A Freshman Engineering Design Course

At the University of Maryland at College Park, a new freshman engineering design course introduces design through a project approach. This approach has three phases: design, manufacturing and assembly. First, students learn basic engineering concepts by designing a simple product. Next, they manufacture and/or procure the product's components. Finally, they assemble the components and test the finished product. Since drawings for this product are part of the project, students must also learn entry-level computer graphics. Reaction to teaching design so early in the engineering curriculum has been extremely favorable. Students are highly motivated by the design approach and, as a result, learn engineering fundamentals, develop critical thinking skills, learn to cooperate as team members and gain practical hands-on experience.     

From the Students' Point of View: Experiences in a Freshman Engineering Design Course

We evaluated the pilot semester of a freshman introduction to engineering course in order to provide an understanding of the students' experience in the course and identify aspects of this experience that could lead to improved student retention in engineering. The course concentrates on having students work in teams to identify customer needs, find solutions, and design and build a final product. We used qualitative research methods for data collection and analysis that included interviewing students using a set of open-ended questions, thus allowing them to introduce issues and describe their experiences. Our analysis indicated that students experienced engineering in a supportive, team-oriented environment that provided a context for making informed career decisions. The students' experiences indicate that courses such as this one can help students face the challenges they encounter in beginning their engineering education.     

Characteristics of Freshman Engineering Students: Models for Determining Student Attrition in Engineering

Nationwide, less than half the freshman who start in engineering graduate in engineering, and at least half of this attrition occurs during the freshman year. Clearly, the freshman year is critical for both academic success and retention of engineering students. Such success depends not only on the knowledge and skills learned during this first year, but also on the attitudes individual students bring with them to college. Hence, if these attitudes can be measured before beginning college, we can develop more targeted programs for reducing attrition and improving academic success. Further, by measuring changes in student attitude over the course of the freshman year, we can develop better methods to evaluate engineering education programs. To learn more about these attitudes and how they impact upon retention, we undertook a three-year research effort. First we identified attitudes incoming students have about the field of engineering, their perceptions about the upcoming educational experience, and their confidence in their ability to succeed in engineering. These attitudes were then related to performance and retention in the freshman engineering program. To accomplish this, a closedform survey was developed, tested and administered to the 1993–94 and 1994–95 freshman engineering classes. This study demonstrated that student attitudes can provide an effective means for evaluating aspects of our freshman engineering program, particularly those relating to issues of attrition. Specifically, students who left the freshman engineering program in “good academic standing” had significantly different attitudes about engineering and themselves than those possessed by other comparison groups: students who stayed in engineering and students who left engineering in “poor academic standing.” We developed regression models to predict attrition and performance in our freshman engineering program using quantified measures of student attitudes. Implementation of the models has allowed freshman advisors to better inform students of opportunities that engineering offers, to devise better programs of study that take advantage of students' varied interests, and to set retention goals that are more realistic.     

Engineering Freshman Enrollments: Critical and Non-critical Factors

Freshman enrollment and bachelors degree data over the last three decades for all undergraduates as well as engineering students are analyzed and compared to variations in the numbers of high school graduates. Engineering enrollment data trends are shown to differ significantly from those of undergraduates as a whole and to exhibit little correlation with trends in high school graduation data. Freshman engineering enrollments show a very strong correlation with factors which might indicate to high school students the magnitude of their personal economic gain such as on-campus industrial interviewing intensity, annual growth in starting salaries and starting salary levels relative to average salaries of all undergraduates. No correlation between engineering freshman enrollments and national economic conditions as measured by the Gross Domestic Product or unemployment was found. Implications of the correlation between freshman enrollments and perceived personal economic reward are considered in terms of strategies for recruiting freshmen, student performance in engineering curricula and trends for the future.     

A Model Curriculum for a Capstone Course in Multidisciplinary Engineering Design

This paper describes our efforts to develop a curricular and pedagogical model for teaching multidisciplinary design to sen ior-level undergraduate engineering students. In our model, we address concerns of industry and engineering educators about the often narrow technical confines within which engineering design is currently taught. Our two-semester design sequence employs multidisciplinary teams of students working with faculty managers for industrial clients to solve complex, open-ended problems possessing numerous technical and non-technical constraints. After a two year pilot phase, the multidisciplinary senior design (MSD) course sequence is now offered to qualified Colorado School of Mines seniors each academic year and fully meets the senior capstone design requirement in each of the participating academic departments. An on-going formative and summative evaluation process allows us to monitor the perceptions and knowledge levels of our students compared with students completing traditional discipline-specific design courses. Our students, faculty, and clients overwhelmingly agree that multidisciplinary design teams tend to produce better engineering designs because of the broader range of expertise available to the team. MSD students strongly agree that higher order thinking skills such as open-ended problem-solving abilities, engineering analysis, and engineering synthesis are important aspects of the design process. Students also rate the course highly and indicate satisfaction with the course structure and curriculum. In addition, project clients are pleased with the quality of the final designs they receive from our students. Our experience has led us to conclude that undergraduate engineering students can thrive in a carefully designed multidisciplinary environment.     

工程图学虚拟测绘模型系统的设计

研究了工程图学课程中虚拟测绘模型的设计.根据模型测绘教学的特点,确定了虚拟测绘模型的功能;设计了虚拟模型测绘流程;构建了模型测绘系统的结构.通过分析VRML节点的特性解决了系统的观察问题和模型点的选择提示及坐标的获得问题.设计了易于操作和理解的交互界面,实现了虚拟测绘模型系统.     

Assessment of the Impact of Freshman Engineering Courses*

This study evaluates whether Purdue University's freshman engineering courses supply entering students with the necessary foundation to persist in engineering because of the skills they acquire in these courses. To measure this, we evaluate longitudinal data on retention and graduation rates of students that start in the standard first semester courses, start in the off-sequence semester, or participate in our tutorial program. The study is based on historical data for the 28-year period from 1966 through 1993.     

Toward a Strategy for Teaching Engineering Design

Design is behavior. Therefore, it can best be understood by means of behavioral theory and must be taught in a way consistent with the theory of behavior modification. This simple fact appears to have been overlooked by most, if not all, engineering educators who teach design courses or write textbooks on engineering design. This article examines this thesis and its relationship to engineering heuristics by considering specific examples taken from current practice in engineering design education.     

Is Modeling of Freshman Engineering Success Different from Modeling of Non‐Engineering Success?

The engineering community has recognized the need for a higher retention rate in freshman engineering. If we are to increase the freshman retention rate, we need to better understand the characteristics of academic success for engineering students. One approach is to compare academic performance of engineering students to that of non‐engineering students. This study explores the differences in predicting academic success (defined as the first year GPA) for freshman engineering students compared to three non‐engineering student sectors (Pre‐Med, STEM, and non‐STEM disciplines) within a university. Academic success is predicted with pre‐college variables from the UCLA/CIRP survey using factor analysis and regression analysis. Except for the factor related to the high school GPA and rank, the predictors for each student sector were discipline specific. Predictors unique to the engineering sector included the factors related to quantitative skills (ACT Math and Science test scores and placement test scores) and confidence in quantitative skills.     

基于感性工学的产品质感调和设计模型研究

目的运用感性工学和BP神经网络构建产品质感调和设计模型。方法通过多维尺度分析和聚类分析,分析出了最适合于描述质感调和的代表性感性意象词汇集;通过统计分析,确定了以透明度、光泽度和粗糙度及其细分类目为元素的质感调和空间;通过质感调和实验,获得了针对实验样本的质感空间特征值和感性评价值;最后通过MATLAB的BP神经网络工具箱,建立了基于感性意象的质感调和设计BP模型,并重新设计检验样本论证了模型的可靠性。结论该模型为后续的计算机辅助质感调和设计系统提供了理论和算法依据,可以提高产品设计的成功率。     

Selecting an Orthogonal or Nonorthogonal Two-Level Design for Screening

This article presents a comparison of criteria used to characterize two-level designs for screening purposes. To articulate the relationships among criteria, we focus on 7-factor designs with 16–32 runs and 11-factor designs with 20–48 runs. Screening based on selected designs for each of the run sizes considered is studied with simulation using a forward selection procedure and the Dantzig selector. This article compares Bayesian D-optimal designs, designs created algorithmically to optimize estimation capacity over various model spaces, and orthogonal designs by estimation-based criteria and simulation. In this way, we furnish both general insights regarding various design approaches, as well as a guide to make a choice among a few final candidate designs. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

面向零售商的供应链联盟合作伙伴选择研究

处于供应链末端的零售商在现代供应链中扮演着服务中心、信息搜集中心和预警中心的角色,满足了零售商的需求就意味着在很大程度上满足了市场需求.本文以零售商满意为切入点,以制造型企业作为供应链的核心企业来考虑供应链联盟合作伙伴的选择,在分析了供应商和分销商的不同特性之后为供应链上下游备选合作伙伴建立了不同的评价指标.文中采用传统的数据包络方法评价供应商的相对有效性,并以此为依据粗选上层供应商.对下层分销商采用作业成本法结合网络数据包络的方法展开相对有效性分析粗选分销商.在完成上下游合作伙伴的粗选之后,以零售商满意度最大化为目标建立了供应链联盟伙伴选择模型,据此选择出最理想的供应链联盟伙伴的组合.     

Optimization Model for Selecting Temporary Hospital Locations During COVID-19 Pandemic

The two main approaches that countries are using to ease the strain on healthcare infrastructure is building temporary hospitals that are specialized in treating COVID-19 patients and promoting preventive measures. As such, the selection of the optimal location for a temporary hospital and the calculation of the prioritization of preventive measures are two of the most critical decisions during the pandemic, especially in densely populated areas where the risk of transmission of the virus is highest. If the location selection process or the prioritization of measures is poor, healthcare workers and patients can be harmed, and unnecessary costs may come into play. In this study, a decision support framework using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and a weighted aggregated sum product assessment model are proposed for selecting the location of a temporary hospital, and a FAHP model is proposed for calculating the prioritization of preventive measures against COVID-19. A case study is performed for Ho Chi Minh City using the proposed decision-making framework. The contribution of this work is to propose a multiple criteria decision-making model in a fuzzy environment for ranking potential locations for building temporary hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study can be used to assist decision-makers, such as government authorities and infectious disease experts, in dealing with the current pandemic as well as other diseases in the future. With the entire world facing the global pandemic of COVID-19, many scientists have applied research achievements in practice to help decision-makers make accurate decisions to prevent the pandemic. As the number of cases increases exponentially, it is crucial that government authorities and infectious disease experts make optimal decisions while considering multiple quantitative and qualitative criteria. As such, the proposed approach can also be applied to support complex decision-making processes in a fuzzy environment in different countries.     

一种考虑指标期望的产品设计方案选择方法

提出了考虑三种类型指标期望的产品设计方案选择的决策分析方法。在该方法中,首先通过计算每个实际指标值符合决策者期望的程度来建立符合期望程度决策矩阵;然后依据公理设计中的信息公理,建立信息量矩阵,并基于建立的信息量矩阵来计算每个方案的总体信息量;最后,依据每个方案的总体信息量对方案进行排序。实例分析表明,提出的方法具有可行性和有效性。     

汽车行业物流服务供应商选择ANP模型

分析汽车制造商、零部件供应商、物流服务供应商在汽车供应链中的角色和作用,构建物流服务供应商选择指标体系,系统地考虑各层指标内在联系和相互依赖关系,利用ANP方法建立各层指标非线性组合关系的多指标综合评价决策模型,并结合一个实际算例进行了数值演算和验证,计算结果表明该模型能根据汽车行业物流服务供应商的实际调查数据,有效选择汽车制造企业的物流服务供应商,汽车制造商与物流服务供应商之间的协调适应性是影响最终选择结果的重要因素.     

大型农业生态工程的数学模型

文章在对胜利油田生态农场系统结构分析的基础上，根据农场规划目标，建立了由投入产出模型和线性规划模型相结合的经济发展数学模型。应用该模型指导农场的经济建设，取得了 极好的效果，证明所建立的模型是正确的。     

绿色产品设计选用材料及技术经济分析

社会可持续发展的要求预示着绿色设计将成为21世纪工业设计热点之一.绿色产品设计技术的研究是当前设计学科研究的热点.绿色材料是绿色产品设计的基础.文中从工业设计的角度阐述绿色产品设计中绿色材料选用的基本原则,绿色材料选用的技术经济准则及技术经济评价.     

矿山工程敏捷设计系统

矿山工程设计是一项涉及多环节多任务的复杂设计,目前国内外尚未有专业CAD软件支持矿山工程的设计。分析了矿山工程设计的特点和需求,提出了矿山工程敏捷设计系统的概念,分析了系统的总体架构和数据流向,并对多图联动、自动生成明细表等关键技术进行了详细阐述。结合企业实际情况,以AutoCAD为平台,采用VBA为开发工具,建立了矿山工程敏捷设计系统,并得到了实际应用。     

A Learning Community of University Freshman Design,Freshman Graphics,and High School Technology Students: Description,Projects, and Assessment

A learning community was developed to enhance the teamwork and communication components of a freshman design course. The learning community was comprised of students from a freshman design course, a freshman graphics course, and a high school technology course. Design teams were formed by combining three to four students from each of these courses. These teams were required to research, design, build, and test a specified product. The high school and university students communicated only using e‐mails and Internet conferencing. This paper outlines how the learning community is implemented, describes three design projects, and presents the assessment methods. Assessment reveals that university students who participate in the learning community have a better understanding and confidence in the technical aspects of the design project than the students who do not participate in the learning community. It also reveals that high school participants display notable interest in the engineering design process.