Engineering Education Commons^™

Difficulty As A Concept Inventory Design Consideration: An Exploratory Study Of The Concept Assessment Tool For Statics (Cats), Dana L. Denick

Open Access Dissertations

The ability for engineering students to apply mathematic, scientific and engineering knowledge to real-life problems depends greatly on developing deep conceptual knowledge that structures and relates the meaning of underlying principles. Concept inventories have emerged as a class of tests typically developed for use in higher education science and engineering courses. Concept Inventories (CIs) are multiple-choice tests that are designed to assess students' conceptual understanding within a specific content domain. For example, the CI explored within this study, the Concept Assessment Tool for Statics (CATS) is intended to measure students' understanding of the concepts underlying the domain of engineering statics. …

Management And Leadership Style: Is Style Influenced By Engineering Education?, Jesse Levi Calloway

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This paper addresses one aspect of the opportunity for corporations to reduce leadership development infrastructure by narrowing the participant pool to candidates that, intuitively, may be multi-skilled and capable of handling diverse roles and assignments within the corporate environment. In particular, the study seeks to determine the effect that engineering education has on leadership style by comparing the leadership style of certified project managers (CPMs), and non-CPM managers with engineering degrees, to the same for CPMs, and non-CPM managers, who do not possess engineering degrees. Engineering degrees may be further defined as mechanical, electrical, industrial and the like. Leadership styles …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of A Flipped Classroom Instructional Approach On High School Students' Content Knowledge And Attitudes Toward The Learning Environment, Matthew R. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

The idea of the “flipped classroom” is a relatively new concept in education that has become increasingly popular. Instructors who flip their classrooms reverse the roles of school work and homework by recording video lectures for students to watch before coming to class. Students then work on their homework in the classroom while the instructor is present to help them. Very little research has been done on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom to determine if students can perform better on exams by learning in a flipped classroom environment, especially for high school demographics. The purpose of this research is …

Visualizing Relationships Between Related Variables: Improving Physics Education Through D3.Js Network Visualizations, Stephanie Friend

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

phiMap is a web application started by Cal Poly professors and students to aid professors in teaching physics. I developed Javascript visualizations for phiMap that serve to simplify the processes of both teaching and learning physics. These visualizations aim to present relationships between physics variables in an easy to understand manner, and they could eventually have a huge impact on physics education.

Teaching Engineering, Second Edition, Phillip C. Wankat, Frank S. Oreovicz

Purdue University Press Books

The majority of professors have never had a formal course in education, and the most common method for learning how to teach is on-the-job training. This represents a challenge for disciplines with ever more complex subject matter, and a lost opportunity when new active learning approaches to education are yielding dramatic improvements in student learning and retention.

This book aims to cover all aspects of teaching engineering and other technical subjects. It presents both practical matters and educational theories in a format useful for both new and experienced teachers. It is organized to start with specific, practical teaching applications and …

Sci Pop Talks! Presenter Guidelines, Kiyomi D. Deards, Raychelle Burks

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Presenter guidelines for the nUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Sci Pop! Talks series.

The Epistemological Basis Of Engineering, And Its Reflection In The Modern Engineering Curriculum, Mike Murphy, William Grimson

Books/Book chapters

Perhaps unlike other professions, engineering is strangely difficult to define or describe. This is nowhere as evident as when an attempt is made to articulate its epis-temological basis. Engineering has a rich and complex ‘gene pool’ which goes back to when people first built shelters and shaped implements for agricultural purposes. Throughout the ages one constant characteristic of engineering has been its readiness to avail of whatever material is on hand together with whatever knowledge or skill is available to meet the challenge of enhancing an object or making something which nev-er previously existed. On occasion engineers have created new …

Reflections On Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research With Undergraduate Students, Can B. Aktas

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of the article was to convey experiences with pioneering interdisciplinary sustainability research by involving undergraduate students. Experiences with initiating and conducting multiple research projects spanning engineering and sustainability are described, and recommendations for programs and faculty in other institutions of higher education that plan to implement or support similar endeavors are discussed. Design/methodology/approach – The article and presented conclusions are based on three separate research projects, where specific examples as to how those projects were developed as well as challenges and rewards faced during the project are described. Findings – It is concluded that faculty should …

Graduate School Of Engineering And Management Catalog 2015-2017, Graduate School Of Engineering And Management, Air Force Institute Of Technology

AFIT Documents

The Graduate Catalog represents the offerings, programs, and requirements in effect at the time of publication.

Engineering Identities: Section Introduction, Mike Murphy, Tony Marjoram

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.

Nanohub.Org: A Gateway To Undergraduate Simulation-Based Research In Materials Science And Related Fields, Tanya A. Faltens, Peter A. Bermel, Amanda Buckles, K Anna Douglas, Alejandro H. Strachan, Lynn K. Zentner, Gerhard Klimeck

Birck and NCN Publications

Our future engineers and scientists will likely be required to use advanced simulations to solve many of tomorrow's challenges in nanotechnology. To prepare students to meet this need, the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) provides simulation-focused research experiences for undergraduates at an early point in their educational path, to increase the likelihood that they will ultimately complete a doctoral program. The NCN summer research program currently serves over 20 undergraduate students per year who are recruited nationwide, and selected by NCN and the faculty for aptitude in their chosen field within STEM, as well as complementary skills such as coding …

Strategies To Enhance Learning In A Large Engineering Economics Course: Including Students’ Perceived Values In The Instructional Redesign Process, Kellie S. Grasman, D. Cernusca

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Purposeful implementation of technology in instructional design presents opportunities to increase institutional efficiency while simultaneously improving instructional quality. This paper presents findings from the implementation of a hybrid/buffet approach in an undergraduate Engineering Economics large course. A Design-Based Research (DBR) approach informed the instructional redesign and measured its effectiveness through multiple iterations, or macro-cycles, of implementation. Overall, pedagogical structure and specific technology solutions applied to each course component are described, as well as preliminary measures of effectiveness and student perception from a pilot offering of the hybrid/buffet course. Encouraged by positive preliminary results, a second implementation informed further study of …

Engaging Community College Students Using An Engineering Learning Community, James Maccariella Jr.

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The study investigated whether community college engineering student success was tied to a learning community. Three separate data collection sources were utilized: surveys, interviews, and existing student records. Mann-Whitney tests were used to assess survey data, independent t-tests were used to examine pre-test data, and independent t-tests, analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used to examine post-test data. The study found students that participated in the Engineering TLC program experienced a significant improvement in grade point values for one of the three post-test courses studied. In addition, the analysis revealed the odds of fall-to-spring retention were …

Poll Everywhere! Even In The Classroom: An Investigation Into The Impact Of Using Polleverwhere In A Large-Lecture Classroom, Wendi M. Kappers, Stephanie L. Cutler

Publications

Over the past several years, there has been a call in higher education to move from traditional lecturing to a more active classroom. However, many faculty members face multiple challenges when attempting to make a large lecture (over 100 students) an active learning environment. One way researchers have suggested engaging a large lecture is through Concept Tests and Peer Instruction, which can require additional resources to be purchased by students, such as electronic response systems or "clickers." This study will investigate the applicability of utilizing the free software PollEverywhere, which can be accessed using student cell phones (Text messages and …

Capstone Interdisciplinary Team Project: A Requirement For The Ms In Sustainability Degree, Latif M. Jiji, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, George A. Smith

Publications and Research

Purpose – This paper aims to describe experience gained with a required six-credit year-long course, the Capstone Interdisciplinary Team Project, a key component of the Master of Science (MS) in Sustainability degree at the City College of New York. A common feature of sustainability problems is their interdisciplinary nature. Solutions to sustainability problems often require professionals with different training and backgrounds to work as a team. A sustainability curriculum should provide students with the skills needed to competently participate in an interdisciplinary team.

Design/methodology/approach – Instructors drawn from different departments and divisions of the college developed a pool of sustainability-focused …

What Do Students Experience As Peer Leaders Of Learning Teams?, Eric C. Johnson, Brett A. Robbins, Michael Loui

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

In a course for engineering freshmen, peer leaders facilitated optional study sessions, which implemented peer-led team learning workshops. Some leaders were paid teaching assistants, but most were undergraduate volunteers. To understand the experiences of the peer leaders, we asked them to keep weekly reflective journals. By performing a basic qualitative analysis of fourteen journals from two semesters, we developed a description of the experience of leading peer-led team learning workshops over the course of the semester. At the beginning of the semester, the leaders were apprehensive about teaching and concerned with correctly answering students’ questions. As the semester progressed, the …

Grassroots Or Returning To One’S Roots? Unpacking The Inception Of A Youth-Focused Community Makerspace, Victor R. Lee, Whitney L. King, Ryan Cain

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper, we describe the individuals and factors contributing to the emergence of a community makerspace in a small city in the United States. As research into how makerspaces have come into existence is still in a nascent stage, this single case study is intended to describe and highlight some of the complexities involved in creating such a facility. Based on analysis of onsite observations, interviews of adults connected with the space, and electronic communications, we present a story of how two co-founders of a youth-focused makerspace went from having initial interest in extracurricular activities for their own children …

Design And Comparison Of Immersive Interactive Learning And Instructional Techniques For 3d Virtual Laboratories, Shuo Ren, Frederic D. Mckenzie, Sushil K. Chaturvedi, Ramamurthy Prabhakaran, Jaewan Yoon, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Hector Garcia

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

This work presents the design, development, and testing of 3D virtual laboratories for practice, specifically in undergraduate mechanical engineering laboratories. The 3D virtual laboratories, implemented under two virtual environments3DTV and Computer Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE)serve as pre-lab sessions performed before the actual physical laboratory experiment. The current study compares the influence of two instructional methods (conventional lecture-based and inquiry-based) under two virtual environments, and the results are compared with the pre-lab sessions using a traditional paper-based lab manual. Subsequently, the evaluation is done by conducting performance and quantitative assessments from students pre-and post-laboratory performances. The research results demonstrate that students …

Sola Gratia: Grace In The Engineering Curriculum And Profession, Ethan Brue

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Integral Christian higher education is in vogue. Most Christian institutions of higher education who take their mission seriously make the claim that the education offered to students is one where faith and learning are not separate. It is a belief that their entire educational enterprise is inexorably tied in some way, shape, or form to our new life in Christ. Most engineering programs on Christian campuses are the outgrowth of this perspective. Over the last fifty years, numerous philosophers, writers, scientists, and engineers have developed a solid foundation from which engineering can be understood as an essential calling in the …

Using Computer-Aided Design Software And 3d Printers To Improve Spatial Visualization, Petros Katsioloudis, Millie Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Many articles have been published on the use of 3D printing technology. From prefabricated homes and outdoor structures to human organs, 3D printing technology has found a niche in many fields, but especially education. The education of technology and engineering students has come a long way from traditional instruction using hand drawings. Although drawings may still be a part of a students learning, computer technology has been embraced in this field for several years. With the introduction of AutoCAD technical drawing programs and now 3D printing, learners can use 3D printed models to develop their spatial abilities in technology and …

Evaluation Of Static Vs. Dynamic Visualizations For Engineering Technology Students And Implications On Spatial Visualization Ability: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Petros Katsioloudis, Daniel Dickerson, Vukica Jovanovic, Mildred Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The benefit of using static versus dynamic visualizations is a controversial one. Few studies have explored the effectiveness of static visualizations to those of dynamic visualizations, and the current state of the literature remains somewhat unclear. During the last decade there has been a lengthy debate about the opportunities for using animation in learning and instruction. More specifically it has been shown that dynamic visualizations often provide no advantages over static visualizations. If they had shown advantages, it was due to the fact that more information was available in the animated than in the static version. Given this result, the …

Addressing New Skills Needed For The Automotive Industry Through A Motorsports Educational Pathway, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Mileta M. Tomovic, Alok K. Verma, Nathan Luetke, Steve Branch

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The automotive industry has higher-skilled positions available that need engineers and engineering technologists qualified and capable to work in a high-paced, advanced manufacturing sector. Various educational programs across the country offer programs related to the motorsports area at the Associate of Science level. There are also various articu-lation agreements that enable students to continue their education to the baccalaureate level. These programs try to fill in the gap related to the skills shortage in systems and new design methods and processes. The main strength of such educational pathways is that students, who are trained to work as technicians with an …

Preparing Students For The Advanced Manufacturing Environment Through Robotics, Mechatronics, And Automation Training, Ana M. Djuric, Vukica Jovanovic, Tatiana V. Goris

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Automation is one of the key areas for modern manufacturing systems. It requires coordination of different machines to support manufacturing operations in a company. Recent studies show that there is a gap in the STEM workforce preparation in regards to highly automated production environments. Industrial robots have become an essential part of these semi-automated and automated manufacturing systems. Their control and programming requires adequate education and training in robotics theory and applications. Various engineering technology departments offer different courses related to the application of robotics. These courses are a great way to inspire students to learn about science, math, engineering, …

Engineering Faculty Perspectives On The Nature Of Quality Teaching, Jacqueline C. Mcneil, Matthew W. Ohland

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There is wide agreement that teaching quality matters in higher education, but faculty have varied ideas about the definition of quality. Faculty definitions of quality teaching were coded using an existing framework. The most common definition of teaching quality (held by 49% of participants) is associated with elitism and restricted access—the best way to improve education is to admit better students. These faculty focus on education as “knowledge transfer” and “learning content.” Another 38% of faculty had a transformational perspective, more focused on process than content, valuing “empowering students,” “developing students,” and “creating an environment for learning.” These faculty refer …

Teaching Engineering Ethics, Steve Eugene Watkins

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Instruction in engineering ethics is an important aspect of professional development. For universities, it is an element of program assessment and is considered for accreditation. For engineering students, it addresses relationships in professional life and is a topic for professional licensure. A common instructional objective is for students to have an ability to continue developing their ethical knowledge and judgment. Topical content typically includes an introduction to principles of applied ethics with supporting examples of related engineering situations. This paper discusses the organization of the ethics component in a senior seminar course. Key topics are ethics principles in the context …

First In The Family: A Comparison Of First-Generation And Non-First-Generation Engineering College Students, Dina Verdin, Allison F. Godwin

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

This study investigates first-generation and non-first-generation engineering undergraduates’ math/science identities, subject-related interests, and career plans. First-generation students are an understudied, but growing population. Understanding how these self-beliefs and background factors affect students’ engineering choice can help widen pathways into engineering which continues to be defined as “pale and male.” Additionally, identity has predictive value for practical outcomes like engineering choice in college. The data for this study comes from the nationally representative Sustainability and Gender in Engineering (SaGE) survey completed by 6,772 college students who enrolled in first-year English courses at 2- and 4-year colleges across the U.S. …

An Engineering Tale: Using Storybooks To Analyze Parent–Child Conversations About Engineering (Fundamental), Brianna L. Dorie, Monica Cardella

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

Envisioning a larger workforce of engineers, with broad participation from a diverse set of workers, is one of the central concerns of engineering education research. While many current K-12 programs focus on engineering thinking and design, there is still a need to promote aspiration and understanding of engineering as an occupation, especially in out-of-school environments where children spend a majority of their time. Career aspirations and expectations of children have already started to develop prior to entering formal schooling. Several studies has shown that parents play a significant role in the development of occupational awareness in their children, but the …

Qualitative Study Of First-Generation Latinas: Understanding Motivation For Choosing And Persisting In Engineering, Dina Verdin, Allison F. Godwin, Jennifer Morazes

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

Latina undergraduates pursuing an engineering degree continue to be an underrepresented group at four-year universities. Compared to their male counterparts, fewer women enter the field of engineering; however, of those Latino/as who do matriculate, they have the same likelihood of persisting as their White counterparts. Furthermore, a dearth of underrepresented students such as Latino/as and first-generation college students enter or remain in the field of engineering. The need for increased gender and racial/ethnic representation in engineering is a documented need allowing for the production of a wider range of innovative products that take into consideration different perspectives that represent the …

Engineering Together: Context In Dyadic Talk During An Engineering Task (K-12 Fundamental), Brianna L. Dorie, Monica Cardella, Gina Navoa Svarovsky

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

Exploring how children develop early interest and understanding in engineering canprovide useful information for the ongoing efforts to increase the access of women inengineering careers. Drawing on occupational choice theories, girls and women havetended to place a high value on helping others in their work, but do not often realize thatcareers in engineering can lead to these types of endeavors. Adding layers of socialcontext that highlight the connections between engineering endeavors and improving thelives of others may create a more engaging experience for girls and women, andpotentially lead to increased development of girls’ engineering interest and understanding.Additionally, informal learning environments …

Special Session: Building Intentional Community Partnerships, Julia D. Thompson, Juan C. Lucena, Marybeth Lima, Brent Jesiek

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

Recent growth in community engagement programs in engineering education clearly reveals the importance of understanding partnerships between the engagement programs and the community they work with. However, there has been minimal research and reflection on engineering education partnerships. In this special session, the participants will learn about theoretical frameworks that categorize different types of interactions within partnerships and practical implications on how to structure programs that make the community an integral part of the community engagement experience. The special session will be highly interactive, and will be grounded in the Transactional, Cooperative, and Communal (TCC) Framework that categorizes interactions within …