Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

”Cyberworld” As A Theme For A University-Wide First-Year Common Course, Kristen Przyborski, Frank Breitinger, Lauren Beck, Ronald S. Harichandran

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Nowadays we all live in a cyber world and use the internet for emailing, banking, streaming video, shopping, reading news, or other activities. Given all the time people spend online, it is important that all students (regardless of their major) learn some basics about living in a cyber world, e.g., strategies for online safety, impact of artificial intelligence, digital forensics or ancestry.com. To facilitate students from many majors to learn about important issues related to the internet, eight faculty from a variety of disciplines at the University of New Haven integrated the theme of Cyber World into our team-taught, first-year …

Eml Indices To Assess Student Learning Through Integrated E-Learning Modules, Ronald S. Harichandran, Nadiye O. Erdil, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Cheryl Q. Li, Aadityasinh Rana

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

The University of New Haven has facilitated the development and integration of e-learning modules on entrepreneurial topics into regular engineering and computer science courses. In addition to faculty at the University of New Haven, over three years 77 faculty at 53 other universities in the US have also integrated these modules into their courses. Starting in fall 2017, rubrics were developed so that student work related to topics covered in the modules could be assessed directly by instructors. Topics covered by each module were also mapped to learning outcomes published in the KEEN Framework [1]. An Entrepreneurial Minded Learning (EML) …

Assessing The Growth In Entrepreneurial Mind-Set Acquired Through Curricular And Extra-Curricular Components, Cheryl Q. Li, Ronald S. Harichandran, Nadiye O. Erdil, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Jean Nocito-Gobel

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In an effort to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in our engineering students, the University of New Haven has adopted both curricular and extra-curricular approaches. The curricular components include: 1. Several e-Learning modules covering specific entrepreneurial concepts integrated into the regular engineering and computer science curricula. Available online, each module contains readings, short videos, and self-assessment exercises. Students complete these self-paced modules outside of the classroom over a two-week period. Instructors normally engage students on the content of the module through online or in-class discussions and in-class contextual activities. 2. An elective course on business principles and entrepreneurship that incorporates four …

Assessing An Online Engineering Ethics Module From Experiential Learning Perspective, Gokhan Egilmez, Philip Viscomi, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Today, engineers play a crucial role in the direction of technology, research, social wellbeing, and economic growth, thus the lives of people. An engineer’s professional responsibility for complying with ethical standards and conduct is essential to the needs and requirements of individuals, organizations, and the society. Educating the future engineering workforce and establishing effective and timely policies that ensure engineering professional’s compliance with requirements are two important pillars of sustaining the ethical knowledge and practice in engineering profession. In this study, the researchers focused on investigating the learning effectiveness of an online ethics module developed for and implemented in a …

An Exploratory Study Of Engineering Students’ Misconceptions About Technical Communication, Cheryl Q. Li, Judy Randi, Jenna Sheffield

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper reports results of a mixed methods study that examined engineering students’ acquisition of technical communication skills over time. In particular, this exploratory study aimed to identify persistent errors, lingering misconceptions, and challenges engineering students faced when they attempted to apply their knowledge and skills in new contexts. The 12 participants were drawn from engineering courses in which students were required to compose technical memoranda in response to requests for information from supervisors or clients. This integrated approach addresses content and communication in the same course. The study included a longitudinal analysis of four technical memoranda written across two …

Motivating Students For Learning Using Scaffolding And A Variety Of Assignments, Nadiye O. Erdil

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the impacts of various course assignments and activities that were used to increase student motivation and learning. The courses selected for the study are Quality Analysis and Design of Experiments courses, which are offered as required courses in the industrial engineering graduate program at the University of New Haven. The assignments and activities include term project, term paper, homework, in-class exercises, quizzes, exams, library training and factory visit. In an earlier pilot study in the Quality Analysis course, scaffolding -an instructional strategy that enables students to build on prior experience and knowledge as they work towards mastering …

Quality Function Deployment: More Than A Design Tool, Nadiye O. Erdil, Omid M. Arani

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Purpose – This study investigates to what extent QFD can be used in quality improvement rather than design activities.

Design/methodology/approach – A framework was developed for implementation of QFD as a quality improvement tool. A case study approach is used to test this framework, and quality issues were analyzed using the framework in a ceramic tile manufacturing company.

Findings – The results showed considerable improvements in the critical quality characteristics identified and sales rates, demonstrating the potential of QFD to be used in assessing and prioritizing areas of improvement, and converting them into measurable process or product requirements. Research limitations/implications …

A Project-Based Learning Approach In Teaching Simulation To Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Gokhan Egilmez, Dusan Sormaz, Ridvan Gedik

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In this study, application of experiential learning into graduate and undergraduate curricula of a industrial system simulation course is presented. Simulation has been among the courses against which students feel uncomfortable or frightened due to heavy software use, prerequisite of probability, and statistics knowledge, and its application requirements. To minimize this fear and improve student’s understanding about the subject matters and have them develop ample skills to build complex models, a project-based learning approach is proposed and used in undergraduate and graduate teaching settings. To achieve the project-based learning goals, a 15-week curriculum is designed to have a balanced lecture …

Integrated E-Learning Modules For Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset: Direct Assessment Of Student Learning, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Ronald S. Harichandran, Nadiye O. Erdil, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Cheryl Q. Li

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In an effort to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in all our engineering and computer science students, the University of New Haven is embedding entrepreneurial concepts throughout the 4-year curricula in their majors. This is done with the use of several short e-learning modules developed by content experts. The modules are integrated into engineering and computer science courses by faculty who reinforce concepts through a related activity, project, or assignment. The e-learning modules, available online through course management systems, are self-paced and targeted at conceptual learning of 18 specific entrepreneurial topics. Using a flipped-classroom instructional model, students complete the modules outside …

A Pilot Program In Internet-Of-Things With University And Industry Collaboration: Introduction And Lessons Learned, Mohsen Sarraf, Bijan Karimi, Ali Golbazi

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Internet-of-Things (IoT) is one of the most prominent technological eco-systems and an engine of growth with an estimated market size of $14 Trillion to $33 Trillion by 2025 (McKinsey Global Institute). The IoT eco-system uses well-established technologies in many fields; and it adds new and often challenging requirements on extant techniques. For example, many wireless schemes are or being redesigned to address battery life and cost of solution issues. At the same time, the industry needs to hire and retrain many technical personnel to address these issues and support this newly evolving eco-system in many different markets. These facts culminate …

A Gamification Approach For Experiential Education Of Inventory Control, Gokhan Egilmez, Ridvan Gedik

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In this educational research project, game-based in-class and after-class learning activities are developed to teach selected inventory control strategies to undergraduate and graduate students. Students from Supply Chain Management and System Simulation courses are targeted, who are taught by different instructors. The activities include teaching the inventory control policies to students in a regular class setting, then providing an overview on a game developed on MS Excel. In the game, the lead time and customer demand variables are defined uncertain, and not given to students, which make the assignment an ill-structured problem. A 12-month planning and execution period is given …

Investigating The Entrepreneurial Mindset Of Engineering And Computer Science Students, Cheryl Q. Li, Ronald S. Harichandran, Nadiye O. Erdil, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In recent years, numerous engineering programs around the country have introduced curricular revisions and co-curricular activities to develop entrepreneurial skills in students. The primary motivation of these efforts is to graduate engineering students who can rapidly contribute to the economic growth of the nation through entrepreneurship and innovation. A precursor to launching startups or creating new products or services is the development of an entrepreneurial mindset. Efforts focused on developing an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students through curricular and co-curricular activities are emerging from the many partner institutions of the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN). As these efforts strengthen, approaches …

Impact Of Integrated E-Learning Modules In Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset Based On Deployment At 25 Institutions, Nadiye O. Erdil, Ronald S. Harichandran, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Cheryl Q. Li, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In this paper, we describe an innovative curricular model employed at the University of New Haven to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students. The entrepreneurial mindset in this model is characterized by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN)’s 3C’s, which are curiosity, connections and creating value. The core of the model is the integration of short, self-paced, e-learning modules into courses spanning all four years of all engineering and computer science programs. A flipped classroom instructional model is used to integrate the modules into courses. We are in the third year of implementation on campus, and following a pilot …

Influencing Student Motivation Through Scaffolded Assignments In A Quality Analysis Course And Its Impact On Learning, Nadiye O. Erdil

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the impact of various class assignments and activities that build upon each other with the aim of increasing student motivation and student learning in a Quality Analysis course. Scaffolding is an instructional strategy that aims to reduce the amount of cognitive effort that students have to make to learn the materials by breaking down the material into more manageable components. In this study, critical thinking scaffolding is applied in the quality analysis course by structuring several elements to lead students to an assignment that is more complex. At the end of the semester, the impact assessment of …

Establishment Of Innovative Shared Departments To Advance Interdisciplinary Education, Ronald S. Harichandran, Brian Kench, Summer Mcgee, Michael A. Collura, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Charles David Skipton

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

More and more universities are pursuing interdisciplinary academic activities that span across department and college boundaries. Administrative structures to facilitate such programs are difficult to establish within traditional university frameworks consisting of disciplinary departments and colleges. Often interdisciplinary programs are housed in a traditional disciplinary department or college, or in a standalone center reporting to a college dean or the provost. The difficulty of these structures is obtaining broad buy-in from faculty across departments and having disciplinary degree programs include interdisciplinary coursework.

To overcome the difficulties described above, an innovative shared department structure that fosters collaborations to advance interdisciplinary education …

A Three-Year Study Of Adult Undergraduate Engineering Students, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Shannon Ciston, Tressa Kay Mikel, Aida Marie Morales, Sanya Sehgal, Melissa L. Whitson

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Adult learners belong to a large group of individuals for whom lifelong learning is both a desire and a necessity and for whom career changes are or will be the norm. This topic is not exclusive to engineering, but impacts many STEM professionals. Adult learners also include those who may have significant family responsibilities, medical issues, work obligations, returning veterans/active service military people, or those who lack financial resources to commit to fulltime studies. While online education opportunities may fill some of the gaps, acquiring an identity as a professional in a field or discipline grows with personal connections. The …

What Does It Mean To Be An Engineer? A Comparison Of Adult Students At Three Institutions, Tressa Kay Mikel, Pedro Sh Kim, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Shannon Ciston

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Our work is motivated by the need to cultivate a diverse group of talented future engineers. Adult undergraduate students over the age of 25 are an important source of engineers, with life experience that can enhance student experience, but not much is understood yet about this specific group. Adult students face challenges specific to their demographic due to responsibilities in other aspects of their life as employees, parents, spouses, and more. This paper examines adult engineering students’ conceptions of what an engineer is, across three distinct academic environments: a community college, a small private undergraduate university, and a large public …

Integrating E-Learning Modules Into Engineering Courses To Develop An Entrepreneurial Mindset In Students, Nadiye O. Erdil, Ronald S. Harichandran, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Cheryl Q. Li

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Engineering graduates who will be leaders in today’s rapidly changing environment must possess an entrepreneurial mindset and a variety of professional skills in addition to technical knowledge and skills. An entrepreneurial mindset applies to all aspects of life, beginning with curiosity about our changing world, integrating information from various resources to gain insight, and identifying unexpected opportunities to create value. The Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) defines curiosity, connections and creating value as three core components of an entrepreneurial mindset. These 3Cs coupled with associated engineering skills forms KEEN’s entrepreneurial mindset framework. An entrepreneurial mindset enables engineers to develop sound …

The Peer Collaborative: Supporting Engineering Education Research Faculty With Near-Peer Mentoring Unconference Workshops, Alice L. Pawley, Adam R. Carberry, Monica E. Cardella, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, Shanna R. Daly, Jenna L. Gorlewicz, Geoffrey L. Herman, Morgan M. Hynes, Shawn S. Jordan, Nadia N. Kellam, Micah Lande, Matthew A. Verleger, Dazhi Yang

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

The PEER Collaborative National Network is a national peer mentoring network for early career tenure-track or mid-career tenured faculty who conduct and are primarily evaluated based on their research related to engineering education. This paper discusses the development, logistics, and outcomes of two PEER workshops built around a community of practice framework. Data from internal and external evaluations are presented to provide insights into aspects that worked well and aspects that need further development. Additionally, by reflecting on the workshops, participants crafted vignettes describing the impact the PEER workshops had on their personal and professional lives. The paper concludes with …

An Integrated Approach To Developing Technical Communication Skills In Engineering Students, Ronald S. Harichandran, David J. Adams, Michael Collura, Nadiye O. Erdil, David Harding, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Amy Thompson

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

The Project to Integrate Technical Communication Habits (PITCH) is being implemented across seven engineering and computer science undergraduate programs. The overarching goal of PITCH is to develop written, oral and visual communication skills and professional habits in engineering students. PITCH activities begin in the very first semester and are reinforced and extended through all four years of each program. Senior design becomes the culminating experience in which students demonstrate the skills and habits acquired through PITCH courses. Student outcomes for the project were established based on an extensive survey of employers, alumni and faculty. Communication instruments include technical memoranda, poster …

A Model For Coordination And Management Of Resources For Multiple Sections Of An Active Learning Style Freshman Course, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Amy Thompson, Carl Barratt, Michael Collura

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract.

Much research in recent years has verified that an active learning style approach to freshman engineering design courses adds value to undergraduate engineering programs and improves retention rates. Many universities have established First Year Programs to coordinate the activities and classes for first year students. However, not all universities have the funds to establish programs separate from disciplinary programs. How can faculty that are not assigned to a First Year Program efficiently manage multiple sections of a hands-on course with limited resources? …

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How Accurate Is Students’ Self Assessment Of Computer Skills?, Michael A. Collura, Samuel Bogan Daniels

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

Self-evaluation by students is commonly used as a key element in program and course assessment plans. Such instruments are intended to provide crucial feedback for program improvement and thus play a significant role in closing our assessment loop. For many of the program outcomes, self-assessment by current students and graduates augments other, more objective measures. However, for some outcomes there are no practical means of obtaining objective assessment and we must rely on self-assessment. The heavy reliance on this metric begs the question “How accurate is student self-assessment?” This paper provides data from a second-semester engineering course in which students …

The Current Generation Of Integrated Engineering Curriculum, Michael A. Collura, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Jean Nocito-Gobel, David Harding

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In September of 2004 our university adopted the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral Curriculum as the basis for disciplinary engineering programs in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and General Engineering. The curriculum includes a sequence of first and second year engineering courses, matched closely with the development of students’ mathematical sophistication and analytical capabilities and integrated with course work in the sciences. Students develop a conceptual understanding of engineering basics in this series of courses which stress practical applications of these principles. The new curriculum was designed to provide students with a multidisciplinary perspective while developing basic engineering skills and fostering an …

Civil And Mechanical Engineering Students Learning Mechanics In A Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Gregory Broderick, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Michael Collura, Richard Stanley

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes how mechanical and civil engineering students are introduced to and develop an understanding of mechanics concepts through a sequence of integrated courses as part of a new curriculum taken during the freshman and sophomore years. The Multi- Disciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral is a four-semester sequence of engineering courses, matched closely with the development of students’ mathematical sophistication and analytical capabilities and integrated with course work in the sciences. Students develop a conceptual understanding of engineering basics in this series of courses, which stress practical applications of these principles. Mechanics concepts are introduced in a pair of first …

Project-Based Introduction To Engineering - A University Core Course, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Bouzid Aliane, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Michael Collura

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes a first year engineering course that is taken by both engineering and non-engineering students. The project-based Introduction to Engineering course, EAS107P, fulfills a university core curriculum elective. Although engineering students take the course during their first year, students from other majors typically elect to take the course later in their curriculum. The focus of EAS107P is to have students experience the engineering design and problem solving process in a multi-disciplinary, team-based setting. In addition to learning about design, students develop an interest in the engineering profession and build a foundation of skills for future work. An additional …

Development Of A Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Bouzid Aliane, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Michael Collura

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

To operate effectively in today’s workforce engineers need to have a muti-disciplinary perspective along with substantial disciplinary depth. This broad perspective cannot be achieved by merely taking 2 or 3 engineering courses outside of the major, but rather will require a radical change in the way we educate engineers. The faculty of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of New Haven have developed a new approach: the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral. This curricular model provides the needed mix of breadth and depth, along with the desired professional skills, by providing carefully crafted, well-coordinated curricular experiences in …

Project-Based Introduction To Engineering -- Course Assessment, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Michael Collura, Bouzid Aliane, Jean Nocito-Gobel

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

The School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of New Haven has a newly developed project-based Introduction to Engineering course. This new course plays a central role in the new Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral curriculum as the first semester course for all engineering freshmen. An assessment process was developed to determine the effectiveness of this project-based course, specifically with attention towards assessing attitudes, impact on retention, problem-solving and engineering foundation topics. This paper addresses the particular portion of the assessment process for the individual course projects and their contribution to the last two assessment categories.

Project Planning & Development For Engineering Freshmen, Bouzid Aliane, Michael Collura, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Jean Nocito-Gobel

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

The nature and background of students seeking an engineering education has changed drastically in the last decade, as has the expectations of industrial employers. Many students lack the organizational skills needed for academic success. Similar organizational skills, although more advanced, are required for managing engineering projects. A new course was developed by the faculty at the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of New Haven. Through this course, a key component of the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral, seeks to promote higher retention rates, increase student motivation and begin a confidence-building transition to professional practice. Project management concepts …