Creating a First-Year Course to Prepare Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Students for the Path Ahead

David Joseph Ewing; Paul Davidson

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Gulf Southwest Annual Conference
Location: Prairie View, Texas
Publication Date: March 16, 2022
Start Date: March 16, 2022
End Date: March 18, 2022
Page Count: 8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--39167
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/39167
Download Count: 366

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Paper Authors

biography

David Joseph Ewing The University of Texas at Arlington

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Earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pensacola Christian College and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University. He spent several years teaching in a first year engineering program at Clemson University. He is now a Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he continues to teach first year engineering courses. Combined, he has been teaching first year engineering courses for almost nine years. His previous research involved thermal management systems for military vehicles.

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Paul Davidson The University of Texas at Arlington

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Abstract

The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) launched a committee to address the rising attrition rates of students in fundamental classes, such as Statics, Dynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Solid mechanics. The committee compared performance between high achieving and low achieving student populations to evaluate the ever-widening gap in student outcomes. From the initial discussions, the primary contributing factors identified were (a) the impact of COVID-19 on pre-university preparation, (b) poor grasp of fundamental trigonometry, analytic geometry in 3D, vectors, and vector algebra, and (c) lack of problem-solving skills when faced with problems relating to the application of fundamental concepts. Furthermore, the immense diversity in students' academic backgrounds makes it challenging to maintain course pace while ensuring student success. Therefore, the MAE Department created a new, one-hour-a-week course, "Problem Solving in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering," to address the issues identified. The course introduces fundamental concepts of dimensional analysis, analytic geometry, and vector algebra taught via in-class problem-solving rather than traditional lectures. The goal was to attempt to separate the cognitive processes into smaller “bites” of the basic mechanics of problem solving from their full application in more complicated problems, giving more focus to both individual parts. The problems used are simplified versions of problems the students will encounter in future courses, thereby familiarizing students with the applications of fundamental concepts in a less challenging way.

In this paper, an analysis on the effectiveness of the new course will be presented, which includes data on student competency, evaluated via a diagnostic quiz at the start and end of the semester. Further, this work will also compare the outcomes between student groups, such as transfer students versus first-year students and underrepresented minority groups, to ascertain the correlation (if any) between student performance and scholarly background. Finally, the paper will also present lessons learned on the pedagogical methods and identifying students requiring early intervention.

Citation
Format

Ewing, D. J., & Davidson, P. (2022, March), Creating a First-Year Course to Prepare Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Students for the Path Ahead Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Gulf Southwest Annual Conference, Prairie View, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--39167

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) launched a committee to address the rising attrition rates of students in fundamental classes, such as Statics, Dynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Solid mechanics.  The committee compared performance between high achieving and low achieving student populations to evaluate the ever-widening gap in student outcomes. From the initial discussions, the primary contributing factors identified were (a) the impact of COVID-19 on pre-university preparation, (b) poor grasp of fundamental trigonometry, analytic geometry in 3D, vectors, and vector algebra, and (c) lack of problem-solving skills when faced with problems relating to the application of fundamental concepts. Furthermore, the immense diversity in students&#39; academic backgrounds makes it challenging to maintain course pace while ensuring student success. Therefore, the MAE Department created a new, one-hour-a-week course, &quot;Problem Solving in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,&quot; to address the issues identified. The course introduces fundamental concepts of dimensional analysis, analytic geometry, and vector algebra taught via in-class problem-solving rather than traditional lectures.  The goal was to attempt to separate the cognitive processes into smaller “bites” of the basic mechanics of problem solving from their full application in more complicated problems, giving more focus to both individual parts. The problems used are simplified versions of problems the students will encounter in future courses, thereby familiarizing students with the applications of fundamental concepts in a less challenging way. 

In this paper, an analysis on the effectiveness of the new course will be presented, which includes data on student competency, evaluated via a diagnostic quiz at the start and end of the semester. Further, this work will also compare the outcomes between student groups, such as transfer students versus first-year students and underrepresented minority groups, to ascertain the correlation (if any) between student performance and scholarly background. Finally, the paper will also present lessons learned on the pedagogical methods and identifying students requiring early intervention.
 

AU  - David Joseph Ewing
AU  - Paul Davidson
CY  - Prairie View, Texas
DA  - 2022/03/16
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Creating a First-Year Course to Prepare Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Students for the Path Ahead
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/39167
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--39167
ER  -