bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of Online Ultrasound Instructional Module and Comparison to Traditional Teaching Methods
Authors: Nguyen Jimmy , Paschal Cynthia B. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractA Web‐based teaching device was constructed to deliver information on fundamentals of ultrasound imaging to approximately one‐half the students in an undergraduate medical imaging course, while the remaining students were taught the same material via traditional lectures and typed notes. The students participating in this study were separated randomly but in such a manner that prior achievement was statistically equivalent for the two groups. After approximately two weeks of instruction, an ultrasound imaging exam was administered. Results indicated no statistically significant difference in scores on homework assigned during the instructional period between the traditional and online groups. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference in the average exam scores of students in the two groups. The traditional group required significantly more time on learning activities than did the online group. These results indicated that level of understanding was not affected by use of the online device, while efficiency of learning improved dramatically. Reasons reported by the students for the improved efficiency of the online method included flexibility in time usage and ability to cater to the individual, which came with the added responsibility of self‐discipline. The traditional teaching method, meanwhile, allowed interaction with and instant feedback from a professor and other students. In this study we have demonstrated that the nature of an online device yields a higher level of efficiency than traditional lectures, despite the inherent drawbacks of the approach. The effectiveness of this device could potentially be improved by implementing enhancements to increase the level of interaction for the user and to help with discipline and time management.
Implementation and Evaluation of a Multi‐course Case Study for Framing Laboratory Exercises
Authors: Bisantz Ann M. , Paquet Victor L. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a set of design‐oriented laboratory exercises for two undergraduate Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) courses, which draw from a case study model. The case material, based on the automotive manufacturing industry, includes the description of the overall manufacturing system, seven multi‐period laboratories across the two courses, and computer modules intended to support the design and analysis activities in the laboratories. Over the duration of the project, the courses have been taught using the modified laboratories. Evaluations, including student surveys, grade comparisons, and comparison of test question answers, have been conducted to compare student performance before and after the implementation of the proposed laboratories. Results from completed evaluations are discussed.
Feeling is Believing: Using a Force‐Feedback Joystick to Teach Dynamic Systems
Authors: Okamura Allison M. , Richard Christopher , Cutkosky Mark. R. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAs an innovative approach to providing physical demonstrations in the engineering classroom, we present the haptic paddle: a low‐cost, single‐axis force‐feedback joystick. Using the paddle in the laboratory component of an undergraduate course on dynamic systems, students not only learned to model and analyze dynamic systems, but they also felt the effects of phenomena such as viscous damping, stiffness, and inertia. By interacting with virtual environments using their sense of touch, students improved their understanding of dynamic systems, modeling and control. In addition, the paddles added entertainment and excitement to the course. In this paper, we describe the purpose and design of the haptic paddle, show examples of how the paddle was integrated into the course, and present the results of preliminary student evaluations.
Laptops in the Classroom: Do They Make a Difference?
Authors: Kolar R. L. , Sabatini D. A. , Fink L. D. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn 1996 the College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma started to require all incoming students to have a laptop computer equipped with a wireless Internet card. Because of a pilot study and a voluntary phase‐in over the first two years, two groups of students moved through the curriculum—those with and those without laptops. During 1998 and 1999, when these students entered their junior year, we offered two sections of a third‐year water resources course: one for students who owned laptops and one “traditional” section for those who did not own laptops. We assessed student performance to evaluate if the laptops helped improve student learning. Although not a perfectly controlled experiment (i.e., the student groups were different), the two sections were uniform in terms of course content and assignments. Because of their inherently large standard deviations, class metrics (grades) are not conclusive, but they do indicate that the laptop students performed slightly better than the non‐laptop students, even though their composite grade point average entering the course was lower. Evaluations do clearly show that, when the technology is used properly and when class time is not spent resolving technical problems, the laptop students had a more positive learning experience.
The Use of Groupware for Collaboration in Distributed Student Engineering Design Teams
Authors: Kirschman Jill S. , Greenstein Joel S. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAn experiment was conducted in which teams of geographically distributed students used groupware tools to complete three tasks typically performed by the members of an engineering design team: generating ideas, co‐editing reports, and negotiating agreements. Four groupware‐supported team meeting formats using various combinations of audio, video, file‐transfer, and application‐sharing support were compared against each other and against a conventional face‐to‐face meeting. The results, measured as task completion time, quality of task outcome, and subjective user satisfaction, suggest that limitations of the hardware, software, and network bandwidth available at the time the study was conducted diminished any potential benefits of video connectivity and application sharing for distributed collaboration; however, audio connectivity was observed to be of great utility. The teams that used audio communication and file transfer alone between geographically distributed members achieved task completion times and task outcome qualities that were not significantly different from those of the teams working together in the same room.
A Study of the Effect of Graded Homework in a Preparatory Math Course for Electrical Engineers
Authors: Trussell H. J. , Dietz E. J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractMany person‐hours are required to grade homework assignments in large engineering classes. An experiment was conducted to determine whether this effort is beneficial to the students as measured by their test performance. Two sections of the same course were taught by the same instructor. One section was assigned homework that was graded; the other section was assigned the same homework but it was not graded. The experiment was repeated in a second semester. In the first semester, the section with the graded homework had significantly higher test scores than the section without graded homework. In the second semester, the two sections did not differ significantly in their test scores. Possible reasons for this difference are discussed.
Special Considerations When Using Statistical Analysis in Engineering Education Assessment and Evaluation
Authors: Larpkiataworn Siripen , Muogboh Obinna , Besterfield‐Sacre Mary , Shuman Larry J. , Wolfe Harvey 
Published: January 2013

AbstractTwo special considerations are discussed which frequently arise when conducting statistical analyses for the assessment and evaluation of engineering education programs. The first concerns the multiple comparison problem and Type I errors, specifically when should the significance level be adjusted and which adjustment procedure is most appropriate? Three scenarios are presented to illustrate three different applications of the classical Bonferroni procedure, one of the most extensively used adjustment procedures. A scenario is also presented for when an adjustment is not necessary. The second consideration is: when evaluating a predictive model should a tree diagram be used as an alternative to a classification table? For example, how does one assess a model's predictions when certain of its “recommendations” are not followed? For this type of case, a classification table may yield incomplete information. The use of a tree diagram to present more information on model performance is discussed.
A Look at the Past and Present of General Engineering and Engineering Science Programs
Authors: Newberry Byron , Farison James 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn this article we discuss engineering programs named Engineering (sometimes referred to as General Engineering) and Engineering Science. Our purpose is to explore the role such non‐specialized programs have played, and currently play, in the overall scheme of engineering education. There are currently forty‐eight programs offered at U.S. institutions with EAC/ABET accreditation under the name Engineering or Engineering Science. Such programs are typically characterized by a general or interdisciplinary nature, and as such do not have to satisfy any discipline‐specific EAC/ABET program criteria beyond the basic criteria. Our analysis of Engineering and Engineering Science programs consists of two parts. First, we explore the historical trends in the evolution of such programs. Then we examine their uses, their current status, and their prospects for the future.
Comparison of Two Quantitative Methods of Determining Rater Bias
Authors: WOODS R.C. , CHAN K.L. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractTwo methods of detecting and quantifying rater bias, i.e., bias introduced by persons assessing projects, have recently been independently proposed. In this paper, the data used to demonstrate and introduce each method are analysed using the other method so that a meaningful comparison between the two methods may be made. It is found that the two methods are not exactly equivalent although the results from both are broadly similar.
Lin2k: A Novel Web‐Based Collaborative Tool‐Application to Engineering Education
Authors: HADJILEONTIADOU SOFIA J. , SAKONIDIS HARALAMBOS N. , BALAFOUTAS GEORGE J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn this paper we present the educational process of Lin2k, a Web‐based tool, which supports distant asynchronous, written, peer‐collaboration in a case study. The tool constitutes an open learning environment that endows engineering students with collaborative competencies, necessary for their successful shift to professional practice. Students are engaged in a process of experiential learning of collaboration while, in parallel, we follow up their interactions and collect communication data of interest. Lin2k collaboration evaluating and adaptive feedback mechanisms are aimed at equipping students with the necessary conceptual knowledge that underlies collaborative activity. Lin2k experimental uses in the Civil Engineering Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, proved the efficacy of its pedagogy. The Lin2k educational process serves as a prototype that may contribute to the revision of engineering curricula so as to face the challenges that the new technologies impose, along with the necessity of relating academic to professional life.
Use of Subject‐specific FE Exam Results in Outcomes Assessment
Authors: NIRMALAKHANDAN N. , DANIEL D. , WHITE K. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractEngineering programs seeking accreditation are required by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) to document their continuous program improvement efforts and their outcomes. In this paper, we propose the subject‐specific results of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination as one of the metrics suitable for assessing the outcomes of such efforts in individual courses. Statistical approaches appropriate for analyzing the FE Exam results and some caveats about their use are discussed. The application of this approach in the hydraulic engineering area of our program is illustrated.
Supporting Mechanical Reasoning with a Representationally‐Rich Learning Environment
Authors: McKenna Ann F. , Agogino Alice M. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractA learning environment to support mechanical reasoning and understanding of simple machines for middle school and high school students is presented, along with results of an evaluation of its effectiveness in student learning. Based on recommendations from literature on instructional frameworks and cognitive aspects of mechanical reasoning, SIMALE (the Simple Machines Learning Environment) was designed to support reflection, collaboration, and presentation of concepts from multiple perspectives. SIMALE was implemented with a diverse population of middle and high school students with three treatment variations: (1) environment with focus on Lego exercises to engage in hands‐on physical activities, (2) environment with focus on a Web‐based computer module, and (3) environment with both the computer module and Lego exercises. Analyses of results show significant increases in post‐test performance for all treatment variations within SIMALE. The results also revealed unexpected dramatic results in equalizing post‐test scores along ethnic and gender dimensions, in spite of large population differences in pre‐test scores.
Effects of Faculty Interaction and Feedback on Gains in Student Skills*
Authors: Bjorklund Stefani A. , Parente John M. , Sathianathan Dhushy 
Published: January 2013

AbstractPrevious research has identified several variables that affect students' course satisfaction and gains in learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with insights about the relationships between faculty‐student interaction and students' perceptions of selected skills and attitudes. This study specifically examined the relationships between engineering faculty teaching practices, classroom climate, and students' perceptions of their gains in communication skills, problem‐solving skills, occupational awareness, and engineering competence in a curriculum emphasizing engineering design activities. Data were gathered from more than 1,500 students taking the first‐year design course offered at 19 campuses of the Penn State system over a period of two years. The results suggest that faculty interacting with and providing constructive feedback to students were significantly and positively related to students' self‐reported gains in several design and professional skills. These relationships remained after controlling for student demographic characteristics and campus location. Recommendations regarding specific teaching practices are provided.
Developing Criteria for an On‐Line Learning Environment: From the Student and Faculty Perspectives*
Authors: Cohen Maxine S. , Ellis Timothy J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe research literature abounds with articles about distance learning from the perspectives of students, faculty, and administrators. Most of these articles discuss the details of transitioning to on‐line learning environments. Research is beginning to pay attention to quality issues in distance learning. This article discusses a three‐phase developmental study conducted in a graduate school. Students were asked to brainstorm and develop a set of quality indicators. These indicators were ranked by a second group of students. Then the indicators were given to a group of faculty for another ranking. In this study it was shown that there was a very great agreement on the relative importance of the various potential indicators of quality in courses delivered via an on‐line medium.
The Impact of Cooperative Education on Academic Performance and Compensation of Engineering Majors
Authors: Blair Benjamin F. , Millea Meghan , Hammer Joshua 
Published: January 2013

AbstractSeveral engineering programs around the country either require or encourage a cooperative education experience as part of their curriculum. In this paper, we examine the effects of cooperative education on grade point average, length of time in school, and starting salary. Statistical analyses show that cooperative education programs have significant effects on all three dimensions. These results are useful not only to students deciding whether to participate in cooperative education programs, but also to administrators in determining the role of cooperative education in the engineering curriculum.
A Qualitative Study of a Course Trilogy in Biosystems Engineering Design
Authors: Friesen Marcia , Taylor K. Lynn , Britton M.G. (Ron) 
Published: January 2013

AbstractEngineering design encompasses professional competencies that complement a solid understanding of engineering science fundamentals, theories, and methods. Engineering schools are increasing their efforts to integrate design into the curriculum, and this paper critically analyses one initiative at a research‐intensive Canadian university, where a three‐course sequence (Design Trilogy) forms the design education backbone in the undergraduate Biosystems Engineering program. Data collection consisted of focus groups with students and one‐on‐one interviews with instructors and industry cooperators. The findings yielded authentic understandings of teaching and learning engineering design, many areas of common perceptions between participant groups, congruence with design concepts in the literature, and areas where students' perceptions and experiences did not correspond to instructors' intentions. Teaching implications include the importance of instructors' transparency and integration in teaching and the need to explicitly prepare students for a different kind of learning experience in the Design Trilogy.
Undergraduate Student Competitions
Authors: Wankat Phillip C. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis study explored student competitions for undergraduate engineering and engineering technology students to determine which institutions consistently win and what factors support their winning, and to obtain some insights into the benefits for students. Forty‐four student competitions for engineering and technology students were identified, and the first, second, and third place institutions from 2001 to 2003 were tabulated. Although one institution would often win a particular competition, no institution was a consistent winner for all competitions. Advisers of winning institutions reported that their institutions won consistently because of a dedicated faculty advisor and/or the close alignment of the competition with the institution's curriculum. Also important are a tradition of winning, the quality of the students, and (for hands‐on competitions) the availability of resources. Additional research is needed to determine if student competitions increase student learning.
Experiential Learning Environments: Do They Prepare Our Students to be Self‐Directed, Life‐Long Learners?
Authors: Jiusto S. , DiBiasio D. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractRecent research indicates that traditional academic structures may not effectively promote self‐directed learning. We investigated whether an experiential interdisciplinary projects program, called the Global Studies Program, increased readiness for self‐directed learning (SDL) and life‐long learning (LLL) using three methods: a nationally recognized course evaluation system called the Individual Development and Educational Assessment system (IDEA); an internal student project quality assessment protocol; and the Self‐Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS).Student self‐assessments through the IDEA system showed Global Studies Program students reported much greater progress in LLL‐related skills than did national and local comparison groups. Similarly, review of student projects by independent faculty teams found Global Studies Program students consistently outscored on‐campus project students in LLL‐related measures by wide margins. The SDLRS also showed a positive, but less emphatic increase in SDL readiness among a Global Studies Program cohort. The research demonstrates the success of one experiential learning environment in promoting SDL/LLL, while raising interesting issues regarding alternative methods of measuring potential benefits.
Civil Engineering Education in a Visualization Environment: Experiences with VizClass
Authors: Grimes Douglas , Warschauer Mark , Hutchinson Tara , Kuester Falko 
Published: January 2013

AbstractVizClass, a university classroom visualization environment, was developed to bridge the gap between high‐tech engineering practice and low‐tech engineering pedagogy. It contains a suite of digital whiteboards, a three‐dimensional stereoscopic display, and specialized software for engineering visualization. Through observations, interviews, surveys, and examination of student work, we investigated student and teacher attitudes toward VizClass and its effect on teaching and learning processes. Observed benefits of teaching in the new environment include increased ability of faculty to visually explain complex problems, increased ability of students to conceptualize engineering problems, and increased engagement of students in after‐class collaboration.
Using Theory to Inform Capacity‐Building: Bootstrapping Communities of Practice in Computer Science Education Research
Authors: Fincher Sally , Tenenberg Josh 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn this paper, we describe our efforts in the deliberate creation of a community of practice of researchers in computer science education (CSEd). We understand community of practice in the sense in which Wenger describes it, whereby the community is characterized by mutual engagement in a joint enterprise that gives rise to a shared repertoire of knowledge, artefacts, and practices.We first identify CSEd as a research field in which no shared paradigm exists, and then we describe the Bootstrapping project, its metaphor, structure, rationale, and delivery, as designed to create a community of practice of CSEd researchers. Features of other projects are also outlined that have similar aims of capacity building in disciplinary‐specific pedagogic enquiry. A theoretically derived framework for evaluating the success of endeavours of this type is then presented, and we report the results from an empirical study. We conclude with four open questions for our project and others like it: Where is the locus of a community of practice? Who are the core members? Do capacity‐building models transfer to other disciplines? Can our theoretically motivated measures of success apply to other projects of the same nature?
The Effects of Engineering Modules on Student Learning in Middle School Science Classrooms
Authors: Cantrell Pamela , Pekcan Gokhan , Itani Ahmad , Velasquez‐Bryant Norma 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe Teachers Integrating Engineering into Science (TIES) Program is a collaborative project among faculty from the College of Education and the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. The TIES project paired university faculty with middle school science teachers to create three units that included engineering design using a variety of interactive learning activities in order to engage a wide range of students. The units included a Web‐based simulation activity, lesson plans, a design project, and three types of assessments that were standardized across schools. Results of assessments were disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, special education, and socio‐economic level. Mean scores for these student population groups were compared to mean scores for the same groups on the 2004 Nevada eighth grade science criterion referenced test. These results indicate that engaging students in engineering curriculum activities may diminish achievement gaps in science for some student populations.