Engineering Education Commons^™

Peer Oral Exams: A Learner-Centered Authentic Assessment Approach Scalable To Large Classes, Marko V. Lubarda, Alex M. Phan, Maziar Ghazinejad, Nathan Delson, Saharnaz Baghdadchi, Curt Schurgers, Minju Kim, Josephine Relaford-Doyle, Carolyn L. Sandoval, Huihui Qi

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Peer oral exams, a cross between oral exams and peer assessment, were designed and implemented in a high-enrollment undergraduate computer programming course for engineers. The intention was to leverage the educational and implementational advantages of both evidence-based approaches simultaneously. Oral exams, for instance, have been argued to promote conceptual understanding, self-reflection, communication competency, and professional identity formation in students – but their deployment in large classes is resource-demanding and nontrivial, stifling their broader adoption. Peer assessment, on the other hand, is highly scalable and affords students many potential educational benefits of its own, including the benefits of peer-enhanced learning, more …

Development Of A Raspberry Pi-Controlled Vex Robot For A Robotics Technology Course, Lili Ma, Justin Bartholomew, Yu Wang, Xiaohai Li

Publications and Research

This paper describes the development of a Raspberry PI-controlled VEX robot for an undergraduate robotic course. The Raspberry PI controls the mobile base built using the VEX robotics kit without using the Cortex micro-controller that comes with the kit. The aim is to create a physical robot that is manageable, easily replicable, and capable of performing advanced robotic control tasks such as vision-based control.

The constructed robot adopts the great features of the PI and the VEX hardware. Firstly, the VEX hardware consists of various sensors and actuators for students to practice the construction and assembly of an autonomous robot. …

Impact Of Critical Narrative On Students’ Abilities To Recognize Ethical Dilemmas In Engineering Work, Jeff Brown, Chad Rohrbacher, Taylor J. Mitchell, Dr. Leroy Long Iii, Jenna Korentsides, Joseph R. Keebler

Publications

This study aims to investigate the impact of exposure to critical narratives on students' abilities to recognize ethical dilemmas and broader impacts in engineering work. Critical narratives are place-based stories that engage students and help them enhance their critical thinking skills by making connections between the narratives, broader impacts of engineering work, and their responsibility to address these issues. The effectiveness of the critical narrative intervention was assessed by implementing discussion-based assignments around three critical narratives, which required students to listen to the narrative, respond to focus questions, engage with their peers, and reflect on the process. The intervention was …

Research Development & Early-Career Faculty: Catalysts Of Change For Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Stem, Monica Castañeda-Kessel, Idalis Villanueva Alarcón, Ryan Berke

Office of Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Problem Statement: Early-career science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) faculty members are often challenged when identifying authentic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals, objectives, and tasks for their research grant proposals. Advancing DEI has not been one person’s job but rather the responsibility of a highly organized network within a system. Research development professionals have been and will continue to be critical resources for developing DEI plans and broadening participation. Their value is partly due to relationship-oriented processes that research professionals cultivate and shepherd as well as the inherently cross-disciplinary nature of the day-to-day work. Observation: In FY 19, 53% …

Factors Influencing Student Outcomes In K-12 Integrated Stem Education: A Systematic Review, Kadir Kozan, Secil Caskurlu, Siddika Selcen Guzey

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

Earlier integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education research has shown effects on students’ attitudes toward STEM careers, actual and perceived learning, and interest in pursuing a STEM career in their future endeavors. The current systematic review purported to review the recent K-12 integrated STEM education research to determine (a) the factors that influence student outcomes and (b) the general characteristics of reviewed studies. Overall, the results (a) showed that most studies focused on integrating at least three subject areas; (b) highlighted four main factors (i.e., instructional, teacher-related, student-related, and extracurricular factors) that jointly influence student outcomes; and (c) …

A Primer On Working With Longitudinal Student Unit Records, Russell Long, Richard A. Layton, Marisa K. Orr, Susan M. Lord, Matthew Ohland

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Longitudinal, student-level data are a rich resource for characterizing how students navigate the terrain of higher education. Learning to work effectively with such data, however, can be a challenge. In this paper, we share some of our experiences over years of conducting research with the Multiple Institution Database for Investigating Engineering Longitudinal Development (MIDFIELD). MIDFIELD contains individual student-level records for all undergraduate students at 19 US institutions with over 1.7 million unique students. This paper focuses on our lessons learned about processing longitudinal data to prepare it for analysis. We describe and define the steps that we take to process …

Tank Level Controller Plc Lab, Siddhi Upadhyaya, Teghvir Grewal

Electrical Engineering

The California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo’s Electrical Engineering Department is currently developing lab experiments for the new EE435 (Industrial Power Control and Automation) class. In order to support these efforts, fourth year Cal Poly students are expected to develop laboratory experiments that will be conducted during this new class for the semester system. The lab experiment focused on in this project is called the Tank Level Controller. This experiment will introduce EE 435 students to Schneider Electric Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) hardware and software, which is prominent in the automation industry.
This experiment will require students to develop …

Cybersecurity In Industrial Automation Lab Design For Ee 435, Jules Khalil Emile Hajjar, Emily Zhou

Electrical Engineering

This project involves the creation of an instructional laboratory aimed at teaching cybersecurity for industrial automation applications. Specifically tailored for Electrical Engineering students at Cal Poly, the experiment focuses on configuring the Modicon M580, a PLC from Schneider Electric, and serves to introduce students to relevant cybersecurity protocols and techniques. This project will be implemented into the EE435 (Industrial Power Control and Automation) course curriculum upon Cal Poly’s transition to the semester system.

Industrial Automation And Controls Lab: Smart Led Dimmer Control, Trevor J. Beck

Electrical Engineering

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are rugged industrial computers used extensively in many industries for automation and control. EE 435 is a course being developed to introduce students to PLCs. This project will focus on one section of the course, with the primary objective being to control the brightness of an LED based on input received from an ambient light sensor. The control logic will use a PLC with analog input and output modules to interface with the sensor and actuator hardware. The light sensor will output 4-20mA proportional to the intensity of visible light, measured in lumens. The analog input …

Battery Hardware Simulator, Kian N. Orang, Marcelo Garcia

Electrical Engineering

This project aims to develop a battery hardware simulator, which will serve as a tool for studying microgrids. The primary objective is to create a simulation system that can emulate various battery technologies that are used in microgrids, including lithium-ion and lead acid. By utilizing this battery simulator, Cal Poly students can safely test battery management systems and battery-sensitive electronics without the inherent risks associated with real batteries. Our project implemented this design with a 4-quadrant programmable power supply (ITECH) connected to an AP Systems grid tied inverter. The power supply acts as the battery which can receive or supply …

Board 342: Moving Toward Transdisciplinary Learning Around Topics Of Convergence: Is It Really Possible In Higher Education Today?, Greg Strimel, Douglas Edward Pruim, Deana Lucas, Todd R. Kelley, Jung Joo Sohn

Technology Leadership and Innovation Faculty Publications

There have been numerous demands for enhancements in the way undergraduate learning occurs today, especially at a time when the value of higher education continues to be called into question. One type of demand has been for the increased integration of subjects/disciplines around relevant issues/topics—with a more recent trend of seeking transdisciplinary learning experiences for students. Transdisciplinary learning can be viewed as the holistic way of working equally across disciplines to transcend their own disciplinary boundaries to form new conceptual understandings as well as develop new ways in which to address complex topics or challenges. This transdisciplinary approach can be …

Exploring Senior Chemical Engineering Students’ Approach To Process Safety Decision Making, Jeffrey Saunders Stransky

Theses and Dissertations

Despite investments in chemical process safety education, evidence suggests that engineers’ decision making may contribute to process safety incidents. Currently, limited educational endeavors in process safety decision making exist, raising the need for a better understanding of how to prepare chemical engineering students for industry decisions. This dissertation fortifies current process safety education through three studies involving senior chemical engineering students. Study One developed the Engineering Process Safety Research Instrument (EPSRI) through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Educators may use the EPSRI to evaluate their students’ moral development. Study Two evaluated a digital process safety game, Contents Under Pressure, on …

Journal Of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-Peer) Annual Report From January 1, 2022, To December 31, 2022, Senay Purzer, Brooks M. Leftwich

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

In this annual report, we present our reflections on 2022 along with the Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (JPEER) readership trends and authorship metrics. In 2022, J-PEER published two issues in volume 12 comprised of 17 articles. The second issue of the year included a special issue on the impact of COVID-19 on education, marking the impact that the pandemic had on pre-college engineering education.

Egg Drop Challenge, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Resources

This interactive activity plan challenges students to build a container using limited materials that will protect a raw egg from a 4-6 foot drop.

How Students Investigate: Understanding Students’ Use Of Scientific Schemas In Open-Ended Labs, J. Alexander Wall

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Schema provides a theoretical framework for understanding the nature of science, inquiry, and open-ended labs. These topics have been emphasized in the state standards, especially in high school sciences. In this study the researcher took field notes, collected lab write ups, and conducted focus group interviews to understand students’ use of schema related to open-ended labs. These data were analyzed with the constant comparative method to generate themes. The author describes the major findings with parallel narratives, one focused on a student’s confusion and the other focused on a student’s understanding. The author concludes by advocating for science teachers to …

Using Self-Efficacy Theory To Design Arduino Instruction For Novices: A Replication Study, Donald M. Johnson, Michael Pate, Christopher M. Estepp, George Wardlow

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

A replication study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of an instructional treatment based on self-efficacy theory when used with novice Arduino microcontroller users. Students (n = 32) in an introductory university agricultural systems technology course participated in a lesson on Arduino microcontrollers, circuit breadboarding, and Arduino programming which included four hands-on practice tasks, designed to provide students with positive mastery, vicarious and social persuasion experiences. Next, students completed a laboratory activity and were provided additional opportunities for mastery, vicarious, and social persuasion experiences. The one-group pretest-posttest design indicated the instructional treatment had significant (p < .001) and large effects in increasing students’ interest in Arduino, breadboarding self-efficacy, programming self-efficacy, and Arduino knowledge. These findings were consistent with the original study and provided additional evidence for self-efficacy theory as an effective model for developing instruction for novice Arduino users. Students’ written comments provided additional insight concerning the instructional treatment.

An Investigation Into Perceptions, Expectations, And Development Of Professional Skills In Engineering Students, Morgan Kathryn Green

Theses and Dissertations

Upon graduation from an undergraduate institution, engineering graduates are expected to have a baselevel skill in technical skills related to their discipline. Teaching technical skills comes naturally to engineering programs as the conceptual understanding of the material form the foundation of engineering ability. However, engineering graduates also are expected to have a baselevel of professional skills, which are more subjective in nature and do not have a standardized approach for teaching or assessing them at the undergraduate level. An investigation into current perceptions of professional skills by relevant parties is an initial step in providing more structure to professional skills …

Where Did They Come From? Why Did They Go? How Engineering Students’ Perceptions Cultivate Experiences And Influence Behaviors, Sara Campbell Vick

Theses and Dissertations

Engineering undergraduate students have opinions and perceptions of engineering disciplines and engineering undergraduate students do not always matriculate and graduate in precisely the same discipline. Understanding how these two characteristics of engineering undergraduate students interact to inform behaviors is important for engineering educators and administrators to increase and improve recruitment and retention among their students.

This dissertation approached each characteristic of engineering students, first separately and then together. A nationwide survey of undergraduate engineering students found significant differences in how students perceive various engineering disciplines along several paired-term anchored scales. These differences were equally significant when scores were considered in …

Assessing What We Value: Interactions Between Student Perceptions Of Assessments In The Calculus Classroom And Their Future-Oriented Motivation, Catherine Kenyon

All Dissertations

This work investigates interactions between first-year engineering (FYE) student perceptions of Calculus exams, their perceptions of the future, and their levels of math test anxiety. All phases of this study were conducted at a very high research (R1) institution with a common FYE program and coordinated Calculus courses. An initial pilot study explored how FYE students perceive the purpose of taking Calculus exams and how math test anxiety may play a role in these students’ perceptions of exams and their future in engineering. A second pilot study expanded on these results concerning student perceptions of Calculus exams and math test …

Trees Recommendation In Agroforestry Ecosystem Using Nlp, Omkar Sawant

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Agroforestry farming is one of the challenging sectors to grow the crops or farming or variety of trees from the ancient days due to erosion and desertification. This Culminating Experience Project explored how recommendation system can be developed and used in agroforestry. The research questions are Q1. What methods can be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of soil-based agroforestry tree species recommendation systems? Q2. How can agroforestry tree species recommendation systems be tailored to the needs of different stakeholders, such as smallholder farmers or agribusinesses? Q3. What will be the top three, tree recommendations using natural language processing …

Analyzing Energy Use From Arkansas Public School Buildings, Oscar Morton

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Energy is a key global resource in society and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the consumption of energy have detrimental effects on the planet. With energy consumption increasing, exponential population growth, and diminishing natural resources necessary for energy production, the relevance of energy efficiency is dramatically increasing. In this project, I analyzed energy usage data from a set of public school buildings from one school district in northwest Arkansas from 2018, before targeted energy efficiency practices were implemented, through 2022 to see if energy usage changed over this short period. The objectives of analyzing energy data were to determine …

A Questionnaire Survey Of Student Engagement Among First-Generation College Students In Engineering, Abigail Lehto

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

First-generation college (FGC) students are defined as students whose parents do not have a bachelor's or graduate degree. FGC students tend to face more overall challenges in the college environment than their continuing-generation counterparts. Often, FGC students have lower grade-point-averages (GPAs) and are less likely to graduate than their peers. In majors like engineering, the struggles that first-generation college students face can be further magnified. This quantitative study examines the activities FGC students in engineering engage in based on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Questions from the NSSE cover different educational activities and are categorized into ten educational …

Promoting Skills In Children And Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Play And Steam, Meaghan Mcleod Mozingo, Krzysztof J. Rechowicz

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a low employment rate. This is caused by a lack of support from employment resources and the negative stigma associated with common characteristics associated with ASD. With limited career-building activities and events, it is difficult for individuals with ASD to identify their skills, strengths, and career opportunities. Parental support is crucial when seeking employment opportunities for their children. Through the use of play, children with ASD engaged and explored their skills with science, technology, engineering, arts, and math-centered activities. This paper highlights the events and shows the proposed redesign for an additional workshop.

Simulating Function Generators And Oscilloscopes In A Virtual Laboratory Environment, Yiyang Li, Yuzhong Shen, Charles I. Sukenik

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

This paper discusses the development of a virtual laboratory for simulating electronic instruments commonly used in science and engineering courses, such as function generators and digital storage oscilloscopes. Mathematical equations are used to represent continuous signals and ensure signal integrity, while C# delegates are adopted to enable communication between simulated devices. The approach allows for loose coupling between software components and high cohesion of individual components, and can be applied to other virtual laboratory developments. The virtual laboratory provides a means for students to gain hands-on experience with electronic instruments and improve their understanding of theoretical concepts.

Multiple Case Study Of Science And Engineering Integration In Secondary School Across Six School Districts, Elizabeth Hasseler, Elizabeth B. Lewis

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

A multiple case study was conducted to investigate six districts’ approaches to integrating science and engineering curricula in their secondary education programs. Data collected included classroom observations, interviews with teachers and administrators, college transcripts, professional development, and curriculum, as well as how, and how district personnel supported, and teachers enacted classroom instruction to align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Six districts were chosen due to their ranges in their size, urban or rural context, and demographics. There were 25 participants in the study who were either district personnel or secondary teachers. All school districts in the study incorporated …

Earthquake Resistant Buildings, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students learn about earthquakes and engineering by building a structure that can survive an earthquake.

Farmer's Tower, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students are challenged to help a famer build a tower to monitor their crops using only wood planks and pumpkins.

Balloon Tower Activity, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

This activity challenges students to build a safe and sound tower using only balloons and tape.

Pumpkin Tower Activity, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

In this activity, students are challenged to build a tower to help a farmer watch his crops using only pumpkins and wood planks. Attached is a lesson plan and a teacher reflection on the activity

Bridge Building, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students learn about different bridge styles and designs in this activity that challenges them to build their own successful bridge.