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Defining, Teaching, And Assessing Engineering Design Skills, Nikos J. Mourtos
Defining, Teaching, And Assessing Engineering Design Skills, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
The paper discusses a systematic approach for defining, teaching, and assessing engineering design skills. Although the examples presented in the paper are from the field of aerospace engineering, the principles apply to engineering design in general. What makes the teaching of engineering design particularly challenging is that the necessary skills and attributes are both technical and non-technical and come from the cognitive as well as the affective domains. Each set of skills requires a different approach to teach and assess. Implementing a variety of approaches for a number of years at SJSU has shown that it is just as necessary …
Challenges Students Face When Solving Open - Ended Problems, Nikos J. Mourtos
Challenges Students Face When Solving Open - Ended Problems, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
Several core aerospace engineering courses at SJSU have been re-designed in an effort to help students develop problem-solving skills. This re-design includes (a) explicit definition of skills and attributes students need to develop to become capable problem-solvers, (b) inclusion of open-ended problems in each of several key, junior-level, core courses, (c) coaching students in the use of Wood’s Problem-Solving Methodology, and (d) development of rubrics to evaluate student performance at each step of this methodology. The paper discusses the application of this process and, in particular, it presents an assessment of student performance in two courses: fluid mechanics and aerodynamics. …
A Sustainable, Systematic Process For Continuous Program Improvement, Nikos J. Mourtos
A Sustainable, Systematic Process For Continuous Program Improvement, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
The USA Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) adopted recently a new set of criteria for evaluating engineering programmes. One of these (criterion 3) refers to programme outcomes and assessment. In this article, the author describes the design and implementation of a sustainable, systematic process for defining and assessing programme outcomes. This process involves analysing each outcome into elements, defining a set of attributes for each element, selecting outcome indicators and performance targets, and developing special rubrics for an accurate assessment of student skills. The author also describes a systematic way of addressing specific programme outcomes through course and …
Incorporating The Impact Of Engineering Solutions On Society Into Technical Engineering Courses, Nicole Dejong-Okamoto, Jinny Rhee, Nikos J. Mourtos
Incorporating The Impact Of Engineering Solutions On Society Into Technical Engineering Courses, Nicole Dejong-Okamoto, Jinny Rhee, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
In the era of market and workforce globalisation, engineers need a solid understanding of the impact that their products have locally, as well as globally. This is why the US Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) recently put a new spin on this requirement in engineering education. Specifically, outcome 3h of Engineering Criteria 2000 states that engineering graduates must have the broad education to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global/ societal context. This outcome may be one of the most difficult to achieve, since it requires not only a strong technical understanding, but also an informed …
Open-Ended Problem-Solving Skills In Thermal-Fluids Engineering, Nikos J. Mourtos, Nicole Dejong-Okamoto, Jinny Rhee
Open-Ended Problem-Solving Skills In Thermal-Fluids Engineering, Nikos J. Mourtos, Nicole Dejong-Okamoto, Jinny Rhee
Faculty Publications
Problem-solving skills have always been important in many professions. However, ABET EC 2000 recently placed a new focus on these skills in engineering education with outcome 3e, which states that engineering graduates must have an ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems. Problem-solving is defined as a process used to obtain a best answer to an unknown or a decision that is subject to some constraints. Problem-solving is not the same as textbook exercise solving, which is very common in engineering curricula. In the article, the authors first define engineering problem-solving and, in particular, what it means to identify …
From Learning To Talk To Learning Engineering; Drawing Connections Across The Disciplines, Nikos J. Mourtos
From Learning To Talk To Learning Engineering; Drawing Connections Across The Disciplines, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
This paper introduces eight so-called conditions of learning (immersion, demonstration, engagement, expectations, responsibility, approximation, employment and response), which have been previously established for the learning of literacy. It is stipulated that these conditions are universal in nature; in other words, they must be present for any learning to occur. When these conditions are met, students learn more efficiently and are able to enjoy and appreciate their subject matter. The article discusses briefly how these conditions were established and their relevance in the study of engineering. More importantly, the article also presents examples of how these conditions can be satisfied in …
Introducing Cooperative Learning Through A Faculty Instructional Development Program, Nikos J. Mourtos, Emily L. Allen
Introducing Cooperative Learning Through A Faculty Instructional Development Program, Nikos J. Mourtos, Emily L. Allen
Faculty Publications
Cooperative Learning was officially introduced in the College of Engineering at San Jose State University in 1995 with a two-day workshop. The Faculty Instructional Development Program in the college maintains interest in the subjsect and provides support for instructors who use Cooperative Learning, through workshops and informal discussions (Conversations on Teaching). This paper discusses the effectiveness of the program in introducing, promoting, and implementing Cooperative Learning among the faculty and students in the college of engineering. A variety of performance criteria have been used in this assessment, some faculty-centered and some student-centered. The results indicate that although a relatively small …
Portfolio Assessment In Aerodynamics, Nikos J. Mourtos
Portfolio Assessment In Aerodynamics, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
A new way of assessing student learning in an aerodynamics course through the use of portfolios is presented. The approach is portable to any engineering course, with a few modifications depending on content. The main idea is to allow students more responsibility for their own learning. Instead of having everyone in the class perform identical activities (homework, experiments, projects, tests, etc.), a cadre of assignments is made available to them. Students choose and perform (within reason) the ones that suit them better in terms of their own strengths and learning styles. The ultimate goal is for each student to demonstrate …
The Nuts & Bolts Of Cooperative Learning In Engineering, Nikos J. Mourtos
The Nuts & Bolts Of Cooperative Learning In Engineering, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
A great number of engineering students work alone. But in industry, teamwork is required most of the time. Incorporating Cooperative Learning (CL) into an engineering program gives students an opportunity to practice problem solving and communication skills in a "simulated" professional environment. The paper briefly discusses the motivation behind using CL in engineering courses. Then, the essential elements to make CL successful in the classroom are examined and examples of how these elements have been incorporated into engineering courses taught by the author are given. Problems that have been encountered along with possible fixes are also mentioned.
Control Of Vortical Separation On A Circular Cone, Nikos J. Mourtos
Control Of Vortical Separation On A Circular Cone, Nikos J. Mourtos
Faculty Publications
For conical bodies, at moderate angles of attack, the flow separates from the lee side, forming two vortices. Although the vortex lift contrihution is highly desirable, as the angle of attack increases, the vortex system becomes asymmetric, and eventually the vortices breakdown. Thus, some control of the separation process is necessary if the vortex lift is to be exploited at higher angles of attack. The theoretical model which is used in this analysis has three parts. First, the 'single line-vortex' model is used within the framework of 'slender-body theory' to compute the outer inviscid field for specified separation lines. Second, …