Brett Hamlin

A comprehensive project utilizing spatial visualization skills

It has been shown that spatial visualization skills are a critical part of engineering education. Methods to improve these skills are varied, but in general contain activities that have students attempt to visualize objects when translated or rotated from their original orientation. At Michigan Technological University, students take a two-semester engineering course sequence (ENG1101 and ENG1102) during their first year. Both courses have activities that help develop spatial visualization skills through hand sketching and 3D modeling. This paper describes two culminating spatial visualization activities that combine all the skills learned by the students in their engineering coursework. In one case, students are provided with an object that has four or more distinct parts. Students measure, sketch, dimension, and model a single component and then combine their object with their team members objects into a completed assembly in NX. A more advanced boot dryer project allows students flexibility in their final design. Students are provided with several components to the dryer, but not all. Based on their measurements and models of the given parts, they can design and model unique boot dryer systems.

Work in progress - getting off the high horse, student over confidence with computational tools

Michigan Technological University is one of the nationpsilas largest engineering schools (900+ first year students) and houses a large common first year engineering curriculum. The goal of this curriculum is to introduce many of the fundamental components of engineering. One of these goals is the use of modern computational and programming tools to solve engineering problems. This paper focuses on the studentspsila confidence with the use of computational tools. On the first day of class in the Fall of 2007, students were surveyed on their proficiency with the use of spreadsheets. Students self reported levels of proficiency from expert to no experience. Students were then asked a simple question regarding a spreadsheet cell equation. Only twenty percent of the students selected the correct answer, even though eighty percent ranked themselves as either: familiar, proficient, or expert spreadsheet users. Even more troubling is the fact that only one third of the self reported expert users selected the correct answer. A gender bias was noted, women under estimated their skills, while the opposite occurred for men. This study is significant because it lays the groundwork for creating an assessment plan to identify the preparedness of incoming students and skill at the end of the course.

More than mousetraps: data collection, modeling, and testing a scalable and affordable solution for fresbmen design projects

Michigan Technological University is one ofthe nofions hrgest engineering schools and houses a large common first yeor engineering curriculum. While many greot design projects hove been developed for thefirst yeor engineering student, many of these ore not scaleoble to the numbers found in lorger progroms (800+ students per semester) ond may lack critical design process sleps. The problem many of these lorger progroms /oce is how to provide the eoger students with a meaningful design experience tho! incorporates dolo collection, anolysis, computer modeling, and prototype development. This poper shares on affordable, scalable solution that guides students through, ond not oround, the design process. It does this by incorporating the oftenaver-assigned bur underanolyzed Victor mousetrap. Modeling process, recommended project deliverables. skills ossessment and logistics ore also presented.

Work in progress: Who answered first? — A trivia game utilizing timed electronic classroom response systems

Currently, classroom response systems (CRS) are being integrated into an increasing number of university courses. One of the least pursued usages of CRS is the ability to capture speed of student responses. Many of these systems produce a dynamic comma-separated value (CSV) file that presents all of this information in a database that can then be tapped for various uses. The system described in this paper combines the i>Clicker CRS, Mathworks MATLAB, and Microsoft PowerPoint to create an interactive trivia game for use in the classroom. The current implementation is used as an exam review in two first-year fundamentals of engineering courses at the university level.

Work in progress — What are you thinking? Over confidence in first year students

Michigan Technological University is one of the nations largest engineering schools (900+ first year students) and houses a large common first year engineering curriculum. The purpose of this curriculum is to introduce many of the fundamental components of engineering. One of these components is the use of modern computational and programming tools to solve engineering problems. This paper continues a long-term study that began in 2007 and focuses on student confidence with the use of computational tools. On the first day of class, students were surveyed on their proficiency with the use of spreadsheets. Students self reported levels of proficiency from expert to no experience. Students were then asked a simple question regarding a spreadsheet cell equation. Over three years only 16% of the students were correct, while 90% self ranked as familiar or better. A gender bias was noted as women under estimated their skills while men overestimated their own abilities. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge of gender confidence gaps. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for creating an assessment plan to identify the preparedness of incoming students and measure their skill at the end of the course.

Work in progress-a four year follow-up: integration of math, physics and engineering, a pilot study for success

The inherent integration between mathematics, physics, and engineering is obvious to experienced engineers and faculty, however, many incoming students find it hard to see the connections. During the 1999-2000 academic year, a pilot study was conducted to see the effects of cohort scheduling students into integrated sections of calculus, physics, and first year engineering courses. Calculus-ready student were chosen randomly and asked to participate in this study. Those declining our offer were used as our control group. The control and the test groups had similar compositions of majors, SAT/ACT scores, and high school backgrounds. Initial results of this study show that students in the test group scored significantly higher on common exams. One year follow-up analysis shows that these students continue to have overall higher grade point averages, and self-report a high level of academic confidence. This work in progress highlights the integration process, including the active collaborative teaching/learning styles used, and shows the progress of the cohort students four years after the initial study. It builds heavily on prior work of these authors.