2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Work in Progress: Integrating Engineering Design Projects into Early Curricular Courses at a Hispanic-serving Institution

Abstract:

This Work in Progress paper will describe the recent activities of a continuing NSF sponsored project at the College of Engineering at _______________ University that is centered on increasing the rates of student retention and persistence. Emphasis during the project has especially been placed on minority students as well as others typically underrepresented in STEM related fields. An important focus of the project has been enhancing the courses taken by students early in the engineering curricula. Early in the project, the freshmen introductory engineering courses taught within three departments: Chemical and Natural Gas Engineering (CNEN), Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIEN) were modified to include a significant, collaborative, hands-on engineering design project. More recently the introductory engineering course for the Civil and Architectural Engineering (CAEN) department has also been updated to include a collaborative design project.

The most recent experiences and results of the first-year focused aspects of the project are reported in the paper. It includes descriptions of the hands-on, collaborative engineering design projects used in the most recent offerings of the augmented introductory engineering courses along with improvements made based on previous course offerings. It also reports the details of a significant increase in the number of students participating in the introductory engineering courses. The results of surveys that measured students’ perceptions of their abilities, confidence, and knowledge in general problem-solving tasks which were completed both before and after the introductory engineering courses are reported.

In the introductory course for CNEN majors several different engineering design projects were utilized so that students would have the opportunity to see other problems besides that of their own group. The project topics included water treatment for organic contaminants, a solar-powered water pump, brackish water desalination, and liquid-liquid extraction. The student teams were provided with laboratory chemicals of minimal hazard (water, sodium chloride, isopropanol, cooking oil, acetic acid, activated carbon) and equipment for conducting laboratory tests (water treatment canisters, variety of pumps, solar panel, reverse osmosis filter, mixing apparatus).

The hands-on engineering project utilized in the introductory course for EECS majors centered on the design, assembly, and programming of a line-following robot. Student teams were provided with the parts necessary to construct a three-wheeled robot chassis. They were also provided with the digital components needed for the project including a motor controller, a credit card sized computer board, infrared sensors, and the jumper wires needed to connect components together. Teams were also tasked with writing a guidance program to enable the robot to follow a path designated by a line on the floor.

The hands-on engineering project employed in the introductory course for MIEN majors focused on 3D modeling and 3D printing of a RC car. Student teams used the 3D modeling software package SolidWorks to 3D model and simulate their designs. All the electronic components such as the control panel, receiving panel and motors were provided to the teams. They were also provided with access to two different technology 3D printers namely SLA and FDM for printing their designs.

The engineering project utilized for the introductory course for the CAEN students was the design and construction of a trebuchet. Each team was required to build and demonstrate the firing of a working trebuchet with a 12” arm. Performance was assessed on both distance and repeatability. The first half of the project focused on the design and construction of a working prototype. During the second half of the project students utilized a combination of math, physics, experimentation, and any research conducted in order to refine and improve the performance of their trebuchet.

Pre- and post-instruction surveys were compiled that solicited student responses regarding their interest in engineering and perceived capability in respect to general engineering skills and a list of discipline-specific skills related to the lab section’s hands-on project. These processes were a replication of studies completed in fall 2021 for three sections (CNEN, EECS, and MIEN) and an extension to include a CAEN lab. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis returned results similar to fall of 2021 for CNEN, EECS, and MIEN as well as for the CAEN section. Students reported increases in interest in engineering and perceived skill some of which were statistically significant.

References
Bailey, R. (2020) “Chaos and Control: How First-Year and Upper-Level Students Experienced Design Differently in a Project-Based Class.” Proceedings of the 2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 2020.

Leung, J.K.L., Chu, S.K.W., Pong, T., Ng, D.T.K., Qiao, S. (2022) “Developing a Framework for Blended Design-Based Learning in a First-Year Multidiscipoinary Design Course.” IEEE Transactions on Education, Vol. 65 (2).

Prince, S.P., Tarazkar, Y. (2013) “Mechanical Engineering Design Experience for Hispanic and Low Income Students.” ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings, 2013.