Walkup, S. L., & Gross, S. P., & Cook, J. J. (2024, April), Smartbeam: Teaching a Multidisciplinary First-Year Project for Exposure of Upper-Level Content with Active Learning  Paper presented at ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Spring Conference, George Washington University, District of Columbia. 10.18260/1-2--45737

\bibitem{asee_peer_45737}
  Walkup, S. L., \& Gross, S. P., \& Cook, J. J. (2024, April), \emph{Smartbeam: Teaching a Multidisciplinary First-Year Project for Exposure of Upper-Level Content with Active Learning}
  Paper presented at ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Spring Conference, George Washington University, District of Columbia.
  10.18260/1-2--45737

Stephanie L. Walkup PE, Shawn P. Gross, and Jeffrey Joseph Cook.  "Smartbeam: Teaching a Multidisciplinary First-Year Project for Exposure of Upper-Level Content with Active Learning".  ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Spring Conference, George Washington University, District of Columbia, 2024, April.  ASEE Conferences, 2024.  https://peer.asee.org/45737 Internet.  23 Jun, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_45737}
  Stephanie L. Walkup PE, Shawn P. Gross, and Jeffrey Joseph Cook.
  "Smartbeam: Teaching a Multidisciplinary First-Year Project for Exposure of Upper-Level Content with Active Learning".
  \emph{ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Spring Conference, George Washington University, District of Columbia, 2024, April}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2024.
  https://peer.asee.org/45737 Internet.  23 Jun, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_45737
author = "Stephanie L. Walkup PE, Shawn P. Gross, and Jeffrey Joseph Cook"
title = "Smartbeam: Teaching a Multidisciplinary First-Year Project for Exposure of Upper-Level Content with Active Learning"
booktitle = "ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Spring Conference"
year = "2024"
month = "April"
address = "George Washington University, District of Columbia"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/45737}
number = {10.18260/1-2--45737}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This paper presents a successful cross-disciplinary project, Smartbeam, that exposes students to the world of smart infrastructure in their first-year program. The goal of this mini project is for students to design and construct a structural flexural member (i.e. beam) instrumented with smart technology to span a given distance. Classroom teaching methodologies include inquiry-based learning, flipped classroom, hands-on activities, laboratory experiments, and brainstorming in group design sessions. During the design project, students develop valuable skills regarding teamwork, communication, problem solving, and data collection and analysis.  The course is divided into five specific sections.  

Class Meetings 1 through 5 develop introductory statics and mechanics concepts including moment of inertia, stress-strain relationships, beam behavior, and composite action.  Material is taught using in-class experiments, Excel programming, and laboratory experiments, and students are assessed with individual assignments. 

In Class Meetings 6 through 9, students work in teams to design and construct a built-up wood beam for a specified maximum strain and deflection while minimizing cost. Because the students are not expected to achieve mastery of concepts, they are provided with an equation sheet and use their Excel spreadsheet that calculates moment of inertia for built-up shapes.  They are assessed as a group with a written design report.

Class Meetings 10 through 12 introduce the students to Arduino and basic wiring on a breadboard. The students work in teams to complete Arduino tutorials including programming LED lights, push buttons, LCD screens, buzzer alarms, a distance meter, and strain gages. During Class Meeting 12, the students wire a circuit to read two strain gages and display their results on an LCD screen, which forms the base for their strain monitoring system. Students are assessed with an individual assignment on basic circuitry and two group assignments that require interpretation and modification of code language.

Students design and build their strain monitoring system by adding light and buzzer components to serve as alerts to their strain monitoring system in Class Meetings 13 and 14. Because mastery of concepts is not required, students are permitted to combine past circuitry and programming for their solution. A written design report including a sketch of their circuitry, their completed code, and a written explanation of the monitoring system is used for assessment.

Students test their beam instrumented with their monitoring system in Class Meeting 15.  They are evaluated on how well they met the strain and deflection design constraints and how well they can monitor their beams. Each team prepares a formal presentation of the design project and presents during Class Meeting 16.

Course and teacher survey data over the past six years highlights the many aspects of the project that were successful. Compared with other mini projects, Smartbeam has higher average scores in categories including hard work is required to get good grades, I found the course intellectually stimulating, I learned a great deal in the course, and overall value of course. The ASEE presentation will include hands-on activities.

AU  - Stephanie L. Walkup PE
AU  - Shawn P. Gross
AU  - Jeffrey Joseph Cook
CY  - George Washington University, District of Columbia
DA  - 2024/04/19
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Smartbeam: Teaching a Multidisciplinary First-Year Project for Exposure of Upper-Level Content with Active Learning
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/45737
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--45737
ER  -