ECE 103
Engineering Problem Solving and Design
Fall 2015
SLN: 43129
Classroom: CM454
Class time: M/W 5:25–7:05 PM
First day of class: 8/24/15 Last day of class: 12/09/15
Final: M 12/14 from 4:00–5:50 PM Instructor: Cody Anderson
Email: [email protected]
Office: CM 464 & Math Tutor Center Office Hours: M/W 1:30-3:30
***The best way to contact me is to send an email with “ECE 103” in the subject line Course description:
We will be learning engineering culture, professional ethics, engineering use of computer tools, and computer modeling as applied to engineering analysis and design. In the process, we will encounter basic physical laws, develop skills for group and individual work, and practice with software common in engineering (namely Excel, MATLAB, and AutoCAD). The primary objective of this course is to learn to think like an engineer: to see a problem and solve it with thoroughness, efficiency, and joy at the challenge.
Pre-requisites: ECE102 or ECE102AA AND high school physics, PHY111, or PHY111AA Materials:
Text (course material will be taken from these, but you aren’t required to buy them): How to Model It: Problem Solving for the Computer Age by Starfield et al. (ISBN
0808779702)
Engineering Fundamentals: An Introduction to Engineering by Moaveni (ISBN 0495082538)
Essentials of MATLAB Programming by Chapman (ISBN 0495073008) Other:
USB flash drive (at least 1 GB)
Calculator (can’t be on your phone, laptop, etc.; TI-83/84 recommended)
Grading breakdown: Allocation: 5%: Attendance 30%: Assignments 20%: Exam 45%: Projects 7%: Extra Credit
Grades (traditional, no curve): 90% ≤ A
80% ≤ B < 90% 70% ≤ C < 80% 60% ≤ D < 70% F < 60%
Attendance (5%):
If you miss more than 3 days of class, you may be dropped.
Your Attendance % has little impact on your grade, but your attendance has a major impact on what you get out of the course. Much of the learning is group- and project-based. The knowledge and skills you obtain by attending class cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Students may be excused from class due to official SCC-sanctioned events, religious observances, medical reasons, or legitimate emergencies. They should inform the instructor of the absence by email as soon as possible.
Exam (20%):
One exam will be given which is worth 20% of your overall grade. After getting the exam back and graded, you will have an opportunity to make up points. On a separate sheet of paper that is clearly marked with the problem number, you may redo each missed problem. At steps where you made a mistake on the original exam, you must write a couple sentences that explain where you made a mistake and why the new approach is correct. This corrected copy is then turned into the instructor along with the original exam. This must be turned in by the next class period after getting the exam back. You will receive half credit for all properly corrected answers. So say, for example, you received 60% on the original exam; if you make proper corrections and comments to all missed problems, you will end up with 80%.
Make-up exams are not allowed except under extreme circumstances (e.g. medical emergencies). If you do miss an exam, inform me as soon as possible and you must present evidence of your excuse (e.g. doctor’s note); otherwise you will receive a score of 0% on the exam. Make-up exams will be given as soon as possible after the original exam.
Projects (45%):
You will be working on four projects over the course of the semester (see Course Schedule). The three mid-term projects will each be worth 10% of your overall grade; the final project will be worth 15%. Presentations will be given in front of the class and will last 8-12 minutes. You will be graded on both content and style.
Groups will consist of 3 members (as near as possible). Members of the group will generally receive the same score on their project. The exception to this is if a member does not contribute at all; in this case, all group members will be asked to meet with me outside of class to discuss the issue.
Since we have a small number of students, you cannot be in an identical group for more than one project. For example, if Doug, Sharon, and Pete team up on Project 1, they cannot form the same group for any other project. Doug and Sharon could, however, team up with Susie on another project.
Assignments (30%):
Regularly through the semester, homework and in-class assignments will be assigned. Although this work is submitted individually, students are encouraged to work together—but you must submit your own work. Assignments are due at the start of the announced class period. For
Extra Credit:
There is a wide range of extra credit available for this course. I recommend doing these for the points and, more importantly, for the benefits you’ll glean from them. You are only allowed to submit one of these in a given week (i.e. I don’t want to get a big stack of hastily slapped-together reports during finals week). Also, if you turned in the book report, road trip, or purpose report in ECE102, you are not allowed to do those in this class.
Puzzle Packs (2% total). You may complete up to two packets of number puzzles (kakuro, sudoku, inkies, slitherlink) for 1% each. These will start at medium difficulty (you got the easy level in 102). To get these, just email me about it.
Book Report (2%). Read chapter 10 of Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. Write three pages in which you summarize the chapter, assess why I had you read it, and explain how you might apply it to your schoolwork and life.
Road Trip (1%). Think of somewhere drivable that you’ve always wanted to visit (Niagara Falls! Yellowstone! Fenway Park! New Orleans! Yukon Territory!). Plan out a trip. Make a map and itinerary detailing your route, stops, and things you should pack. Make a spreadsheet detailing expenses. Hopefully this summer you take this trip. Purpose Report (2%). Research an area of concern (e.g. air quality, water quality, water
access, health care, infrastructure) in a developing nation (e.g. Haiti, Somalia, Mali, Timor Leste, Bangladesh). Write 3 pages summarizing the issues and how your pursuit of engineering might help.
Academic integrity:
If plagiarism (copying of another’s work or ideas) is suspected, all students potentially involved will be asked to meet with the instructor to discuss the issue. Violations will be reported to the Chair of the Mathematics department per SCC’s code of conduct:
https://www.scottsdalecc.edu/about-scottsdale/policies-procedures-guidelines/code-conduct
Further, here is a message from Dean Fuji:
"The classroom is an educational learning environment where students are expected to engage in behaviors which are conducive to their own learning and the learning of their peers. To facilitate this, respect for self and others is mandatory and necessary. Should a student exhibit disruptive behavior and/or use profane language to the extent that it interferes with the learning environment, an academic consequence may be imposed. Any student found by a faculty member to have committed academic misconduct may be subject to the following academic consequences:
Warning – A notice in writing to the student that the student has violated the academic code. Grade Adjustment – Lowering of a score on a test or assignment.
Discretionary Sanctions – Additional academic assignments determined by the faculty member. Course Failure – Failure of a student from a course where academic misconduct occurs.
Phones, laptops, etc.:
Personal electronic devices should be put away and on silent mode during the instruction periods, unless otherwise noted by the teacher. If you are seen using them or they make an audible sound (beeps, loud buzzing), you will lose your attendance point for the day. If it becomes a common problem, I’ll ask that you leave the device in a bin at the front of the room during class time.
Available student resources:
Students are valued and there are numerous services available to you, including:
The Math/Science Tutor Center in CM 441 will be open Mon-Thu 8:00am-7:30pm, Fri 8:00am-2:00pm, and Sat 10:00am-2:00pm. It really is the best place to do homework and work on projects. The earlier you ask for help, the quicker you’ll figure it out.
The Student TechCenter provides computer access and assistance in software usage. It is open Mon-Thu 7:00am-9:00pm and Fri-Sat 8:00am-4:00pm.
Calculator rentals: you may rent calculators from the Information Technology Services Department Media Center for $10/semester. You may also check out calculators for free for a couple hours from Math/Science Tutor Center.
SCC Pay for Print: each student receives 250 free prints each semester (1 print = 1 one-sided page, black and white). After the initial 250 prints, additional prints can be purchased through the Cashier’s Office; each black and white print costs $.10.
Disability accommodations: suitable accommodations (e.g. supplying a notetaker, test-taking assistance) will be made for students who have disabilities. If you require assistance, please confidentially notify the instructor as soon as possible and call the Disability Resources and Services (DRS) at 480-423-6517
My purpose and expectations:
My purpose in being here is to serve you by being a thorough, helpful, and fair instructor, and so provide a solid foundation for further engineering studies. However, the responsibility for grabbing hold of your education lies with you. I expect you to be courteous to me and your classmates and to realize what a gift and responsibility it is to be a student. The more genuine you are, the more you’ll learn and the more fun it’ll be for all of us. If you have questions/ concerns/struggles with anything, simply ask and you’ll find help.
Course schedule—Fall 2015
Schedule is subject to change at instructor’s discretion. Class
#
Date Topics
1 Aug 24 Fill the tank, engineering overview
2 Aug 26 Units and conversions, Robots (First bot, Straight Line Movement) 3 Aug 31 Units and conversions, Robots (Closest to Wall Challenge)
4 Sep 2 Teamwork, Excel
Sep 7 MLK Day – do some dreaming 5 Sep 9 Teamwork, Excel
6 Sep 14 Communication, Excel 7 Sep 16 Ping Pong Balls review, Excel 8 Sep 21 “Purging a gas tank”
9 Sep 23 “Purging a gas tank” 10 Sep 28 Robots (Turning)
11 Sep 30 MATLAB, “Purging a gas tank” presentations
12 Oct 5 MATLAB
13 Oct 7 Robots (Ultrasonic, RGB Sensors)
14 Oct 12 MATLAB
15 Oct 14 MATLAB
16 Oct 19 “Hot and Thirsty Executive” 17 Oct 21 “Hot and Thirsty Executive”
18 Oct 26 Robots (looking at the playing field) 19 Oct 28 “Hot and Thirsty Executive” presentations
20 Nov 2 “Tennis”
21 Nov 4 “Tennis”
22 Nov 9 Robots
Nov 11 Veteran’s Day – find someone to thank 23 Nov 16 OnShape
24 Nov 18 “Tennis” presentations
25 Nov 23 OnShape
26 Nov 25 OnShape, Exam Review 27 Nov 30 ***The Exam
28 Dec 2 Robots
29 Dec 7 Robots
30 Dec 9 Final project presentation (Robots) Dec 14
4:00-5:50
Syllabus Agreement Form
Please fill out form, sign, and return to instructor either today or at the next class meeting. If you have any issues with the syllabus, bring them up before you sign and we’ll discuss.
I ____________________________________ have completely read and understood this syllabus for the course ECE103, as taught by Cody Anderson. I understand that changes may be made to the syllabus at the instructor’s discretion; any changes will be discussed with the class. I also understand that I am expected to responsibly fulfill my role as student as outlined in the SCC student handbook (
http://www.scottsdalecc.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/2011-12_scc_collegecatalog_0.pdf).
Signed: ________________________________ Date: _________________
