the preliminary results of a study being conducted to improve student scores on the general exam ... more the preliminary results of a study being conducted to improve student scores on the general exam by implementing student mentoring and student led instruction in addition to the components of the existing review course program. In particular, a student facilitator encouraged and motivated senior students to participate in a self-graded practice exam prior to the actual exam in order to evaluate weak areas for each student and also examined the motivation of juniors (one year prior to taking the exam) by providing extra credit opportunities for these students in a mechanics of materials course.
–The ASCE-BOK indicates that the “design ” outcome can be met as a result of completing requireme... more –The ASCE-BOK indicates that the “design ” outcome can be met as a result of completing requirements for B+M/30, while the ability to design is achieved with additional experience. This paper examines what constitutes engineering design and how it is influenced by communication skills, team work, social, environmental, political, and sustainability issues within an undergraduate academic environment. In addition, this paper focuses on how engineering design can be incorporated into a curriculum with the goal of achieving the intended ABET and ASCE-BOK outcomes through evaluation of individual courses typically offered in an undergraduate Civil and Environmental Engineering program, and means to track design related topics through the curriculum to ensure continuity and completeness. Assessment of student learning throughout the curriculum is included, with specific examples taken from The Citadel’s undergraduate Civil and Environmental Engineering program.
3 sets forth outcomes that every accredited engineering program must demonstrate that their gradu... more 3 sets forth outcomes that every accredited engineering program must demonstrate that their graduates meet, using a process of assessment. These program objectives are commonly referred to as “a ” through “k” outcomes. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has published Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century—Preparing the Civil Engineer for the Future. This publication, which supports ABET’s Engineering Criteria 2000, has been referred to as the “Body of Knowledge ” (BOK) by ASCE’s Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice. It describes what should be taught and learned, and incorporates the eleven “a ” through “k ” ABET outcomes while adding four additional ones addressing technical specialization, project management, construction, asset management, business and public policy and administration, and leadership. The BOK further delineates what level of competence a student is expected to achieve for each of the fifteen outcomes from eit...
Environmental Engineering (CEE) during the 2003/2004 academic year. The process is predicated upo... more Environmental Engineering (CEE) during the 2003/2004 academic year. The process is predicated upon submittal of individual course assessment reports generated by professors for each course taught within the departmental curriculum. A step-by-step methodology was established via the use of detailed flow charts that identify major activities, completion milestones, internal reviews, curriculum tabulations, summary reporting, multi-faceted feedback and continuous improvement. Results of the process are structured to directly connect with the larger goal of conducting comprehensive outcomes assessment for the department and serve as a significant component in meeting ABET criteria to foster systematic improvement in the quality of engineering educational goals and objectives.
Knowledge and completed the development of common course goals with appropriate levels of cogniti... more Knowledge and completed the development of common course goals with appropriate levels of cognitive achievement based on Bloom’s taxonomy. In addition, the department has adopted a holistic process for investigating and analyzing the linkage of individual course goals in various discipline-specific areas of concentration within the curriculum. Sequential course outcome maps or “threads ” have now been developed for each of the department’s major discipline tracts (structural, environmental, site development, and transportation engineering). Through the process of developing sequenced course threads, a major objective was to identify the effectiveness of how course goals are linked within the undergraduate curriculum. This paper expands the work presented by Bower et al. [1] describing the impact of identifying threads for the environmental engineering tract by presenting both similar conclusions and some new findings that appear to be relevant only to the structural engineering trac...
In Fall of 2004, the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Cita... more In Fall of 2004, the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Citadel adopted an expanded set of fifteen program outcomes identified in the American Society of Civil Engineers Body of Knowledge and completed the development of common course goals with appropriate levels of cognitive achievement based on Bloom's taxonomy. In addition, the department has adopted a holistic process for investigating and analyzing the linkage of individual course goals in various discipline-specific areas of concentration within the curriculum. Sequential course outcome maps or "threads" have now been developed for each of the department's major discipline tracts (structural, environmental, site development, and transportation engineering). Through the process of developing sequenced course threads, a major objective was to identify the effectiveness of how course goals are linked within the undergraduate curriculum. This paper expands the work presented ...
The CEE department developed an artificial project that incorporated a real world feel. The combi... more The CEE department developed an artificial project that incorporated a real world feel. The combined course structure was designed to provide an environment consistent with a small-to-medium size consulting firm. Meanwhile, the individual classes were taught in a variety of different styles. Local professionals were used to play the role of clients and meetings were arranged with actual local regulatory agencies to discuss the design alternatives and submittal deadlines. The class project resulted in comprehensive sets of plans, specifications, and cost estimates along with other discipline specific deliverables. This paper describes the type of project used, how the Army Corps of Engineers and local professionals were incorporated into the class structure, the level and type of involvement between the three civil specific disciplines, and provides the results of course feedback from the students. In addition, problems encountered during the semester and plans on addressing them dur...
Advanced chemical oxidation processes (AOP’s), particularly processes using .ozone, involve a rap... more Advanced chemical oxidation processes (AOP’s), particularly processes using .ozone, involve a rapidly growing area of environmental research and applications. A need exists, however, for improvements to AOP’s to make them less costly and more effective. This paper evaluated the addition of a fixed bed of sand to the conventional H2O2-O3 process as a function of reactor configuration, pH, and sand type. The West Liberty sand consisting of the greatest concentrations of iron and manganese yielded the best results, showing 15% more phenol removal than Muscatine sand and 28% more removal than no sand (i.e. H2O2-O3). Phenol degradation product formation and disappearance rates in comparison to the direct ozonation and O3-H2O2 processes indicate metal-oxide sand surface-catalyzed H2O2 decomposition improves the conventional O3-H2O2 advanced oxidation process at pH 7. Analysis of results suggests the enhancement is a result of increased formation of essential oxygen radical intermediates (...
the preliminary results of a study being conducted to improve student scores on the general exam ... more the preliminary results of a study being conducted to improve student scores on the general exam by implementing student mentoring and student led instruction in addition to the components of the existing review course program. In particular, a student facilitator encouraged and motivated senior students to participate in a self-graded practice exam prior to the actual exam in order to evaluate weak areas for each student and also examined the motivation of juniors (one year prior to taking the exam) by providing extra credit opportunities for these students in a mechanics of materials course.
–The ASCE-BOK indicates that the “design ” outcome can be met as a result of completing requireme... more –The ASCE-BOK indicates that the “design ” outcome can be met as a result of completing requirements for B+M/30, while the ability to design is achieved with additional experience. This paper examines what constitutes engineering design and how it is influenced by communication skills, team work, social, environmental, political, and sustainability issues within an undergraduate academic environment. In addition, this paper focuses on how engineering design can be incorporated into a curriculum with the goal of achieving the intended ABET and ASCE-BOK outcomes through evaluation of individual courses typically offered in an undergraduate Civil and Environmental Engineering program, and means to track design related topics through the curriculum to ensure continuity and completeness. Assessment of student learning throughout the curriculum is included, with specific examples taken from The Citadel’s undergraduate Civil and Environmental Engineering program.
3 sets forth outcomes that every accredited engineering program must demonstrate that their gradu... more 3 sets forth outcomes that every accredited engineering program must demonstrate that their graduates meet, using a process of assessment. These program objectives are commonly referred to as “a ” through “k” outcomes. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has published Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century—Preparing the Civil Engineer for the Future. This publication, which supports ABET’s Engineering Criteria 2000, has been referred to as the “Body of Knowledge ” (BOK) by ASCE’s Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice. It describes what should be taught and learned, and incorporates the eleven “a ” through “k ” ABET outcomes while adding four additional ones addressing technical specialization, project management, construction, asset management, business and public policy and administration, and leadership. The BOK further delineates what level of competence a student is expected to achieve for each of the fifteen outcomes from eit...
Environmental Engineering (CEE) during the 2003/2004 academic year. The process is predicated upo... more Environmental Engineering (CEE) during the 2003/2004 academic year. The process is predicated upon submittal of individual course assessment reports generated by professors for each course taught within the departmental curriculum. A step-by-step methodology was established via the use of detailed flow charts that identify major activities, completion milestones, internal reviews, curriculum tabulations, summary reporting, multi-faceted feedback and continuous improvement. Results of the process are structured to directly connect with the larger goal of conducting comprehensive outcomes assessment for the department and serve as a significant component in meeting ABET criteria to foster systematic improvement in the quality of engineering educational goals and objectives.
Knowledge and completed the development of common course goals with appropriate levels of cogniti... more Knowledge and completed the development of common course goals with appropriate levels of cognitive achievement based on Bloom’s taxonomy. In addition, the department has adopted a holistic process for investigating and analyzing the linkage of individual course goals in various discipline-specific areas of concentration within the curriculum. Sequential course outcome maps or “threads ” have now been developed for each of the department’s major discipline tracts (structural, environmental, site development, and transportation engineering). Through the process of developing sequenced course threads, a major objective was to identify the effectiveness of how course goals are linked within the undergraduate curriculum. This paper expands the work presented by Bower et al. [1] describing the impact of identifying threads for the environmental engineering tract by presenting both similar conclusions and some new findings that appear to be relevant only to the structural engineering trac...
In Fall of 2004, the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Cita... more In Fall of 2004, the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Citadel adopted an expanded set of fifteen program outcomes identified in the American Society of Civil Engineers Body of Knowledge and completed the development of common course goals with appropriate levels of cognitive achievement based on Bloom's taxonomy. In addition, the department has adopted a holistic process for investigating and analyzing the linkage of individual course goals in various discipline-specific areas of concentration within the curriculum. Sequential course outcome maps or "threads" have now been developed for each of the department's major discipline tracts (structural, environmental, site development, and transportation engineering). Through the process of developing sequenced course threads, a major objective was to identify the effectiveness of how course goals are linked within the undergraduate curriculum. This paper expands the work presented ...
The CEE department developed an artificial project that incorporated a real world feel. The combi... more The CEE department developed an artificial project that incorporated a real world feel. The combined course structure was designed to provide an environment consistent with a small-to-medium size consulting firm. Meanwhile, the individual classes were taught in a variety of different styles. Local professionals were used to play the role of clients and meetings were arranged with actual local regulatory agencies to discuss the design alternatives and submittal deadlines. The class project resulted in comprehensive sets of plans, specifications, and cost estimates along with other discipline specific deliverables. This paper describes the type of project used, how the Army Corps of Engineers and local professionals were incorporated into the class structure, the level and type of involvement between the three civil specific disciplines, and provides the results of course feedback from the students. In addition, problems encountered during the semester and plans on addressing them dur...
Advanced chemical oxidation processes (AOP’s), particularly processes using .ozone, involve a rap... more Advanced chemical oxidation processes (AOP’s), particularly processes using .ozone, involve a rapidly growing area of environmental research and applications. A need exists, however, for improvements to AOP’s to make them less costly and more effective. This paper evaluated the addition of a fixed bed of sand to the conventional H2O2-O3 process as a function of reactor configuration, pH, and sand type. The West Liberty sand consisting of the greatest concentrations of iron and manganese yielded the best results, showing 15% more phenol removal than Muscatine sand and 28% more removal than no sand (i.e. H2O2-O3). Phenol degradation product formation and disappearance rates in comparison to the direct ozonation and O3-H2O2 processes indicate metal-oxide sand surface-catalyzed H2O2 decomposition improves the conventional O3-H2O2 advanced oxidation process at pH 7. Analysis of results suggests the enhancement is a result of increased formation of essential oxygen radical intermediates (...
Uploads
Papers by Kevin Bower