Education Commons^™

A Case Study: Data Management In Biomedical Engineering, Glenn Gaudette, Donna Kafel

Glenn R. Gaudette

In a biomedical engineering lab at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, co-author Dr. Glenn R. Gaudette and his research team are investigating the effects of stem cell therapy on the regeneration of function in damaged cardiac tissue in laboratory rats. Each instance of stem cell experimentation on a rat yields hundreds of data sets that must be carefully captured, documented and securely stored so that the data will be easily accessed and retrieved for papers, reports, further research, and validation of findings, while meeting NIH guidelines for data sharing. After a brief introduction to the bioengineering field and stem cell research, this …

Developing Inquiry-Based Laboratory Exercises For A Mechanical Engineering Curriculum, Sriram Sundararajan, Leann E. Faidley, Terrence R. Meyer

Terrence R Meyer

This paper describes the development of two inquiry-based experiments in a mechanical engineering curriculum at a land grant research-intensive university, aimed at providing students with the opportunity to design and perform experiments. One experiment in engineering measurements (system behavior) and one experiment in fluid dynamics were developed. In each case, students working on teams were posed with a scenario and question to answer. For example, in the system dynamics experiment, students were asked to verify that a thermal system and electrical system were mechanically equivalent systems. In the fluid dynamics experiment, students were asked to investigate drag coefficients for flow …

Integrate Webex Recorded Meetings With Video Sharing Development, Zhi-Xue Xu

Zhi-Xue Xu

WebEx has provided powerful online meeting and video conference. Many important meetings have been held by WebEx. We should record these important meetings in time on WebEx. WebEx meetings can be recorded to the streaming video files that will be stored in the WebEx Server and back play them repeatedly if you want. The WebEx recorded meeting files with ARF format can be converted to WMV, SWF and MP4 format video files by WebEx Network Recording Player. The more different video formats, AVI, FLV, MOV, and MPEG4 also can be converted by third parties video convert software. The format WMV …

Evaluating A Linked-Courses Learning Community For Development Majors, Amber Settle, John Lalor, Theresa Steinbach

Amber Settle

Work Integrated Learning In Stem In Australian Universities: Final Report: Submitted To The Office Of The Chief Scientist, Daniel Edwards, Kate Perkins, Jacob Pearce, Jennifer Hong

Dr Daniel Edwards

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) undertook this study for the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS). It explores the practice and application of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in STEM, with a particular focus on natural and physical sciences, information technology, and agriculture departments in Australian universities. The project involved a detailed ‘stocktake’ of WIL in practice in these disciplines, with collection of information by interview, survey instruments, consultation with stakeholders and literature reviews. Every university in Australia was visited as part of this project, with interviews and consultation sessions gathering insight from more than 120 academics and support …

Work Integrated Learning In Stem In Australian Universities: Final Report: Submitted To The Office Of The Chief Scientist, Daniel Edwards, Kate Perkins, Jacob Pearce, Jennifer Hong

Dr Jacob Pearce

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) undertook this study for the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS). It explores the practice and application of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in STEM, with a particular focus on natural and physical sciences, information technology, and agriculture departments in Australian universities. The project involved a detailed ‘stocktake’ of WIL in practice in these disciplines, with collection of information by interview, survey instruments, consultation with stakeholders and literature reviews. Every university in Australia was visited as part of this project, with interviews and consultation sessions gathering insight from more than 120 academics and support …

Hydrometallurgy. A Personal View. Interview, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Connecting Self-Efficacy And Nature Of Science Shifts In Undergraduate Research Experiences, Gina M. Quan

Gina Quan

Research And Development In Roof-Top Solar Potentiality Using Lidar Technology, Radhey Shyam Meena

Radhey Shyam Meena

Energy security and its application is the key for economic growth to any country and state. The conventional generation is also the source of greenhouse gas emission attributing to global warming and has has adverse impact on climate. Therefore, a global shift towards sustainable renewable energy generation is being witnessed. India is blessed with abundant solar energy and if harnessed efficiently, Solar energy is extremely beneficial as it is non polluting and its generation can be decentralized. The state of Rajasthan receives maximum solar radiation Intensity in India with very low average rainfall. It also has desert land available in …

Scientific & Technological Perspective: Future Of Energy Storage With Graphene Oxide (Go), Radhey Shyam Meena

Radhey Shyam Meena

Graphene is a 2D “flat-mat” consisting of a honeycomb-like structure of carbon atoms with sp2 bonding character for each carbon. It exhibits excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, and can be synthesized in a number of ways. Most syntheses involve first oxidizing graphite to Graphene Oxide (GO), Functional and synthesis diversity of Graphene Oxide (GO) has led to various fundamental and applied scientific explorations. GO can be viewed as an in-plane, hybrid 2D lattice consisting of sp2 and sp3 carbon regions. Engineering the type and distribution of sp3 regions can tune the physical properties of resultant GO. This paper reviews …

The New Aviation Meteorology Specialization In The Graduate Aeronautics Program At Embry-Riddle, John M. Lanicci, Erin A. Roberts

John M Lanicci

The next 12 months will be an exciting time of growth in graduate aviation studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach, FL campus. Beginning in Fall Semester 2009, a new Area of Concentration (AOC) in Aviation Meteorology will be added to the Master of Science in Aeronautics (MSA) program, and the new Doctoral program in Aviation will be starting in January 2010. The Aviation Meteorology AOC adds a crucial specialty to the existing MSA options in Air Traffic Management, Aviation/Aerospace Education Technology, Aviation/Aerospace Management, Aviation/Aerospace Operations, and Aviation/Aerospace Safety Systems. The Aviation Meteorology AOC is designed to be a cross-disciplinary …

The Weather And Air Traffic Management Integration Course In The Graduate Aeronautics Program At Embry-Riddle, John Lanicci

John M Lanicci

One year ago, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University added a new Area of Concentration (AOC) in Aviation Meteorology to the Master of Science in Aeronautics (MSA) program at the Daytona Beach, Florida campus. As part of the preparation for the start of this program, an experimental graduate seminar in Weather and Air Traffic Integration was taught over the summer, which attracted graduate students with backgrounds in commercial and private aviation, applied meteorology, and engineering physics. The purpose of this course was to introduce the students to the concept of weather and air traffic integration as it currently exists and is being planned …

Weather Technology In The Cockpit (Wtic): Concept Of Operations, User Needs, Education, And Training, John Lanicci, L. Kirk, L. Martin, J. Vacek, E. A. Roberts, M. Edwards

John M Lanicci

The FAA, through sponsorship of the Center for General Aviation Research (CGAR), has funded a multi-disciplinary research program on Weather Technology In the Cockpit (WTIC). The CGAR is a consortium of four universities, three of which (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of North Dakota, University of Alaska-Anchorage) are working together on this program. Each university partner has the lead on a portion of the project: the University of Alaska-Anchorage is the lead on developing the WTIC Concept of Operations (CONOPS); the University of North Dakota is the lead on developing a robust set of WTIC user needs; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is …

General Aviation Weather Encounter Case Studies, John Lanicci, Massoud Bazargan, Daniel Halperin, Scott Shappell, Jaclyn Baron, Rebecca Iden, Carla Hackworth, Kali Holcomb

John M Lanicci

This study presents a compilation of 24 cases involving general aviation (GA) pilots’ weather encounters over the continental U.S. The project team interviewed pilots who had experienced a weather encounter, and we examined their backgrounds, flight experience, and weather encounter details. Results from meteorological data analysis for each weather encounter were consistent with findings of larger GA weather accident studies in terms of the types of hazards encountered and flight phase during which the encounters occurred. Investigation of pilot weather products and the sources from which they were obtained revealed a lack of uniformity of pre-flight data sources and underutilization …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of An Education And Training Module For General Aviation Pilots On The Use Of Nexrad-Based Products In The Cockpit, John Lanicci, Erin Roberts, E. Blickensderfer

John M Lanicci

Numerous studies over the years have documented the need to improve meteorological education and training for General Aviation (GA) pilots. With the advent of readily available aviation weather hazard products for real-time pilot use on the flight deck, there is now a lack of education and training on the proper interpretation and usage of these products. Data-linked NEXRAD is a good example of a currently available real-time product that is very popular in the GA community, but lacks a coherent understanding of its proper usage in pre-flight planning and in-flight operation.

Proper usage of NEXRAD in the cockpit should require …

Unikl Wins 6 Medals At Itex 2015, Azman Ismail

Azman Ismail

No abstract provided.

Session D-4: Coolhub.Imsa: Collaborative Innovation In Action, Carl Heine, James Gerry

Carl Heine

Transform STEM teaching and learning with CoolHub.IMSA, a free virtual platform where youth and adults collaborate on projects they create. Explore the site through the eyes of project members and discover powerful ways to collaborate, innovate and network for learning.

Social Media For Informal Science Learning In China: A Case Study, Ke Zhang, Fei Gao

Fei Gao

This article reports a case study on a popular informal science learning community via social media in China, named GuoKr (meaning “nutshell” in English). Data were collected through a variety of Chinese social media and social networking sites, web-based community portals, and discussion boards. Content analyses and data mining were conducted to investigate how GuoKr successfully attracted and engaged public in informal learning on scientific topics in particular. The study found three key characteristics that contributed to the success of such learning communities: (a) utilizing a variety of social media to empower participants with just-in-time, accidental learning opportunities; (b) daily …

Comparing Role-Playing Activities In Second Life And Face-To-Face Environments, Fei Gao, Jeongmin J. Noh, Matthew J. Koehler

Fei Gao

This study compared student performances in role-playing activities in both a face-to-face (FTF) environment and a virtual 3D environment, Second Life (SL). We found that students produced a similar amount of communication in the two environments, but the communication styles were different. In SL role-playing activities, students took more conversational turns, but have shorter exchanges compared to the FTF environment. Students generated an equal amount of topic-related concepts in the two environments. They also reported role-playing activities in SL as more interesting and less formal. The educational implications for this study are discussed.

Case Study Of Using A Social Annotation Tool To Support Collaboratively Learning, Fei Gao

Fei Gao

The purpose of the study was to understand student interaction and learning supported by a collaboratively social annotation tool — Diigo. The researcher examined through a case study how students participated and interacted when learning an online text with the social annotation tool — Diigo, and how they perceived their experience. The findings suggested that students participated actively in the collaborative learning activity and were engaged in a variety of behaviors including self-reflection, elaboration, internalization, and showing support. Although students generally had a moderately positive attitude toward using the social annotation tool for collaborative learning, a few problems were identified. …

Exploring The Use Of Discussion Strategies And Labels In Asynchronous Online Discussion, Fei Gao

Fei Gao

Drawing on research in both constrained online discussion environments and strategy instruction, this approach combines explicit instruction on discussion strategies with the use of post type labels. In a trial of this approach in an online course, students actively used the discussion strategies and post type labels in their discussion. Analysis of student posts and survey responses suggested that students in the experimental group used discussion strategies more frequently after the intervention as compared to the control group and perceived that this approach positively impacted their discussions. In addition, there is a certain degree of improvement in the quality of …

Tweeting For Learning: A Critical Analysis Of Research On Microblogging In Education Published In 2008-2011, Fei Gao, Tian Luo, Ke Zhang

Fei Gao

This study critically analyzed the current body of published research on microblogging in education (MIE) to build a deep and comprehensive understanding of this increasingly popular phenomenon. Twenty-one studies on MIE in 2008-2011 were selected based on the selection criteria and analyzed to answer the following questions: (a) What types of research have been published on MIE? (b) How was microblogging used for teaching and learning in these studies? (c) What educational benefits did microblogging have on teaching and learning? and (d) What suggestions and implications did the current research have for future MIE research and practices? The analysis suggested …

Enhancing Classroom Learning Experience By Providing Structures To Microblogging-Based Activities, Tian Luo, Fei Gao

Fei Gao

Microblogging tools such as Twitter have been frequently adopted in educational settings to facilitate learning in recent years. Although the original purpose of microblogging tools is to connect with others in a wide network and instantly share what is happening to them with the rest of the world, educators have vigorously attempted to repurpose the utilization of the tool and integrate it into various educational settings to promote student learning. The purpose of this study is to examine student learning experience under a set of structured microblogging-based activities and to identify the affordances and constraints of the technology. Students participated …

Designing A Discussion Environment To Enhance Connectivity And Sustainability In Asynchronous Online Discussion, Fei Gao

Fei Gao

Lack of connectivity and sustainability are two common problems in asynchronous online discussions. In this paper, the author proposes that the two problems may have to do with the structure of threaded forums, that is, the design of threaded forums may constrain participants from having well-connected and sustained discussions. A new discussion environment was developed to promote the connectivity and sustainability of discussion in an online course, and an exploratory study was conducted to test the effectiveness of the new environment.

New Model Of Productive Online Discussion And Its Implications For Research And Instruction, Fei Gao, Charles Xiaoxue Wang, Yanling Sun

Fei Gao

We develop a new model of productive online discussion based on a brief review of research literature on online discussion. As compared to previous discussion models, the new model provides a more systematic and comprehensive framework to understand how learning occurs through online discussion. Based on the new model, we propose several directions for research on improving the quality of online discussion and learning.

Designing Asynchronous Online Discussion Environments: Recent Progress And Possible Future Directions, Fei Gao, Tianyi Zhang, Teresa Franklin

Fei Gao

Asynchronous online discussion environments are important platforms to support learning. Research suggests, however, threaded forums, one of the most popular asynchronous discussion environments, do not often foster productive online discussions naturally. This paper explores how certain properties of threaded forums have affected or constrained the quality of discussions, and argues that developing alternative discussion environments is highly needed to offer better support for asynchronous online communication. Using the Productive Discussion Model developed by Gao, Wang & Sun (2009), we analyzed current work on four types of asynchronous discussion environments that have been developed and researched: constrained environments, visualized environments, anchored …

Enhancing Student Experience In Team-Based Project Courses Using Essence Reflection Meetings, Todd Sedano, Cécile Péraire

Cécile Péraire

Background: Many software engineering curriculum contain a team-based project course. This is the case of Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley’s masters of science in software engineering. In this context, we have been using Essence Reflection Meetings for five semesters with 17 teams and approximately 70 students. During these meetings, the teams reflect on various project’s dimensions based on a systems thinking framework. The positive results have been published in research papers.

Activity and Discussions: Participants will learn about Essence Reflection Meetings for team-based project courses by practicing in a classroom environment. They will discuss challenges and solutions for team-based project …

An Evaluation Of Highered 2.0 Technologies In Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Courses., Amy Orange, Walter Heinecke, Edward Berger, Borjana Mikic, D, Quinn

Dr. D Dane Quinn

No abstract provided.

Designing And Evaluating A Stem Teacher Learning Opportunity In The Research University, Patricia Hardré, Chen Ling, Randa Shehab, Jason Herron, Mark Nanny, Ulli Nollert, Hazem Refai, Christopher Ramseyer, Ebisa Wollega

Dr. Chen Ling

This study examines the design and evaluation strategies for a year-long teacher learning and development experience, including their effectiveness, efficiency and recommendations for strategic redesign. Design characteristics include programmatic features and outcomes: cognitive, affective and motivational processes; interpersonal and social development; and performance activities. Program participants were secondary math and science teachers, partnered with engineering faculty mentors, in a research university-based education and support program. Data from multiple sources demonstrated strengths and weaknesses in design of the program's learning environment, including: face-to-face and via digital tools; on-site and distance community interactions; and strategic evaluation tools and systems. Implications are considered …

Educational Apps: Using Mobile Applications To Enhance Student Learning Of Statistical Concepts, Chen Ling, Drew Harnish, Randa Shehab

Dr. Chen Ling

This research sought to understand whether the use of mobile applications (e.g., iPhone apps) had an impact on students’ learning of new statistical concepts. A control group (n = 12) was compared against a group that used a statistical mobile app (n = 13) during a simulated statistics lecture on the topic of normal distribution. Students received a classroom lecture followed by a period of either pencil-and-paper only or technology-assisted examples. They then took a quiz on the material. The overall quiz results showed that the app group outperformed the control group. When learning through examples with the mobile app, …