bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrated Teaching of Experimental and Communication Skills to Undergraduate Aerospace Engineering Students
Authors: Waitz Ian A. , Barrett Edward C. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe joint teaching of an undergraduate Experimental Projects Lab and a Communications Practicum is discussed. Written and oral assignments developed, shaped, and peer reviewed as part of the communications practicum, are used to satisfy the written and oral requirements for the experimental projects subject. The joint structure serves to educate students in a variety of aspects of professional practice including solving open‐ended problems, system‐level integration of disciplinary coursework, project development and planning, oral and written communication, peer review, and teamwork. The paper describes the unique features of this educational strategy, and represents a progress report following a three‐year experimental implementation of the new course format. Assessment of the effectiveness of the courses is presented based on student evaluations and comments from the instructors. A high level of satisfaction with this new model is expressed, suggesting that both the quality of the research performed and the students' ability to transmit an understanding of that research to others have been enhanced.
Universal Student Computer Access — Requiring Engineering Students to Own Computers
Authors: Crynes Billy L. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn 1992 only four engineering programs required student ownership of computers. Today that number is 14. However, a recent survey of United States engineering deans indicates in the next three years over 100 engineering programs may require student computer ownership in some form. Most faculty and administrators recognize that student computer ownership is simply the next step in the continuum of calculational power in engineering curricula having evolved from simple pencil and paper, then to slide rule, hand held calculators, and now computers. Everyone agrees that those who hire our graduates expect them to be fully comfortable and competent with the enhanced computational capabilities, modeling, simulation, word processing, spread sheeting, and other hardware and software tools available. However, the more exciting reason for ownership, and one that holds the greatest promise of drastically changing the teaching/learning enterprise, is that proper application of information technologies will permit us to change how students learn and to improve how faculty and student time is utilized.
The Non‐Use of Computers in Undergraduate Engineering Science Courses
Authors: Jones J. B. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBased on visits to twelve institutions spread across the United States, a survey was made of how engineering science courses have been influenced by the ready availability of computers. Although the sample was too small to support general conclusions, the findings were so consistent that they are presented as a possible stimulus to faculty members and others to make the same observations at other institutions. The survey supports the conclusion that computers are usually not used effectively in undergraduate engineering science courses. Often, they are not used at all. Problem‐solving approaches and calculation methods are little influenced by the availability of computers. Typically, faculty members reacted to this conclusion with disbelief and denial until they made their own observations. Speculation is offered on why faculty members do not use computers effectively in engineering science courses and why they initially deny the conclusion above. The challenge suggested for faculty members and industrial advisory board members is to make similar observations. The results may be eye‐opening.
The Effects of an Orientation Course on the Attitudes of Freshmen Engineering Students
Authors: Hatton Deborah M. , Wankat Phillip C. , Lebold William K. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIncreasing the retention rate of beginning students in engineering is an important goal for engineering education. Our study examined the attitudes of freshmen in regard to the academic counseling they received. Orientation classes have been offered in groups of 40 to students on a voluntary basis, and surveys have been done to examine the effectiveness of these courses in increasing students' commitment to and positive perception of the University. A comparison of students enrolled in the orientation course and students in a control group found significant differences in the positive perception of academic counseling. Those students in the orientation course were more satisfied with the counseling they received than those without this course.
A Multimedia Application for Teaching Design for Manufacturing
Authors: Riggs Brian , Poli Corrado , Woolf Beverly 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper describes the interactive multimedia injection molding tutor developed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The purpose of the tutor is to use visually stimulating animations in order to enable the user, a student or anyone not familiar with the process of injection molding, in understanding the relationship between part design and the ease or difficulty of producing the part. Preliminary evaluations indicate that the tutor can be successful in achieving these objectives.
Faculty Support for Minority Engineering Programs
Authors: Hackett Rachelle Kisst , Martin Gary R. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractA survey was developed and mailed to a random sample of engineering professors at schools across the country with ABET‐accredited (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) programs, asking them to assess the “value and appropriateness” of the existence of a formal, structured, general Minority Engineering Program in their School of Engineering, along with the following seven MEP‐specific components: MEP student associations, scholarships, study centers, summer bridge programs, special tutoring programs, career fairs, and awards banquets. On a scale of 1–10 (1 = Very low, should not exist at all; 10 = Very high, critical), the engineering professors tended to express general endorsement of MEP's considering the middle of the scale (5.5) represents a neutral position and the sample average was 6.51. However, there was considerable variability (SD=3.13). Greatest support was found for financial and academic forms of assistance, with less support given to clustering‐types of activities. In addition, attitudinal differences between types of institutions (public vs. private; research vs. non‐research), size, and location of schools were explored. State schools yielded higher scores than private; regionally, the Midwest was the highest and the East was the lowest; and in terms of size, we found that the larger the school, the higher the score. Finally, open‐ended comments were analyzed as a qualitative component to shed light on the numerical results.
Outcomes Assessment at WPI: A Pilot Accreditation Visit Under Engineering Criteria 2000
Authors: Schachterle Lance 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAccreditation under Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC 2000) requires institutions 1) to define engineering unit and program missions in such a way that success of the mission goals may be measured; 2) to devise a curriculum that fulfills institutional, program, and EC 2000 goals for students and graduates; 3) to devise metrics that indicate when students meet these goals; and 4) to construct feedback mechanisms to ensure that the assessment of student outcomes metrics drive continuous improvement of the whole educational system. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) was one of the first two institutions to undergo accreditation under EC 2000 because of WPI's project‐based curriculum which provided some experience with each of the four EC 2000 requirements above. This article reviews how WPI prepared for the EC 2000 visit (which occurred in November 1996), discusses what strategies for conducting an EC 2000 visit worked well, and concludes with some short‐ and long‐term issues that all institutions must address to realize the full benefits of EC 2000.
Engineering Student Attitudes Assessment
Authors: Besterfield‐Sacre Mary , Atman Cynthia J. , Shuman Larry J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractABET Engineering Criteria 2000 requires engineering faculty to not only develop methods and measures for evaluating their specific degree programs, but also to use the resultant information to improve the educational process. While this implies a need to measure students' acquisition of knowledge and skills, we propose that much can be learned by measuring student attitudes and their changes over the student's four years of study. To demonstrate this, we present a case study which illustrates the use of three different techniques for obtaining attitudinal measures—focus groups, open‐ended surveys and structured interviews, and closed‐form questionnaires. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed, and results are presented to illustrate their collective value as part of a comprehensive evaluation system.
Computerized Assessment Technique for Large Classes
Authors: Mehta Sudhir I. , Schlecht Nem W. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe primary purpose of classroom assessment is to determine how well students are learning on a continuous basis and to take necessary corrective action as soon as possible to improve their learning. This paper describes a computerized assessment technique that can be used effectively and easily in large classes. The technique allows instructors and students to monitor the learning process on a daily basis and to quickly point out the need for corrective action, if necessary. Students can view their performance and also the average class performance on the web. The graphical displays allow them to see the trend of their performance over several days. Several reports, automatically generated for instructors, allow them to determine promptly how well certain concepts or topics are learned by students. Use of special codes and optical scanning sheets minimize paper shuffling in large classes, and the computer program automatically grades and updates the database. The program is fairly general and has friendly interfaces; thus, it can be implemented for use by faculty at other universities. According to student response sheets, 80 to 97 percent of the students find different aspects of the technique to be effective in improving teaching‐learning in large classes.
Classroom Assessment
Authors: Shaeiwitz Joseph A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractClassroom assessment is conducted for the specific purpose of improving teaching and learning within a specific class. It completes a short‐term feedback loop in which the measure and feedback occur almost continuously. Curricula with strong assessment plans will contain classroom assessment components. Five examples of classroom assessment are discussed. It is seen that these methods can be used in conjunction with cooperative learning exercises and the development of higher‐level thinking skills. The result of using classroom assessment is improved teaching, improved learning, and a higher‐quality graduate.
Results of an Industry Survey on Manufacturing Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering Education
Authors: Mason Greg 
Published: January 2013

AbstractA survey of 47 manufacturing companies in the Pacific Northwest was taken during the development of a new manufacturing engineering curriculum at Seattle University. The survey asked companies to comment on current and future manufacturing practices and on curriculum recommendations for a new manufacturing engineering program. The survey results indicate that manufacturing engineers need training in a broad range of topics including manufacturing processes, economics, resource management and computer networking.
Teaching Analysis of Structures Using a Small‐Scale Structural Behavior Laboratory
Authors: Kukreti Anant R. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn this paper development of the equipment and experiments for teaching behavior of structures to undergraduate Civil Engineering students is presented. A description of the laboratory and equipment used is presented, followed by a description of the experiments that are presently conducted. All experiments are done using small‐scale models that can prefabricated and assembled easily by the students. The role this laboratory can play in enhancing undergraduate and graduate curricula is also discussed.
Effectiveness of the Woodruff School Doctoral Teaching Intern Program
Authors: Norris Pamela M. , Palmer Sheila C. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis article discusses a unique teaching internship program that has been in place in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology since 1990. The objective of the program is to provide doctoral students who are considering an academic career an opportunity to gain teaching experience under the tutelage of a faculty member. This article summarizes the major findings from student evaluations and from surveys of former student and faculty participants and discusses the apparent need and benefit of such a doctoral teaching intern program. Benefits and drawbacks of participation are discussed from the intern, faculty mentor, and student points of view. Conclusions are drawn about the overall effectiveness of the program and recommendations are made for implementing a successful teaching internship program.
Engineering Thinking and Rhetoric
Authors: Robinson John A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractEngineers seek optimal solutions to problems. The solution criteria are of ten of several different types, and there is no formal way to find the best trade‐offs. Nevertheless, engineers make judgments and provide explanations to justify their choices. The thinking which identifies a particular solution as optimal relies on deduction and analogy. The rhetoric which explains the choice of solution uses precedents in a similar way to legal argument. Therefore the formal study of analogical thinking has a role in engineering education, and descriptive case‐based examples are important to the student, not just as illustrations, but as source analogs for problem solving.
ASEE Student Chapters: Perspectives on and Preparation for Higher Education
Authors: Berger E.J. , Diefes H.A. , Hamaker K.H. , Jones J.D. , McComb S.A. , Mulkay E.L. , Oakes W.C. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to introduce an American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Student Chapter, highlighting the purpose of developing a student chapter and the activities one can provide. The Purdue University Student Chapter, formed in the spring of 1993 as the first student ASEE chapter, has a threefold mission in providing relevant information to graduate students, undergraduate students, and underrepresented groups. The principal goal is to encourage mentorship among undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty. To accomplish this goal, the student chapter provides seminars and workshops to educate graduate students about the various aspects of an academic career. Similarly, a seminar series on graduate study in engineering has been developed to educate undergraduates about graduate school. The Purdue University Student Chapter of ASEE currently has a membership base of more than 60 graduate students. The initial success of the Purdue Chapter has helped encourage formation of six student chapters at other universities.
The Development of an Undergraduate Distance Learning Engineering Degree for Industry ‐ A University/Industry Collaboration
Authors: Bengiamin Nagy N. , Johnson Arnold , Zidon Margaret , Moen Donald , Ludlow Douglas K. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper documents the pioneering effort associated with the development of a Corporate Engineering Degree Program (CEDP) made available to industry personnel who desire to receive a traditional bachelor's degree via distance learning. This program, a model of a close university/industry collaboration, provides a broad vision for industry needs and makes a quality education available to adult learners. The paper explains the motivation in implementing the program, profiles students, faculty, and industry personnel, examines the challenges in implementing the program, and details accomplishments and continuing developments that have resulted since the program's inception in 1988. The paper also describes the dynamic processes of faculty enrichment and curricular development that resulted during the planning, implementation, and evolvement of the program, all of which have also had an impact on the traditional, on‐campus program and students at the University of North Dakota.
What We Know About Learning*
Authors: Simon Herbert A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractTraditionally, engineering research and teaching have been approached in very different ways. To prepare for research we undergo years of rigorous training, both in scientific knowledge and in methods of gaining new knowledge through experimentation and analysis. To prepare for teaching, we acquire the same knowledge, but, except for a stint as a teaching assistant, we receive almost no training in how to impart it to students.Fortunately, there is now a well developed science of human learning which has strong implications for the ways in which our students should learn and we should teach. This paper comments on some of the things we know about human learning that can substantially improve our university instruction.
Supplemental Instruction Integrated Into an Introductory Engineering Course*
Authors: Webster Thomas J. , Dee Kay C. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn an effort to increase student comprehension of course material and to decrease engineering student attrition rate, Supplemental Instruction (SI) was integrated into a first‐year engineering course (Introduction to Engineering Analysis; IEA) during the Fall 1996 semester through the combined efforts of the Advising and Learning Assistance Center and the Core Engineering Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. SI is a voluntarily‐attended, interactive course review program that helps students master course material while they develop and integrate effective learning and study skill strategies. SI does not disrupt the normal lecture or recitation sections of a course. SI was successfully incorporated into IEA as indicated by two main results: 1) students who attended SI received higher course grades than did students who never attended SI and 2) students who attended SI were less likely to receive a final course grade of a D or F, and were thus less likely to withdraw from the engineering program. Since a majority (66%) of SI attendees was composed of at‐risk students (who received a letter grade of “C” on at least one of the four course examinations) and high‐risk students (who received a letter grade of “D” or “F” on at least one of the four course examinations), SI was helping those who had the most to gain from the experience. Furthermore, SI was embraced by the attendees, who rated the sessions 4.7 on a scale of 1 (not helpful) to 5 (very helpful) on SI end‐of‐the‐term evaluations. The logistics of implementing SI into an engineering course is presented.
Java Applets Enhance Learning in a Freshman ECE Course*
Authors: Graham Charles R. , Trick Timothy N. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe goals of our work have been to enhance the learning environment of our students and to increase the productivity of faculty by freeing them from the drudgery of grading homework and quizzes, as well as the time required to record and compute grades. We have achieved these goals by means of the highly interactive World Wide Web (WWW)‐based learning environment provided by MallardTM,1,2 and by the development of several Java applets3 within the Mallard environment to enhance the learning process. These Java applets are the subject of this paper. They include the ability to draw timing diagrams and graphs whose data points can be communicated to the server for grading. Java applets have also been written to simulate a simple microprocessor, and a whiteboard has been implemented as an applet for synchronous communication with on‐line tutors. We also present some interesting student survey results on Mallard and Web‐based instruction.
Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning in a Semiconductor Processing Course*
Authors: Muscat Anthony J. , Allen Emily L. , Green Evan D. H. , Vanasupa Linda S. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAn interdisciplinary course in semiconductor processing has been developed and successfully introduced into the chemical, materials, and electrical engineering curricula at San Jose State University. Student teams drawn from a range of engineering and scientific disciplines build microelectronic devices using a five‐mask PMOS metal gate process, and perform open‐ended experiments to improve this process. The team approach is set in the context of a start‐up company culture and professional work environment to give students the opportunity to be actively engaged in constructing their own knowledge base. The wide spectrum of fields and experiences that students bring to the course mirror the highly interdisciplinary nature of microelectronics device processing which requires knowledge of physics, chemistry, and chemical, materials, and electrical engineering. The results from student surveys for the past three years (1995–97) were used to assess the success of this approach and to deduce the most important features for effective teamwork in this context. The elements for good team function and a rich overall learning experience include 1) contributions from and respect for each team member; 2) diverse majors, GPA, and work experiences; and 3) demonstrable leadership from one or two team members.
Factors Related to Performance Ratings of Engineering Students in Cooperative Education Placements
Authors: Hackett Rachelle Kisst , Martin Gary R. , Rosselli David P. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe placement of post‐secondary students in cooperative education (co‐op) settings impacts students, employers, and academic institutions. Those responsible for securing such placements need information to guide them in maximizing the success of these assignments. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between engineering students' performance in cooperative education placements andstudent demographic factorsstudent academic factorsco‐op setting factorsprior work experience.A survey was completed by 271 engineering students from nine U.S. engineering schools with formalized, structured cooperative education programs. Eight of the 14 predictor variables were related to performance ratings, although the statistically significant correlations were modest. The student's grade point average most highly correlated with performance in co‐op placements (r=0.34). Among the other relationships found were the positive correlation of performance with the percent of coursework completed prior to placement (r=0.26) and the length of the placement (r=0.31). No evidence was found to suggest that the size of the co‐op employer related to the student's performance. Coordinators of cooperative education may find these results useful to share with student advisees. However, due to the correlational nature of the study, readers are cautioned not to assume the findings reflect causal connections.
Life Cycle Analysis and Green Design: A Context for Teaching Design, Environment, and Ethics
Authors: Nair Indira 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAn exercise based on the concepts of green design and life cycle analysis is described. The details of the exercise and references are given to enable its use in classes. The problem provides a useful context in which to teach and discuss design, social relevance, and ethics, as well as to develop group and communication skills.