A Course Guide to
ELE 100 Introduction to Engineering
May 2004
Course Objectives
The overall objective is to introduce students to engineering as a profession and as a
college major. Introduction to the profession is accomplished in part by reading
assignments and homework questions. Introduction to the major and the profession is
accomplished by learning and using mathematics, chemistry and physics as they pertain
to a particular design project. In the process, good practices are developed in problem
solving techniques, computer solution of problems, oral presentations, written laboratory
reports and papers, and team work. Objectives of the course are that students will:
1. Learn and use good practices for success such as showing up, on time, prepared,
and paying attention. [Syllabus]
2. Learn and practice good note-taking techniques. [Handout and class exercise]
3. Learn how to solve problems and present solutions using spreadsheets.
4. Learn and apply fundamental electrical and mechanical principles; and write a
paper that instructs the reader about those principles.
5. Learn about and practice oral presentations using presentation software.
6. Learn and practice performing laboratory experiments and writing laboratory
reports.
7. Learn html programming and use a web page to communicate work assignments
and progress and to share work products.
8. Learn and apply principles and practices of teamwork.
9. Learn principles of engineering design and apply those principles to design, build,
test, and demonstrate a working artifact.
There is also an objective to advance the students in their basic preparation, problem
solving and analysis capabilities, and professional maturity, the three broad program
outcomes. In the Program Outcomes document, those areas of particular emphasis for this
course are italicized. [Program Outcomes]
Challenges
1. Varied preparation and motivation of students.
2. Multiple objectives.
3. Learning materials distributed among many sources.
4. Coordination with ENG 100
5. Scheduling with technician for class time project work
6. Scheduling of resource person for Myers-Briggs session
1. Varied preparation and motivation of students
The course is required of electrical engineering majors. Consequently, many students
come prepared in high school mathematics, chemistry, and physics and are motivated to
succeed in engineering. Some students have been out of school for several years and have
some practical experience and are mature and ready to work. The course is open to
students who are considering engineering as a major and a career but who have minimal
background in mathematics and science. The challenge is to provide a sufficiently
challenging course to the well-prepared and motivated students, yet not overwhelm the
less well-prepared students. A second challenge is to motivate those who don’t realize
that they need to show up, prepared, and prepared to work.
High school algebra is a prerequisite for the course. Students need to use symbols in
formulas and understand the idea of solving for an unknown quantity. They need to have
some background in plotting mathematical functions of the type y=mx+b. Some
understanding of trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent is useful. This
knowledge is further developed through introduction of concepts of physics related to the
design project and utilized while using spreadsheets to solve problems and display results
graphically. It is further developed during laboratory exercises.
Because learning materials are drawn from multiple sources, because much of the
learning is achieved only in class, and because teamwork necessitates participation,
attendance has been strongly encouraged. It will be required in the future because poor
performance has been directly related to lack of attendance and has resulted in
dysfunctional teams.
At the first class session, a pre-course questionnaire is completed by the students. [PreCourse Questionnaire] This questionnaire provides a self-assessment of students’
knowledge and skills to be acquired in the course. It is completed again at the end of the
course. Students’ names are included so that changes in individual students can be
assessed. The pre-course questionnaire is also a valuable way to identify students who
have particular skills, e.g. in spreadsheets or web page construction. These students
become resource people to assist others in these exercises.
2. Multiple objectives
Not only are there multiple objectives, the objectives are wide-ranging and include
development of several skills as well as acquisition of knowledge. The key to achieving
the objectives is to focus as many as possible on the design project. Thus, physical
principles learned are those that directly relate to the project. Spreadsheet techniques are
those used in modeling physical phenomena and presenting data related to the project.
Oral presentations and written assignments are to demonstrate understanding not only of
the concepts but also understanding of the principles of good oral and written
communication.
3. Learning materials distributed among many sources.
The required textbook includes discussion and illustration of many of the topics, e.g.
profession of engineering, teamwork, design principles, etc. Others, such as spreadsheets
and web page programming, are not included. The textbook serves as an organizing
medium, and reading and answering questions in the book are assigned. Those exercises
are extended by instructor-prepared lectures, tutorials, classroom exercises, and
laboratories. Additional printed texts and guides are recommended. [See Syllabus]
4. Coordination with ENG 100
One section of ENG 100 College Writing is linked to ELE 100. All the students in that
ENG 100 section are also in ELE 100. However, all the ELE 100 students are not in ENG
100. There is some coordination and sharing between ENG 100 and ELE 100 instructors
so that the work of both courses is somewhat related.
5. Scheduling with technician for class time project work
The design project includes construction of a device to achieve a specified purpose
(described below). Students need to identify materials and parts and construct a working
device. This requires the assistance of the technician. There are certain class periods that
are devoted to shop work. The technician needs to be available to provide expertise,
advice, and assistance.
6. Scheduling of resource person for Myers-Briggs session
In relation to learning styles and teamwork, students learn their own styles and
preferences, both through reading and homework and through completing the MyersBriggs Type Inventory (MBTI). In a major portion of a class period, a resource person
from Career Services (Mariah Gaughan) provides background and exercises to introduce
students to the various styles. This session needs to be relatively early in the semester in
order that its benefits can manifest themselves during the semester.
Components of the Course
Various components of the course are interwoven but fall into n major categories:
problem solving, concept mastery, discovery, communication, teamwork, and design.
Then do sequencing of activities.
Problem Solving
Background is provided by the textbook [Syllabus]. A problem-solving method [Problem
Solving] is outlined in class and students do a physics problem using the problem-solving
steps. A spreadsheet guidebook is recommended [?].
Along with an introduction to Excel spreadsheets [Excel Notes I & II], students learn and
practice solving problems using spreadsheets. In Spring 2004, these exercises all
revolved around the trajectory of a baseball. Content provided by lecture included:
concepts of distance, velocity, and acceleration as a function of time and their
mathematical expressions; definition of trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent;
shape of the curves described by the mathematical functions; concept of linearity, and
construction of a y(x) expression from x(t) and y(t) expressions. The y(x) for the baseball
trajectory is a function of both x and , which provides for opportunity to introduce
functions of two independent variables. [Trajectory Notes I & II]
Spreadsheet techniques include: basic operations; solution of formulas; relative and
absolute addressing; incrementing a variable; built in functions; xy scatterplots; multiple
plots on single set of axes; best fit curve to a set of data and correlation coefficient; plot
labeling, scaling, secondary axis; and surface plots (two independent variables).
Concept Mastery
Concept mastery comes from reading the book, answering questions in the book,
classroom lectures and note-taking, oral presentations, and written research paper,
laboratory reports and project report. The concepts relate to the engineering profession,
learning styles, etc. in book and the design project.
The electromechanical design project is to design, develop, build, test, and demonstrate a
small vehicle to transport a load up an incline, e.g. a ramp, using only two AAA batteries
as the energy source. Concepts related to this project include voltage, current, resistance,
electrical power, energy, work, force, distance, velocity, acceleration, magnetic fields and
forces, linear and rotational velocity, work and power, and efficiency. Operation of
batteries, dc motors, and gears is described in a series of tutorials, presented in class and
available as electronic documents. Associated documents accompany pertinent laboratory
guidelines in the Discovery section. Mechanics principles are presented in three segments
[Mechanics I, II, and III].
Discovery
Discovery is accomplished through laboratory exercises and demonstrations. Concept
documents and laboratory exercises include:
Concept
Electrical Principles
Battery Principles
Basis of Motor Action
(redo as armature
electromagnetic)
Laboratory
Voltage, Resistance, and Current
Battery Depletion
Magnetic Fields; and force demonstration [Photo]
Power Supply and Motor
Battery and Motor
Communication
There are opportunities to develop oral, written, computer and interpersonal
communication skills.
It has been observed that students rarely take class notes unless encouraged to do so.
Since considerable material in engineering courses is presented as chalk talk, note taking
is a communications skill that needs to be mastered. Consequently, part of a class session
is devoted to presenting principles of good note taking [Recommendations About Note
Taking] followed immediately by a chalk talk following which the student notes are
collected, evaluated, and returned.
Background for oral presentations is provided by a computer assisted presentation on
giving a computer assisted presentation [Oral Presentation.ppt]. Students do an individual
presentation of their personal web page using the projected web page itself. They also do
a computer assisted presentation as a team on the principles of operation of batteries, dc
motors, and gears, and a team presentation of their proposed vehicle design [Design
Proposal Presentation]. Students evaluate each other on their presentations, thereby
recognizing good and not-so-good presentation behaviors to be incorporated or avoided
in their own presentations. [Guidelines for Presentation Evaluation]
Guidelines for written communications is provided by a recommended manual
[Syllabus], by English Department guidelines (modified) [Criteria for Composition
Grading], and by the textbook. [Guidelines for Laboratory Reports], [Guidelines for
Research Paper and Presentation], and for the final project report [HexA Challenge
Design Report] are provided.
The portfolio assembles the course assignments, documents, guidelines, and work
products and includes reflections by the students on their experiences and learning
[Portfolio]. An interim portfolio about a third of the way through the course provides a
reminder of the requirement an opportunity for feedback on quality and completeness
[Interim Portfolio].
Students learn to create a web page using XHTML programming. They incorporate text,
photographs, various fonts and colors, and learn about web page layout and style.
Tutorials are provided [HTML 1, 2, &3], as are references to web sources, a [Guide for
Creating a Good Web Page], instructions for transferring the web page to the Electrical
Engineering server [Transferring Your Document to a Server] and a recommended
textbook [Syllabus]. In addition to web sites for individual students, web sites are set up
for each team to use to submit their contributions to laboratory reports, to the project
design, and to the final report.
Students gain background in interpersonal communications through learning styles
readings and MBTI discussions. They gain experience in team communications through
the laboratories, the team design project, and by teamwork exercises.
Teamwork
Background is provided by the textbook, by handouts, and class discussion. The [LOST
AT SEA] exercise illustrates the benefits of teams in solving problems, due to diverse
backgrounds, knowledge, and ideas. The [Team Dynamics Exercise] illustrates principles
of design as well as teamwork needed to build a competitive paper tower. Handouts are
provided outlining characteristics of a high performance team [What Is A Team?] and
[Team Players], strategies for resolving conflicts [Conflict Strategies], and roles and
responsibilities of team members in meetings and as a working group, and
[Brainstorming Principles and Practices].
Teams are formed tentatively early in the semester based on self-reporting of team
leadership skills in the pre-course questionnaire, by observations of the instructor, and to
some degree by MBTI types. The instructor observes the teams in action and makes
reassignments as necessary and as expeditiously as possible so that the final teams can be
long-lasting and high-performing.
Teamwork is an explicit part of the course. Students evaluate one another on their team
skills and work contributions [Self/Peer Team Assessment], and the instructor includes it
as an element in the course grade. {Kristen needs to get this in electronic form.}
Design
The design challenge for the project used so far is as follows:
Design and construct a wheeled vehicle that will go, under its own power, up the
ramp on the first floor of the John Mitchell Center using two AAA batteries as the
sole energy source. The vehicle must employ the motor provided. The vehicle
must include a payload area capable of containing “lead” shot. The goal is to
transport the most mass the most quickly. The cost should be no more than $15.
You will be reimbursed up to $10 per team for materials upon submission of
receipts. Your team will design, construct, test, and demonstrate a vehicle fitting
the above goal and constraints. [The HexA Challenge]
Background on the design process is provided in the textbook. The nature of design is
presented in class [DesignNature.ppt]. Students are provided with [Brainstorming
Principles and Practices] and an opportunity to use them in designing their vehicles. The
students are coached to develop a list of design objectives for their vehicle, e.g. loadcarrying, efficient, strong, lightweight, etc. Teams develop their own objectives, e.g. fast
versus massive, and their designs, e.g. materials, number and size of wheels, etc. They
design the vehicle. They collect materials and, with the assistance of the technician,
construct it.
They make decisions based on knowledge gained in class and in the laboratory. They
have learned what power can be expected from AAA batteries and for how long; they
know what the maximum power output of the motor/gear combination is and at what load
that occurs. For a particular driving wheel size, gear ratio, and known optimum operating
point for the motor/gears derived in the laboratory, they predict the velocity and the mass
of their vehicle for optimum performance.
Class time is provided for testing the vehicles. Problems are uncovered in testing.
Experience is gained as to the actual performance of the vehicle.
Following final corrections and improvements, the vehicles are “raced”, that is, the
performance is compared to the predicted performance. A team can “win” either by
having the best performance or by having the performance closest to the predicted
performance, or both. [HexA Challenge Scoring Sheet]
A Suggested Schedule
Syllabus, Outcomes, Name Game, Problem Solving
HexA Design Challenge introduced
Problem Solving, Spreadsheets: problems related to HexA
Electrical Principles and Lab
Battery Principles and Battery lab
Shipwreck
Web Page and presentation
Interim Portfolio
Team Tower
More HexA
Design Principles
Teamwork
Vehicle design started
Motor Principles and Labs
Team reports using web
Vehicle design continued
Vehicle design proposal presentation
Mechanics
Paper on Batteries, Motors, and Gears
Vehicle construction
Vehicle testing
Vehicle racing
Project Report using web
Portfolio