Engineering Commons^™

Using Electronic Faculty Course Portfolios To Showcase Classroom Practices And Student Learning, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Faculty course portfolios are a valuable medium for documenting and making visible the serious intellectual work of teaching. Developing a faculty course portfolio follows the same process one uses to explore a research question. Faculty members inquire, analyze, and document their teaching practices and the resulting student learning and then make the results accessible for use, review, and assessment by one’s peers. In this article, we introduce four types of electronic course portfolios that sponsor different forms of inquiry into student learning. We highlight the major components of each type, offer advice in developing them, and share examples of each. …

Developing Processes And Criteria For External Reviews Of Scholarly Teaching, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This workshop explores theoretical questions and practical strategies for how to develop peer reviewers for faculty required to document their scholarly teaching. After reading two mini case-studies of how faculty have documented the intellectual work of their teaching, participants will engage in guided discussion about reviewing and assessing such work and about developing faculty communities equipped to do such work. Presenter(s) also will seek feedback on guidelines that they have developed for external reviewers of SOTL work.

Course Portfolio - Discrete Event Simulation, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This course portfolio, written by Dr. Paul Savory, provides an overview of his Discrete Event Simulation course at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It offers an overview of the course goals, a summary of the classroom activities for achieving them, and a detailed assessment of student learning. He highlights his introduction of the simul8 programming environment to his students. In addition to exploring his students’ learning, Dr. Savory also explores different approaches for documenting his teaching by including multimedia clips (video and audio), uses graphs, uses color, and incorporates images. The resulting portfolio is one that can be reviewed, shared, and …

Marketing For Summer Session: What Do The Students Want?, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Dr. Savory will share four campaign ideas his office developed to better target Summer Sessions marketing to the new generation of students. Each is unique and generates different reactions. He will talk about which was chosen and the campus reaction of choosing an “edgy” theme. He will also highlight the challenges and impact of offering a “Bucks for Summer Books” sweepstakes targeting freshman and sophomore students to take summer courses.

Summer Sessions Breakdown Of Course Dates And Time, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This report highlights an exhaustive analysis of the hundreds of Summer Session courses to develop an understanding of when they occur during the day and during which of the four academic terms. The analysis shows that the most popular time for scheduling courses is between 9:30 am and noon for each of the four summer session terms. Given the limited number of general purpose classrooms on campus, accommodating faculty preference for rooms, buildings, and computer equipment is sometimes not possible during the most in demand course times. The results also showcase the potential for having summer courses four-day per week …

Navigating From The Local To The Cosmopolitan: Expanding The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning Commons, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This collaborative poster highlights how "Expanding‐the‐SOTL‐Commons" is composed of nine collaborating institutions from the US and Canada. Situated within the Carnegie Academy for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning’s Intuitional Leadership Program, our initiative seeks innovative ways to sustain and advance the teaching commons both on our own campuses and across the broader ISSOTL community. Our diverse group of institutions of higher education acknowledges the multiple dimensions of work that communities and individuals contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning and recognizes that common interest reside in how individuals and institutions enter into this area of scholarship, and how they …

Randomly Generating Manufacturing Flow Line Models Using Mathematica, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

To test heuristic algorithms and techniques, researchers need numerous datasets so as to measure effectiveness and improve approaches. This paper discusses using Mathematica, a mathematical programming language, for randomly generating the specifications for manufacturing flow line models. Important issues include determining an arrival rate to a flow line, the number of flow line stations, the number of parallel servers for each production station, and specifying the service time distributions and their associated parameters. The paper concludes with a discussion on generating more general types of simulation models.

Understanding Sub-20 Nm Breakdown Behavior Of Liquid Dielectrics, Kumar R. Virwani, Ajay P. Malshe, Kamlakar P. Rajurkar

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Nanoscale confinement of dielectric molecules is expected to influence their breakdown mechanism in applications such as nanoprobe based machining, molecular electronics, and other related technologies. This Letter presents the first experimental study of the breakdown of nonpolar, nonthiolated liquid dielectrics in the nanometer regime and develops a field emission assisted avalanche based approach to model such behavior. The studies show that dielectric breakdown in the sub-20 nm regime is independent of the cathode materials and is dominated by the electron emission and atomic cluster migration due to the ‘‘sub-20 nm scale confinement of the liquid dielectric.’’

2007 Survey Of Summer Sessions Students At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

During Summer 2007, UNL Summer Sessions (FlexEd) surveyed summer students to learn about their experience in taking a summer course(s). The survey results will offer confirmation of what we are doing well and will provide guidance on areas of improvement and better strategies for marketing UNL summer opportunities. A total of 227 students completed the survey. Fifteen summer classes were selected to complete a paper-based or electronic version of the survey. The classes were from three different summer sessions and used different delivery mechanisms (on-campus, studio, distance education).

Peer Review Of Teaching Project, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodbrun, Amy Nelson Burnett

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The national impact of UNL’s Peer Review of Teaching Project was recognized in 2005 – with a TIAA-CREF Hesburgh Certificate of Excellence – as an exceptional program in enhancing undergraduate student learning. In 2006, the project was designated an Institutional Leader by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. As a national institutional leader, the project will continue defining, measuring, tracking, and improving approaches that deepen student understanding.

Creating An Internet Repository For Course Portfolios, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn, Amy Nelson Burnett

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Our ITLE grant has supported the development of www.courseportfolio.org – an internet repository for faculty-written course portfolios documenting best practices and evidence of student learning occurring in the classroom.

Developing Institutional Faculty Communities To Review And Assess Sotl Work, Paul Savory, Amy Nelson Burnett, Amy M. Goodburn

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This workshop explores theoretical questions and practical strategies for how to develop faculty peer reviewers for SOTL work. After reading a set of faculty case-study files that include varying forms of SOTL work, participants will engage in guided discussion about reviewing and assessing such work and about developing faculty communities equipped to do such work. Presenter(s) also will seek feedback on guidelines that they have developed for external reviewers of SOTL work. Many teaching efforts have focused primarily on engaging faculty to participate in SOTL initiatives, with little attention to creating mechanisms for evaluating and assessing the work resulting from …

Developing And Integrating A Campus Program For Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning Initiatives, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn, Amy Nelson Burnett

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Based on the successful campus model that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has developed over ten years, and those of our project consortium partners (Texas A&M, Kansas State University, Indiana University–Bloomington, University of Michigan, and University of Kansas), this panel offers suggestions for creating a campus peer review program designed to promote the intellectual work of teaching generally and the scholarship of teaching and learning more specifically. We offer our perspective on approaches for getting started, establishing the project leadership, seeking funding to support a project, recruiting and supporting faculty participants, developing strategies for running the program, and assessing the project’s …

National Internet Repository For Course Portfolios, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn, Amy Nelson Burnett

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Faculty in higher education are increasingly asked to document, assess, and make public their teaching practices. Course portfolios are a valuable medium for capturing the scholarly work of one’s teaching by combining inquiry into the intellectual work of a course with a careful investigation of the quality of student understanding and performance. It enables a faculty member to document the careful, difficult, and intentional scholarly work of planning and teaching a course. Since a course portfolio can be read, evaluated, and used by others, it offers mechanisms for valuing teaching as scholarship and for improving student learning. This poster will …

Imse Alumni Survey Of Abet Program Educational Objectives, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This report showcases the results of the Department of Industrial and Management System Engieering's survey of alumni regarding our updated ABET Program Educational Objectives. The Program Educational Objectives represent the expected characteristics of industrial engineering graduates within three to five years of receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A total of 76 responses were received. The alumni survey responses indicate strong agreement and approval for the new Program Educational Objectives. The associated comments will be used by the IMSE faculty to future refine the course curriculum to ensure that …

A Template-Based Data Specification Framework For Modeling Physical Security Systems, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results due to its success being highly dependent on the skills of the analyst to understand a system and then correctly identify all the required data parameters and dependent variables. This paper describes a template-based framework to help identify and specify the components and data parameters for developing models of physical security systems. The layered framework consists of fifteen templates built on top of fourteen data primitives representing 119 data parameters. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application and is simulation language independent. The usefulness of the framework …

Using Narrated Powerpoint Presentations For Distance Learning, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Dr. Savory highlights his use of narrated powerpoint slides for the development of his distance education course. In addition,he highlight the strucutre and assessment approaches used for his course.

Effects Of Aging On The Biomechanics Of Slips And Falls, Thurmon E. Lockhart, James L. Smith, Jeffrey C. Woldstad

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although much has been learned in recent decades about the deterioration of muscular strength, gait adaptations, and sensory degradation among older adults, little is known about how these intrinsic changes affect biomechanical parameters associated with slip-induced fall accidents. In general, the objective of this laboratory study was to investigate the process of initiation, detection, and recovery of inadvertent slips and falls. We examined the initiation of and recovery from foot slips among three age groups utilizing biomechanical parameters, muscle strength, and sensory measurements. Forty-two young, middle-age, and older participants walked around a walking track at a comfortable pace. Slippery floor …

Details And Description Of Industrial Engineering, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This content paper addresses key questions for students interested in pursuing industrial engineering as an academic major: What is industrial engineering? What personality characteristics do Industrial Engineers have? What types of projects do Industrial Engineers work on? What types of jobs do Industrial Engineers have? Where do Industrial Engineers work once they graduate? How much can Industrial Engineers earn? I have never heard of IE, is it a new area? How do Industrial Engineers benefit society and business? What classes will I take as an industrial engineering student? What are examples of problems I will learn how to solve? Are …

Design And Implementation Of A Non-Proprietary Campus Energy Management And Control System (Emcs), Stefan Newbold, Lalit Agarwal

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Energy Management and Control System (EMCS) used at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL) is unique in that system hardware and software has been developed primarily in-house. UNL has a successful track record with this approach stretching back more than twenty years.

This paper presents an industry experience report describing the high-level design and development of the latest version of this EMCS. This system is now being deployed on campus.

We discuss aspects of our EMCS that enhance usability, fault tolerance, and security. Our system is unique in that it was primarily developed using non-proprietary, opensource software building …

A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although simulation is one of the most innovative and cost-effective tools for modeling and analyzing a system, simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results. One reason is attributed to the fact that model formulation depends on the skills of the analyst. This paper describes a research to develop a conceptual modeling infrastructure to assist a simulation analyst in specifying components for studying physical security systems. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application. Using the application, the successful development and implementation of a physical security simulation model will be aided by a defined scientific methodology …

A Case Study Of Teaching A Quantitative Course Using Archived Streaming Video, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This case study highlights some of the issues and difficulties experienced in teaching a quantitative course using three methods of delivery: in-class to an audience of students, television broadcast over a satellite system to distance students, and archived streaming video accessible by students. The discussion is applicable to administrators and faculty exploring the option of teaching a course using multiple delivery approaches.

A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although simulation is one of the most innovative and cost-effective tools for modeling and analyzing a system, simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results. One reason is attributed to the fact that model formulation depends on the skills of the analyst. This paper describes a research to develop a conceptual modeling infrastructure to assist a simulation analyst in specifying components for studying physical security systems. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application. Using the application, the successful development and implementation of a physical security simulation model will be aided by a defined scientific methodology …

Human Performance Reliability: On-Line Assessment Using Fuzzy Logic, William J. Kolarik, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, Susan Lu, Huitian Lu

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper presents an on-line approach to monitoring human performance in terms of conditional reliability when one is performing a task. Unlike traditional human reliability analysis, this approach develops a dynamic model that is able to cope with constantly changing conditions that affect operator performance. A fuzzy knowledge-based assessment approach is developed in order to deal with uncertainty and subjectivity associated with human performance assessment. This technology includes three main parts/functions: (i) on-line performance monitoring; (ii) real-time performance forecasting; and (iii) performance reliability assessment. The technology is demonstrated in real-time and provides timely conditioned reliability information regarding task success/failure. In …

Optimization Model Estimates Of Trunk Muscle Forces Do Not Correlate With Emg Activity Of Females As Well As Males, Mark L. Mcmulkin, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, Richard E. Hughes

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Biomechanical optimization models are often used to estimate muscular and intervertebral disc forces during physical exertions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an optimization-based biomechanical model predicts torso muscular activity of males and females equally well. The Minimum Intensity Compression (MIC) model, which has been extensively applied in industrial ergonomic task analysis, was used to estimate muscle forces for 3D moments. Participants (6 M, 6 F) performed 18 isometric exertions resisting 3D L3/L4 moments while electomyographic( EMG) activity was recorded for 8 muscles. Overall, model force estimates correlated better with male EMG activity (R² = …

Effects Of Age-Related Gait Changes On The Biomechanics Of Slips And Falls, Thurman E. Lockheart, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, James L. Smith

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A laboratory study was conducted to examine gait changes associated with aging and the effect of these changes on initiation of slips and frequency of falls utilizing newly defined biomechanical parameters of slips and falls. Twenty-eight participants from two age groups (young and old) walked around a circular track at a comfortable pace wearing a safety harness. A slippery floor surface was placed on the walking track over the force plate at random time intervals without the participants’ awareness. Synchronized kinetic and kinematic measurements were obtained on both slippery and non-slippery walking surfaces. The results indicated that older participants’ horizontal …

Supporting The Development And External Review Of Course Portfolios, Paul Savory, Dan Bernstein, John Comer, Jennifer Robinson

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This presentation introduces the Peer Review of Teaching project for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The faculty fellowship program is described and the process by which faculty create course portfolios is explained. How portfolios are used for formative and summative assessment are discussed.

Assessment Of Slip Severity Among Different Age Groups, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, James L. Smith

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A laboratory study utilizing new techniques for assessing slip severity was conducted to investigate the process of inadvertent slips and falls among different age groups. Forty-two subjects from three age groups (young adults, middle-aged, and the elderly) walked on a rectangular track at a self-determined pace. Without the subjects’ awareness, a slippery floor surface was placed on the track over a force-measuring platform. The results indicated that elderly adults’ friction demand (RCOF) was not significantly different from the young and middle-aged adults. The older adults, however, fell more often than the other age groups. Fall recovery threshold (FRT) measures indicated …

A Simulation Based Experiment For Comparing Amhs Performance In A Semiconductor Fabrication Facility, Gerald Mackulak, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

As the cost and complexity of constructing a semiconductor fabrication facility increases, responsive tools are needed for designing and planning its operations. Discrete-event simulation paired with design of experiments is an effective combination. This article demonstrates how simulation in combination with design of experiments is used to compare the intrabay layout of two automated material handling systems. The difference in stocker robot utilization, number of vehicle moves per hour, and average delivery time for the two intrabay layouts will be compared using a fractional factorial experimental design. The study demonstrates that the distributed storage option is preferable for maximizing manufacturing …

The Effects Of Multitasking On Quality Inspection In Advanced Manufacturing Systems, Jose A. Pesante, Robert C. Williges, Jeffrey C. Woldstad

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although the industrial quality inspection task has been extensively studied, the effect of multitasking on the performance of the operator in a hybrid inspection system is still unknown. The experiment described in this article compared the quality inspection performance for participants performing a single task, 3 multiple tasks, and 5 multiple tasks. The results of this research indicate that the performance of the operator in the quality inspection task while multitasking in an advanced manufacturing system will be determined by the interaction between the number of different types of defects that can be presented at the same time in the …