Lessons Learned: Making the “New Reality” More Real: Adjusting a Hands-on Curriculum for Remote Learning

Yen-Lin Han; Joshua M. Hamel; Claire Strebinger; Gregory Mason; Kathleen E. Cook; Teodora Rutar Shuman

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Conference: 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual Conference
Publication Date: July 26, 2021
Start Date: July 26, 2021
End Date: July 19, 2022
Conference Session: Faculty Development Lighting Talk Session 1: COVID-19 Focus
Tagged Division: Faculty Development Division
Page Count: 6
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--37450
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/37450
Download Count: 230

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Paper Authors

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Yen-Lin Han Seattle University

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Yen-Lin Han is an Associate Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at Seattle University. Dr. Han received her BS degree in Material Science and Engineering from National Tsing-Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, her PhD degree in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Her research interests include micro-scale molecular gas dynamics, micro fluidics, and heat transfer applications in MEMS and medical devices as well as autonomous vehicles and robotics. She also holds the patent for the continuous trace gas separator and a provisional patent for the dynamic tumor ablation probe. She is passionate about Engineering Education and experienced in developing inverted classroom lectures and facilitating students’ learning through authentic engineering problems. She is currently the Co- PI for the NSF Revolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments grant awarded to the Mechanical Engineering department at Seattle University to study how the department culture changes can foster students' engineering identity with the long-term goal of increasing the representation of women and minority in the field of engineering.

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Gregory S. Mason received the B.S.M.E. degree from Gonzaga University in 1983, the M.S.M.E. degree in manufacturing automation from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1984 and the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in multi-rate digital controls, from the University of Washington in 1992.
He worked in a robotics lab for the Department of Defense for five years after receiving his M.S.M.E. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seattle University, Seattle, WA. His research interests are controls system and the use of technology to enhance engineering education.
Dr. Mason is a member of the American Society of Engineering Education and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He is a licensed professional engineer.

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Kathleen E. Cook Seattle University

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Kathleen Cook, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Psychology Department at Seattle University. Dr. Cook received her doctorate in Social and Personality Psychology from the University of Washington, with a minor in quantitative methods and emphases in cognitive and educational psychology. Her research has included classroom learning, identity, and person perception.

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Teodora Rutar Shuman Seattle University

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Professor Teodora Rutar Shuman is the Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Seattle University and an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington. She is the PI on a NSF-RED grant "Revolutionizing a Mechanical Engineering Department through Industry Immersion and a Focus on Identity". Her research also includes NOx formation in lean-premixed combustion and electro-mechanical systems for sustainable processing of microalgae. Her work is published in venues including the Journal of Engineering Education, IEEE Transactions on Education, Bioresource Technology, Chemical Engineering Journal, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, and Combustion and Flame. She is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education and the Algae Biomass Organization. Dr. Shuman served as Chair for the ASEE Energy Conversion and Conservation Division.

She received a Dipl.Ing. degree in mechanical engineering from Belgrade University, and an M.S.M.E. and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

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Abstract

This is a Lessons-Learned paper.

During the past years the Mechanical Engineering program at XXXX has made numerous curricular changes that focus on cultivating a culture of “engineering with engineers” and developing strong engineering identities in their students. The four major changes in the curriculum include implementing an integrated electrical engineering and data acquisition (DAQ) course sequence, adding a vertically integrated design projects (VIDP) course sequence, modifying an existing design sequence, and adding real engineering into existing courses. Many of these changes rely on hands-on labs and on creating connections between students and industry. In the spring of 2020, the pandemic forced the program to offer all of its courses online and challenged the department to rethink how it could continue its strong hands-on, industry-focused program. Most courses were quickly flipped and online class time via Zoom focused on community building and small group discussions. New checks and activities helped to keep students engaged and provided regular feedback to instructors on student progress. Lab assignments were modified so that all lab work could be done remotely. This paper details these changes, describes successes and failures, and discusses lessons learned.

A summary of the paper will be presented as a lightning-talk during the 2021 ASEE Annual Conference.

Citation
Format

Han, Y., & Hamel, J. M., & Strebinger, C., & Mason, G., & Cook, K. E., & Shuman, T. R. (2021, July), Lessons Learned: Making the “New Reality” More Real: Adjusting a Hands-on Curriculum for Remote Learning Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. 10.18260/1-2--37450