Nikos J Mourtos

The nuts and bolts of cooperative learning in engineering

A great number of engineering students work alone most of the time. This is in sharp contrast with industry where most of the work is performed in teams. The ability to work in a team effectively is not acquired automatically. It takes interpersonal and social skills which need to be developed and practiced. In addition, research shows that the student-student interaction, often neglected in traditional ways of teaching, is a most effective way of learning. Thus, it is imperative that we encourage our students to work with each other in their efforts to achieve their educational goals. In this paper I discuss my experience with Cooperative Learning (CL) in a variety of engineering courses during the last four years. The discussion includes benefits and problems along with possible solutions. Lastly, I have made an effort to evaluate the impact of CL on student performance and attitude.

Flow past a Flat Plate with a Vortex / Sink Combination

An attempt was made to model the so called leading edge vortex which forms over the leading edge of delta wings at high angles of attack. A simplified model was considered, namely that of a two-dimensional, inviscid, incompressible steady flow around a flat plate at an angle of attack with a stationary vortex detached on top, as well as a sink to simulate the strong spanwise flow. The results appear to agree qualitatively with experiments. A comparison was also made between the lift and the drag of this model and the corresponding results for two classical solutions: (1) that of totally attached flow over the plate with the Kutta condition satisfied at the trailing edge only: and (2) the Helmholtz solution of totally separated flow over the plate.

A Flexible, Problem-Based, Integrated Aerospace Engineering Curriculum

The paper describes a flexible, problem-based approach to integrating engineering courses. Students work in teams to identify, research, and study a current problem that involves applications from each of the courses involved. Two pairs of aerospace engineering courses were used to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this idea: (a) aerodynamics and flight mechanics, and (b) compressible flow and aerospace propulsion. The courses in each pair lend themselves easily to integration because one sets the foundation for applications in the other. This approach offers undergraduates an opportunity to engage in research under the supervision of two or more faculty members, while addressing almost all the outcomes of ABET Criterion 3. It is also flexible, so it can be expanded to allow integration of material from any number of courses. The paper discusses the rationale, process, and benefits of integrating engineering courses through projects, provides specific examples of such projects, and presents a rubric for evaluating student performance

Defining, Teaching, and Assessing Engineering Design Skills

The paper discusses a systematic approach for defining, teaching, and assessing engineering design skills. Although the examples presented in the paper are from the field of aerospace engineering, the principles apply to engineering design in general. What makes the teaching of engineering design particularly challenging is that the necessary skills and attributes are both technical and non-technical and come from the cognitive as well as the affective domains.Each set of skills requires adifferent approach to teachandassess. Implementing a variety of approaches for a number of years at SJSU has shown that it is just as necessary to teach affective skills, as it is to teach cognitive skills. As one might expect, each set of skills presents its own challenges.

Using learning styles preferences data to inform classroom teaching and assessment activities

This paper describes the results to date, and our ongoing efforts, to develop, adapt, disseminate and assess teaching techniques, methods and exercises which address specific learning styles of students. Our research shows that students in the engineering college showing strong preferences for the active, sensing visual and sequential learning styles outweigh students with strong preferences for the reflective, intuitive, verbal and global learning styles by significant factors. As part of our faculty instructional development program, we have been using techniques such as cooperative and active learning as well as entrepreneurial environments in the laboratory to help move the instructional experience of students away from the traditional lecture mode and into a more student-centered mode.

Workshop Program Educational Objectives and Outcomes: How to Design a Sustainable, Systematic Process for Continuous Improvement

ABET adopted recently two new criteria for evaluating engineering programs: Criterion 2 (Program Educational Objectives) and Criterion 3 (Program Outcomes). A systematic process must be in place to assess the achievement of both the program outcomes - before students graduate - and the program educational objectives - after graduates leave the program. This process needs to be ongoing to ensure the continuous improvement of each program. The workshop addresses the design and implementation of a sustainable, systematic process for defining and assessing program educational objectives and program outcomes to satisfy ABET EC 2000 requirements. Results from the successful implementation of such a process will be presented. The workshop format will combine direct instruction, individual practice, interaction among the participants, and discussion. Participants will have an opportunity to develop their own tools and processes that suit their specific program.ABET adopted recently two new criteria for evaluating engineering programs: criterion 2 (program educational objectives) and criterion 3 (program outcomes). A systematic process must be in place to assess the achievement of both the program outcomes - before students graduate - and the program educational objectives - after graduates leave the program. This process needs to be ongoing to ensure the continuous improvement of each program. The workshop addresses the design and implementation of a sustainable, systematic process for defining and assessing program educational objectives and program outcomes to satisfy ABET EC 2000 requirements. Results from the successful implementation of such a process will be presented. The workshop format will combine direct instruction, individual practice, interaction among the participants, and discussion. Participants will have an opportunity to develop their own tools and processes that suit their specific program

Integrating general education outcomes into a senior design capstone experience

The paper presents an innovative way of integrating general education outcomes into a capstone, senior design course sequence. The general education learning objectives defined by the California State University system and San Jose State University in particular are presented in the paper along with their counterparts from Student Outcomes of ABET Criterion 3. Specific assignments designed to address both are also discussed. Although the motivation for this integration was a State mandated unit reduction throughout the California State University system, the integration serves students well, as they can better see the relevance of their general education in their engineering work.

Assessing the effectiveness of a faculty development program

Summary form only given. The College of Engineering at San Jose State University (USA) initiated its Faculty Development Program in the spring of 1996. The program offers workshops and mentoring for faculty on various topics relating to teaching, such as pedagogy and use of technology. Workshops are offered by outside experts as well as faculty from within the college, who share their innovations and mentor other faculty. In the last three years, particular emphasis has been given on introducing cooperative learning (CL) and on mentoring interested faculty in adapting the technique in their classes. The paper first discusses the goals and objectives of the Faculty Development Program along with the various activities designed to achieve these goals. Subsequently, it discusses the impact of the program in terms of its effectiveness in changing facultys approach to teaching and, in particular, in convincing them to adapt cooperative learning in their classes.

Preparing Engineers for the 21st Century: How to Teach Engineering Students Process Skills

Process skills (problem-solving, lifelong learning, critical thinking, communication and collaboration, self-assessment, change management, etc.) have always been important in any education and work setting. However, new challenges presented by a new, globalized economy, have put a new focus on these skills in the engineering workplace. Process skills present a great challenge for educators and practicing engineers alike because they are hard to define explicitly, hard to teach, and even harder to develop as a student. They depend on attitudes and values as much as they depend on content knowledge. For educators the challenge is three-fold: how to clearly define these skills, how to assess them, and how to effectively teach them to their students. The paper discusses a course design process that facilitates the development of these skills to help prepare engineering and technology students for the challenges of the 21st century workplace. Preparing Engineers for the 21st Century: How to Teach Engineering Students Process Skills