Other goals include the development of research skills,
critical analysis, design and development process, and hands
on project development.
The program places the students in different engineering
situations over a period of four years. The courses include:
| Please Select a Link
to Explore the Curriculum |
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Intro to Engineering |
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Intro to Electrical Circuits |
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Intro to Engineering
Computer Applications |
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Advanced Engineering Concepts
& Senior Design |
Each year has been coded to meet certain instructional
objectives that are encompassed within the program. Although
the program is broken down into four years, it should really
be considered one four year class. To quote a cliche, the
sum of the whole is greater than its parts.
The following seven components are considered to be the
keys to the program. Each of these is integrated in such
a way that over the course of the program, the goals stated
are met:
Please Select the Link to Explore
the Components |
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The following is one example of the research questions
that support this type of program:
Much of the literature suggests that spatial ability is
important to success in biology, chemistry, mathematics,
and science (Mohler, 2000). The focus of science and mathematics
is the how and why something occurs the way it does in nature.
The focus of engineering is problem solving. This problem
solving often requires that they cover material that is
of an abstract nature and requires perceiving a concept
in 3D space.
Everything that an engineer designs, takes place in a
spatial environment. "Visual-spatial aptitude is the
ability to form and control a mental image. On the other
hand, visual-spatial understanding is the ability to juxtapose,
manipulate, and orient an object mentally and to create
a mind structure from written or verbal directions”
(Trindade,Fiolhais, & Almeida, p.472, 2002). Learning
engineering related concepts often requires both.
If a civil engineer is designing a bridge, then the bridge
will be built in a given place, take up so much space, and
interact with the static and dynamic forces in the environment
in which it exists.
If an electrical engineer is designing a electronic circuit,
then that electrical circuit will eventually exist on a
pc board or integrated circuit, take up so much space, and
interact with the static and dynamic forces that exist within
that environment. This is a more abstract concept. In electrical
engineering, many of the concepts require complete visualization
due to the fact that much of the forces that act within
the circuit can only be measured using instrumentation.
Many of us have seen bridges, but not many of us can visualize
an electronic circuit. This abstract concept may require
even stronger spatial skills.
This lack of spatial ability combined with the need to
be entertained provides for a student who may have difficulties
in the status quo 2-D engineering classroom. There are two
possible answers to this hypothesized problem. The first
is that the student must adapt to the classroom. In this
case, the risk exists that in the university setting that
they will not.
Roughly fifty percent of all engineering students who enter
a university engineering program do not complete an engineering
degree. This is where the program that we are developing
comes into play.
Mohler, J. (2000). Desktop virtual reality for the
enhancement of visualization skills. Journal of Educational
Multimedia and Hypermedia. 9(2), 151-165.
Trindade, J., Fiolhais, C., and Almeida, L., (2002).
Science learning in virtual environments: a descriptive
study. British Journal of Educational Technology. 33(4),
471-488.
