Engineering Education Commons^™

Cyberspace Odyssey: A Competitive Team-Oriented Serious Game In Computer Networking, Kendra Graham, James Anderson, Conrad Rife, Bryce Heitmeyer, Pranav R. Patel, Scott L. Nykl, Alan C. Lin, Laurence D. Merkle

Faculty Publications

Cyber Space Odyssey (CSO) is a novel serious game supporting computer networking education by engaging students in a race to successfully perform various cybersecurity tasks in order to collect clues and solve a puzzle in virtual near-Earth 3D space. Each team interacts with the game server through a dedicated client presenting a multimodal interface, using a game controller for navigation and various desktop computer networking tools of the trade for cybersecurity tasks on the game's physical network. Specifically, teams connect to wireless access points, use packet monitors to intercept network traffic, decrypt and reverse engineer that traffic, craft well-formed and …

Examining Global Perspectives Of Engineering Students: Determining Educational Impact, Brian R. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization is causing higher education to adapt their approaches to student learning, especially those in the engineering disciplines as the nature and impact of their work becomes more cross-cultural and diverse. The efforts of programmatic change have led universities to emphasize new or different student experiences and educational practices to better prepare graduates for this societal change. Given this trend, research on which educational practices have the most impact on preparing engineering graduates to enter a global workforce is needed. Research has shown that international experiences like study abroad have a positive impact on students' global perspectives, especially when they …

Developing A Mobile Application‐Based Particle Image Velocimetry Tool For Enhanced Teaching And Learning In Fluid Mechanics: A Design‐Based Research Approach, Angela L. Minichiello, David Armijo, Sarbajit Mukherjee, Lori M. Caldwell, Vladimir Kulyukin, Tadd T. Truscott, Jack Elliott, Aditya Bhouraskar

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

A robust and intuitive understanding of fluid mechanics—the applied science of fluid motion—is foundational within many engineering disciplines, including aerospace, chemical, civil, mechanical, naval, and ocean engineering. In‐depth knowledge of fluid mechanics is critical to safe and economical design of engineering applications employed globally everyday, such as automobiles, aircraft, and sea craft, and to meeting global 21st century engineering challenges, such as developing renewable energy sources, providing access to clean water, managing the environmental nitrogen cycle, and improving urban infrastructure. Despite the fundamental nature of fluid mechanics within the broader undergraduate engineering curriculum, students often characterize courses in fluid mechanics …

Student Responses To Active Learning Strategies: A Comparison Between Project-Based And Traditional Engineering Programs, Elizabeth Pluskwik, Yuezhou Wang

Integrated Engineering Department Publications

Prior research has shown that active learning strategies in engineering education improve student learning, motivation, and retention in STEM disciplines. Yet, instructors are often hesitant to use active learning and other non-lecture strategies due to challenges from students who are resistant to engaging in these methods. Prior research has suggested strategies that can be used to mitigate student resistance to active learning, yet many faculty members have not yet implemented active learning into their engineering education courses. The global demand for entrepreneurially-minded engineers and the rapid growth of engineering programs embracing this mindset increases the need for actionable resources and …

Breaking Down The Silos: Innovations For Multidisciplinary Programs, Jillana Finnegan, Donna C. Llewellyn

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2020

Universities, colleges and academic departments acknowledge the need for more collaborative, multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial, and global education. Unfortunately, this is no trivial task. Centuries of tradition have produced institutional silos, reinforced by layers of policy and cultural differences between academic departments, between colleges, and between academic and non-academic units. Successful multidisciplinary programs require programmatic and administrative innovation that meet faculty, student and institutional needs and leverage available resources. The Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) model, in place at thirty-seven institutions, has achieved notable success in these areas. This paper profiles innovations from ten VIP Programs in three areas: institutional organization, program organization, …

Developing And Applying Knowledge And Skills In Ethics And Professional Morality: An Evidence-Based Practice Paper, Donald Winiecki, Lynn Catlin, Harold Ackler

Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Even without a focused interest in the topic, as we enter the third decade of the 21st Century one would have a difficult time ignoring the steady flow of stories reporting tragic consequences arising from engineering decisions that appear to have omitted ethical components, and of ethical dilemmas arising from contemporary engineering and computer science. Similarly, one would have to be willful to miss an equally steady drumbeat of calls for improved ethics in engineering and computer science education.

However, one can make the argument that simply offering new or more content related to ethics in engineering education is not …

Work In Progress: Development Of A General Education First-Year Design Course, Courtney Hollar, Sondra M. Miller

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

We discuss in this Work in Progress paper the development of a new first-year engineering course at Boise State University. ENGR 180 Communication in Design Thinking, was developed in order to emphasize the importance of communication throughout the design process. Communication with the client at the start of the design process occurs in order to understand the problem to be solved. The team and other stakeholders continuously communicate in order to work toward developing a prototype to solve the problem. The ability to effectively communicate is equally as important to the design of the final product. The development of ENGR …

Learning From Engineers To Develop A Model Of Disciplinary Literacy In Engineering (Year 3), Theresa Green, Angela L. Minichiello, Amy Wilson-Lopez, Christina Marie Hartman, Jared W. Garlick

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Purpose This paper will the describe the overall project goals, activities, preliminary findings, and future work on this project. The purpose of this project is to develop a model of Disciplinary Literacy Instruction (DLI) in engineering that can be used in both K-12 and undergraduate engineering settings. This model of DLI will be informed by knowledge about the ways practicing engineers across four disciplines of engineering (i.e., electrical/computer, mechanical/aerospace, civil/environmental, and chemical/biological) read, interpret, evaluate, and generate texts in the context of their work environment. This information will be translated into a model of DLI in engineering to teach students …

Using An Embedded Researcher Approach To Explore Student Outcomes And Relationship Development During An Intensive Engineering Apprenticeship Program, Lori M. Caldwell, Angela Minichiello

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the emotions, outcomes, and interpersonal relationship development of high school aged students who participated in a three-week intensive engineering apprenticeship program (EAP) during the summer of 2019. This EAP introduces students to engineering by placing them in teams and asking them to build an underwater vehicle that can complete a timed obstacle course. Program mentors provide minimal lecture based instruction and focus on encouraging each team to create their own unique design. The primary purpose of the EAP is to increase student interest in engineering by improving student understanding of …

Revolutionizing The Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Curriculum, Shelby Ann Mcneilly, Krishna Pakala, Donald Plumlee

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the age of technological advancement and occupational opportunity continues to progress, companies must be constantly adjusting and transforming in order to accommodate industry demands. With these quickly developing requirements comes an expectation of employee experience and skill sets. For individuals seeking a career in mechanical engineering, moving forward with the tools necessary for success in this continuously evolving world begins with higher education. This paper is the first of a three-part series to report on the progress of Boise State University’s Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Department’s mission to implement a revolutionized curriculum in their academic program. This paper will …

Student Perception Of Mathematical Modeling Before And After Completing A Two Joint Robot Computer Simulation Task (Rtp), Laurel Johnston, Noah Salzman

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Engineers frequently utilize computer simulation as part of their design processes to model and understand the behavior of complex systems. Simulation is also an important tool for developing students’ understanding of modeling and strengthening their intuition for problem solving in complex domains. This project uses a two-joint robot arm problem and accompanying computer simulation to demonstrate to AP BC Calculus students how and why we would use calculus concepts simultaneously in Cartesian and polar coordinate systems. We developed the simulation in a way that allows students to experience mathematical modeling in an applications-based engineering context. A small cohort of students …

Lasting Impacts Of A Summer Bridge And Outdoor Experience Program On Student Relationships: A Social Network Analysis, Noah Salzman, Ann E. Delaney, Catherine Rose Bates, Donna C. Llewellyn

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this Complete Research paper, we present a social network analysis of an academic summer bridge and outdoor experience program designed to support the social and academic integration of incoming STEM majors at Boise State University. Summer bridge programs can support students through both the development of academic skills and the creation of intentional community and peer support networks which can facilitate students’ sense of belonging in both their chosen major and at the university. Alumni from the past five years of the program received a survey asking them to indicate their connections to other participants, faculty, and staff associated …

What Is The Derivative Of Music?, Thad B. Welch, Cameron H. G. Wright, Michael G. Morrow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In our continuing effort to prove to students that Signals & Systems is not just another mathematics course taught by the ECE Department, we ask the question, “What is the Derivative of Music?”

The first-order difference (or first-difference) is an incredibly simple algorithm that very accurately approximates the numeric derivative operator, especially for oversampled signals. Its inverse also accurately approximates the numeric integration operator, but not without numeric difficulty.

Given a real-time demonstration using winDSK8, we can now show students that these mathematical operators provide powerful signal processing filtering tools for real-world signals.

During this ASEE session, we will include …

Work In Progress: Students' Perception Of Collaborative Online International Learning, Philip Appiah-Kubi, Jennifer Nichwitz

Engineering Management and Systems Faculty Publications

Teaching and learning in the digital age harness the opportunities created by internet technologies to distribute and learn various information all over the world. This is commonly referred to as connectivism, and it values the impact of stakeholder information appraisal skills, virtual and personal communication skills [1], and the sense of cultural awareness. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), a type of connectivism, typically involves instructors and students from at least two geographically and culturally distinct areas who collaborate virtually on a common project for four or more weeks.

The objective is to create a culturally diverse virtual environment where students …

Integrating Professional Skills And Leadership Into An Undergraduate Engineering Program, Harold Ackler, Heidi Reeder, Abbey Louie

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research and practical experience indicate that leadership and “people skills” play an important role in the success of organizations and in the careers of employees across many industries, including engineering. The Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering at Boise State University identified a need to expand available opportunities for its students to develop these critical “soft” skills. The approach taken sought to imitate how such training is conducted in the workplace, integrating it within a context of extended team-based projects. In partnership with the College of Innovation + Design’s Leadership Certificate Program, a series of sequential modules were developed …

Comparison Of Pre-Intervention Idi Results From Stem And Non-Stem Undergraduate Students, Anne M. Lucietto, Lisa Russell

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The emphasis on intercultural competence is more prevalent in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors as the world shifts towards a more globalized economy. When entering higher education, students have differing levels of cultural interaction due to varying peer interaction, family experiences, international travel, and social media experiences. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) has been used to develop an understanding of how students view others and the level of skills they have to interact and adapt to other cultures. Using published data focused on pre-intervention assessment, researchers compared it to data obtained from STEM students preparing for an international …

Faculty Perspectives On The Impact Of Virtual Office Hours In Engineering Courses, Brooke-Lynn Caprice Andrade, Krishna Pakala, Diana Bairaktarova, Douglas Hagemeier, Harish Subbaraman

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Instructor-student interaction is an important element of a course design, but office hours can be challenging to attend based on students’ commitments. They have time and space limitations that prevent students from getting the help they need and often garner poor attendance. Virtual office hours can address issues related to low attendance and provide a low stakes environment where unhindered learning can happen. Virtual office hours are flexible, yield productive interactions, and all enrolled students can participate. This study reports on three engineering instructors’ perspectives on the efficacy of virtual office hours compared to the traditional face-to-face interactions with the …

How Students View The Role Of Faculty Advisors In The Swe Organization, Diane Peters, Maryam Darbeheshti, Gloria Guohua Ma, Karinna M. Vernaza, Alexa N. Rihana Abdallah, Christina Remucal, Stephanie G. Wettstein

Mechanical Engineering Presentations And Conference Materials

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) collegiate sections attract many men and women to the society, and they can be among the largest and most active student organizations on the university campuses. A key factor to boost membership is the active involvement of faculty advisors, who serve as the liaison between SWE collegiate sections, the university, the National SWE organization, and professional SWE members. A group of SWE faculty advisors previously conducted a survey of faculty advisors and counselors, with advisors and counselors aggregated in the results, to determine what aspects of their role they consider most significant, and how …

Investigating The Experiences Of Military Professionals Who Return To Engineering Graduate School, Diane Peters, Elizabeth Gross

Mechanical Engineering Presentations And Conference Materials

Those graduate students known as returners, who have a gap of at least five years between their undergraduate degree conferral and their return to school for a graduate degree, have a wide variety of different experiences. While many of them spend those gap years in employment at an industrial employer, some of them serve in the military in various capacities. As military experience is different from working at an industrial employer, one might expect that these returners will be different in their outlook, skills, or approach to learning. In this study, the differences between military returners and returners from industry …

Professional Women Identify Their Professional And Personal Needs, Diane Peters, Anne M. Lucietto, Liza Ann Russell, Meher Rusi Taleyarkhan

Mechanical Engineering Presentations And Conference Materials

Professional women in various fields often express issues they encounter in being able to access quality materials to support professional and personal needs, as well as work-life balance. By studying a variety of modes through which these materials are generally obtained, including conference participation, informal communication via social media, and utilization of networking opportunities, several gaps were identified in available support for professionals. Professionals from various backgrounds were also surveyed in order to better identify their needs in terms of career development. Distributed through a variety of social networks including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as the Indiana Secretary …

Math Anxiety: Engineering Technology Students Problem Solving Through Rational Or Experiential Context, Anne M. Lucietto, Meher Rusi Taleyarkhan, Natalie Hobson, Therese M. Azevedo

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Math anxiety is a pernicious problem. The issue manifests in a variety of ways, some avoid math completely, while others enact coping skills to avoid the use of math. This study surveys students who are pursuing Engineering Technology degrees and delves into the tendencies of the students and how they utilize certain types of problem-solving techniques. The survey utilized the instrument Cognitive-Experiential Self Theory (CEST) [1]. The survey will help to learn the extent to which the students rely on the rational and experiential context of their lives to answer technical questions. The study is intended to enlighten educators and …

Professional Women Identify Their Professional And Personal Needs, Anne M. Lucietto, Diane L. Peters, Meher Rusi Taleyarkhan, Shelly Tan

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Professional women in various fields often express issues they encounter in being able to access quality materials to support professional and personal needs, as well as work-life balance. By studying a variety of modes through which these materials are generally obtained, including conference participation, informal communication via social media, and utilization of networking opportunities, several gaps were identified in available support for professionals. Professionals from various backgrounds were also surveyed in order to better identify their needs in terms of career development. Distributed through a variety of social networks including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as the Indiana Secretary …

The First Year Of An Undergraduate Service Learning Partnership To Enhance Engineering Education And Elementary Pre-Service Teacher Education, Stacie I. Ringleb, Jennifer Kidd, Pilar Pazos, Kristie Gutierrez, Orlando Ayala, Krishnanand Kaipa

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This IUSE project was designed to address three major challenges faced by undergraduate engineering students (UES) and pre-service teachers (PSTs): 1) retention for UESs after the first year, and continued engagement when they reach more difficult concepts, 2) to prepare PSTs to teach engineering, which is a requirement in the Next Generation Science Standards as well as many state level standards of learning, and 3) to prepare both groups of students to communicate and collaborate in a multi-disciplinary context, which is a necessary skill in their future places of work. This project was implemented in three pairs of classes: 1) …

Enhancing Teamwork Skills Through An Interdisciplinary Engineering Service Learning Collaboration, Pilar Pazos, Francisco Cima, Jennifer Kidd, Stacie I. Ringleb, Orlando Ayala, Kristie Gutierrez, Krishnanand Kaipa

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research paper is to explore whether participation in an interdisciplinary collaboration program partnering Preservice Teachers (PST) and Undergraduate Engineering Students (UES) results in an increase in teamwork effectiveness. The interdisciplinary collaboration was designed as a service-learning project within existing undergraduate programs that included the development and delivery of engineering content to a K-12 audience. The collaborations were integrated into existing courses in two colleges, engineering and education. The Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) version of the Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME) was used midway and at the end of the project to evaluate teamwork …

Upgrading Of A Data Communication And Computer Networks Course In Engineering Technology Program, Murat Kuzlu, Otilia Popescu

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Data network communications is traditionally a course offered by computer engineering technology curricula, with the primary objective to introduce to the fundamental concepts in data communication and computer networks, as well as some level of hands-on component related to this area. Typical topics in such courses are the layered model of data communication, specifically the OSI seven-layered model, Internet routing, communication standards, protocols and technologies, and learning methods used to design the network and send data over the network in a secure manner. In the last decades, the data communication and applications have grown and become ubiquitous in both industry …

Math Anxiety In Female And Underrepresented Minority Students A Literature Review, Anne M. Lucietto, Meher Rusi Taleyarkhan, Therese M. Azevedo, Natalie Hobson

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Educators have noticed that some students respond to exercises requiring mathematical calculations with numerical answers that are not correct and far from realistic. These student solutions are often given without further comment or calculation by the students and seem to such avoidance by the students to engage with the numerical calculations. Anecdotal evidence, by these educators, suggest that such responses are more prevalent from female and underrepresented minority groups — raising the question of whether demographics play a role in a students’ approach to numerical problems. Researchers have searched for existing work in this area and find that there are …

Public Perception Of Engineering Technology: A Literature Review, Anne M. Lucietto, Shelly Tan, Liza Ann Russell, Mary E. Johnson

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Engineering technology describes a field closely related to engineering in which practical application of learned concepts is emphasized over theoretical knowledge. Although an increasing amount of emphasis is being placed on the importance of this experiential learning in all engineering curricula, and the specifics of engineering technology’s place among engineering and technical fields is becoming clearer, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of several key aspects of this field. One of these aspects is its perception by the general public, which is important in, among other things, determining the employability of engineering technology program graduates and encouraging the …

Advancing High School Stem Education: Implications For Engineering Technology, Anne M. Lucietto, Mesut Akdere

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

A novel STEM education approach focused on competency-based education was implemented in a college preparatory high school. This high school is intended to provide students access to a nearby higher education institution, with the intent of aiding the students in obtaining STEM based education. This program prepares the students to move into the university environment by encouraging faculty collaboration with the high school, coursework promoting creativity and problem-solving skills, and the use of case studies in classroom instruction. These case studies are grounded in real-life scenarios students can expect to encounter in a professional setting. This study focuses on the …

Curriculum Development For Robotics Technology Program, Sanjeevi Chitikeshi, Shirshak K. Dhali, Betsey Odell, Vukica Jovanovic, Cheng Y. Lin

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

With a growing need for a more skilled workforce, providing industry-driven and employment centric training services is an important national priority. Over 3.4 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled across the United Sates over the next decade. The skills gap is becoming greater based on the statistics provided by the Global Robotics Technology Market: Forecast, 2014-2020 published by Research and Markets, reporting that the worldwide robotics market is forecast to grow from the 2015 level of $26.98B to $82.78B in 2020. This 11 % compounded average growth in the next five years is unprecedented. Given the anticipated growth …

Design A Class Infusion Project Of Asme Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing Standard, Cheng Y. Lin, Hamid Eisazadeh, Alok K. Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This paper describes the development of a short course of Geometric Dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) for Mechanical Engineering (ME)/Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) students in their freshman/sophomore classes. This class-infusion project was assisted and validated by an ASME Standards and Certification Engineer and was jointly sponsored by the ASME Committee on Engineering Education and the ASME Council on Standards and Certification. To assess the performance of the project, an instrument was developed with multiple-choice problems and survey questions for the students. The results of a field test in a sophomore manufacturing class are presented. The module is available at the ASME …