Engineering Education Commons^™

Mens Sana: An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Psychological Traits And Academic Success Of First Year Engineering Students, Domhnall Sheridan, Michael Carr

Conference papers

In 1904, the French government asked the psychologist Alfred Binet to devise a general test of intelligence that could be used to identify pupils who were behind their age cohort, in order to give them extra help to bring their level up to that of their peers. For most of the 20th century, intelligence testing has played a major role in education, unfortunately to categorize pupils at an early stage in the life, rather than to help them. In the last two decades, much work has been done in broadening the testing of students, especially in examining the relationship between …

Multivariate Analysis Of Students Perception On Teaching With Client Based And Non-Client Based Team Projects, Philip Appiah-Kubi

Engineering Management and Systems Faculty Publications

The classroom experience has evolved from traditional lecture, PowerPoint and whiteboards to a more active environment where students and instructors work together on hands-on activities to achieve the course objectives. Various names have been given to this pedagogy; experiential learning, project based learning (client based versus non-client based), active learning, and problem based learning are a handful of names used to describe this evolving pedagogy. The main challenge faced by educators in educating undergraduate students to be independent thinkers and problem solvers has been the driving force fueling the shift in pedagogy. This research looks into student’s perception on project …

The Link Between Spatial Skills And Engineering Problem-Solving, Gavin Duffy, Sheryl Sorby, Presentacion Rivera Reyes, Tom Delahunty, Lance Perez, Jayashri Ravishankar

Conference papers

Well-developed 3-D spatial skills are correlated with engineering success. However, most studies examining the link between spatial skills and engineering success have been conducted at the macro level, i.e., the link between spatial skills and course grades or between spatial skills and graduation rates. In this research, a more refined approach has been taken. Relationships between spatial skills and success in solving certain types of problems that engineering students commonly encounter are examined. It was found that high levels of spatial skills predict success in solving certain types of engineering problems but not in all types of problems. Data gathered …

A Novel Brainstorming Pedagogy To Mobilize Pico/Nano/Micro-Satellite (Pn-Msat) Engineering Research And Education In Indian Academia, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The article describes the outcome of activities to positively impact the careers of engineering graduates in India by engaging them in pico/nano/micro-satellite (PNMSat) engineering through a novel brainstorming pedagogy. The pedagogy, derived out of a systems engineering approach developed for the design and development of PNMSat/CubeSat missions, is used to teach a comprehensive course in PNMSat design engineering. The approach involves brainstorming the participants to conceive a PNMSat payload and teach the PNMSat bus design to accommodate the conceived payload. The approach and the comprehensive treatment of the material are the first of their kind in India in the field …

Influence Of Cement Type On The Efficiency Of Electrochemical Chloride Extraction, Brian Norton, Sean Bond, Chahrazed Osmani, Niall Holmes

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Extending Maneuverability Of Internally Actuated Underwater Gliders, An Attempt To Develop An Open Platform For Research And Education, Saeedeh Ziaeefard

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Increasing maneuverability of internally actuated Underwater Gliders (UGs) is inevitable due to high demands in underwater surveillance and reconnaissance missions where agility and stealthiness are the keys to success. High maneuverability is needed to provide the opportunity for optimal trajectory planning, planar motion smoothness, and re-planning adapting to the dynamic environments.

This work explores extending the maneuverability of underwater gliders through coupled improvement in mechanical design, efficient use of internal actuation, and motion planning strategy utilizing flight concatenation. The existence of five flight patterns ``advanced flight", inspired by air gliders, enabled solely by utilizing internal actuation are investigated: Circle, Oval …

Infographic : Engineers And Athletes: Comparison Of Professions And Genders, Mckenna James, Leroy Long Iii

Publications

In this infographic, the career earnings for engineers and athletes are compared. Two separate comparisons are performed: profession and gender. In the first comparison, inventors, athletes, and superheros with the highest net worth are shown. Based on the results, inventors are making billions more than the highest paid athletes and superheroes. Even the wealthiest superheroes, Black Panther and Iron Man, earn their wealth from engineering-related technology and knowledge. In the second comparison, the salary of men and women in both athletics and engineering are displayed. Based on the results, women make significantly less than men in athletics. However, women are …

The Impact Of Functional Modeling On Engineering Students' Mental Models, Jacob T. Nelson

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The ability to understand complexity and think holistically about systems is an increasingly important part of engineering design. This is embodied in the concept of systems thinking, a concept studied primarily in the fields of systems dynamics and systems engineering. Systems thinking ability is built off mental models, a loosely-defined construct people form to make predictions about their surroundings. Methods to evaluate systems thinking and underlying mental models rely primarily on self-evaluative methods such as questionnaires, or detailed simulations of systems or processes; however these methods fail to directly capture students’ design tendencies. This work presents a visual instrument used …

Engineering Identity Development: A Review Of Higher Education Literature, Sarah L. Rodriguez, Charles Lu, Morgan Bartlett

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to appraise and synthesize the current scholarship pertaining to engineering identity development within the higher education context and create recommendations for future scholarship within engineering education. A review of the literature concluded that research on engineering identity development has increased over the past ten years, has been conducted primarily with qualitative methods, and has been primarily limited to academic communities focused on mathematics, science, and engineering education. In addition, current scholarship reflected that most of the work in this area has focused on the learning contexts and experiences of women and underrepresented …

Life Is A Lab: Developing A Communication Research Lab For Undergraduate And Graduate Education, Autumn P. Edwards, Chad Edwards, Patric R. Spence

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Tips offered center on classroom discourse, curriculum choices, and potential assignments. In this article, we present tips for creating a thriving undergraduate and graduate communication research lab. Based on our experiences developing and co-directing the Communication and Social Robotics Labs (CSRLs), we offer 10 best practices for acquiring resources and recognition, building a strong lab community, and attaining faculty and student goals for scholarship and beyond. Our overarching approach is framed by Dewey’s (1916) pragmatist educational metaphysic, which stresses student- and subject-centered learning, enlarging experiences, and the co-construction of meaning and knowledge. Although our labs are focused on human-machine communication …

Fostering Giftedness And Creativity: Implementing Engineering By Design In Kuwait, Nathan Mentzer, Philip A. Reed, Meshari Alnouri, Mohammad Barbarji

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article offers information on a partnership between the International Technology & Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) and the Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) to support innovation and design education. The partnership is aimed towards the implementation of the Engineering byDesign (EbD) curriculum and contribute towards building a Kuwaiti society that fosters giftedness and creativity.

Effectiveness Of Drafting Models For Engineering Technology Students And Impacts On Spatial Visualization Ability: An Analysis And Consideration Of Critical Variables, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Jill E. Stefaniak

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Results from a number of studies indicate that the use of drafting models can positively influence the spatial visualization ability for engineering technology students. However, additional variables such as light, temperature, motion and color can play an important role but research provides inconsistent results. Considering this, a set of 5 quasi-experimental studies, was conducted to identify additional critical variables. According to the results, a dynamic, 3Dprinted drafting model, presented with a blue background under lighting conditions between 500–750 lux had the highest impact on spatial visualization ability of engineering technology students.

Engineers' Motivation To Influence Public Decision Making: A Grounded Theory Approach, Sarah Bouazzaoui, Charles B. Daniels

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the United States of America, public policies and public decision making associated with the engineering field are set by individuals who does not possess expertise and knowledge to carry out these tasks [1]. Most of decision makers are lawyers and social scientists, not engineers [2]. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the various factors which either encourage or inhibit engineers from influencing and participating in public policy. In this study, a grounded theory approach will be followed, data will be collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed to develop a theory of research direct toward increasing the motivation …

Understanding How First-Generation College Students’ Out-Of-School Experiences, Physics And Stem Identities Relate To Engineering Possible Selves And Certainty Of Career Path, Dina Verdín, Allison Godwin, Gerhard Sonnert, Phillip M. Sadler

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

This full, research category study examines how out-of-school experiences in Grades 9-12 predict first-generation college students’ engineering possible selves and certainty of career path. The data for this study came from a large-scale survey on outreach programs which was distributed in first- semester English courses to capture an array of responses from students interested in STEM and non-STEM careers. We used structural equation modeling to examine a set of hypotheses: 1) out-of-school experiences would be mediated by interest and recognition in physics and STEM and no direct effect will be found for out-of-school experiences on physics and STEM identities, 2) …

Engineering Technology And Engineering Program Comparison Of Underrepresented Students In The Same Institution, Anne M. Lucietto, Lesley M. Berhan

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Engineering programs include far fewer African American students than engineering technology students enrolled in four-year programs at universities offering both ABET accredited programs. Several studies show this contrast, suggesting that further research in this area is warranted. The rationale for the higher population of students consistently in one program over the other is generally unknown. While researchers study the engineering population, the engineering technology population goes relatively unnoticed. The effects of a student’s past and current environments in engineering technology are relatively unknown. Researchers developed a survey to gather data from underrepresented populations in universities that meet the noted criteria. …

International Experience Of Engineering Technology Students Learning About Renewable Energy, Anne M. Lucietto

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Cultural exposure is said to be an enhancement to collegial learning. With this in mind, students in an engineering technology program were given the opportunity to go to Germany to a regional university, experience education in that setting, and visit sites dedicated to renewable energy. The students were given a two-week experience that taught them through both formal and informal means. Ultimately, students experienced curiosity, openness to different cultural norms, and were able to identify components of other cultural perspectives responding with their own worldviews. The researchers utilized the Miville-Guzman Universality Diversity Scale (M-GUDS-S) to assess pre and post activity …

Engineering Technology Students: Do They Approach Capstone Courses Differently Than Other Students?, Frederick Berry, Anne M. Lucietto, Andrew Scott

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Using data collected from students in engineering technology, engineering, and other areas such as computer science a comparison of student reactions to the capstone course are coded and sorted. Using content analysis methods, the researchers compare and contrast the various student groups and their reactions to assigned capstone projects. They are also able to assess student interaction with faculty and industry mentors. Researchers strive to learn more about these various student approaches to the capstone experience and to further our understanding of best practices in capstone courses.

Stem Educators: Who Are They?, Anne M. Lucietto, Liza Ann Russell

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Technical education or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is often touted as the way for students to succeed, for corporations to move forward, and to gain prominence in the world economy. With all this promotion, do we know who is teaching these subjects to our students? This question urged researchers to develop a survey and distribute it to those teaching STEM subjects. The survey collected a variety of information, the results of the demographic section being reported here. The survey responses are from a population of STEM educators teaching at all levels, found to be male and generally …

Development And Impact Of Teacher Social Capital In An Engineering Education Teacher Professional Development Program, Wei Zakharov

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Teacher social capital is a set of social interaction assets such as collegiality and collaboration that enable teachers to work with each other in groups to improve teaching and learning. This results in instructional improvement and student success in school reform.

This study discusses how an engineering education teacher professional development program has developed an environment for long-term collegiality and collaboration among its teachers. Furthermore, the study presents an empirical evidence of the impact of teacher social capital on students’ engineering knowledge learning.

Ninety teachers and 621 students are examined in this program. The participants are from fifteen elementary schools …

Self-Image Multimedia Technologies For Feedforward Observational Learning, Nkiruka M. A. Uzuegbunam

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

This dissertation investigates the development and use of self-images in augmented reality systems for learning and learning-based activities. This work focuses on self- modeling, a particular form of learning, actively employed in various settings for therapy or teaching. In particular, this work aims to develop novel multimedia systems to support the display and rendering of augmented self-images. It aims to use interactivity (via games) as a means of obtaining imagery for use in creating augmented self-images. Two multimedia systems are developed, discussed and analyzed. The proposed systems are validated in terms of their technical innovation and their clinical efficacy in …