Cross Disciplinary Perceptions of the Computational Thinking among Freshmen Engineering Students

In this study, we analyzed the perception of Computational Thinking among engineering students from three engineering disciplines (Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil) and correlated their performance with their discipline. The goal of this analysis is to determine whether structuring discipline-specific Computational Thinking courses can improve the retention or having a diverse group of students is more beneficial by allowing multidisciplinary interaction. This analysis was quantitatively verified by assessing the students\u27 performance in over 40 different sections of Computing for Engineers course taught from Fall 2012 to Spring 2014. Our sample consisted of 861 students (142 Civil, 484 Mechanical, and 235 Electrical). We statistically analyzed students\u27 performance in this multi-section course to conclude that the perception of Computational Thinking differs among different engineering disciplines. This indicates that structuring Computational Thinking courses for engineering students from different engineering disciplines and using diverse pedagogy approaches will ultimately help improve students’ retention

An Outcomes-Driven Approach for Assessment

In this paper, we describe an ABET-driven assessment plan that was originally developed to address some weaknesses and concerns identified by program evaluators during a previous accreditation visit. However, faculty of the Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) seized this opportunity to embark on a major program revision making use of its newly organized Industrial Advisory Board (IAB). As a result, a five-step process that consists of 1) program assessment planning, 2) data collection, 3) data analysis, 4) program review, and 5) program improvement actions was developed. During this process, the program objectives and outcomes are evaluated and revised to maintain currency and technical relevance. Using the results from step 5, a curriculum mapping worksheet (CMW) is modified and used to revise the course-level assessment and evaluation plan. The CMW is a matrix mapping each course in the EET curriculum to appropriate program outcomes and identifies assessment tools used to measure the success of each outcome. Moreover, the CMW provides a mechanism for correlating program- level outcomes with course-level outcomes using effective assessment tools to measure student performance. Based on the results of the assessment tools, continuous improvement actions at the course level and program level are identified and used to revise the program assessment and evaluation plan which may also provide useful information to other institutions seeking ABET accreditation

A Viability Study of Photovoltaic Systems

Concerns over climate change and other environmental problems highlight a need for a shift toclean and renewable energy. The main objective of this study is to investigate the viability ofphotovoltaic electricity in the southeastern region of the United States. To achieve this goal, twocase studies were conducted involving a large retail store and a recreation center. Historical datarelated to weather conditions, solar energy and power demand were investigated and as a resultgrid-connected photovoltaic systems were designed to provide green energy for these facilities.Several engineering factors that went into the design process as well as economic andenvironmental considerations were thoroughly discussed in this paper. The engineering analysisdeals with factors such as solar radiation, shade evaluations, array orientation, module stringsizing, and estimating energy production. Although a PV system does not emit any pollutionduring operation, manufacturing its various components involve a substantial amount of energy.Thus, the environmental study presented here takes into consideration the energy payback periodin addition to the pollution offsets of the PV system. The economic analysis utilizes capitalbudgeting techniques to determine the net present value and internal rate of return based onestimated cash flows over the expected lifetime of the PV system. Furthermore, the marketanalysis takes into consideration the various assumptions related to the cost and performance ofPV systems such as inverter lifespan, future inverter cost, and module degradation. Theseassumptions, along with the expected trend in the electricity price market, were incorporated intothe cash flow estimates

Adaptive Teaching: An Effective Approach for Learner-Centric Classrooms

Adaptive Teaching: An Effective Approach for Learner-Centered Classrooms ABSTRACTWith the recent focus on student achievement, teachers are striving to improve the quality oftheir instruction methods to achieve a learner-centered environment in their classrooms. Thedifference in the students’ level of achievement in any specific course is mainly due to thedifference in the students’ aptitude for learning “Learning Style”. Unfortunately, the statictraditional teaching style “Chalk-&-Talk” which is still being used in engineering schools doesnot adapt to the changes in the cognitive profile of the student cohorts which reflects negativelyon the students’ achievement and performance, especially in engineering.In this paper, we discuss our approach on how to achieve adaptive teaching which leads to amore efficient learner-centered environment. Based on the Felder and Silverman index oflearning styles, there are four dimensions for the aptitude for learning which are active/reflectivelearners, sensing/intuitive learners, visual/verbal learners, and sequential/global learners. Thedifferent conglomeration of these dimensions for the students in any cohort form a specificcognitive profile. We used the Felder and Silverman index of learning styles survey to determinethe dominant learning styles within a cohort of students. Knowing the students’ cognitive profilehelped us adapt our teaching styles to achieve an optimal learner-centered classroom. We mainlyfocused on activities that would engage the majority of the students, to help facilitate the learningprocess and consequently, improve the students’ achievement. The effectiveness of this approachwas qualitatively and quantitatively verified by assessing the students’ performance usingtraditional teaching activities and activities tailored towards the students’ learning styles

Can Computational Thinking Predict Academic Performance?

This research introduces the notion of predicting academic performance using Computational Thinking. The integral role that Computational Thinking modalities play in engineering disciplines can serve as an accurate indicator of the student future academic success. Therefore, this study investigated the students’ performance in a Computational Thinking course offered at the freshman-level to predict the student future academic success. To achieve this goal, a two-year study of the correlation between accumulative grade point averages and Computational Thinking course grades was conducted. The performance of 982 students was assessed over the two-year period. It was concluded that the students’ academic performance is strongly correlated to their Computational Thinking skills assessed at the freshman-level. This proves the viability of using Computational Thinking skills as a predictor of students’ academic success which can be used as an early intervention method to improve the students’ retention, progression, and graduation rates in STEM related disciplines

A Novel Peer-assisted Hybrid Flipped Classroom Model Using Online Discussion

A Unique Hybrid Flipped Classroom Model with an Online Discussion ComponentThe effectiveness of active learning pedagogy and the huge technological advancements in thearea of educational technology were the key factors that made classroom flipping possible.Flipping a classroom has the effect of altering the dynamics of the learning process by switchingthe role of the student from a passive to an active role. Under this model, the student is giveninstructions to watch a set of short online videos about the topics being taught which is usuallydone outside the classroom. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the learningprocess has occurred, therefore, the role of the instructor in this model will also change from aleader to a facilitator. Classroom flipping has the advantage of not limiting the learning processwithin the classroom, allowing students to learn at their own pace and freeing up lecture time todo more active learning activities such as discussion, collaboration, and problem solving.However, replacing lecture time with online videos watching would eliminate the interactivelearning environment that existed within the traditional classroom settings. This interactivelearning environment is known to help tailor the direction of the lecture based on the studentsinput.In this paper, a unique flipped classroom model using a hybrid between the traditional, flipped,and online classrooms is presented. In this model, the instructor prepared a detailed set of lecturenotes which were especially written for the course. These lecture notes were designed to be usedby the students at the same time as they were watching the online videos to help prepare for theirlectures. Furthermore, students were asked to post their questions online in a discussion group totrigger interactions among the students and the instructor outside the classroom. Based on thestudents’ questions and answers, the instructor prepared a 15-minutes lecture review to addressthe students concerns and clarify the content. After the brief lecture review, the class was turnedinto a studio where students put into practice what they have learned from the lectures inside andoutside the classroom. An online quiz is administered towards the end of the lecture to monitorthe students\u27 level of preparation and understanding of the topics discussed. As a result of thisclassroom model, it is shown that this proposed model 1) helped increase the pace of learning, 2)improved the quality of questions addressed in the classroom, 3) allowed for more creative ideasand discussions, and finally, 4) increased the students overall understandings and improvedtheir performance. To validate these findings, a quantitative and a qualitative analysis wereconducted. The effectiveness of this model was verified quantitatively by assessing the students’performance without and with the implementation of this model in pre and post exams.Assessment results revealed that students subject to this study were able to improve their gradesand score higher on a major exam than they were previously able to achieve without this model.All the instructional tools developed and incorporated into the course lectures were alsopresented and discussed

Continuous Improvement in the Assessment Process of Engineering Programs

In this paper, we present a multifaceted assessment process that was developed for our Electrical Engineering (EE) program at Georgia Southern University to meet the ABET criteria dealing with the student learning outcomes (SLOs). Both direct and indirect measures were used to collect and analyze data to assess the attainments of the student learning outcomes. To ensure data integrity, multiple faculty were involved in the development of a set of rubrics with benchmarks and performance indicators at both the program and curriculum levels. These tools provided action plans for this continuous improvement process to be implemented during the academic year. We also describe the mechanism used for assessing student performance at the curriculum level including the use of a course-level outcomes (CLO) form, a continuous improvement efforts (CIE) form, and a student course evaluation (SCE) form. These standardized forms are usually completed by faculty and submitted to the assessment committee for evaluation at the end of the semester. This feedback helped faculty to modify and/or develop new instructional methods to be incorporated into their courses, thus resulting in a more efficient assessment and continuous improvement process

Enhancing Electrical Engineering Technology Capstone Experience

The College of Science and Technology (COST) at our university (XXX) offers degrees in Mechanical (MET), Civil (CET) and Electrical Engineering Technology (EET). All the Engineering Technology programs are ABET accredited and have been successful in achieving the TAC2000 outcomes. In particular, our Senior Design capstone course (TEET4010/ 4020) is a comprehensive three-credit, two-semester engineering design course, that all engineering majors are required to take as their capstone experience. We view this course as a very important component in the preparation of a trained EET professional. The course emphasizes both hard and soft skills and serves as an emulation of a real world engineering project. We use both, projects proposed by the faculty and projects contributed from local industry and we partner the teams of student with faculty and industry mentors. As a result of their participation in this course, students are subjected to a real world engineering project development experience for the first time. By participating in real engineering projects, students learn to deal with unplanned events such as: missed deadlines, working in team environment and dealing with difficult team members, even dealing with different industry or faculty mentors. From their participation in the course and the project students get a very valuable learning experience. In this paper, we describe the development of our industry-based projects senior design course. In the next sections we describe the role of the capstone design course in respect to ABET academic outcomes. We also present examples of the type of projects implemented and a summary and listing of future work

Google Forms: A Real-Time Formative Assessment Approach for Adaptive Learning

In this paper, we describe our approach on how to achieve an adaptive learner-centric environment by using an unconventional student feedback process that utilizes Google Forms to periodically collect information about the course instruction. Students were asked to provide their input regarding lectures\u27 clarity and content; the use of visual aids; time management; problem solving, instruction delivery; and student engagement in the classroom. Data collected from these anonymous surveys provided real-time formative feedback that helped faculty to react just in time to address issues related to student learning process. In addition to providing continuous feedback, this process has also shown to help students develop their metacognitive knowledge and therefore become more responsible towards their academic success. It also helped the instructor to understand the cognition profile of the student cohort to ultimately adapt the course content, pedagogy, and assessment to achieve an optimal learner-centric environment. The effectiveness of this approach was verified by assessing the students’ performance in pre and post exams. The pre exam was conducted to assess the students\u27 performance without the implementation of this approach while the post exam was conducted to assess the same students\u27 performance after this approach was implemented. Assessment results revealed that the students subject to this study were able to improve their grades and score higher on a major exam than they previously did without the additional benefit of the periodical feedback. Instructional methods developed and incorporated into the course lectures for continuous improvement are also presented in this pape

Enhancing The Learning Experience In A Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology Course

Rapidly changing technology advances demand the revisions of engineering and technology courses so that they continue to serve students and industry in a relevant way. In a typical engineering technology department, students from different majors are usually required to take an introductory electrical engineering course. Due to the multidisciplinary background of students, such a course has traditionally been a challenge to teach so as to make it interesting and useful to all students. Therefore innovative teaching methods have to be employed in order to accommodate different backgrounds and learning styles. In our department, a basic electrical engineering course is offered for sophomore students majoring in mechanical and electrical engineering technology. The course is usually taught in the fall and is meant to be an introductory course for EET students but also serves as a survey of electrical engineering for MET students. Because of this duality, the course has to be carefully designed, especially the laboratory component, to keep students interested and engaged throughout the semester. Topics covered include dc and ac circuits, Wheatstone bridge, electric machines, resonance circuits, RLC transient response, basic operation of electronics and digital circuits including diodes, transistors, power supplies, amplifiers, and logic gates. In this paper, we describe our experience teaching the course and how the redesign of the laboratory component has greatly enhanced the student learning experience independently of their majors of studies. Results showed that activities relating concepts to real world applications were more appealing. For instance, students enjoyed performing experiments involving the use of transducers such as strain gauges. Assessments results to meet certain accreditation criteria including direct and indirect measurements are also discussed with emphasis on the successes and lessons learned from the implementation process