Engineering Commons^™

A Multi-Institutional Approach To Delivering Shared Curricula For Developing A Next-Generation Energy Workforce, Lawrence E. Holloway, Zhihua Qu, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Juan Carlos Balda, Andrea Benigni, Donald G. Colliver, Paul A. Dolloff, Roger A. Dougal, M. Omar Faruque, Zongming Fei, Yuan Liao, Roy A. Mccann, R. Mark Nelms, Vijay P. Singh, Azadeh Vosoughi, Qun Zhou

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, we consider collaborative power systems education through the FEEDER consortium. To increase students' access to power engineering educational content, the consortium of seven universities was formed. A framework is presented to characterize different collaborative education activities among the universities. Three of these approaches of collaborative educational activities are presented and discussed. These include 1) cross-institutional blended courses (“MS-MD”); 2) cross-institutional distance courses (“SS-MD”); and 3) single-site special experiential courses and concentrated on-site programs available to students across consortium institutions (“MS-SD”). This paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Integrated Stem Through Tumblewing Gliders, Scott R. Bartholomew

Faculty Publications

Teachers have the opportunity to use technology and engineering design problems to engage students in integrated STEM education. “Tumblewing” gliders are easy-to-make paper gliders that can challenge, excite, and engage students. As students emphasize the practices of science and engineering while completing a tumblewing design challenge, they will engage in both scientific inquiry and the engineering design process.

Reading And Engineering: Elementary Students’ Co-Application Of Comprehension Strategies And Engineering Design Processes, Amy Wilson-Lopez, Stacie Gregory, Victor Larsen

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

For decades, researchers have asserted that K–12 teachers should embed reading comprehension instruction within each academic discipline, including ‘‘technical subjects’’ such as engineering. Recently, this assertion has become a source of controversy among researchers and practitioners who believe that time spent on teaching reading comprehension strategies may detract from time spent on more authentic activities such as engineering design. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate whether and how elementary students’ applications of comprehension strategies overlapped with their application of engineering design processes. The authors provided comprehension strategy instruction to 57 third- and fifth-grade students as they read …

Manual Revision Process For Project-Based Laboratory Instruction, Gene Hou, Feifei Zhong, Orlando M. Ayala

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A four-step laboratory manual revision process was developed in this study based upon a technical writing process for supporting project-based laboratory classes. The audience and the objectives of this type of laboratory manuals are quite different from those of traditional, descriptive laboratory classes. The project-based laboratory manual has to serve as both an operational handbook and a theoretical textbook. The proposed four-step manual revision process was implemented in the fall 2016 semester in a 3-credit, senior elective class which was built upon a commercially-rated finite element analysis software package. Student surveys and evaluations showed that the revision process greatly increased …

Exploring The Relationship Between Immediacy Behaviors And Student Motivation In Engineering Classrooms: Immediacy As A Cause Of Motivation, Andrea N. Barahona Guerrero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Instructor immediacy is an essential characteristic of effective instructors. Although instructional communication has done extensive research on the impact of immediacy behaviors on students, there is little available research observing immediacy behaviors as predictors of motivation on engineering students. As a result, this study examined the impact of engineering instructors’ use of immediacy behaviors on engineering students’ motivation. The results indicated that verbal immediacy predicted engineering student motivation. The thematic analysis revealed that when students perceived their instructors as helpful, students’ motivation to learn and ask more questions increased. The thematic analysis also observed that when instructors seemed unapproachable, students …

Implementing Peer-Review Activities For Engineering Writing Assignments, Stacie I. Ringleb, Orlando M. Ayala, Jennifer Kidd

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Professional engineers spend a considerable portion of their day writing, yet disciplinary writing skills are not addressed in many engineering courses. This study investigates peer review as a mean to enhance student writing in engineering courses. Students completed formative peer reviews using an online peer review system for a group project in a fluid mechanics course (with online and face-to-face sections) and for an individual writing assignment in a senior capstone class in mechanical engineering. A university-wide rubric for disciplinary writing was used to assess student writing performance on interim and final assignments completed over the course of a semester. …

Wip: Introducing Engineering Principles Into Prek-6 Through A Service Learning Partnership, Stacie Ringleb, Jennifer Kidd, Pilar Pazos

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

We report on an interdisciplinary projet in which pre-service teachers and engineering students worked collaboratively to design and deliver engineering lessons for elementary school students. We describe the approach and preliminary results for two participating populations: Freshmen engineering students and pre-service teachers. Specifically, we explored the following research questions 1) Does the development and implementation of engineering lessons for elementary students affect education students' a) knowledge of engineering; b) beliefs about the incorporation of engineering in elementary school instruction; and c) comfort and motivation teach engineering? 2) What do education and engineering students perceive as the benefits and challenges of …

Institutionalizing Continuous Improvement Plan In An Engineering Technology Department- Closing The Loop, Alok K. Verma, Stephanie G. Adams, Cheng Y. Lin, Nestor Escobales, Isaac L. Flory Iv

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Continuous improvement is a corner stone of a quality engineering or engineering technology program. Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology requires that a well-planned and implemented continuous improvement plan should be in place. The ABET 2015-16 Criterion 4 Continuous Improvement1 states: "The program must regularly use appropriate, documented processes for assessing and evaluating the extent to which the student outcomes are being attained. The results of these evaluations must be systematically utilized as input for the continuous improvement of the program. Other available information may also be used to assist in the continuous improvement of the program." A successful continuous …

A Mobile Platform Using Software Defined Radios For Wireless Communication Systems Experimentation, Otilia Popescu, Shiny Abraham, Samy El-Tawab

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

A distinctive feature of wireless communication systems is implied by the fact that there is no physical connection between the transmitter and its corresponding receiver, which enables user mobility. However, experimenting with wireless communication systems is mostly done in the lab, where transmitters and receivers are setup on benches, in stationary settings. This prevents students from experiencing fading and other propagation effects associated with mobile wireless channels. This paper describes a mobile platform for wireless communication experimentation that enables students to run experiments beyond the confines of a traditional lab, in realistic settings that cover indoor and outdoor scenarios with …

Integrative Experiences Through Modeling And Simulation Of Mechatronic Systems, Mileta Tomovic, Cynthia Tomovic, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Cheng Y. Lin, Nan Yao, Petros J. Katsioloudis

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Learning is integrative lifelong process which requires continuous refreshing of old material and learning new material. This principle holds also for student experiences during their undergraduate studies. Students learn new material throughout their studies, and they may or may not have opportunity to use the material in different context and at different levels. As a result some of the acquired knowledge may be forgotten by the time student graduates or it may not be placed in the context of the overall program outcomes, thus material presented may not seem to have relevance to student's career. An effective method to address …

Applying Technology To Improve Student Learning Outcomes In Dynamics Course, Mileta Tomovic, Cynthia Tomovic, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Cheng Y. Lin, Nan Yao

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Motivating and stimulating students to learn material in required core engineering courses is difficult and yet essential in assuring student success. Traditional methods of teaching and learning need to be reconsidered and modified to meet student expectations and their continuously evolving ways of interaction with technology and social networks. Numerous faculty have been experimenting with various approaches which are taking advantages of both technology and student interaction with technology, with various degrees of success. In this paper authors present another comprehensive method applied in teaching/learning of core engineering mechanics course. It has been observed over a long period of time …

Developing A Faculty Learning Community To Support Writing Across Different Stem Disciplines, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Denise Tombolato-Terzic, Daniel P. Richards, Pilar Pazos, Megan Mckittrick, Julia Romberger, Otilia Popescu

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Writing to learn is one of the very important pedagogical strategies in a variety of disciplines. This concept is not specifically addressed in the majority of engineering courses. Hence, university initiatives such as the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), emerging out of accreditation and institutional assessments, are focusing on infusing scholarship from other disciplines (in this case English) for the purpose of student learning improvement. Engineering and Science programs do include various courses in English Composition as the part of the curriculum; however, writing is not embedded in all discipline-specific courses at the upper-division level. The program outlined here focuses on …

Developing A Curriculum For Marine Mechatronics Technicians, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Ana Djuric, Mileta Tomovic, Thomas B. Stout

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

A growing trend within the U.S. Navy is to streamline operations by deploying ships with less sailors, who are more highly skilled technicians that are trained to do a wide array of jobs. Modern ships also include various automated systems that require more highly skilled technicians for maintenance. Outdated warship designs are now being replaced with industrial grade automation equipment. Such equipment is being used in warships that encounter harsher environments than what exists in the civilian industry. Hence, there is a need for training in regards to industrial grade automation equipment for military and civilian ship repair partners. Marine …

Flipped Classroom As Blended Learning In A Fluid Mechanics Course In Engineering Technology, Orlando M. Ayala, Otilia Popescu, Vukica M. Jovanovic

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Flipped classroom has gained attention in recent years as a teaching method in which the time allocated for introducing new concepts and the time used for practicing them are inverted, in order to provide more time for problem based learning and class interaction under direct supervision of the instructor. The implementation of this teaching method is comprised of two main components, the pre-class activities, which consist of individual student work and are largely based on pre-recorded videos, and in-class activities, which are group activities supervised by the instructor. This paper discusses the implementation of the flipped classroom method in a …

Learning Module On Electric Motors Modeling, Control, And Testing (Lm-Emmct), Ana Djuric, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Ece Yaprak, Wen Chen

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The objective of this paper is to develop and integrate a learning module on Electric Motors Modeling, Control and Testing (EMMCT) into the Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) programs. Preparing future engineers to work in highly automated production requires proper education and training in mechatronics theory and applications. Although Engineering Technology programs at various universities offer various courses related to the controls, electrical motors, and automation, they are not including the same methods when it comes to the selection of appropriate electrical motor for a specific application in mechatronic system. MET student do have exposure to …

Green Infrastructure Training For Veterans, Carol L. Considine, Michael W. Seek, Jon Lester, Anthony W. Dean

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The Environmental Protection Agency launched a Strategic Agenda to Protect Waters and Build More Livable Communities through Green Infrastructure in April of 2011. This initiative supports local communities in using green infrastructure to manage rain water while creating co-benefits of green space, which makes communities more attractive and livable. (EPA) In the fall of 2014 the Environmental Protection Agency along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Transportation signed a federal letter of support for green infrastructure …

Hands-On Learning Environment And Educational Curriculum On Collaborative Robotics, Ana Djuric, Jeremy L. Rickli, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Daniel Foster

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The objective of this paper is to describe teaching modules developed at Wayne State University integrate collaborative robots into existing industrial automation curricula. This is in alignment with Oakland Community College and WSU’s desire to create the first industry-relevant learning program for the use of emerging collaborative robotics technology in advanced manufacturing systems. The various learning program components will prepare a career-ready workforce, train industry professionals, and educate academicians on new technologies. Preparing future engineers to work in highly automated production, requires proper education and training in CoBot theory and applications. Engineering and Engineering Technology at Wayne State University offer …

Unite 3d Rover Summer Workshop: An Overview And Assessment, Steve C. Hsiung, Walter F. Deal, Francis Tuluri

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The article offers information about UNITE, a program sponsored by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP, 2015). It mentions that the STEM Enrichment Activities of AEOP are designed to spark student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) especially among the underserved and those in earlier grades and educators by providing exciting, engaging, interactive, hands-on STEM experiences (USAEOP).

Career And Technical Education And Its Relationship To Engineering Technology Pathways In Marine Mechatronics, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Otilia Popescu, Petros Katsioloudis, Ana M. Djuric, Mileta M. Tomovic, Thomas Stout, Roger R. Lagesse

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Students coming from families with low household incomes often cannot afford to rely on a regular pathway from high school to the university because of college tuition rates. Other students might not seek out available opportunities in their guidance counselors' offices to learn about existing scholarships or learn about different engineering technology or engineering careers. There are also students, who realize that a four-year university degree is not always necessary to find a career that matches their skills and talents. They may also have another educational path to receive a technician, engineering technology, or engineering degree, such as technical or …

Stem Outreach Efforts For Urban Students, Otilia Popescu, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Jennifer G. Michaeli, Stacie Ringleb, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Four-year universities and community colleges rely on outreach efforts to bring the awareness of STEM-related careers to students, who might be interested in joining their student body in the future. These events are of utmost importance for students, who do not have all of the necessary role models to engage them in conversation about their future careers. Some students might not perceive a STEM career as valuable and feasible in their future career paths, even if their own schools offer information and resources related to STEM career pathways. Hence, various outreach efforts at different levels of education have to be …

Lessons Learned From Successful Black Male "Buoyant Believers" In Engineering And Engineering-Related Fields, Leroy L. Long Iii, Trevion Henderson

Publications

In high-demand fields like science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), more success strategies are needed to effectively recruit and retain college students. One-size fits-all approaches (i.e., those that are supposed to work for all students) often neglect the unique needs of underrepresented populations. Although some strategies exist for helping minority students succeed in STEM, the present investigation uncovered detailed information about how Black male students in engineering and engineering-related fields develop important academic traits such as confidence and resilience. To add to the limited body of literature on Black males in STEM, interview data from 27 Black male students majoring …

Usu Classroom Outfitted For Student Stress Research | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

News Release - LOGAN, UTAH, Dec. 12, 2016 – Utah State University will soon be home to a specialized classroom designed to measure the triggers and effects of student academic stress.

Dr. Idalis Villanueva, an assistant professor of engineering education at USU, is the principal investigator and is targeting her research around engineering programs.

Development Of A Problem-Based Learning Matrix For Data Collection, Shannon M. Sipes

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Few of the papers published in journals and conference proceedings on problem-based learning (PBL) are empirical studies, and most of these use self-report as the measure of PBL (Beddoes, Jesiek, & Borrego, 2010). The current study provides a theoretically derived matrix for coding and classifying PBL that was objectively applied to official curriculum documentation in a content analysis. The results for the level of problem-based learning in two engineering program curricula are presented. By introducing such a matrix, this study offers a tool that can be applied by other scholars examining PBL, creating consistency in methodology, definitions, and language among …

Comparing Three Instructional Modes For An Engineering Economy Course, Farnaz Ghazi Nezami, M. B. Yildirim, G. Grossi Crema

Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Publications

This study compares three instructional modes in an “Engineering Economy” course: online, face-to-face (FtF), and flipped. Engineering Economy is a core course in this study and incorporates students with diverse backgrounds from different engineering majors. To discern the relation between student characteristics and teaching modality, an online questionnaire was designed for each mode and distributed over a two-year period. Data was collected and several statistical analyses were conducted to study the relationship between pedagogical delivery modes and various student-based factors such as gender, age, course load, living distance from campus, computer skills, work status, and first language. Students’ performance, persistence, …

Conceptual Understanding Of Threshold Concepts Of Electrical Phenomena: Mental Models Of Senior Undergraduates In Electrical Engineering, Mark T. Carnes

Open Access Dissertations

Every field of study has a set of domain-specific concepts that anyone who desires to work in that field must know and understand. Most students who pursue university degrees in engineering trust that their education is designed to provide them with this knowledge. But does it? In electrical engineering (EE), conceptual understanding of electrical phenomena has rarely been addressed. Even though the presumed goal of instructors and students alike is to learn the concepts of electrical phenomena well enough to be able to use the concepts to design useful things, it is difficult to determine whether this goal is being …

Race, Class And Gender In Engineering Education: A Quantitative Investigation Of First Year Enrollment, Canek Moises Luna Phillips

Open Access Dissertations

Research explanations for the disparity across both race and gender in engineering education has typically relied on a deficit model, whereby women and people of color lack the requisite knowledge or psychological characteristics that Whites and men have to become engineers in sufficient numbers. Instead of using a deficit model approach to explain gender and race disparity, in the three studies conducted for this dissertation, I approach gender and race disparity as the result of processes of segregation linked to the historic and on-going perpetuation of systemic sources of oppression in the United States. In the first study, I investigate …

Targeting All Of Stem In The Primary School : Engineering Design As A Foundational Process, Lyn English

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

With the increased national and international focus on advancing STEM education, it is important to ensure all of its disciplines are represented in the curriculum. To-date, the STEM acronym has been used largely in reference to science, with less emphasis on the remaining disciplines – especially engineering. Yet engineering design, a core component of engineering education, is now seen internationally as a foundational process linking the STEM disciplines, not just confined to engineering. Engineering concepts, design processes, representing, modelling, and innovative design-based problem-solving are all featured within the new Design and Technologies Curriculum. This paper will explore the nature and …

Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements For Comparison Of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks, Benjamin J. Call, Wade Goodridge, Idalis Villanueva, Nicholas Wan, Kerry Jordan

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Spatial intelligence is often linked to success in engineering education and engineering professions. The use of electroencephalography enables comparative calculation of individuals' neural efficiency as they perform successive tasks requiring spatial ability to derive solutions Neural efficiency here is defined as having less beta activation, and therefore expending fewer neural resources, to perform a task in comparison to other groups or other tasks. For inter-task comparisons of tasks with similar durations, these measurements may enable a comparison of task type difficulty. For intra-participant and inter-participant comparisons, these measurements provide potential insight into the participant's level of spatial ability and different …

Acer Research Conference Proceedings (2016), Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The focus of ACER’s Research Conference 2016 will be on what we are learning from research about ways of improving levels of STEM learning. Australia faces significant challenges in promoting improved science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in our schools. Research Conference 2016 will showcase research into what it will take to address these challenges, which include: the decline in Australian students’ mathematical and scientific ‘literacy’; the decline in STEM study in senior school; a shortage of highly qualified STEM subject teachers, and curriculum challenges. You will hear from researchers who work with teachers to engage students in studying …

Development Of First-Year Engineering Teams' Mathematical Models Through Linked Modeling And Simulation Projects, Kelsey Joy Rodgers

Open Access Dissertations

The development and use of mathematical models and simulations underlies much of the work of engineers. Mathematical models describe a situation or system through mathematics, quantification, and pattern identification. Simulations enable users to interact with models through manipulation of input variables and visualization of model outputs. Although modeling skills are fundamental, they are rarely explicitly taught in engineering. Model-eliciting activities (MEAs) represent a pedagogical approach used in engineering to teach students mathematical modeling skills through the development of a model to solve an authentic problem.

This study is an investigation into the impact of linking a MEA and a simulation-building …