Education Commons^™

Design Artifacts As Externalized Mental Models Of Children’S Science Concept Development, Christine Mcgrail

Doctoral Dissertations

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) calls for the integration of the practices of science and engineering across all science disciplines beginning in the early elementary grades. Science and engineering education research has determined that engineering design is a productive means for promoting understanding of science concepts. However, design artifacts created during engineering design problem-solving have not received sufficient attention for their potential to embody children’s science understanding. The aim of this study was to examine how conceptual development of the concepts of force and motion was instantiated in design artifacts by early elementary age children engaged in engineering design. …

Spring 2022 Superhydrophobic Materials, T. Leo Liu

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Many natural surfaces, such as lotus leaves and a water strider’s leg, have shown striking water repellency so that they remain clean and dry even in “dirty” habitats. Such water repellency is called superhydrophobicity, which has stimulated lots of science and engineering imagination for self-cleaning windows, never dirty clothes, drag-reduction swimming suits, etc. In this workshop, we will use superhydrophobicity as a model to guide an integrative teaching and learning experience through hands-on experiments, critical thinking, basic science, as well as a lecture on state-of-the-art research discoveries. The objectives of this workshop are to (1) stimulate student curiosity and imagination …

From Soap Bubbles To Cell Membranes, Peter Beltramo

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Have you ever blown a soap bubble and wondered - what causes the bubble to be so stable and produces those colorful reflections of light? The answer lies in a class of molecules known as surfactants, and they have remarkable similarities with the molecules that comprise the cell membrane of all living organisms. In this workshop, we will use the analogy of a soap bubble to describe cellular membrane properties such as chemistry, structure, membrane transport, and ion channel formation. The goals of this workshop are to 1) link initially intractable concepts in biology like intracellular transport to the intuitive …

Bubble Lab Exercise, Peter Beltramo

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

The cell membrane is a ubiquitous component in mammalian cells which control many vital biological functions. It consists of a phospholipid bilayer with embedded protein molecules which serve to transport molecules between the interior and exterior of the cell. Understanding what makes cell membranes so important and how they function requires concepts from physics, chemistry, and of course biology, but it is difficult to learn and conceptualize the structure and function of membranes due to their nanoscopic size and dynamic nature which can’t be properly appreciated in a static textbook. This activity draws analogies between the chemistry and structure of …

The Core Of Social Network Modeling: Industrial Engineering., Shannon C. Roberts, Chaitra Gopalappa, Nazanin Nazanin

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Networks are abound in our everyday lives, from disaster response networks to cellular networks to social networks. In this workshop, we will introduce the different types of networks and how Industrial Engineering is used to model these networks. Next, we will describe current social network modeling research done at UMass. Finally, we will delve into hands-on activities that include social network analysis, such as the clustering of people into groups, and modeling of the spread of ideas in a social network, such as how tweets spread on Twitter.

Brain Science = Biology + Engineering, Jennifer Welborn, Guangyu Xu, Morton Sternheim, Chris Emery

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

This interdisciplinary (physical and life sciences) seminar exposes participants to cutting edge research at UMASS, Amherst, on cell imaging using a chip which gathers a variety of data on the activities of single cells. Part of the seminar will be a presentation of current research in this area, followed by hands-on activities and a visit to the lab where this research is conducted. Application of this new technology to brain research will be discussed as well as the NGSS standards alignment and classroom applications at various levels and disciplines.

Cross Case Study Of An Elementary Engineering Task, John Heffernan

Doctoral Dissertations

Designerly play has been identified as a fundamental component of childhood learning (Baynes, 1994; Petroski, 2003). However, as students enter grade one and beyond, the increasing academic focus has resulted in the loss of opportunities for designerly play (Zhao, 2012). At the same time, there are increasing calls to increase the number, skill, and diversity of STEM workers (Brophy, Portsmore, Klein, & Rogers, 2008). The robotics based Elementary Engineering Curriculum (Heffernan, 2013) - used by students in this study - and other similar projects have the potential to increase the STEM pipeline but elementary engineering is not well-understood. Research is …

Environmental Implications Of Nanotechnology, Boris Lau, Joann Mariie Rodríguez

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

No abstract provided.

Wood Studio Workshop, Peggi Clouston, Rommel L Cordova‐Fiori

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

No abstract provided.

Superhero Robotics, Frank Sup, Brian Umberger, Nick Sawyer

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

No abstract provided.

A Student-Created, Open Access, Living Textbook, Sualyneth Galarza, Sarah L. Perry, Shelly Peyton

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publication Series

Textbooks are expensive, updated infrequently, and rarely used effectively by students. We discuss here a way for students to create the textbook for the course, helping them feel ownership over the course material. This Wiki-based, student-created textbook is online free for use, widely accessible by all, and editable during the course of and as topics evolve. This type of textbook format is particularly well suited to upper-level electives on topics that are rapidly emerging. We have nucleated a student created textbook here, fully online and open access, for two upper elective courses in chemical engineering. Wikis offer an easy-to-learn platform …

Patterns Around Us Presentation, Benny Davidovitch

Patterns Around Us

No abstract provided.

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 …

Wrinkling In Buckling And A Thin Sheet, Narayanan Menon

Patterns Around Us

Module 1: Euler Buckling

Learning Objectives:

• What is an instability? A sudden change in behaviour in response to a small change in conditions.

• Instabilities usually involve a change in symmetry from a more symmetric situation to a less symmetric one

• The mechanism for an instability usually involves two competing forces (one force stabilizing the symmetric state, and the other one destabilizing it), with one suddenly winning the contest

• These competing forces in thin objects are often the forces of compression (destabilizing force - favors buckling or wrinkling) and of bending (stabilizing force).

Understanding by data collapse, the power of using …

Evaluation Report, Alan Peterfreund

STEM Digital

This evaluation report synthesizes the results of evaluation activities conducted by SageFox Consulting Group of the STEM DIGITAL project led by the UMass STEM Ed Institute for its no-cost extension year, covering the period September 2013 to August 2014. The goals of the program are to facilitate the participants’ abilities to stimulate student interest in STEM careers while engaging them in ways to think critically about their environment. Participating teachers incorporated digital cameras and Analyzing Digital Images (ADI) software into lab activities focusing on environmental science. STEM DIGITAL materials focused on three strands related to (1) ozone and air quality, …

Wind Power, Susn Reyes

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

No abstract provided.

Working With The Engineering Design Process, Thomas Gralinski

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

No abstract provided.

Using Solar Energy, Peter Talmage

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

• Best energy source for the environment • It’s getting more economical every day • Easy to maintain • Cuts down on foreign oil imports

What Is Transportation Engineering, Michael A. Knodler

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

"The branch of engineering which applies technology, science, and human factors to the planning, design, operations and management of roads, streets, bikeways, highways, their networks, terminals, and abutting lands” The objective is to provide for the safe, rapid, comfortable, efficient, convenient, and environmentally compatible movement of people, goods, and services.

Antibiotics In The Environment, Erik Rosenfeldt

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

Issues with Emerging Contaminants in Water

Ethics In Science & Engineering: Redefining Tools & Resources, Michelle S. Goncalves, Jane E. Fountain, Jessica Adamick, Marilyn Billings

Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse

This report summarizes the main points of discussion of a national workshop convened to advance knowledge and practice for ethics in science and engineering. Following the enactment of the America COMPETES Act and its provisions to increase attention to ethics and the responsible conduct of research in science and engineering, the National Science Foundation (NSF) supported two beta site projects to advance understanding of the key dimensions required for a national online clearinghouse in ethics for science and engineering. The ESENCe Beta Site project, based at UMass Amherst and one of two such beta sites in the United States, thanks …

Planning Disaster Resilient School Facilities: The Consultative Development Of The Inee Guidance Notes For Safer School Construction, Darren Hertz

Master's Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Structural Engineering, Sergio F. Brena

Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

•Introduction to Structural Engineering • •Forces in Structures • •Structural Systems • •Civil Engineering Materials • •Some Definitions of Important Structural Properties