14 research outputs found
Evolution of a Bridge Builder Outreach Activity
Many engineering outreach programs use building a bridge as a hands-on activity for multiple grade levels and audiences. South Dakota State University has used a bridge building activity, with slight modifications for grade level and time allowed, for over 10 years in outreach at schools and campus workshops. In recent years, it has been noted that the same level of students attending these outreach events are either performing the same or a similar activity at their school or another event outside of our outreach program which has adversely affected using this activity to stimulate interest in engineering. In the last two years, modifications have been made to create a bridge builder challenge that incorporates measurement, experimentation, simulation, design, and redesign for middle and high school students. Incorporation of design standards and performance as well as economic efficiency has been the key to linking science principles to engineering principles. Details of the activity and its implementation are discussed
The PEEC Experiment: Native Hawaiian and Native American Engineering Education
PART I: Context 1. Engineering for Native nations: Origins and goals of the Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives (PEECs)PART II: Culture matters 2. Recognizing history: Indigeneity matters 3. Moving beyond cultural sensitivity: Developing culturally responsive programs for and with Native engineers 4. Invoking cultural relevance at tribal colleges: Grandmother’s way is important5. Discovering what works: STEM pedagogy and curriculum development for Native Americans6. Exploring indigenous science and engineering: Projects with indigenous rootsPART III: Providing support for Natives in Engineering7. Finding an Engineering identity: A Native American PEEC leader’s experience8. Outreaching to K-12 and tribal schools in PEEC9. Establishing who leads: Hawaiian-serving community colleges or tribal colleges as leaders10. Discovering how and how well Native-Hawaiian community colleges work with a mainstream university in Hawai‘i11. Assembling interconnected networks for advancement in engineering: Champions and community12. Increasing enrollment and graduation through teaching and learning strategies: Experiential learningPART IV: Transforming institutional politics13. Transforming through institutionalization and replicability of PEEC14. Obtaining permission to work on reservations: About IRB/RRB regulations15. Involving STEM teachers with tribal faculty in PEEC: Joining forces to serve undergraduatesPART V: Learning from experience16. Joining forces with unexpected PEEC-enhancing projects along the way: Unforeseen alliances in South Dakota 17. Promoting Native women: An underutilized resource 18. Succeeding with students: PEEC student stories19. Measuring outcomes20. Implementing through low-cost solutions21. Useful references22. Contributors23. Epiloguehttps://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cvlee_book/1000/thumbnail.jp
How to Resolve Channel Travel Time Errors in the TR-55 Worksheet Using Arc Hydro Tools, HEC-GeoHMS and HEC-HMS
This tutorial is an illustration of a stepwise procedure for resolving errors in calculated channel travel times that occur when processing watershed parameters in HEC-GeoHMS. Channel travel time errors occur when a GIS-defined channel slope value during preprocessing of the Digital Elevation Data (DEM) is zero or negative (Adalikwu, 2021). The tutorial is intended to assist a relatively experienced ArcMap user resolve channel travel time errors that are documented in the TR55 Worksheet. Particularly, this tutorial is useful if the Muskingum method is selected by the watershed modeler as the river routing method. The K parameter value in the Muskingum routing method is the channel travel time (Song, Kong, & Zhu, 2011). This value can be obtained from the TR55 Worksheet under the channel flow characteristics. According to the TR55 methodology, a watershed’s time of concentration is a hydrologic parameter estimated as the sum of travel times for channel flow, concentrated shallow flow and sheet flow (Fleming & Doan, 2013; McCuen & Okunola, 2002). Therefore, errors in channel travel times will result in incorrect computed time of concentration. The step-by-step approach in this tutorial begins with the preprocessing of GIS data in HEC-GeoHMS up until when channel errors are encountered and how the errors are resolved
Increasing Diversity in Engineering: Capacity Building Matters
In an effort to prepare more Native American engineers, counting the numbers who complete the educational task is important. More often overlooked, however, is that capacity building is another key measure of success, since reaching critical mass to obtain the numbers may take considerable time. In this paper, the co-authors are both the researchers and the research subjects. We are four engineers and scientists with advanced degrees with key roles in a multi-year collaborative pre-engineering education initiative between a tribal college and two mainline universities. From our perspectives at one of those two mainline universities, we each wrote an essay reflecting on pre-determined questions. We briefly present our qualifications and then assess capacity building related to the summer camp experiential learning aspect of the initiative. We qualitatively analyze the essays and present persistent themes, along with consensus and divergent opinions. Five common themes dominated the essays including the importance of: using experiential learning pedagogy, building lasting relationships, networking, including cross-disciplinary connectivity, and taking advantage of positive but unintended consequences. We provide a recommended bibliography for faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate student interns to provide a shared base of knowledge to improve collaborative cohesion
Watershed Modeling Using Arc Hydro Tools. Geo HMS, and HEC-HMS
A White Paper presented to Oglala Lakota College for use in pre-engineering class exercises. This paper is meant to be used as a supplemental aid to the tutorials and user’s manuals stated in the references. It is assumed that the user has basic knowledge of ArcGIS 10.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a real world example of how to develop and analyze a watershed. The watershed examined was the Upper White River Sub-basin Watershed which was recreated digitally with the aid of computer software and spatial data. Data links for needed files are provided throughout the paper. Computer software utilized was ArcGIS 10 (C ESRI, 2014), and HEC-HMS 4.0 (U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2013a) (Hydrologic Engineering Center – Hydrologic Modelling System). Screen shots of the Upper White River Sub-basin Watershed results are provide along with deviation of steps from referenced tutorials and user manuals
Forging Partnerships, Experiential Learning, and Community Impact: Capacity Building Matters
Capacity building can be an important step in working to help more Native American engineering students to earn degrees. Funding agencies often look first at numbers of students who succeed at matriculation. We make the case that a broader view of success in the early years of program development with tribal college pre-engineering partner schools may include capacity building. If continued funding of such initiatives is withheld because of quantitative assessment alone, coalitions with tribal colleges may not reach their true potential because capacity building is often crucial, and it takes time. In this paper, one co-author interviewed the other three co-authors, using a predetermined questionnaire. Thus, while all the authors are the researchers, three of the co-authors are the research subjects. All are PhD engineers and scientists. In the resulting essays, the interviewees expressed their opinions about capacity building in their roles in an NSF-sponsored pre-engineering alliance between two mainline universities and a tribally controlled college. Those interviewed describe their unique qualifications to assess capacity building in this instance. From the perspective of one of the mainline universities in the alliance, they address categories of capacity building at the following levels: the tribal college; the two participating mainline universities; the reservation hosting the summer camp; student and faculty participants; tribal, State, and Federal agencies; and STEM disciplines in general. We present common themes in all three essays that reportedly encouraged capacity building, including: (1) coalition-building, (2) engaging in experiential learning, and (3) emphasizing improving the quality of life on Pine Ridge Reservation. We present secondary themes and non-consensus opinions as additional support for the merits of qualitative assessment
STEaM Girls Activities: Flandreau Indian School, Flandreau, SD, 2016
This booklet includes tribally relevant, fun activities designed to increase interest in STEM studies and careers, particularly among Native American girls and women in South Dakota and the northern Great Plains. It is suitable for anyone to use in homes and schools, although adult supervision is recommended
Building Trust, Experiential Learning, and the Importance of Sovereignty: Capacity Building in Pre-Engineering Education - a Tribal College Perspective
At tribal colleges and mainstream universities, program success is often identified solely with matriculation and graduation rates. However, particularly for new STEM programs, capacity building is another key measure of success. In this paper, three of the co-authors, who are faculty members at a tribally-controlled college and participants in a multi-year collaborative pre-engineering education initiative between a tribal college and two mainstream universities, provide their perspectives on capacity building in summer camp activities within the alliance. The three each wrote essays reflecting on capacity building, guided by pre-determined questions written by the fourth author. Through qualitative analysis, we present common themes, divergent opinions, and quotations extracted from the essays from their unique perspective as faculty at a tribally-controlled college. We emphasize impacts among the partnering schools, faculty, students, and communities where the summer camp activities took place. Three common themes dominated the essays including the importance of (1) building trust within the reservation community, (2) recognizing the effectiveness of experiential and project-based service-learning approaches, and (3) encouraging tribally-controlled colleges to take a lead role in determining research and educational foci