that an engineering graduate should be able to conduct, analyse, and interpret the results of such experiments. It is now recognized that the factorial approach is the correct and scientific approach in conducting multi-factored experiments. The question is: how do we teach the proper experimental designs and principles to students in a course in such a way that is easy to learn, fun, exciting, competitive, and memorable? In this paper, an approach that uses specially designed toys and software that allow students to conduct multi-factored experiments, analyze the data collected, and do follow-up experiments, is described. Several physical and software toys are described and how they are used in a course on experimental design for engineers will be presented. The software used to analyze and present the data is also discussed.
IN-CLASS TEAM DESIGN COMPETITIONS - THE MECHATRONICS EXAMPLE
Authors: Surgenor Brian , Ben Mrad Ridha , Firth Kevin
Published: April 2017

External team design competitions continue to be popular with students, from Formula SAE racing to Sunrayce Solar vehicles. It is generally accepted that the hands-on design, build and test activities inherent with these projects provide students with invaluable experience for their future careers as engineers. In this paper, examples of two in-class team design competitions are given. Both examples are mobile robot based competitions held in courses in mechatronics engineering as offered by instructors in mechanical engineering. It is claimed that the in-class competitions have similar benefits to external competitions, but have a greater impact as they involve more students.
FOUR CASES FROM SOCIAL SCIENCES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS TO ENGINEERING DESIGN
Authors: Li Simon
Published: April 2017

Four cases from social sciences are collected in this paper to illustrate how social sciences are relevant to engineering design. The first case, which originates from psychology, discusses how the representation of a problem would affect the human’s problem-solving skill. This case highlights the need of proper design representation for both innovation and communication. The second case shows how peer pressure would affect a personal judgment on a problem. The result of this case emphasizes the importance of the group environment and human interactions to the performance of a design team. The third and fourth cases are two famous examples respectively taken from two mathematically rigorous theories in economics, namely, game theory and social choice theory. The third case discusses the prisoner’s dilemma in game theory, and it illustrates that rational individual decisions do not necessarily lead to a collective rational decision. This case result suggests the development of a mathematical framework for group decision making in team-based engineering design. The fourth case is concerned with the aggregation of individual preferences towards the agreement on a design decision. While the goodness of design can be evaluated from various aspects and subject to different people’s judgment, how to aggregate these opinions to form a logical design choice is not entirely obvious. The fourth case suggests the development of a logical foundation for choosing a good design based on individual preferences or selections. The selection of these four cases is intended to illuminate some unobvious research results from social sciences and their relevance to engineering design. In turn, it is encouraged to explore the multidisciplinary nature of engineering design research and education by investigating the efforts from social sciences.
MAPPING ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Lim Aileen J , Neumann W. Patrick , Salustri Filippo A.
Published: April 2017

Integrating human factors considerations into the design of production systems can improve productivity and quality results while reducing injury risks to system operators. The researchers are currently conducting an action research study with a Canadian electronics manufacturer to improve their production system design process (PSDP), and thereby their production systems, by integrating human factors (HF). One of the first requirements is a clear understanding of the PSDP as a means of identifying and coordinating process improvements. Since there is no accepted approach to PSDP ‘mapping’, methodological development is needed. A proposed methodology for assessment of PSDPs is described. Data collection includes a combination of interview, observational, and document sources. Analysis uses a general inductive approach to develop a process ‘map’. Mapping options to be assessed for utility include decision trees, cross-functional diagrams, actor-network analyses and concept maps. The developed map will then be verified by company personnel and subsequently used in developmental workshops to help the design team identify possible process improvements. As part of the ‘action research’ methodology, researchers will make observations and field notes to better understand how such process maps can best be created and communicated to company personnel. Challenges include gaining access to confidential company data, and experience shows that the active participation of company personnel in data collection speeds and enhances this process. The utility of the PSDP maps to support process improvement efforts remains to be studied.
THE CHAIR PROJECT: FIRMNESS, COMMODITY, AND AN EMPHASIS ON DELIGHT
Authors: English Elizabeth C.
Published: April 2017

This paper will describe the theoretical approach and methodology and show the outcome of a pedagogical experiment that has proven to be highly successful in motivating architecture students to master structural analysis and design. The Chair Project is the term project for the last of the sequence of three required Structures courses in the curriculum of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. Each student is required to design, construct and structurally analyze a folding or take-apart wooden chair for a specific "client". The choice of his/her client is up to the student, but should be a well-known creative personality who can serve as a term-long inspiration for the design of the chair. By being assigned a small but structurally provocative design-build project as part of their structures coursework, the students are provided with an immediate need-to-know application while they are learning the techniques of structural analysis. The folding wooden chair as a design-build and computational analysis project has the additional benefit of being an object that the students are able to construct, analyze and load-test at full scale.
EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING EDUCATION: THE MEXICO-JAPAN EXPERIENCE
Authors: Galindo C Mendez
Published: April 2017

More than twenty years ago, Mexico City suffered the most disastrous earthquake in its history. The death toll from the 1985 Earthquake was an estimated 10,000, with a further 30,000 injured and 100,000 left homeless. 416 buildings were destroyed and over 3,000 seriously damaged. After this event, the profound necessity of effective strategies lead to the creation of the Earthquake Disaster Prevention Project, supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The main goal of this project was to contribute to the safety of the Mexican population, and eventually become an important aid also for Central America and the Caribbean region. In 1996, the Earthquake Disaster Prevention Project between Japan and Mexico was successfully completed. The most significant symbol of its achievements is the research facility called CENAPRED. The main purpose of this center has been to work as an organization executing investigations, training and disseminating activities. From that time, various research activities regarding the disaster prevention have been carried out, establishing a new follow-up era of cooperation. Nowadays, the cooperation between Japan and Mexico keeps strengthening and now includes many areas of action. It carries out, promotes and coordinates research activities not only in terms of earthquake protection strategies, but in general for any type of disaster, like volcanoes or landslides. A successful example is the MEXT scholarship program, which provides high level education to students from developing countries. Every year hundreds of foreign students arrive to Japan to carry out graduate studies in different areas, being engineering one of the strongest.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENGINEERING PORTFOLIO SYSTEM
Authors: Stiver Warren , An Jerry , Millen Ben , Connors Ryan , Sorensen Katherine
Published: April 2017

An electronic engineering portfolio system is under development. This paper briefly describes the goals of the system and its current status.
ENGINEERING IN ARCHITECTURE SCHOOLS: SOME PRINCIPLES AND CASES
Authors: Jannasch Emanuel
Published: April 2017

The training and professional responsibilities of architects and engineers are widely divergent. But it falls to the architect as prime consultant to try and bridge this gap. This paper describes some of the methods used by architecture schools to teach engineering content in a manner that fosters effective collaboration.
A PEER REVIEWED ONLINE COMPUTATIONAL MODELING FRAMEWORK
Authors: Mosterman Pieter J. , Bouldin Don , Rucinski Andrzej
Published: April 2017

Along with theory and experimentation, computational simulation has become the third pillar of scientific discovery. While in industry computational modeling has seen application at an enterprise-wide level in the context of Model-Based Design, in academia models are typically still limited to isolated use by specialists. Once a project is completed, the intellectual property embodied by the model is lost. To harness the effort spent, a networked repository is proposed that stores peer-reviewed models. These models are evaluated whether they adhere to a set of quality requirements so they capture intrinsic value. This would facilitate the type of multi-disciplinary collaboration that is required to engineer the systems that have emerged and that continue to gain in importance. This work puts forward an outline of such a peer-reviewed online repository.
PHOTONIC CRYSTAL FIBRES DESIGN USING A MULTICRITERIA BASED SOFTWARE
Authors: Sassi I. , Belacel N. , Bouslimani Y. , Hamam H.
Published: April 2017

The single-mode optical fiber used currently in communication systems starts showing many limitations especially for the high rates. Several physical phenomena related to the optical propagation are the cause of these limitations. The use of photonic crystal fibers (PCF) makes it possible to control most of these phenomena. In this paper, a multicriteria method is used for the design of the photonic crystal fiber with the user-defined optical proprieties. This method combines the deductive and the inductive learning and it is introduced for the first time in the field of optical fibers. This multicriteria method proves to be a powerful tool for the PCF fibers design.
VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL PROTOTYPING TO DEMONSTRATE DESIGN FEASIBILITY
Authors: DeMers Steven M. , Lambert Stephan B.
Published: April 2017

Hybrid electric vehicle technology has become a preferred method for the automotive industry to reduce environmental impact and fuel consumption of their vehicles. However, the added cost of the hybrid electric system has hindered their sales. A more cost effective design of an electro-hydraulic braking system is presented. During the design process, emphasis was placed on demonstrating conceptual and system feasibility using virtual and physical prototyping. The role of prototyping in the design process is presented and discussed.
SCHOLARLY DESIGN?
Authors: Eggermont Marjin , McDonald Colin
Published: April 2017

Upon entering the School of Engineering from the practice-based Faculty of Fine Arts questions arose regarding the pedagogy of design theory versus the design work of first year engineering students. Fine Arts, in the past couple of years, has tried to enter higher levels of academia by starting to offer PhD programs that are practice-based. Often times these degrees have an aspect of theorizing practice into analysis and thereby equate the process of creating art to the process of scientific experimentation. If one looks at the area of scientific inquiry, which is according to Heidegger: ‘nothing less than the making secure of methodology over what ever is (nature and history)’, questions arise over whether theorizing practice into analysis is the right approach. By doing the latter, one calls into question whether practice by itself is valid and whether by creating a (somewhat) artificial analysis one diminishes the process of practice to a secondary activity. This paper will start by looking at research done in the area of Fine Arts to solve the ‘theorizing practice into analysis’ question by creating a situation where practice can be considered as more than mere experimentation. In addition there will be a discussion as to how these findings might be applied to Engineering Design.
ANCESTRAL ENGINEERING: TOWARDS THE INTEGRATION OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ENGINEERING
Authors: Fritz David W. , Strong David S. , Bryant J. Tim
Published: April 2017

We have long felt those who modern society has named “Engineers” have played a significant role in the evolution of cultures and civilizations. Working with manual tools and the materials that nature provided, historical evidence has proven that practical, innovative, and esthetically beautiful creations emerged from our engineering ancestors. As with most effective research, understanding the past can lead to optimizing the future, and we propose that it is beneficial to study engineering and design in this context. In this paper we will discuss what we have termed “Ancestral Engineering”, and describe the rationale behind the initiative. Two main themes have emerged; engineers helping archaeologists to integrate engineering expertise into their investigations, and archaeologists helping engineers to extract engineering design practice and methodology from other cultures. Within this framework, several initial project ideas are discussed and a suite of Research Questions is proposed. We believe this is an emerging field, with significant opportunity to develop collaborative relationships with interested engineers, archaeologists and anthropologists to pursue discussions and potential research in this field.
BEST PRACTICES REVIEW OF FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING DESIGN EDUCATION
Authors: Bazylak Jason , Wild Peter
Published: April 2017

This work reviews best practices in first-year engineering design courses at 40 universities across Canada and the United States. The authors reviewed the subject matter and instructional methods of these engineering design courses. University selection was based on prominence, level of engineering design content, and availability of data. The authors narrowed the scope of the study to seven Canadian programs and eight American programs for further investigation: University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, Queen’s University, University of Sherbrooke, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, University of Colorado, Franklin W. Olin Engineering College, Harvey Mudd College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Stanford University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The authors then identified six reoccurring themes in the methods of engineering design instruction: full-scale project, small-scale project, case study analysis, reverse engineering project, design tools and methods instruction, and integration. These themes are then discussed from the point of view of educators looking to develop first-year engineering design courses.
CAPSTONE DESIGN IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
Authors: Buchal Ralph O.
Published: April 2017

All engineering programs in Canada must culminate in a significant design experience. This paper describes the capstone design course in the Mechanical Engineering Program at the University of Western Ontario. Self-selected student teams choose from several types of projects: faculty-defined projects, student-defined entrepreneurial projects, student design competitions, and industry-sponsored projects. These choices accommodate a wide range of interests and career goals. The primary sources of project funding are industry sponsorship fees and matching funding through the Ontario Centres of Excellence Connections Program. The majority of project expenses are for parts, materials, prototype construction and testing.
INTRODUCTING A NEW ENGINEERING COURSE: A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY
Authors: Dare Peter , Cooke Brian
Published: April 2017

A Task Force was created by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New Brunswick in September 2004 charged with creating a new course for all first year engineering students to be delivered for the first time in September 2005. The course, to be taken by approximately 270 students, was to integrate material from other first year courses, introduce the students to working in teams, contain a substantial design element through a design project, and introduce communication skills. Nine professors from throughout engineering “volunteered” to help develop and deliver the course. In this paper we own up to what we did wrong during the first two years of delivery of this course, and (naturally!) counter this by celebrating our successes. Students are assessed based on a combination of individual and team submissions, with some submissions being oral and others written. This paper will outline the complex assessment scheme we initially used, and how we later simplified it. Rubrics were used to evaluate many of the course assignments. For most of the instructors, this was the first time they had used rubrics and so it was a learning experience to both develop and apply them. We show how we adapted their use in the second year of delivery after the experiences of the first year. We were pleased with the way that the assessments were mostly built around the design project – this helped the students grasp why clear communication is vital and enabled them to obtain continual feedback on the project. We were also delighted that an element of social responsibility was introduced into the course by making the project an international “Engineers Without Borders” project based in Africa. We believe this added an additional dimension to the course and especially the project. The professor-delivered skits were especially popular! Delivered by two wannabe actors, they introduced the students in a humorous manner to the different types of engineering that are taught at UNB. Engineering students at UNB have to commit to their specific engineering field from their first day at UNB, so these skits were included to ensure the students were exposed to all the UNB engineering disciplines. We conclude the paper with our plans for delivery of the course in September 2007 and beyond.
MAKING THE SWITCH: REFLECTIONS ON INTEGRATING COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING INTO A FIRST YEAR DESIGN PROJECT COURSE
Authors: Frank Brian
Published: April 2017

This paper presents the objectives, technique, and student feedback after introducing community service projects into a first year design course in the engineering program at Queen's University. An overview of the state of community service learning (CSL) in Canada is presented. Results from a post-course survey are used to compare student perceptions of CSL projects with more traditional projects. Responses from the survey indicate that a greater proportion of students on CSL projects felt their projects required creativity to solve.
CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS DISCOVERY PROGRAM
Authors: Laing Christopher
Published: April 2017

In the news and ever present on the minds of people in the technology and manufacturing sector is Canada’s need to replace nearly four hundred thousand skilled employees who will be progressively retiring over the next several years. To compound this problem, there has been a steady decline in student enrollment in the secondary and post secondary institutions in the science and technology areas (one of the main human resource feeds). Part of the reason for this can be directly related to a lack of awareness, not only to the diverse and exciting career opportunities found in contemporary manufacturing, but also just how important this sector of the economy will be to Canada’s future. This paper explores the success of the CME (Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters) pilot discovery program initiated by Design Engineering from the University of Manitoba. The initiative was directly aimed at secondary students from science, math, business, art, and technology programs. The main objective was to inspire these students by allowing them to experience first hand the many exciting facets of modern-day manufacturing. This was achieved by a hands-on approach to designing, building, and testing a project using their ingenuity to problem solve and the latest type of technology to fabricate their design. The success of this program was at the very least to be aware of a career option they may not of otherwise considered, and at the very most an opportunity to take the first steps to an exciting and rewarding career with the many possibilities that manufacturing has to offer.
CANADIAN IMPACT IN ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION TO AFRICA
Authors: Agoki George S. , Chittick Thomas
Published: April 2017

The objective of this paper is to assess the major Canadian impact in the diffusion of engineering, science, and technology to Africa in the recent 100 years; through Canadian involvement in development in Burundi, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. Canadian impact has been studied through the transformation of these countries and their peoples through impacts on family, culture, religion, education, economics and politics, inter alia. Also investigated is the extent to which Canada has been impacted. The lessons learned have been used to propose a possible shape for future Canadian engagement in development in Africa.