Engineering Education Commons^™

Attracting K-12 Students Towards Engineering Disciplines With Project Based Learning Modules, Alok K. Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Low enrollment and high attrition rates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) based degree programs have created a workforce problem in industries like shipbuilding and repair which are important for national security. Part of this problem can be attributed to pedagogical issues like lack of engaging hands-on activities utilized for science and math education in middle and high schools. Lack of student interest in technical careers can also be attributed to lack of an integrated approach in teaching math, science and technical education. To engage student's interest in the technical career path, it is important that students establish a …

Reactivation Of A Six-Degree-Of-Freedom Repeated Impact Machine Using Programmable Logical Controller (Plc), Cheng Lin

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Reactivation of a six-degree-of-freedom impact machine using Programmable Logical Control (PLC) is presented. The output from the machine is the history of accelerations collected from accelerometers attached at the testing article and a load cell mounted at the rubber pad where the impact occurs. Readings of the acceleration and impact force are sent to a PC for analysis through a data acquisition device (USB 6251) and Labview software provided by National Instrument (NI). Result shows that the machine can repeatedly generate an impact force up to eleven Gs. Demonstration of the project can be used as one of labs in …

The Geometric Growth Of M&S Education: Pushing Forward, Pushing Outward, John A. Sokolowski, Catherine M. Banks

VMASC Publications

M&S education is experiencing a geometric growth that is placing it front and center as a discipline and as an interdisciplinary tool. This article discusses the evolution of the discipline of M&S. It answers: Why has M&S education experienced a forward and outward growth? What is it that makes this discipline unique? What is the current state of M&S education?

An Evaluation Of Risk Management Courses Offered In Engineering Management Programs, S. Jimmy Gandhi, C. Ariel Pinto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

For this paper, the authors have surveyed a total of 22 engineering management (EM) programs in the United States (both accredited and non-accredited). The purpose of this study was to analyze the offering of risk management courses as part of the engineering management curriculum. The findings showed that the majority of the programs did not offer a single dedicated course on risk management and merely covered the topic as part of other courses such as project management. The authors have made recommendations that risk management should be included as a required part of the EM curriculum due to the higher …

Uncertainty Analysis And Instrument Selection Using A Web-Based Virtual Experiment, Praveen Malali, Pooja Bais, Robert Choate, Sushil Chaturvedi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A methodology has been developed and successfully implemented for transforming physical experiments in an undergraduate thermo-fluids laboratory at Old Dominion University (ODU), a doctoral university, into web-based virtual experiments while the Mechanical Engineering (ME) faculty at Western Kentucky University (WKU), an undergraduate university, have developed and implemented a Design of Experiments (DOE) Plan to assure that graduates of their program have acquired the skills necessary to design and conduct experiments and analyze experimental results. This paper presents details about a web-based virtual experiment designed to teach students about selection of instruments based on the uncertainty estimated from the virtual experiment. …

Research In Technology Education, Philip A. Reed (Editor), James E. Laporte (Editor)

STEMPS Faculty Books

Due to the laboratory-based nature of technology and engineering education programs, professionals in our field have often focused on the resources in our classrooms and laboratories and the instructional methodologies used to address specific concepts. Formal research into content and practice has often given way to “what seems right”. New curriculum is constantly being introduced (based on what is occurring in business and industry), yet the inclusion for those evolving concepts in courses and programs is typically not verified.

Hence, the importance of the 2010 CTTE yearbook and its focus on the dire need for an aggressive research agenda in …

Exceed Ii: Advanced Training For Even Better Teaching, Debra Larson, Allen Estes, Norman Dennis, Ronald Welch, Carol Considine

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In 2007, the American Society of Civil Engineering's Committee on Faculty Development (CFD) conducted a longitudinal survey of all the past participants of the ExCEEd Teaching Workshop (ETW). The CFD received 173 responses, representing 40% of the ETW population at that time, to its survey about skills and the long term value of ETW. Important to this paper, 73% of the survey respondents said that they were interested in attending a post, advanced ETW. Motivated by these survey results, the CFD began its planning for a pilot ExCEEd II workshop during the 2008-2009 academic year. In the summer of 2009, …

Implementing Tablet Pcs In A Distance Learning Environment, Glenda Scales, Sharon Caraballo, James Groves, Rosalyn Hobson, Linda Vahala, Catherine Amelink

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) The Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program (CGEP) is a collaborative distance education program developed by leading Universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is over 25 years old and its main goal is to deliver graduate engineering courses to qualified professionals located across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Traditionally, the courses delivered to students in this program are done through interactive video conferencing (IVC) technology and most students are required to drive to a physical location. However, an increasing number of working professionals are beginning to want more flexibility with the timing and locations of these classes. With these changes …

Energy From The Skies: Empowering Future Generations, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Stella Bondi, Walter F. Deal

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses the development of photovoltaic technology. The first account of the use of solar power during war in western civilization was in the second century B.C. during the battle of Syracuse with Archimedes' famed Death Ray. In the late 1800s and early 1900s many advances occurred including the invention of solar-powered engines, the discovery of the photoconductivity of selenium and its ability to produce electricity when exposed to light, and the construction of the first solar cells from selenium wafers. Photovoltaic technology was born in the U.S. in 1954 when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson developed …

Embedding Simulation Education Into The Engineering Management Body Of Knowledge, Andreas Tolk, Ghaith Rabadi, Donald N. Merino

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

The American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) established a Body of Knowledge (BoK). As simulation is of growing interest to engineers in general and to engineering managers in particular, simulation is part of this documentation of domains of interest that characterise the profession. The basis for the Body of Knowledge comprises of established and accredited curricula and additional input from practitioners of the field. As it is essential to cover the basic topics and core competences as well as application specific domain knowledge, the simulation education for engineers is categorised into topics on simulation theory and simulation application.

International Service Learning Projects For Senior Capstone Projects, Steve Reichle, Avery Bang, Carol Considine

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Service learning is being adopted in many engineering programs at various course levels. International service learning experiences can provide senior level engineering students with opportunities to practice the required skills of engineering graduates as detailed by the ABET Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs. Bridges to Prosperity is a non-profit organization that builds footbridges in rural third world communities. These design build footbridge projects require a full year for fundraising, site visit, design and construction, and provide engineering students an opportunity to practice their knowledge of globalization, sustainability, engineering design, teamwork, and leadership. A team of students from the University of …

System Design And Integration For Repeated Impact Tests, Cheng Lin, Gene Hou, Sebastian Bawab, Timothy Coats, Hesham Nassar

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The design and integration of an impact-testing machine is particularly for the test of an object which is repeatedly dropped down from a specified height. Four linear actuators with two on each of the two magnetic rails are used to lift up an object weighing up to 70 lbs. Each actuator is powered and controlled by an industrial amplifier. A Programmable Logical Controller (PLC) is applied to activate these four actuators simultaneously and repeatedly. Accelerometers using an National Instruments (NI) data acquisition system are used to measure the impact force during the tests. Students gain design and implementation experiences from …

A Comparison Of Instructional Delivery Methods Based On Student Evaluation Data, John Hackworth, Carol Considine, Vernon Lewis

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Distance Education is an increasingly common educational delivery method. At Old Dominion University, all junior and senior level engineering technology courses are offered via distance education at least once every two years. A majority of courses in the distance education system at this university have three simultaneous delivery methods: on-campus, televised (receiving the course at an off-campus site via satellite video/audio), and internet-based video-streamed.

This paper explores the results of student course evaluation surveys for trends, in particular those trends which can be a result of the mode of delivery. Results of these surveys for 23 courses over a 4-year …

Education Enhancement Using Visualization And Simulation Tools For Basic Circuit Theory Concepts, Jariwala Rajvi Prakashchandra

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

New generation web-technologies and supporting development tools have prompted opportunities for developing new methods of teaching and learning. Web-based visualization and simulation modules developed for ODU's ECE201 Circuit Theory course are presented in this thesis. Visualization and simulation methodology is used to make learning process more interactive and effective. Macromedia FLASH software, which has the extensive graphical animation capabilities, is used to develop visualization modules. Lab VIEW is a leading graphical development tool for science and engineering with a built-in functionality for simulation, data acquisition, instrument control, measurement analysis and data presentation. These capabilities are utilized to develop web-based simulation …

Review Of The American Society For Engineering Education (Asee) Global Colloquium, Cape Town, South Africa, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The following report addresses topics established by the Technical Foundation of America prior to attending the ASEE Global Colloquium October 19-24, 2008 in Cape Town South Africa. Specifically, this manuscript will address what the international engineering education community and the technology education community might have to offer each other. Responses appear below each of the three categories: impacts on curriculum, professional development, and collaboration.

Exceed Teaching Workshop: Tenth Year Anniversary, Allen Estes, Ronald Welch, Stephen Ressler, Norman Dennis, Debra Larson, Carol Considine, Tonya Nilsson, Jim O'Brien, Thomas Lenox

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In response to the need for faculty training, the American Society of Civil Engineers developed and funded the ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) Teaching Workshop that is today - the summer of 2008 - celebrating its tenth year of existence. For the past decade, nineteen ExCEEd Teaching Workshops (ETW) have been held at the United States Military Academy, the University of Arkansas, and Northern Arizona University, with two more workshops scheduled for this summer for a total of 21 offerings. ETW has realized 449 graduates from 203 different U.S. and international colleges and universities. This paper summarizes the content …

Design And Develop A Cost Effective Microcontroller Training System For Distance Learning Engineering Students, Steve Hsiung, John Ritz, James Eiland

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This is the review of a NSF funded project that addresses the hands-on distance learning needs in microprocessor/microcontroller related courses. A research team designed a low cost training system with supporting instructional materials to assist the teaching of these concepts. Individual laboratory activities are being developed to reinforce student learning and skill development in programming concepts. This basic system format eventually will support an array of technology courses. This project involves two community colleges, Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC), VA and Olympic College (OC), WA, and a four-year university, Old Dominion University (ODU), VA, in a collaborative research team to …

An Integrated Simulation Design With Three-Dimensional Motions And A Hydraulic Stewart Simulator, Cheng Lin, Gene Hou, Yuzhong Shen, Hector Garcia

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This paper presents an integrated design process and tests of a Stewart simulator with a virtual visualization tool, which uses Virtools to create and generate three-dimensional motions. An inverse kinematic algorithm is written to convert each visualized motion to the displacements of six cylinders in a Stewart motion simulator. Information of the displacements is then transferred through the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to a personal computer which has the LabVIEW software. An NI USB-6251 data acquisition device is applied to interact with the LabVIEW program and the Stewart hydraulic simulator. The approach presented in this paper to function an old …

Introducing Hands-On Simulation Activities In Introduction To Engineering & Engineering Technology Class To Keep Students Engaged, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Low enrollment and high attrition rates have often plagued Engineering and Engineering Technology programs. Part of this problem can be attributed to the lack of engaging hands-on activities during the first year of instruction. Most engineering and technology programs require students to take natural science, math and some general education courses during the first two years with minimal technical content. To maintain student's interest in the technical career path, it is important that students establish a link between the theoretical knowledge and its application to solve real life problems early in their learning experience. Simulation based activities have a proven …

Applying Six Sigma Methodology To The Admissions Process In Higher Education, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Time and quality are two important metrics for improving a company's production and profit performance. Six Sigma is one of the most powerful continuous improvement tools that have been used to improve the quality of products and business processes. Six Sigma methodology provides the techniques and tools to improve the capability and reduce the number of defects in any process. It was originally developed by Motorola to systematically improve processes by eliminating defects. Although, originally developed for manufacturing processes, the tool has been effectively applied to improve business processes also. Evaluation of applications for admission in higher education is often …

Old Dominion University Space Systems Engineering Competency Development To Accommodate Orbital Flight Projects, Ersin Ancel

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Undergraduate engineering students in Old Dominion University's Batten College of Engineering and Technology have been engaged in the design, development, testing and flight of scientific sounding rocket payloads since 2004. During that time, two payloads have flown and a third payload has nearly achieved flight-ready status. The sophistication achieved by the flight-ready payload has resulted from the evolution of a rather rigorous space system design process that requires student involvement over periods of time that are much longer than those typically associated with an -undergraduate design course sequence.

In order to acquire the expected level of definition and reliability for …

Using Basic Computer Aided Drafting And Design Courses At The Freshman Level To Improve Technology Students Competitiveness In Obtaining Early Academic Career Internships, Anthony Dean, Mustafa Moustafa, Julie Moustafa

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Many students have the desire to have internships and part-time employment during their academic careers. Often students in their freshman and sophomore years in four year engineering and technology programs find it difficult to be competitive against more senior students for these positions. This paper discusses how students, in the Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program at ________________University, through taking CAD and Solid Modeling courses early in their academic careers are well suited to be competitive in obtaining internships and part time employment. This paper discusses the MET programs first two years’ curriculum and how it prepares the students to enter …

A General Engineering Technology Program In Motorsports Technology, Gary Crossman, Anthony Dean

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Southside Virginia, in particular the cities of Danville, Martinsville and the surrounding area, is the home of Virginia International Raceway and a rapidly growing motorsports industry. There is a strong need for educational opportunities to support manufacturing and related industries in this region. In the early 2000’s Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville established an associate of applied science degree in Motorsports Technology to help meet the need for technical support personnel. As the industry has grown it has become evident that engineers and technologists are needed at the baccalaureate and masters levels. Old Dominion University (ODU), located in Norfolk, …

Training For Adjunct Faculty, Ronald Welch, Allen Estes, Carol Considine

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Professor, teacher, instructor, faculty member –all are cherished and incredibly important titles at any university. At the same time, every full-time faculty member knows that it took time to become a good teacher and that training and mentoring shortens the required train-up period. Members of the Civil Engineering Department Heads Council Executive Committee (DHCEC) have indicated that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ExCEEd Teaching Workshop is a must have tool for developing new faculty. So why do we thrust a syllabus into the hands of adjunct faculty and wish them well – while it appears that some type …

Stochastic Models For Enhancing Agility Of Supply Chains, Alok K. Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This paper deals with the application of stochastic inventory model to the three-tier supply chain and verifying the values obtained by mathematical model with discrete event simulation. We investigate three-stage serial supply chain with stochastic demand and fixed replenishment lead-time. Inventory holding costs are charged at each stage, and each stage may incur a consumer backorder penalty cost charged by primary supplier to secondary supplier. The customer-demand follows Poisson distribution. We implement Base Stock model for inventory control at both suppliers. Computer simulation is then designed in such a way that it satisfied all the assumptions for mathematical model. Simulation …

Addressing Student Retention In Engineering And Engineering Technology Through The Use Of A Multidisciplinary Freshman Course, Anthony Dean, Bonita Anthony, Linda Vahala

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The Engineering Fundamentals Division of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology (BCET) at Old Dominion University administers a freshman engineering course sequence, along with four engineering departments (Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering) and the Department of Engineering Technology (which offers degrees in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering Technology and Electrical Engineering Technology). The two course sequence, Exploring Engineering and Technology I and II, involve the five departments in teaching at least one five week module in each of the two courses. Each department generally involves the students in a basic design …

Introducing Freshmen To Construction Estimating And Scheduling Using K'Nex Bridge Kits, Carol Considine, Vernon Lewis

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University has developed project-based courses for freshmen engineering students in order to engage them in engineering early with the goal of increasing retention. The courses are divided into three five-week modules that are distributed among the various departments within the college. The Engineering Technology department is responsible for two of the five week modules. One module is comprised of all the engineering technology curriculums; civil, electrical and mechanical, and the other module is strictly a civil engineering technology project.

The civil engineering technology project is focused on the construction industry. Students …

Managing A Distance-Learning Eet Laboratory Course Using Collaboration Software, Steve Hsiung, John Hackworth, Richard Jones, June Ritchie

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Methods of managing various distance learning EET laboratory courses using collaboration software are detailed. Particular emphasis is given to different types of collaboration software, advantages and disadvantages of each, and student and faculty feedback on the effectiveness of each.

Identifying University Minors To Support The Construction Specialization Area Within A Civil Engineering Technology Program, Vernon Lewis, Carol Considine

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Construction programs at many universities are diversified and provide students with opportunities to examine topic areas that include mechanical and electrical systems, safety, business administration, residential construction, real estate, and management. It is impossible for small civil engineering technology programs with a construction emphasis to encompass all of these expertise areas. As industry looks for students with a knowledge base in these areas, it is incumbent upon programs to find avenues to provide these educational opportunities to their students.

To meet the upper division general education requirements for Old Dominion University, students must have either a minor, second major or …

Enhancing Student Learning In Engineering Technology Programs? A Case For Physical Simulations, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Physical simulations have a proven record as a teaching tool. Concepts that are often hard to grasp are made easy by the use of physical simulation activities. The constructivism learning theory suggests that people learn better by actively participating in the process of learning. According to the Encyclopedia of Educational Technology, "Simulation-based learning involves the placement of a student into a realistic scenario or situation. The student is then responsible for any changes that occur as a result of their decisions." A number of physical simulation based tools have been developed by the author for use as instructional tools to …