Showing papers in "Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research in 2002"

The Urgency of Engineering Education Reform

Abstract: There are academies of science and academies of engineering all around the world. Except for in the former Soviet Union, they share two properties. First: they are not part of their government, but are private corporations. Second: they are honorific entities, that is, it is considered a great honor to be elected to one of these academies. You cannot join the Royal Society in London; you have to be elected by the existing membership. It is considered a very high honor, and recognition of a lifetime of contributions to science or engineering.

Dissemination of Innovations from an Educational Research Project through Focused Workshops

Abstract: During 1996, the Laboratory for Innovative Technology and Engineering Education (LITEE) was created at Auburn University. The mission of the laboratory is to develop and disseminate innovative instructional materials that bring real-world issues into classrooms, using multimedia information technologies and crossdisciplinary teams. We have developed seven multimedia case studies in partnership with industries in the region to bring real-world engineering problems into classrooms. The case studies illustrate in detail how an industrial problem is analyzed and a solution found. The format chosen by us enables the students to experience a real problem, develop a solution, and then compare their proposed solution with what was actually done. These innovative educational materials have received several awards, including the Thomas C. Evans, Jr., Instructional Unit Award from the ASEE Southeastern Section, the Premier Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware awarded by NEEDS, and the ASME Curriculum Innovation Award. In order to disseminate these materials to other faculty, we initially utilized conventional methods such as presentations at conferences, publications in journals, and marketing the materials through a traditional publisher. However, we found that these methods were not reaching engineering educators. This realization seems to corroborate the analysis reported in the NSF Report on the Evaluation of the Instructional Materials Development (IMD) Program. This report states that large publishers and professors tend to shy away from reform-oriented instructional materials because they are new and controversial and that a major barrier faced by the developers is the perceived absence of a market for reform-oriented materials. We then developed a focused workshop, with the pilot session held during May 2000, with the assistance of sponsorship from the National Science Foundation to provide faculty with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience using our multimedia case studies. This workshop was very successful, and the evaluation results encouraged us to offer additional workshops during 2001 and 2002. The feedback and evaluations from these workshops have been extremely positive, and we have now formed partnerships with faculty members in several universities in order to disseminate these educational materials. The participants enjoyed the program, facilities, and energy and excitement of workshop members; and they felt that the workshops were unique and important in disseminating the type of innovative instructional materials that can bring real-world issues into classrooms. We conclude that focused workshops are an excellent means of disseminating innovative educational materials developed by faculty.

UMES-AIR: A NASA-UMES Collaborative Project to Promote Experiential Learning and Research in Multidisciplinary Teams for SMET Students

Abstract: The UMES-AIR (Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Earth Science-Airborne Imaging Research) project was partially funded by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in the fall of 1999. The project has provided a platform for involving a group of undergraduate students in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET) curricula at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in an ?out of classroom? active learning and exploratory research experience. The project involves flying an instrumented payload on a tethered blimp filled with helium to a height of up to 2500 feet. The payload includes monochrome and color cameras attached with different band-pass filters, transmitters, and the power supply for all on-board power requirements. The transmitters are used to transmit the acquired images to the ground where they are received at the ground station, displayed and recorded on a Television and Video-Cassette Recorder combined (TV-VCR Combo) unit. The scientific objectives of the project include aerial imaging in the visible and infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, land survey, study of shoreline erosion, research in agricultural land use patterns, and environmental studies pertaining to algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay. The project also has a strong focus towards educational objectives and involves more than twenty students from different SMET curricula at UMES. UMES administration has strongly supported the activity by providing space for the blimp shed and encouraging student and faculty involvement. The initial phase of the project has drawn significant student participation. The project has also received additional funding from the University System of Maryland for promoting recruitment and retention of minority and economically disadvantaged students. The first phase of the project has been a success. The blimp with the instrumented payload has been flown over the UMES Campus to a height of 500 feet. The acquired images are currently being analyzed. Subsequent launches for the blimp are scheduled to be at UMES agricultural fields and the Wallops Flight Facility of NASA.

Is Henry?s Law Constant? A Review of Its Description in Environmental Engineering Texts

Abstract: A survey of how Henry?s Law is cited in a wide range of texts suggests that there is significant variation in the presentation of the definition, breadth of theory, applications and limitations of this relationship in technical resources used by students. This is of importance because students and practitioners must be able to evaluate and apply the theory of engineering principles in order to effectively design and model environmental systems. Critical design errors may result from incomplete or inaccurate explanations of a principle in a technical resource. Most topic-specific texts provided detailed descriptions of Henry?s Law. The presentation of Henry?s Law in more general environmental engineering texts and other technical resources provided less detailed descriptions. In many cases the theory and application of Henry?s Law appear to have been oversimplified. This paper reviews the descriptions of Henry?s Law in texts and other resources to demonstrate potential effects on student learning and professional practice that may result from oversimplifications of this engineering principle.

Undergraduate Research: A Model For Preparing Students For Graduate SMET Education

Abstract: The development and training of competitive Science,Math, Engineering, and Technology (SMET) students in the new millennium must focus on an undergraduate curriculum that can provide a strong balance of technical background, professional development, and research experience An undergraduate curriculum that is geared towards a balanced science and engineering education and research is becoming increasingly difficult to establish due to the dynamic changes in technology In this paper, we postulate that the development of successful science, math, and engineering research professionals is dependent on the influence of several variables, which include: career orientation, technical background, academic and social support, and research experience The proposed model is based on the ongoing SMET undergraduate research experience at The University of Akron The proposed model is not intended to serve as an elaborate theory, but as a general guide in training undergraduate students in SMET research

Bringing LITEE to the Classroom

Abstract: In the spring of 2002, engineering faculty from across the nation gathered at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center to focus on effective ways to prepare students for the workplace. The threeday workshop, sponsored by the Laboratory for Innovative Technology and Engineering Education (LITEE), Auburn University, and the National Science Foundation, provided participants with the opportunity to discuss ways to bring theory, design, and practice into the classroom.