Engineering Commons^™

Stump Grinder Project, Wyatt Hopper

Honors Theses

This project covers the analysis of a Portable Stump Grinder device sponsored by private investors known as Gary and Carol Sherman, two farmers out of Lincoln, Nebraska. The ultimate goal of this project, in terms of the work we were assigned, was to provide the foundation work for future engineering teams to design and build the stump grinder for Gary and Carol Sherman.

Balloon Tower Activity, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

This activity challenges students to build a safe and sound tower using only balloons and tape.

Marble Run Maze Challenge, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students are asked to use provided materials to design and build a successful marble run. Attached is the activity worksheet for students and the teacher reflection on the activity.

Bridge Building, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students learn about different bridge styles and designs in this activity that challenges them to build their own successful bridge.

Rubber Band Car Activity, Admin Stem For Success, Natalie Wilson

STEM for Success Showcase

Student learn about forces and engineering by designing a car powered by rubber bands

Windmill Building Activity, Admin Stem For Success, Natalie Wilson

STEM for Success Showcase

Students are challenged to build a windmill that can lift weight

Balloon Boat Races, Admin Stem For Success, Natalie Wilson

STEM for Success Showcase

Students build balloon boats to learn buoyancy and practice engineering design skills.

Building Structures, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

This activity challenges students to build a safe and sound structure using only candy and toothpicks.

Architectural Hybrid (Physical-Digital) Prototyping In Design Processes With Digital Twin Technologies, Gulbahar Emir Isik, Henri Achten

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

A digital twin is a simultaneous digital reflection of object processes and states. Digital twins are usually made of objects that exist in reality or which are very near completion in a design and production process. In our research, we investigate the potential of digital twin technology for early design. Key to the early application of digital twin in design is the role of information and simulation. Since design information is valuable for predicting the future of design, we assume that design will begin to change as digital twin technologies become more and more adaptable, as designers simultaneously have digital …

Midwest Roadside Safety Facility Expansion For Enhanced Research Capabilities, Joseph (Lj) Hajduch, Isaac Hansen, Jeff Schroeder, Hozhin Sleman, Ben Wortman

Honors Theses

As Civil Engineering students, this group was tasked with designing and proposing an engineering solution to a real-world problem. In this case, the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility in Lincoln, Nebraska was looking for a planned proposal to add an additional building to their property for the purpose of additional research and office space. The group decided on the name Zana Engineering – Zana translating to “highly educated” in Kurmanji – to function as the organization responsible for creating this proposal and presentation. Zana Engineering designed this plan on several key factors, most significantly utility, affordability, safety, sustainability, functionality, longevity, and …

Build Your Own Body Mod: Empowerment Through Prototyping And Design, Anaiss Arreola, Katherine R. Ganim

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

When you don’t have a hand, what could you have instead? This article introduces the impact of inviting youth with disabilities to learn tools and technology to design their own solutions and advocate for their own future. This approach to programming is rooted in a mindset of designing WITH, not FOR. Not only are design outcomes improved when users are incorporated into the process, but this approach has been shown to improve confidence in creating one’s own solutions. These programs include hands-on “design-your-own-body-mod” workshops, as well as a budding inclusive design consultancy led by youth with disabilities. Through this programming, …

Scope Process: Fostering Students' Design Outcome Effectiveness, Andrew J. Hughes, Cameron D. Denson

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to help Technology and Engineering Educators scaffold engineering design and problem-solving experiences so that students taking technology and engineering courses will develop an improved ability to design. Technology and Engineering Education seems to increasingly focus on problem-solving, design, and engineering. Technology and Engineering Education is not the only discipline with this focus. The fact that both Science and Technology and Engineering Education are similarly focused on the teaching and learning of engineering begs the question of what separates technology and engineering educators from science educators in the teaching of engineering? Lewis (2004) cautioned that …

Scaffolding Middle And High School Students’ Engineering Design Experiences: Quality Problem-Scopeing Promoting Successful Solutions, Andrew Hughes, Cameron Denson

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

Highly proficient expert engineers begin the iterative process of design by thoroughly investigating the design problem. Engineering students are often distracted by surface details, leading to a faulty conception of the problem and inappropriate solution strategies. Adequate problem-scoping is arguably the most important step in the design process. To address this issue, the researchers developed an instructional framework to help teachers scaffold students’ cognitive and metacognitive processes during the problem-scoping phase of a design challenge. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the impact that scaffolded instruction related to the SCOPE process had on students’ solution success during …

Architectural Design Process Management, Nesreen Alkassabany, Magdy Mousa

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Creating a new building can be seen as an unequivocal process which requires input from a variety of resources, using a range of abilities and skills to arrange and manage factors as well as resolving combative and quarrelsome issues. The performance of the design process in the building industry has a great influence on the success of subsequent processes in construction projects and also on the outcome of the quality of the final product. Despite its importance, relatively little significance has been given to the management of the design process. The research will dissect and analyze the process of building …

Architectural Education Environments: Where Teaching Ends And Learning Begins, Rana Elbakly, Mohamed Ibrahim

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Architecture is a fast changing domain. Nevertheless, architectural education in Egypt can often not keep pace with those fast changes. Namely, graduate students start to realize that there are practical experiences like dealing with clients, working in large teams and acquiring knowledge related to architectural software independently which they do not obtain in undergraduate years, but wish that they did! This raises the question of how far should the architecture educational process change from Teaching to Learning ?As a matter of fact, the educational process at any architectural department is defined to a very high extent by the physical attributes …

A Statistical Analysis Of The Unm Facets Design Identity & Beliefs Survey Data, Clarissa A. Sorensen-Unruh

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

The NSF-funded FACETS (Formation of Accomplished Chemical Engineers for Transforming Society, NSF Award 1623105) grant aims to transform the undergraduate engineering experience in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico to address attrition within engineering majors, especially among underserved populations (Brainard & Carlin, 1998). The UNM FACETS Design Identity & Beliefs survey, an assessment tool used as part of the research of the grant, generated the dataset used in this study. I performed several different statistical analyses on the dataset, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. The …

Capturing Children With Autism’S Engagement In Engineering Practices: A Focus On Problem Scoping, Hoda Ehsan, Monica E. Cardella

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

In the last two decades, pre-college engineering education has increased, with research on pre-college engineering education emerging as a nascent field. However, limited research, if any, has considered aspects of engineering thinking of children with neurodiversity. In line with calls for broadening participation in engineering education, consideration of neurodiverse children is critical. Among various neurodiverse conditions, the number of children with autism is rapidly growing. In addition, studies have shown that individuals with autism have the potential to perform well in activities that require systematizing abilities. Engineering is one such activity. Prior research has provided evidence of the importance of …

Tabletop Mechanical Tester, Jamie Dombroski, Brian English, Richard Leffler, Andrew Shirk

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The need for hands-on and face-to-face experiences in the engineering classroom is very great. The equations, principles, and concepts can all be learned, but without the visual and tactile application, these don’t always sink in or become concrete. A small-scale tensile test machine was designed, sourced, manufactured, and tested for the purpose of being applied in classroom settings to provide this experience to engineering students. Extensive research was performed concerning tensile machines on the market, the essential elements of which are the load cell, grips, crosshead, extensometer, motor, and frame. The raw materials for the frame were purchased and drawings …

The Pedagogy Of Design And Technology At Xavier University Of Louisiana, New Orleans, Shayna Tova Blum

Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract. Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a Historically Black University (HBCU), the university serves a diverse community of students in which many are first-generation, college graduates. Students enrolled in Design courses at XULA are studying in Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Art programs and majoring in subjects such as Computer Science, Physics, Mass Communication, Art, Business, and Science. The interdisciplinary student environment offers a unique opportunity for collaboration and peer learning, whereby students are able to share diverse perspectives on a topic by relating …

Examining Engineering Design Cognition With Respect To Student Experience And Performance, Greg J. Strimel, Eunhye Kim, Scott R. Bartholomew, Diana V. Cantu

Faculty Publications

This study investigated the design cognition and performance results of secondary and post-secondary engineering students while engaged in an engineering design task. Relationships between prototype performance and design cognition were highlighted to investigate potential links between cognitive processes and success on engineering design problems. Concurrent think-aloud protocols were collected from eight secondary and 12 post-secondary engineering students working individually to design, make, and evaluate a solution prototype to an engineering design task. The collected protocols were segmented and coded using a pre-established coding scheme. The results were then analyzed to compare the two participant groups and determine the relationships between …

Engaging Children In Engineering Design Through The World Of Quadcopters, Greg J. Strimel, Scott R. Bartholomew, Eunhye Kim

Faculty Publications

The interest in engineering education for K-12 students has been rising (Carr, Bennett IV, & Strobel, 2012; Strimel, Grubbs, & Wells, 2016), and the importance of engineering education is discussed as early as the elementary school level (Hegedus, 2014). Petroski (2003) claims that children are ready to learn engineering because their play activities are similar to engineering and design activities, such as making, moving, and rearranging things. Studies have examined how elementary school students perceive engineering or engineers (Cunningham, Lachapelle, & Lindgren-Streicher 2005) and found that elementary-aged students associated engineering with repairing, installing, driving, constructing, and improving machines and devices. …

Designing The Technological World Through Biomimicry, Emily Yoshikawa, Greg J. Strimel, Scott R. Bartholomew

Faculty Publications

Scientific discoveries are a driver for advancing our technological world (ITEA/ITEEA; 2000/2002/2007). As more knowledge is acquired through scientific inquiry, people can better design and develop technological inventions and innovations (Knowles, Kelley, & Hurd, 2016). In turn, these novel technologies can aid in making new scientific discoveries, thus driving an ongoing cycle of technological advancement. However, in the process of designing and advancing our technological world, people can turn to the study of life and its phenomena to inspire and inform their designs. Nature is functional as well as beautiful. As we study the phenomena or functions of living organisms …

Reconceptualizing Pedagogical And Curricular Knowledge Development Through Making, Steven Greenstein, Justin Olmanson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

While making is typically tethered to narratives of entrepreneurship and business, it can provide a gateway to meaningful interaction and deepened understanding of both content and pedagogy. In this article we provide descriptions of two courses—one each at the pre-service and in-service levels—that engage teachers in making and design practices that we hypothesized would inform their pedagogical and curricular thinking. With a focus on the design of new tools to support teaching and learning through the use of human-centered design practices and digital fabrication technologies, these courses have teachers exploring at the intersection of content, pedagogy, and making. Specifically, they …

Cultural Change Through Bim: Driving Lean Transformation In Education, Avril Behan, Malachy Mathews, Kevin Furlong, Ciara Ahern, Una Beagon, Peter Brennan, Colin Conway, Lee Corcoran, Pierce Fahy, Alan Hore, Barry Mcauley, Trevor Woods

Conference papers

This paper presents a case study of how the adoption of BIM-based practices in the AECO industry is being reflected by cultural change in higher education in Ireland. The silo-mentality that has dominated the AECO sector for more than a century has, despite numerous reorganisations, been replicated in the structures of educational institutions, including in Dublin Institute of Technology since the inception of its founding colleges in the late 1800s. Most AECO programmes must include content that is external to the programme’s specific discipline. Through the School structures of the Institute, delivery of such content is known as "service teaching" …

Using Theory To Improve Design Instruction In A New Common First-Year Programme For Engineers, Una Beagon, Ted Bruke, Shannon M. Chance, C. Fionnuala Farrell, John Mcgrory

Shannon M. Chance

We represent a group of lecturers teaching a design module in a new common first-year engineering programme, delivered for the first time in the 2014-5 academic year, which provides a single entry point for all honours Bachelor of Engineering majors at our institution. In this paper, we describe the rationale and format of the Design Projects module. We explain how we used theories by Crismond and Adams [1] in the module and what we observed in doing so. The Design Projects module comprises three separate group-based design projects. It has four weekly contact hours over the entire academic year and …

Engineering Design: A Cognitive Process Approach, Greg Joseph Strimel

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The intent of this dissertation was to identify the cognitive processes used by advanced pre-engineering students to solve complex engineering design problems. Students in technology and engineering education classrooms are often taught to use an ideal engineering design process that has been generated mostly by educators and curriculum developers. However, the review of literature showed that it is unclear as to how advanced pre-engineering students cognitively navigate solving a complex and multifaceted problem from beginning to end. Additionally, it was unclear how a student thinks and acts throughout their design process and how this affects the viability of their solution. …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

Integrating Technology And Engineering In A Stem Context, Barry N. Burke, Philip A. Reed, John G. Wells, Robert E. Yager (Ed.), Herbert Brunkhorst (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Imagine students entering the classroom with an enthusiasm that cannot be contained. They come from all walks of life and with different experiences and backgrounds and are eager to engage in learning. Inspiration and innovation are on their mind. What they learned in their science and math classes is now being applied in another class they take called Technology and Engineering. Opportunity is what they see for their future. Something about connecting all the dots from all their classes propels them to change their outlook, to get involved, to get excited about school and to envision their future.

How Engineering Innovators Characterize Engineering Innovativeness: A Qualitative Study, Daniel Michael Ferguson

Open Access Dissertations

The use of science and engineering skills to address the problems of modern society is regarded as an economic strategy in developed countries across the world. However, business and political leaders in the United States feel that we, as a society, do not understand that new global competition can match and even outpace us on innovation. Many of the studies on innovators are not specific to engineers. This study filled a gap in the understanding of what characteristics constitute innovative behavior in engineers.

The purpose of this study was to explore engineers' views of innovation and innovators who create and …

Merging Creative Design And Cad Learning Activities In A Product Design Programme, Pearl O'Rourke, Colm O'Kane, Leslie Smith, Michael Ring

Conference Papers

Traditional learning and teaching methods for creativity differ from those used in a scientific context. Although the creative process can benefit from a certain level of prescription and structural constraint - with time allocated to research, problem definition, conceptualisation and idea development - flexibility and fluidity are necessary for creative innovation. In contrast, the more linear and rigid pedagogies associated with science and engineering education facilitate efficient learning of subjects such as those based on software packages, manufacturing and materials theory or mechanics. This paper describes the development of a project which aims to establish constructive links between the learning …