A Model For Coordination And Management Of Resources For Multiple Sections Of An Active Learning Style Freshman Course

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? There are several models for teaching basic engineering concepts in electrical, mechanical, chemical, computer, civil and system engineering to freshman engineering students. One approach is faculty team-based with each faculty member teaching their specialty at some point during the course. Another approach involves the teaching of basic engineering concepts in only discipline-specific courses by faculty members whose specialties encompass that course’s concepts. Both of these traditional approaches described do not require the amount of coordination and overall support from a program coordinator because the faculty members are delivering concepts within their realm of expertise. However, in our model, where one faculty member from one of the engineering programs is teaching basic concepts from all disciplines, a coordinator is needed to ensure that the basic concepts are covered in a consistent and high- quality way. EAS107P Introduction to Engineering – Project-Based is taken by all incoming engineering freshmen first semester at the University of New Haven as part of the Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral curriculum. Throughout the course, students are introduced to basic engineering concepts through a series of hands-on projects. Student understanding is enhanced as these topics are revisited in subsequent courses taken during the second semester freshman year and through the sophomore year. This approach requires significant collaboration between faculty involved in the spiral curriculum courses in order to achieve the program’s intended results, namely, academic consistency across sections, and the need to adequately prepare students for the next tier of courses. This paper discusses our experience at the University of New Haven in addressing issues that arise when running multiple sections of a first semester freshman engineering course. Some of the management issues that occur involve scheduling time of teaching assistants, planning and purchasing materials, scheduling classrooms, recruiting and training full time faculty and adjunct faculty and planning for their schedules, and managing the dissemination of information under tight budget constraints

A Hybrid First Year Science Course For Engineering Students – Integrating Biology With Chemistry

Biology is playing an increasingly important role in many engineering fields. With the typical engineering program already having a high credit hour requirement, the question becomes, how to best integrate biology concepts into a packed engineering curriculum. A typical biology course is not likely to introduce the important concepts of biology to engineering students. The solution here is to develop a hybrid course that integrates chemistry and biology. In the course, Chemistry with Applications to Biosystems, the concept is to develop a course that integrally links important concepts of chemistry and biology. The course focuses on the areas of biology most relevant to engineers: the structure and function of biologically important molecules, and concepts of biosystems (cell proliferation, immune and nervous systems and metabolism). A special topics thread has been included to weave current events into the course. During the most recent offering the focus was on various aspects of bird flu. This is a required course for Chemical, Civil and General Engineering students and is an elective taken by a large fraction of Mechanical Engineering students as part of the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral Curriculum. The course is typically taken during the second semester in place of a second general chemistry course. The course has been structured to provide the background needed for subsequent study of organic chemistry and physical chemistry. The introduction to concepts of biology is also structured to provide the necessary foundation for incorporation of biological applications in upper level engineering courses such as mass transfer. The course includes a laboratory component incorporating experiments from biology and environmental engineering concepts with classical general chemistry. Approximately one half of the experiments are common with a typical second semester general chemistry course. The remaining experiments include protein assay, enzyme kinetics, acid base behavior of amino acids and biochemical oxygen demand. The laboratory component also places a heavy emphasis on data analysis, uncertainty analysis and applications of statistics in experimentation. This paper will detail the development and delivery of Chemistry with Applications to Biosystems. Comparative data will be presented to illustrate the performance of students in subsequent course work, particularly organic chemistry

Project Planning & Development for Engineering Freshmen

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 are integrated for application by students to project activities. Thus students develop the project and self-management skills required to successfully plan and implement selected projects within budgetary and time constraints using Microsoft Project. Projects use LabVIEW programming1 for data acquisition and control and CAD tools for technical communication of design information. Students gain proficiency in each of these areas as they are applied to a series of projects spanning the course. A novel feature of this course is the subdivision of a large highly complex project into multiple interdependent components with each team responsible for a specific component. Traditional project-based classes typically subdivide a project to minimize interaction among the teams or to limit each team to a single disciplinary perspective. This course uses the project subdivision to force a broader multidisciplinary attitude among the students. Each team must resolve the interface issues, so when assembled all components will operate together according to the specifications. Developed and taught by a multi-disciplinary team of faculty from the University of New Haven, this course provides a foundation for subsequent engineering courses with exposure to content in areas such as mechanics, electrical phenomena and programming logic. In addition the course contributes significantly to the development of time management, teamwork, and oral and written communication skills

Project-Based Introduction to Engineering -- Course Assessment

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

Development of a Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral

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 the first two years. The Multidisciplinary 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 coursework in the sciences. Students develop a conceptual understanding of engineering basics in a series of courses which stress practical applications of these principles. Topics in these courses include electrical circuits, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, material balances, properties of materials, structural mechanics and thermodynamics. Unlike the traditional approach, however, each of the foundation courses includes a mix of these topics, presented in a variety of disciplinary contexts. A solid background is developed by touching key concepts at several points along the spiral in different courses, adding depth and sophistication at each pass. Each foundation course also stresses the development of several essential skills, such as problem-solving, oral and written communication, the design process, teamwork, project management, computer analysis methods, laboratory investigation, data analysis and model development. Students go on to build substantial depth in some of the foundation areas, while other topics may not be further developed, depending on their chosen discipline. Thus the foundation courses serve both as the basis for depth in disciplinary study and as part of the broad multidisciplinary background. This paper will discuss the design and pedagogical philosophy of the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral and describe several of the novel courses in the program

Project-Based Introduction to Engineering - A University Core Course

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 expectation for engineering students is that they gain a basic understanding of engineering foundation topics, such as basic circuits, mechanics, and programming concepts. Students` understanding of these topics is enhanced as they are revisited along the “Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral”. Non-engineering students benefit by learning how to apply the engineering methodology to solving problems and by developing a greater understanding of how engineering contributes to society. Students develop skills in problem solving, teamwork and technical communication through a series of projects that showcase the primary engineering disciplines. Each project emphasizes a different step or aspect of the design process, including computer simulation, optimization, and construction of physical models. Typical projects include the design, construction and testing of bridges based on the West Point Bridge Design program; development of characteristic curves for fuel cell system; building and programming robots to maneuver through an obstacle course, and solid 3-D modeling of puzzle cubes. For each project, pre- and post-tests are used to evaluate the student’s increased understanding of concepts. This paper provides details of the project modules and summarizes our experiences to date using this active learning style. Pilot versions of this course have been offered since Fall 2002 with positive feedback

The Current Generation of Integrated Engineering Curriculum

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 understanding of basic engineering concepts. Each of the ten courses in the program were developed and are taught by faculty from several disciplines. Course materials are intended to make students keenly aware of the highly integrated nature of the current practice of engineering. It was also expected that the novel program would prove to be attractive to a broader range of students than those drawn to traditional disciplinary programs. Finally, student retention was expected to be enhanced by the new courses. Students who entered as freshmen in 2004 are currently juniors, taking courses in their disciplinary major. This study attempts to provide early data on the success of the program through the following measures: • Impact of the new curriculum on student recruiting through a survey of newly matriculated students • Impact on student retention from first to second and second to third years • Comparison of student performance in early disciplinary courses with that of students in previous years • Impact of program implementation on faculty attitude

Civil and Mechanical Engineering Students Learning Mechanics in a Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral

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 year courses, EAS107P, Project-Based Introduction to Engineering and EAS112, Methods of Engineering Analysis. During the second year, students’ understanding of these concepts is further developed in three courses, two offered during the fall semester, EAS211, Introduction to Modeling of Engineering Systems and EAS213, Materials in Engineering Systems and one during the spring semester, EAS222, Fundamentals of Mechanics and Materials. In the third semester of discipline specific classes, ME300 Rigid Body Dynamics and CE312 Structural Analysis for mechanical and civil engineering respectively, students are evaluated compared to their peers who have either transferred in from other universities or taken a previous traditional sequence of mechanics courses. The first course, EAS107P, introduces students to concepts related to structural systems and trusses, such as internal and external forces, reactions, compression and tension. This is done in the context of a team project in which students gain a qualitative understanding of these concepts using computer simulation models. In the second course EAS112, students use computer tools such as spreadsheets to solve problems including the analysis of trusses. Mechanics of materials are explored as students use spreadsheets to analyze tensile test properties. In the second year, resolution of forces is further developed in EAS211 as students use force balances to solve various statics problems. Students study the properties, behavior and application of materials in EAS213, including discussion of such concepts as torsion, compression, tension, fatigue, creep and fracture. This course focuses on the differences between materials and selection of materials for engineering applications. In EAS222, students develop an understanding of the basic principles and applications of engineering mechanics including the behavior of structures under various loads, bending and Mohr’s circle. This paper discusses how the mechanics topics are threaded through this sequence of courses and how mastery of these topics is being assessed at the disciplinary level in the junior year. Assessment of students’ understanding of mechanics topics includes the following instruments: data drawn from quiz/exam grades and/or particular question(s) on exams/quizzes related to specific concepts; and faculty observations gathered using a survey tool. Our current data evaluates the first group of students to reach the junior level in the new curriculum that was implemented during the 2004-05 academic year

Assessing the Growth in Entrepreneurial Mind-set Acquired through Curricular and Extra-curricular Components

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 e-learning modules. The elective extra-curricular components include: 1. A 24-Hour Imagination Quest event held twice a year. 2. A Startup Weekend event held once a year. 3. A 10-day immersive design experience held once a year. 4. Events at other universities that some students participate in. In order to measure the growth in students’ entrepreneurial mindset as a result of these curricular and extra-curricular components, a measurement instrument containing 37 items was developed. The survey was first administered to first-year students during the new student orientation in August 2014. An exploratory factor analysis was performed based on the data collected and a revised instrument with 50 items was developed subsequently. 25 items from the first version of the instrument were retained in the revised survey. Many of the first-year students who enrolled in fall 2014 graduated in May 2018 and the revised instrument was administered to them just before they left the university. We analyzed the responses of 25 students who took the surveys in 2014 and 2018 to the 25 items that were identical on both surveys. The results of the analysis indicate that the students generally achieved significant growth in their entrepreneurial mindset. The growth is more obvious in the areas addressed by the e-learning modules integrated into the curricula. This result is very encouraging and indicates that the curricular and extra-curricular components are effective in developing an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering and computer science students

Development of an Instrument to Measure the Entrepreneurial Mindset of Engineering Students

This work in progress describes the development of an instrument to measure entrepreneurial mindset of engineering students. The need for developing the entrepreneurial mindset of engineering students is being recognized by many universities. However, very few comprehensive, generalized and well-validated instruments are available for assessing the entrepreneurial mindset of engineering students. Most research and educational efforts focus on the design and implementation of engineering entrepreneurship programs, but assessment practices have not kept up.1-2 There are several reasons for the shortfall in assessment practices: 1) Introducing engineering students to entrepreneurship is a relatively new trend and it will take time for the successes to be quantified and assessed; 2) There are inconsistencies across different engineering entrepreneurship programs; 3) The program can involve a single course, multiple courses, projects or experiential learning; 4) The concepts can be taught by engineering faculty, business faculty, practicing engineers, or a mix of these.3 These program differences lead to variations in assessment methods and instruments. Most importantly, there is lack of a clear, consistent and comprehensive definition of engineering entrepreneurship characteristics within the community.4 The Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) states that an entrepreneurially minded engineer should possess curiosity about our changing world, habitually make connections, gaining insight from many sources of information, and focus on creating value for others.5 KEEN defines 12 secondary learning outcomes based on the primary 3C’s.5 This paper describes the development of an assessment instrument to measure the entrepreneurial mindset of engineering students based on KEEN’s definitions. An assessment instrument consisting of 37 questions was developed. Since psychological measurement theory suggests that lengthy questionnaires can lead to low response rates and distorted responses due to fatigue, the survey was designed to be reasonably concise. Students’ general entrepreneurial characteristics such as their intellectual and exploratory curiosity levels, interests and experiences in entrepreneurship, career plans, etc. are measured through 12 items. The other 25 items are designed to measure the KEEN secondary learning outcomes, with one or two questions related to each outcome. The specific approaches undertaken for item validation and data collection are described. Statistical analysis results from t-tests on different student populations, reliability analysis based on Cronbach’s α, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the assessment instrument are presented. It is expected that the outcomes of the factor analyses will result in a rigorously validated assessment instrument for the measurement of the engineering entrepreneurial mindset of students. 1. Shartrand, et al, 2008, “Assessing student learning in technology entrepreneurship”, the 38th ASEE/ISEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Oct. 2008, Saratoga Springs, NY. 2. Pittaway and Hannon, 2009, “Assessment practice in enterprise education”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, Vol. 15, No. 1, 2009, pp. 71-93. 3. Standish-Kuon and Rice, 2002, “Introducing engineering and science students to entrepreneurship: Models and influential factors at six American universities,” JEE, Vol. 91, No.1, 2002, pp. 33-39. 4. Bilen, S.G., Kisenwether, E. C., Rzasa, S. E. and Wise, J.C. “Developing and Assessing students’ entrepreneurial skills and mind-sets”, Journal of Engineering Education, April 2005, pp 233-243. 5. KEEN website: http://keennetwork.org/, last retrieved on Oct.11. 201