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2016 ASEE Rocky Mountain Section Conference
should also include demonstrations or simulations by visualizing and applying the abstract math
and engineering ideas to real-world problems. Video recordings on the use of engineering tools
such as Matlab/Simulink, Labview/Multisim, PhET and Algodoo software, can serve as
examples to demonstrate key concepts found in a particular course. The video instruction can
also include demonstrations of real-world applications. For example, in the capstone design
courses and projects, students can use relatively inexpensive microcontrollers such as Arduino,
Raspberry PI, and Beaglebone to serve as complementary hardware with the myDAQ from
National Instruments. These affordable microcontrollers have been investigated or used by on
past student group projects. Instructors can also use myDAQ and the microcontrollers to
demonstrate key concepts found in circuit analysis and electronics courses. To further promote
user engagement, any student questions raised from the interactive and multimedia content can
be addressed in the online and required interactive chat sessions.
From an online perspective, synchronous delivery means classroom time when the instructor and
students are online together (commonly known as a chat or synchronous session). The conduct of
the required Q&A chat sessions are discussed next.
The second concept involves minimal or no lecture material presented during the online sessions
when students and instructor meet synchronously on a weekly basis. The engineering
department determined that there is very little time to provide a thorough lecture-based material
during online sessions. This concept allows more student engagement as a follow-up to the
multimedia content presented during the week. The chat sessions are recorded. If students are
unable to attend the chat session, then they must view the recording and turn in an assigned
project or solve a particular homework problem before the chat session. These sessions should be
reserve for addressing student questions based on the weekly online multimedia content, required
readings or hands-on laboratory experiments or simulation exercise. The primary intent of the
chat session is to provide more practice in showing students how to solve more problems while
addressing student questions.
Before the chat session, the instructor can set up a discussion board where students can submit
their questions. Other students can answer these questions as well and earn points toward a
leaderboard providing incentives such as reducing the number of assignments that they need to
do or earning extra credit points. The chat sessions are primarily student-centered activities
based on problem-solving exercises/projects where most of the time is answering student
questions. The primary goal during the chat session is to facilitate and save time for students in
solving problems by showing more examples of assigned homework. Questions on the use of
engineering tools described earlier can be addressed here as well.
The synchronous chat sessions will also include an interactive whiteboard between the students
and instructor. For example, a chat session may involve an instructor who completed step 1 in
solving an assigned homework problem on the whiteboard. The instructor can then canvas the
audience or select a student by asking: what’s the next step toward solving the problem? In
addition, homework problems during weekly chat sessions, students may ask questions for
assigned lab or hands-on activities for that week. If a self-motivated student does not need to
attend the chat session and has successfully completed assigned homework before the chat
session, then the student gets credit or is excused from attending the session.
© American Society for Engineering Education, 2016
should also include demonstrations or simulations by visualizing and applying the abstract math
and engineering ideas to real-world problems. Video recordings on the use of engineering tools
such as Matlab/Simulink, Labview/Multisim, PhET and Algodoo software, can serve as
examples to demonstrate key concepts found in a particular course. The video instruction can
also include demonstrations of real-world applications. For example, in the capstone design
courses and projects, students can use relatively inexpensive microcontrollers such as Arduino,
Raspberry PI, and Beaglebone to serve as complementary hardware with the myDAQ from
National Instruments. These affordable microcontrollers have been investigated or used by on
past student group projects. Instructors can also use myDAQ and the microcontrollers to
demonstrate key concepts found in circuit analysis and electronics courses. To further promote
user engagement, any student questions raised from the interactive and multimedia content can
be addressed in the online and required interactive chat sessions.
From an online perspective, synchronous delivery means classroom time when the instructor and
students are online together (commonly known as a chat or synchronous session). The conduct of
the required Q&A chat sessions are discussed next.
The second concept involves minimal or no lecture material presented during the online sessions
when students and instructor meet synchronously on a weekly basis. The engineering
department determined that there is very little time to provide a thorough lecture-based material
during online sessions. This concept allows more student engagement as a follow-up to the
multimedia content presented during the week. The chat sessions are recorded. If students are
unable to attend the chat session, then they must view the recording and turn in an assigned
project or solve a particular homework problem before the chat session. These sessions should be
reserve for addressing student questions based on the weekly online multimedia content, required
readings or hands-on laboratory experiments or simulation exercise. The primary intent of the
chat session is to provide more practice in showing students how to solve more problems while
addressing student questions.
Before the chat session, the instructor can set up a discussion board where students can submit
their questions. Other students can answer these questions as well and earn points toward a
leaderboard providing incentives such as reducing the number of assignments that they need to
do or earning extra credit points. The chat sessions are primarily student-centered activities
based on problem-solving exercises/projects where most of the time is answering student
questions. The primary goal during the chat session is to facilitate and save time for students in
solving problems by showing more examples of assigned homework. Questions on the use of
engineering tools described earlier can be addressed here as well.
The synchronous chat sessions will also include an interactive whiteboard between the students
and instructor. For example, a chat session may involve an instructor who completed step 1 in
solving an assigned homework problem on the whiteboard. The instructor can then canvas the
audience or select a student by asking: what’s the next step toward solving the problem? In
addition, homework problems during weekly chat sessions, students may ask questions for
assigned lab or hands-on activities for that week. If a self-motivated student does not need to
attend the chat session and has successfully completed assigned homework before the chat
session, then the student gets credit or is excused from attending the session.
© American Society for Engineering Education, 2016
