1. Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA) – Nano Roughness – Problem
Scoping
(This problem is to be completed individually and contributes to your MEA grade.)
A. Read the description of Atomic Force Microscopy in
NanoRoughnessMEA_AFMbackground. At the end of this reading, you should be
able to answer the following questions in your own words.
a. What are the three modes of the AFM, and what are the advantages/disadvantages
of each?
b. What is the AFM resolution limit?
c. What causes the resolution limit?
B. Individually read the company profile and memo from Kerry Prior and the other
attached documentation in NanoRoughnessMEA_COprofile_Memo.
C. Context Setting.
NOTE: Before proceeding, you should review the PowerPoint slide set on
Information Literacy; see Blackboard > Course Content > ENGR 131 - Review
Material > Information Literacy.
Nanoscience and nanotechnology is impacting every field of engineering. Use and
document (with proper citations) at least two external and trustworthy (see ENGR 131
review slides on information literacy) resources to learn three things about how
nanotechnology is impacting your intended field of study in engineering.
1. In the Context Setting textbox on the MEA interface:
a. state your intended field of students and
b. describe, in your own words, the three things you learned about how
nanotechnology is impacting your intended field of study in engineering. Be
sure to clarify or define nano-related terms.
2. In the second textbox, list your citations using APA format. For help with APA
reference formats, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
D. Individual Questions.
NOTE: Before proceeding, you should review the following Online Module
concerning expectations for good responses to the individual questions.
MEA 2: Problem Formulation and Identification
Problem Formulation: Parts a and b ask you to take a big-picture view of the
problem.
a. List as many stakeholders as you can think of who may be impacted by the
deliverable your team has been asked to create. For each stakeholder, explain the
relationship between the stakeholder, the problem, and the deliverable.
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b. Your solution will be implemented in the context described here and potentially in
other contexts. Clearly describe issues (minimum five) that might arise for
stakeholders when your generalizable solution is implemented. Clearly connect
the issues to specific stakeholders.
Problem Identification: Parts c to e ask you to take a task-level view of the problem.
c. Consider your list of stakeholders. Who is the direct user of the deliverable your
team is being asked to create?
d. In a few sentences and in your own words, what does the direct user need?
(Remember to describe the deliverable, its function, the criteria for success, and
the constraints.)
e. Consider the immediate problem as described and the sample data provided.
Describe at least two ideas you have for why this problem might be complex to
solve. Move past thinking about writing something that is easy to use (it is a given
that this is difficult), think about what will be challenging about creating the
mathematical model.
2. Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA) – Nano Roughness – Draft 1
(This problem is to be completed by the entire team and contributes to your MEA grade.)
A. Access the MEA Team Draft 1 interface through the MEA portal at
https://www.mealearning.com. This will enable you to see each team member's
individual responses to the Problem Formulation and Problem Identification questions.
You will also access a space to enter your team’s Draft 1 response. Within your team,
compare your answers to the individual questions from problem 1. Your team must
come to consensus on these two questions:
a. Who is the direct user of the deliverable your team is being asked to create?
b. In a few sentences and in your own words, what does the direct user need?
(Remember to describe the deliverable, its function, the criteria for success, and the
constraints.)
NOTE: Before proceeding, you should review the following Online Module concerning
expectations for good responses to the problem identification questions (if you have not
done so already. This Online Module is a part of HW03 assignment).
MEA 2: Problem Formulation and Identification
Write your team responses in a Word file. Be sure to email the completed file to all
team members.
When you are sure that your team has come to consensus, submit your responses MEA
Team Consensus on Problem Identification interface at https://mealearning.com.
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B. Read the company profile and memo from Kerry Prior and the other attached
documentation in NanoRoughnessMEA_COprofile_Memo.
C. In your team, look at the three AFM images of gold samples in
NanoRoughnessMEA_COprofile_Memo and the AFM data files available on
Blackboard. Discuss each team member’s ideas regarding the question: “How do you
define the term roughness.”
D. Your team will type the body of the memo to Kerry Prior in a Word document – save
often.
NOTE: Before proceeding, your team should review online module entitled, MEA 3:
High Quality Math Model Solutions (this module is also listed above).
Your team will type the body of the memo to Kerry Prior in a Microsoft Word
document. Your team’s solution may not be longer than 2 pages; TAs will not be
expected to read past the second page. Margins cannot exceed 1 inch, and a font size
of at least 12 point must be used.
Be sure to email the completed memo to all team members.
When your response is complete, copy your memo to the MEA Team Draft 1 interface at
https://mealearning.com.
Use the following outline to help organize your team’s response and ensure that your
team has not forgotten necessary items.
CAUTION: The memo that your team submits should not contain the outline
formatting when it is complete. The outline below is just a content guide.
Items I A-C are typically all covered in the first paragraph and item II is typically in easyto-follow numbered steps. Item III could be in a combination of paragraph and tabular
form, depending on the nature and quantity of the results generated by your team’s
solution. (NOTE: Your team cannot receive a grade higher than a D if you do not present
results (Item III). Why? A supervisor and direct user would want to see results. Without
results, your team has only attempted part of the task (provided the supervisor and direct
user with a solution); your team would not have provided evidence that it actually
works.). Item IV includes any other requested information.
TO: Name, Title
FROM: Team #
RE: Subject
I. Introduction (Re-usability)
A. In your own words, describe the problem. (~2-3 sentences)
This should include your team’s consensus on who the direct user is and what
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the direct user needs in terms of the deliverable, criteria for success, and
constraints.
B. Provide an overarching description of what the procedure is designed to do or
find – be specific (~1- 2 sentences)
C. State your assumptions about the conditions under which it is appropriate to
use your procedure. Another way to think about this is to describe the
limitations of your procedure.
II. List the steps of your procedure (Mathematical Model). Provide clear rationales
for the critical steps, assumptions associated with individual procedural steps
(Modifiability), and clarifying explanations (e.g. sample computations) for steps
that may be more difficult for the direct user to understand or replicate
(Shareability).
III. Present results of applying the procedure to the specified data in the form
requested. (Shareability)
IV. Other requested information
Hint 1: Spelling and grammar are important (Shareability). Let Word check for some
of these errors. Do realize that Word will not find all of your errors and it will identify
some that are not really errors at all. Your team needs to proof-read carefully.
Hint 2: Be sure to give your team’s reasoning for the each step, heuristic (i.e. rule), or
consideration in your team’s procedures. (Modifiability)
E. Complete your memo in Word. Then upload the document to the MEA portal
https://www.mealearning.com Your TA will provide feedback and a grade for your
responses to the individual and team consensus questions. Your Peers will provide
feedback on your MEA 1 Team Draft 1.
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