A Web-Based Instructional Module for Teaching Middle School Students Engineering Design with Simple Machines*

The current work describes an instructional module that emphasizes integrative design using six simple machines: the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the screw, and the gear. The emphasis of this module is to have students investigate the underlying scientific and mathematical properties of the “machines,” and then integrate this knowledge to design creative solutions to problems. This simple machines module makes use of an original web-based multimedia learning environment as well as off-line, hands-on building activities with the LEGO^TM Technic I set. The current instructional module was used in a pilot study in an Introduction to Engineering class, and we include preliminary results from this study.     

Hands-On Aeronautics for Middle School Students

Engineering can be very appealing and intriguing to middle school students. Stressing the applications of science often elicits participation of students who have not shown interest in the more theoretical aspects of science. We propose a curriculum to help in teaching aerodynamics to middle school students beginning with physical experiments, then demonstrating the principles learned using a wind tunnel, and finishing with a design competition. The students who have experienced this curriculum have demonstrated enthusiastic response through learning the material and avidly participating in the final design competition.     

Faculty Reactions to Teaching Engineering Design to First Year Students

In 1993, as part of a major revision of our first year curriculum, the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia introduced a new course on Engineering Design. In this paper, we will briefly describe this course, its purpose, goals, content, and methods. However, our primary purpose is to describe the reactions to this course among the faculty who have been called upon to teach it. We observed a high turnover rate among the faculty for this course and wanted to determine the reasons for it. A survey was distributed to all current and past instructors. The attitudes and backgrounds of these faculty influence their evaluations of this course and their willingness to teach it again.     

Introducing Electronic Design Automation Tools into the Engineering Curriculum

The incorporation of electronic design automation (EDA) tools in engineering curricula will better prepare graduates to enter the modern engineering marketplace. The engineering courses appropriate for EDA introduction are discussed, as are the tools themselves and their sources. Issues of computing platform, operating system, and tool suites are presented. Internet accessible public domain documents are provided to aid engineering schools in setting up a comprehensive EDA curriculum.     

Engineering Design in Industry: Teaching Students and Faculty to Apply Engineering Science in Design

In a typical engineering curriculum students and faculty rarely have the opportunity to take a real problem, extract its essence, apply an analysis, and then make design decisions based on this analysis. This extractive link between fundamentals and design is particularly critical to a smooth transition from engineering study at the university to engineering practice in industry. Historically, universities have taken the responsibility for rigorous theoretical and technical training in subjects that include the basic sciences and fundamentals of engineering, while industry has been responsible for making engineering graduates contributors to specific tasks important to the company and its core competency. In this division of training, however, no one teaches students how to apply fundamental engineering principles to practical problems. To make matters worse, faculty often ignore engineering relevance of basic theory and the students then reject these fundamentals; in both cases engineering performance suffers. One solution to this missing bridge is being developed in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in the form of the “Engineering Design in Industry” program.     

设计美丽海洋——全国大中学生第二届海洋文化创意设计大赛获奖作品选

21世纪是海洋的世纪,培育和弘扬海洋文化是海洋强国建设的重要内容.全国大学中生第二届海洋文化创意设计大赛是"世界海洋日暨全国海洋宣传日"系列活动之一,由国家海洋局宣传教育中心、中国海洋大学共同举办,大赛以"美丽海洋"为主题. 本届大赛取得了圆满成功,在全国高校乃至全社会产生了积极的反响,共有198所高校参赛,征集作品5980多件,涵盖平面、造型、包装、景观、视频、动画.一幅幅富有创意和思想的作品展现了当代大学生对美丽海洋的热爱,更展示了他们心系海洋事业、关注海洋的精神世界.组委会在作品评审期间还举办了"美丽海洋大家谈"论坛,评审专家就有关海洋文化创意设计等话题与相关领导和学者进行交流互动,丰富了大赛内涵.     

全国大中学生第三届海洋文化创意设计大赛获奖作品选

2014年5月5日至6日,全国大中学生第三届海洋文化创意设计大赛作品评审会在中国海洋大学举行。来自清华大学、同济大学、西安美术学院、天津美术学院、鲁迅美术学院、南京艺术学院、湖北美术学院、中国艺术研究院、武汉理工大学、山东工艺美术学院、中国海洋大学12位设计领域专家到会。此次大赛是2014年“世界海洋日暨全国海洋宣传日”期间举办的活动之一,由国家海洋局宣传教育中心、中国海洋大学共同主办,大赛主题是“海洋强国梦”。     

Using a Systematic Engineering Design Process to Conduct Undergraduate Engineering Management Capstone Projects

This paper presents an overview and lessons learned during the evolution of our capstone design experience from case studies to relevant, connected problems. We present some of the pros and cons of conducting real world capstones at the undergraduate level, student's perceptions of the experience, and lessons learned that can reduce the overhead associated with incorporating a real world experience into an undergraduate Engineering Management program. We also discuss how a capstone can be used to effectively develop those non‐technical skills and close competency gaps identified by industry. Lastly, we present a life cycle framework for conducting capstones that we feel is important for ensuring a meaningful experience.     

Preparing Students for Engineering Design & Practice

In 1995, the American Society of Civil Engineers sponsored an Education Conference to recommend changes for the Civil Engineering educational program. In addition, various other studies, such as that conducted by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), investigated methods to strengthen undergraduate education. The present investigation of Lamar University students and alumni suggests that both practicing engineers and undergraduate/graduate students perceive that 2 design considerations or constraints presently have been and should be incorporated into the engineering design sequence at a high level. They include Engineering Codes and Standards, and Manufacturability (Constructability). In contrast, both students groups and practitioners rate two other design constraints: Social Ramifications, and Political Factors, at a relatively lower score. The foregoing design constraints are among those that have been adopted by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as criteria that should be considered in the major design experience or course in order to satisfy the requirements of an accredited engineering degree.     

基于工程化方法的软件界面艺术设计

针对目前软件界面在开发方法和开发过程上通常分别单一地使用工程法或艺术法2大独立系统,并致使开发结果均难以获得成果效能的最大化的现状,运用重点特征枚举法,通过对软件工程相关理论要点的解析和对界面艺术设计特点的分析,检视了2大方法体系综合运用的可能性,探讨了在软件界面艺术设计实践中工程化方法的应用途径,指出严谨和科学的设计程序是保证界面艺术设计达到预期设计目标的基本保证和有效途径。     

基于系统工程原理的产品包装设计

根据系统工程的一般理论提出"运用系统工程原理进行包装设计"的观点,介绍包装系统设计的基本思想,并基于系统的观点研究包装系统的特性、包装系统的组成以及包装系统设计的特点和步骤,从而建立起包装系统设计的理论体系基础.     

中学智能化系统设计探讨

论文以某中学智能化系统设计为基础,着重对学校智能化系统的组成及具体功能等内容进行了论述,以期为学校建筑的智能化系统设计提供有益参考。     

中温区定点炉自动控温装置的软件设计

通过对固定点制作过程中的关键因素的分析,可以较为准确的计算固定点制作过程中时间,进而使得定点炉自动控温装置的定时功能得以实现。对固定点制作过程中关键点的监控以及温度计阱内温度的分析可实现定点炉金属纯度简单的物性分析。使得控温装置更加智能化人性化。     

工程制图智能电子习题集软件系统的设计与实现

对工程制图智能电子习题集软件系统的设计进行了深入探讨,分析了对图形支撑平台系统的要求,提出一个开放的由习题库、答案库和习题三维模型库组成的电子习题集图形库系统;对工程制图作业的智能批改策略进行了深入探讨,包括工程制图习题作业自动批改要求、自动批改处理策略及一个基于图形特征结构的智能匹配的图形几何匹配方法;提出一个基于正向推理的图形匹配识别算法。     

Improving Visualization Skills of Engineering Graphics Students Using Simple JavaScript Web Based Games

A number of web‐based games were created using simple JavaScript code to teach visualization skills needed for a course in engineering graphics. The games are part of a comprehensive multimedia instructional CD‐ROM/web page that consists of an integrated web site with links to hours of tutorial movies, lecture presentations of class lectures, and a series of interactive web‐based quizzes. The web‐based games provide an interactive graphics based introduction to engineering graphics and a class design project. In addition, several games are devoted to the development of visualization skills in the areas of multiview drawings and pictorials, auxiliary views, the manipulation of objects and coordinate systems in a 3‐D coordinate space, and dimensioning and tolerancing. The games provide an interactive learning experience for students where tutorial animations specific to the students needs are interjected into the games. The feedback based on student input in the games allows the students to learn and apply new concepts simultaneously. The impact of the game pages on student understanding and the development of visualization skills have been positive as evidenced by improved performance on exams and positive feedback on surveys. The overall effectiveness of the instructional CD has also been positive, and this continues to be used and expanded.     

Using Academic Integrity to Teach Engineering Ethics

Ethics can be taught by using case studies to which students can relate. Since all students appreciate and understand problems of academic dishonesty, the nature of ethical problems in academics can be used to illustrate ethical problems encountered in professional engineering. If students can be sensitized to the value of ethical behavior while in school, they will carry this understanding over to their profession. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that academic integrity can be used to introduce the basic concepts of professional engineering ethics. A videotape and instructor's manual using this pedagogical technique is described.