Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Designing Explainable Ai To Improve Human-Ai Team Performance: A Medical Stakeholder-Driven Scoping Review, Harishankar V. Subramanian, Casey I. Canfield, Daniel Burton Shank

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The rise of complex AI systems in healthcare and other sectors has led to a growing area of research called Explainable AI (XAI) designed to increase transparency. In this area, quantitative and qualitative studies focus on improving user trust and task performance by providing system- and prediction-level XAI features. We analyze stakeholder engagement events (interviews and workshops) on the use of AI for kidney transplantation. From this we identify themes which we use to frame a scoping literature review on current XAI features. The stakeholder engagement process lasted over nine months covering three stakeholder group's workflows, determining where AI could …

Reducing Kidney Discard With Artificial Intelligence Decision Support: The Need For A Transdisciplinary Systems Approach, Richard Threlkeld, Lirim Ashiku, Casey I. Canfield, Daniel Burton Shank, Mark A. Schnitzler, Krista L. Lentine, David A. Axelrod, Anil Choudary Reddy Battineni, Henry Randall, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Purpose of Review: A transdisciplinary systems approach to the design of an artificial intelligence (AI) decision support system can more effectively address the limitations of AI systems. By incorporating stakeholder input early in the process, the final product is more likely to improve decision-making and effectively reduce kidney discard.

Recent Findings: Kidney discard is a complex problem that will require increased coordination between transplant stakeholders. An AI decision support system has significant potential, but there are challenges associated with overfitting, poor explainability, and inadequate trust. A transdisciplinary approach provides a holistic perspective that incorporates expertise from engineering, social science, and …

A Markov Chain Approach For Forecasting Progression Of Opioid Addiction, Abhijit Gosavi, Susan L. Murray, N. Karagiannis

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The U.S. is currently facing an opioid crisis. Naltrexone is a common treatment for drug addiction; it reduces the desire to take opiates. However, addicts often stop treatment or continue to use opioids while in treatment. This results in increased fatalities and associated costs. A Markov-chain model is presented to analyze the progression of opioid addiction to assist the medical community in developing appropriate treatments. The model includes patients who continue opiate use while on naltrexone (blocked patients) and those who use opiates after missing naltrexone doses (unblocked patients). The other types of patients are abstinent (the best-case scenario) and …

Communicating Uncertain Information From Deep Learning Models In Human Machine Teams, Harishankar V. Subramanian, Casey I. Canfield, Daniel Burton Shank, Luke Andrews, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The role of human-machine teams in society is increasing, as big data and computing power explode. One popular approach to AI is deep learning, which is useful for classification, feature identification, and predictive modeling. However, deep learning models often suffer from inadequate transparency and poor explainability. One aspect of human systems integration is the design of interfaces that support human decision-making. AI models have multiple types of uncertainty embedded, which may be difficult for users to understand. Humans that use these tools need to understand how much they should trust the AI. This study evaluates one simple approach for communicating …

Blended Classes: Expectations Vs. Reality, Susan L. Murray, Julie Phelps, Kelly L. Jones

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Blended courses, also called hybrid, have a portion of the course taught face-to-face in a classroom, and at least one-third of the course work is online. Some instructors consider this format to be "the best of both worlds." Students receive the personal contact and interaction with the instructor during the classroom portion. They also have flexibility in the pace, access, and repetition of the online content. In this paper, we explore 49 graduate students' expectations for a required operations management course that was delivered in a blended format. The same students were also surveyed at the completion of the course …

Educating The Professional Engineer Of 2020: The Changing Licensure Requirements, Susan L. Murray, Terri M. Lynch-Caris

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineering education programs would be well served to align their curricula and program outcomes to the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam and Professional Engineer (PE) Exam specifications. These exams are required steps in the process of becoming a licensed engineer in most states. NCEES (the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing professional licensure for engineers and surveyors. It develops, administers, and scores these examinations used for engineering licensure. Starting in 2011, NCEES held survey-creation meetings with diverse teams to develop a draft survey containing the subjects in each discipline and …

Electronic Flashcards As A Tool To Improve Exam Readiness, Susan L. Murray, Julie Phelps

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Many college classes have basic information that must be learned before students can master the more complex application and analysis of advanced ideas in the class. Students often struggle with identifying and learning these facts, terms, and principles. This paper reports on a project that evaluated the use of electronic flashcards in two undergraduate engineering classes. The study materials (online flashcards) were developed in conjunction with the university's Educational Technology Office.

Using Social Networking Game To Teach Operations Research And Management Science Fundamental Concepts, Ivan G. Guardiola, Susan L. Murray, Elizabeth A. Cudney

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents our experience using the popular game FarmVille by Zynga® to teach the fundamentals of linear programming and integer programming concepts to undergraduate students in an introductory operations research course. FarmVille is a popular game within the social networking website Facebook®. A month-long contest was introduced amongst the students with the goal to be the best individual farmer by striving to reach high levels of revenue, experience, and aesthetic appeal of their own unique farm. The contest is to demonstrate the concepts of problem formulation, solution methods, multiple and competing objectives, implementation of policy, and reformulation. The students …

Strategies For Using Technology When Grading Problem-Based Classes, Susan L. Murray, Ruwen Qin, Ivan G. Guardiola, Abhijit Gosavi

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

More and more work is being done today using technology. Email and digital drop boxes are useful tools for professors; however the challenge comes when one is teaching a quantitative class. The issue of using technology to manage work in a quantitative class is increasing as more engineering programs embrace distance education. In this paper we will review the advantages and disadvantages of several methods of collecting, grading, and returning homework assignments to students. The techniques considered include faxing, PDF grading using a Wacom Tablet, and various email approaches. Student survey results are also included in the paper.

Using Abet Assessment Requirements As A Catalyst For Change: Enhancing And Streamlining The Engineering Management Undergraduate Program At Missouri S&T, Stephen A. Raper, Susan L. Murray, Christa Moll Weisbrook, William Daughton

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Engineering Management (EM) undergraduate degree program at Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla) was the first program of its kind. The program started over 40 years ago and it is one of only five ABET accredited undergraduate EM programs [1]. The initial degree program included a senior year of management courses in conjunction with three years of courses in common engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering. In the 1990s the program underwent a major restructure and students combined core engineering management classes with an emphasis area inside the department. Industrial, manufacturing, packaging, …

What New Faculty Need To Know, But Don't Know To Ask, Susan L. Murray, Elizabeth A. Cudney, Suzanna Long, Katie Grantham

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A smooth transition to life at an academic institution and the surrounding community is essential to the professional careers of new faculty members. The transition begins during the hiring process and startup package negotiations. Once at an institution, aspects of academia including teaching, proposal writing, and the tenure process inevitably generate issues and concerns for new faculty members. Research has shown that mentoring new faculty members early in their academic career can have significant impact on professional success. This is especially true at a research-based institution where the demands of funded scholarship add an extra level of complexity. A survey …

Encouraging Lifelong Learning For Engineering Management Undergraduates, Susan L. Murray, Stephen A. Raper

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The current ABET guidelines place an emphasis on life-long learning for our undergraduate students. What is life-long learning? How can we encourage students to consider global issues, current events, or even anything "that isn't going to be on the next test"? In this paper we present survey results evaluating habits of undergraduate students entering an engineering management program and seniors related to life-long learning including attending professional society meetings, reading trade publications, reading business related books, and other learning outside of the classroom activities. This paper also presents a two semester effort to increase life-long learning activities among undergraduate engineering …

Leadership In Student Distance Education Teams, Leroy Cox, Susan L. Murray, David Spurlock

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Interactive video technology has become a widely used medium for education. A prominent implementation of this technology, interactive distance learning, involves groups of students at local and remote sites connected by audio and video teleconferencing. This approach has made the task of delivering vital undergraduate and graduate engineering courses to distributed audiences much easier. As this approach has permeated more curricula, distance education instructors have increasingly assigned projects that require distance learners to work together as an element of the final course grade. This trend presents an interesting opportunity for researchers to understand the nature of interactions among course participants …

A Matter Of Priorities: Effects Of Increased Opportunities For Extracurricular And Non-Traditional Learning Experiences On Student Time Management And Attitudes, David Spurlock, Daniel J. Bailey, Susan L. Murray, Andrew S. Ricke

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Many schools are emphasizing non-traditional and extracurricular learning experiences for undergraduate engineering students. These include activities such as incorporating servicelearning projects into the classroom, involving students in design competitions (e.g., solar car, formula car races), and promoting involvement in traditional campus organizations. Often this emphasis is in response to changes in ABET requirements, desires of future employers, and needs to improve student retention. What are the effects of emphasizing these sorts of activities on student attitudes and time management decisions? We examine the influences on students' priorities for allocating their time and their perceptions of the relative importance of available …

Retention Of Female Faculty Members, Susan L. Murray, Mariesa Crow, Suzanna M. Rose

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The recruitment and the retention of female undergraduate and graduate students into engineering courses is discussed. A similar challenge lies in recruiting female faculty member from the limited pool of candidates in several fields at most universities. It is found that about half the females who were hired did not stay at the university. It is suggested that programs should be introduced to encourage mentoring and career development as such improvements would benefit all faculty members both female and male.

The Effectiveness Of An On-Line Graduate Engineering Management Course, Rosemarie Maffei Evans, Madison Daily, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the summer of 1997, the Engineering Management Department of the University of Missouri-Rolla's (UMR) began offering its first Internet-based graduate level course. This course, Advanced Production Management, was designed to utilize a combination of Internet-based tools, such as EMail and Chat rooms to create a alternative means for the delivery of course material. This paper will draw these following conclusions from more than a year of research, which included over 100 students in six different course offerings. First, the Internet-based students performed equally as well as the control group students. Second, students tend to have exaggerated time requirement expectations …

A Mentoring Guide For Female Faculty In Engineering, Susan L. Murray, Linda M. Manning, Catherine A. Riordan, Elizabeth Cummins, Philip B. Thompson

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One widely accepted method for increasing the chances of success of female engineering and science students and faculty alike is to provide access to female role models and mentors. In this article we offer to new female faculty, and to those who would mentor them, an annotated list of text and electronic resources that address most of the most important challenges facing new female faculty in science and engineering.

A Technology Assessment Survey For Web Based Higher Education Programs, Earl A. Evans, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Advances in communications and computer technology, as well as in human-computer interfaces, have enabled concurrent advances in Web-based education. A number of case studies concerning applications of Web-based education for both distance learning and on-campus programs have been published. Primarily, these studies have focused on individual assessments of the web-based technologies. In contrast, this paper will provide a broad based assessment of applied web-based technology for higher education. This research was conducted via a survey completed by university and college faculty from numerous 4-year institutions. To gain an effective assessment, eleven categories of web-based course delivery tools, such as chatrooms …

Effectiveness Of An On-Line Graduate Engineering Management Course: A Preliminary Study, Rosemarie Maffei Evans, Madison Daily, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the summer of 1997, the University of Missouri-Rolla's (UMR) Engineering Management Department began offering its first completely Web-based course. This graduate level course, Advanced Production Management, was designed to utilize a combination of Web-based tools to create a conducive, yet non-traditional, learning environment for its students. The students in the course did not physically have to attend any lectures and only met for an initial and final class period. The remainder of the course was conducted exclusively via Web-based tools. Accordingly, the Engineering Management Department commenced a research effort to determine the effectiveness of this new learning environment. This …

Engineering Management And Industrial Engineering: Six One Way, A Half Dozen The Other, Susan L. Murray, Stephen A. Raper

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To some people engineering management (EM) is a specialty within Industrial Engineering (IE), to others EM is broader than IE. Comparing the histories of the two disciplines shows a clear distinction. Both disciplines have their roots in the work of engineering pioneers at the turn of the century. Work in motion and time study, along with other efficiency driven techniques, was the beginning of IE. Both IE and EM can trace their roots to the era of scientific management and the work of the early pioneers. A noted change for IE occurred after World War II when many programs shifted …

Integrating Core Industrial Engineering Courses Through A Manufacturing Case Study, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a summary of research conducted by a team of students from the University of Missouri-Rolla. The manufacturing processes at a local firm were evaluated. The case study illustrates the benefits of applying ergonomic, safety, work measurement, and quality assessment tools together. Additionally this team approach illustrates the importance of educating engineering students to think across course and discipline lines. The paper concludes with generalized recommendations for other educational applications.

Applying Informal Cooperative Learning Groups Techniques In The Classroom, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The application of informal cooperative learning (CL) groups techniques in the courses including operation research, and computer simulation, is discussed. The informal CL activities can be accomplished in small groups consisting of two or three students. It increases student participation and revitalizing passive lecturers. Students work example problems or homework problems in groups.