ENGR 230, Spring 2009
Dynamic Topics List/Schedule/Assignments

last updated 4/24/2009
Prof. Hank Yochum and Prof. Scott Pierce

>> Sweet Briar Engineering

Week 1   Thursday, January 22
    welcome to ENGR 230!

Discuss course introduction, syllabus, and why study the interplay between technology and society

For Tuesday, have read
>> the information on the NISH National Scholar Award competition

>> the reports from 2007-2008 the first and third place winners (on same page as above)

ppt slides from class today
Week 2 Tuesday, January 27 Thursday, January 29
 

Break into groups for design project, brainstorm, review parts related to project

Class discussion based on the following assignment:

Do research into designing for people with disabilities. It would be particularly good to find info on designing for people with mental/developmental disabilities.

Write up your findings in a few paragraphs (more than 1/2 a page, less than 2 pages single spaced). Turn it in at the beginning of next class. Also be ready to discuss your findings during our next class.

Week 3 Tuesday, Febuary 3 Thursday, Febuary 5
  For today:
have questions ready for LSI based on our class discussion thursday and based on your further group discussions

you'll each turn in your questions

have read for today in Beyond Engineering
Introduction, pages 3-15
part of Chapter 1 History and Momentum, pages 17-31
Visit LSI, leave from lab at 12:15

have read Beyond Engineering
Week 4 Tuesday, Febuary 10 Thursday, Febuary 12
  For today, have met with your group to discuss ideas generated from the LSI visit

We will have a class discussion and group work based on LSI visit


Related to our discussion of car technologies and the path to innovation, read this article from the Atlantic on the development of the chevy volt titled "Electro-shock Therapy"

Turn in a reading journal entry, relate this to our course thesis statement (available above), does the story of the development of the chevy volt fit in with this thesis? Please cite specifics from the story in your entry

Week 5 Tuesday, Febuary 17 Thursday, Febuary 19
 

have read Beyond Engineering, pages 31-52.

Turn in a reading journal entry. The goal of this entry should be to provide an explanation of what Pool means by "momentum" and how this plays a role in engineering and technology

 

brainstorming session - work on inventor drawings
Machinist on campus at 3 pm
Week 6 Tuesday, Febuary 24 Thursday, Febuary 26
 

Each group timeline/schedule (in excel) must be emailed to both Scott and Hank by Monday at 5 pm. This schedule must have deadlines that map your project to all the specifics required (machining, time for redesigns and time for fabricating the redesigns, multiple testing dates, etc), including the report.

We will use each group schedule to check on our progress and in order to grade part of the projects

Each group should visit Scott and show him their inventor drawings . This should also be done by 5 pm on Monday.

Each group must have inventor drawings to present to the class by Tuesday (that have been reviewed by Scott!).

Machinist will be on campus or some students will go to Lynchburg to his shop.

have read chapter 2 "the power of ideas" in Beyond Engineering by today

reading journal topic - again reflect on our course thesis in the context of this chapter, citing examples, (some of these journals that studenst have writen have been a little too brief, these need to be a minimum of 350 words)


Machinist will be on campus or some students will go to Lynchburg to his shop
Week 7 Tuesday, March 3 Thursday, March 5
  each group will provide very brief update on their progress to the class

more group work
have read part of chaper 3 in Beyond Engineering (pages 85-99)
Week 8 Tuesday, March 10 Thursday, March 12
  part of class goes to Glass for maching

other half works on NISH paper
instructors away at conference

students work on redesigns, paper, etc.
Week 9 Tuesday, March 17 Thursday, March 19
  spring break spring break
Week 10 Tuesday, March 24 Thursday, March 26
 

discuss design review and required elements for your presentations:

What part of the assembly is your group working on?

What are the problems you are trying to solve or what improvements are you trying to make?

What is your proposed solution?

mid project evaluation/design review at LSI

Each group will give a 15 minute presentation (with slides)

This design review will take place at LSI and you should expect to receive input on your designs from our client
Week 11 Tuesday, March 31 Thursday, April 2
  discuss feedback from LSI design review

assess NISH timeline
have read the rest (p 99-118)of chapter 3 and chapter 4 in Beyond Engineering, reading journal focused on topic from reading of your choice
Week 12 Tuesday, April 7 Thursday, April 9
    have read chapter 5 in Beyond Engineering, reading journal topic is up to you, remember that you are also being graded on your participation in our disucussions

draft of NISH style paper due from each group
Week 13 Tuesday, April 14 Thursday, April 16
  discuss draft papers

review parts progress
visit LSI with prototypes

7:30 pm - choose parts for NISH paper or papers, meet in design lab
Week 14 Tuesday, April 21 Thursday, April 23
  Monday by noon - submit NISH format paper to all students in class and faculty for review

We'll critique the papers Tuesday.
Class used for group editing of NISH papers

NISH Project Report due April 24
Week 15 Tuesday, April 28 Thursday, April 30
  have read chapters 6 and 7 in Beyond Engineering

reading journal based on topic of your choice from these chapters
have read chapter 8 in Beyond Engineering
Week 16 Tuesday, May 5  
  last day of class
have read chapt 9 in Beyond Engineering

Note that our mid-term test will actually be at the end of the term and will be a paper discussing the course readings and our project
 

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