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Engineering Department (engineering + department)
Selected AbstractsAnimated instructional software for mechanics of materials: Implementation and assessmentCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 1 2006Timothy A. Philpot Abstract During the past 3 years, the Basic Engineering Department at the University of Missouri, Rolla has been developing a second-generation suite of instructional software called MecMovies for the Mechanics of Materials course. The MecMovies suite consists of over 110 animated example problems, drill-and-practice games, and interactive exercises. Students generally respond favorably to software of this type; however, much of the data that has been gathered to assess the effectiveness of similar software has been anecdotal. The method by which instructional software is incorporated into the engineering class is partly responsible for this lack of systematic evaluation. Often, software packages have been implemented in the classroom as supplemental material,recommended but not required. In the Fall 2003 semester, MecMovies was integrated thoroughly into the course assignments for one of the six UMR Mechanics of Materials sections. Four professors were involved in the study, and student performance in the experimental MecMovies section was compared to performance in the five control sections through a common final exam. At the end of the semester, students who used the MecMovies software also completed a survey questionnaire consisting of a number of subjective rating items. This paper presents a comparison of student performance in the experimental and control sections along with discussion of student qualitative ratings and comments. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 31,43, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20065 [source] Behaviour modelling of a PEMFC operating on diluted hydrogen feedINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 14 2008M. Minutillo Abstract The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using reformate gas as fuel is regarded as an attractive solution for the near-term introduction of fuel cells in stationary or mobile power generation market. With respect to hydrogen feeding, the reformate gas fuelling involves additional polarization losses because of the hydrogen dilution and the impurities contained in the gas. In this paper a one-dimensional model has been developed to investigate the behaviour of a PEMFC operating with reformate gas mixture. The model, based on a semi-empirical approach, considers the kinetic reactions in the anode side taking into account the effect of reverse water,gas shift (RWGS) due to the presence of CO2 in the fuel. As it is well known, the exhaust stream from fuel reformers can contain a high carbon dioxide concentration (>20%) that can have a detrimental effect on the fuel cell performance because of the combination of the dilution and the formation of CO by the RWGS reaction. The numerical simulation results have been compared with the experimental data, obtained in the test room of Industrial Engineering Department of Cassino University, and a good match has been observed. The model has been developed by using a simplified approach that, nevertheless, can allow to obtain a good numerical prediction of the fuel cell performance reducing the simulation time and computational efforts. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An interactive procedure for selecting acceptable alternatives in the presence of multiple criteriaNAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 7 2001Canan Ulu Abstract In this paper, we consider the multiple criteria decision-making problem of partitioning alternatives into acceptable and unacceptable sets. We develop interactive procedures for the cases when the underlying utility function of the decision maker is linear, quasiconcave, and general monotone. We present an application of the procedures to the problem of admitting students to the master's degree program at the Industrial Engineering Department, Middle East Technical University. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 48: 592,606, 2001. [source] Departmental websites and female student recruitmentPROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2008Kristin Hanks Female recruitment and retention in technology related fields is still low, despite numerous attempts to reverse this trend. As a recruitment device, a school's webpage may be the only visual representation a student will see before deciding whether or not to apply. Thus, understanding the possible implications of this medium is important within the larger conversation on gender equity and opportunities. This research addresses several questions: At first glance, do websites give gender cues, whether intentional or not? Is there a relationship between certain web content and the number of women recruited into technology related schools and departments? Do applied fields (Informatics, Information Science, Instructional Technology, Information Systems) differ in their online recruitment practices from more traditional Computer Science and Engineering departments? It is important to note that this research is not an attempt to find the best web practices to recruit female students or an attempt to punish or blame specific institutions regarding their recruitment practices. [source] Mentoring and organisational learning in research and developmentR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2005Liz Borredon This paper presents and discusses the contribution of ,mentoring' relationships to organisational learning and knowledge creation in the early stages of research and development (R&D) projects. Our study considers the characteristics of a scientific leader, the nature of the context he creates, and how dialogue contributes to scientific breakthrough. Our study is unusual in as much as research on knowledge creation has developed separately, yet in parallel, with that of mentoring. It is rare to combine these disciplines and yet our research shows there is much to learn from examining the two as a process. We conducted our research at TECHNO, a high-tech-based European company producing advanced equipment dedicated to particles acceleration. Interviews were carried out in 2002,2003 with the founder of the company, the head of the R&D and engineering department, and team members involved in the low energy cyclotron project. Our exploratory research enabled us to identify differences in actors' perceptions about the nature and characteristics of these relationships. Our study also suggests that not all sets of relationships can tolerate the degree of intensity provided by the ,mentor'. TECHNO has other ,mentors' who do not manage to generate the same creative context. Complementary mentoring styles based on premises and process reflection allow to support and enhance ,upper levels' learning by junior team members. We examine the nature of the leaders as mentors and catalysts within the learning process and briefly discuss implications for setting up and maintaining learning teams. [source] Origins and development of biomedical engineering within chemical engineeringAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2004Nicholas A. Peppas Abstract Over the past 45 years, the field of biomedical engineering has found a welcome home in academic chemical engineering departments and in companies working with artificial organs, medical devices, and pharmaceutical formulations. The contributions of chemical engineers to the definition and the growth of the field have been important and at times seminal. The development and early contributions in the biomedical field with special emphasis on the contributions of chemical engineers is examined. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 536,546, 2004 [source] Mapping the motivations and intentions of technology orientated entrepreneursR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2003Elizabeth Chell The role of entrepreneurs in stimulating growth in the small business economy has received significant interest in the last three decades. This growing interest is prompted, in part, by the government's assumption that the establishment and expansion of existing small firms could be greatly enhanced by the promotion of entrepreneurial education programmes in colleges and universities. Whilst there has been significant interest in the role, type and effect of entrepreneurs in the economy, few studies have examined the effect of entrepreneurial programmes on the progression of an idea through to commercialisation. This is because such research, whilst seemingly desirable, is problematic. Evidence can be gleaned through the development of suitable conceptual frameworks and methods, to assess the role and impact of entrepreneurial programmes on the commercialisation of products or processes, and the enhancement of entrepreneurial capabilities. To address this problem, the research will examine different approaches and frameworks that have been developed and applied hitherto. The objective of this will be to highlight the difficulties in assessing the motivations, cognitive and behavioural changes of entrepreneurs. Also, the research will demonstrate the need to undertake adequate controls, which illustrate possible improvement in entrepreneurial capabilities, networks, and credibility in comparison to students that embarked on courses without entrepreneurial elements. The process will confine itself to business development within the higher education (HEI) context. The MSEC has as its remit to provide opportunity, education, awareness and training to foster entrepreneurship within science and engineering departments across four universities in Greater Manchester. This setting will provide a unique situation in which to investigate the development of germinal technology businesses from the inception of an idea to the point of incubation, prototype development and investment. There is a requirement to understand the needs of the virgin entrepreneur, possible obstacles to commercialisation and the process of new venture creation. The methodology to be adopted has been identified, and forges new ground on combining positivist and phenomenological paradigms. The multi,paradigm approach supports the use of critical incident technique to reveal greater insights in to the personal and cognitive development of virginal entrepreneurs, the suitability of enterprise programmes to act as catalysts for venture creation, and their role in supporting technology transfer. The research will not only confine itself to examining undergraduate and postgraduate projects within MSEC's business creation unit, but will also continue to assess the experience of entrepreneurs' when they leave the programme. The research also documents the economic contribution of the programme, in terms of generation of new technology,based firms and the impact of entrepreneurs joining established small firms. Ultimately the aim is to build a long,term picture of the role of enterprise programmes in HEIs that will inform policy and practice. [source] A survey of bioengineering research in Canada-2007BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 4 2008Andrew J. Daugulis Abstract Research activity in bioengineering at Canadian universities has been surveyed. Details were provided by chemical engineering departments in response to a common request for information on activities by individual researchers and for key publications. The information provided has been grouped by topics within the broad theme of "Bioengineering," and contributions from individual departments have been summarized within these topics. Although many aspects of bioengineering research are being pursued in Canada, it would appear as though environmental biotechnology, biomaterials, and tissue/cell culture are the most active areas under investigation. [source] | ||||||||||