EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines Extrovert: Helping Aerospace Engineers Develop...

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across DisciplinesExtrovert: Helping Aerospace Engineers Develop Advanced Concepts

Narayanan Komerath, Marilyn Smith, Brian GermanGeorgia Institute of Technology

Erian Armanios, U. Texas, Arlington

Dolores Krausche, Florida Center for Engineering Education

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across Disciplines

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The work reported in this paper was made possible by resources being developed for the “EXTROVERT” cross-disciplinary learning project under NASA Grant NNX09AF67G S01. Mr. Anthony Springer is the Technical Monitor.

Valuable technical resources on high speed aircraft aerodynamics came from the Boeing Company, courtesy of Dr. B. Kulfan.


McMahon Solutions LibraryMcMahon Solutions Library

Skills LibrarySkills Library Design-

Centered Introduction

Design-Centered

Introduction

FluidsFluids

PhysicsPhysics

ChemistryChemistryThermalSciencesThermalSciences

MaterialsMaterials

Elasticity

Strength

Composites

LowSpeedGasdynamics

HighSpeed

PropulsionPropulsion

Controls

System DesignSystem Design

Engg. Disciplines

Engg. Disciplines

Public PolicyPublic Policy

Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Space ScienceSpace

Science

Core Subject Knowledge

Case Studies Library


Advanced ConceptsAdvanced Concepts

Project Structure

MODULE-BASED ASSESSMENTMODULE-BASED ASSESSMENT

U R HereU R Here


Project Objectives:• Build resources for problem-solving across disciplines to develop new concepts.• Acquire experience on how engineers perform in such learning.

Approach: Enable learners to gain confidence with the process of solving problems, -starting with their own preferred learning styles.

Ideas being implemented include: •Design-centered portal to aerospace engineering •Vertical streams of technical content •Case Studies •Library of solved problems•Integrative concept modules • Module-based assessment to measure learning in time to improve it.


Paper builds on last year’s description of the issues, and presents usage experience.

Course experience •Introduction to aerospace engineering•Low speed aerodynamics•Vehicle Performance•High speed aerodynamics •Aeroelasticity•Graduate high speed aerodynamics•Graduate Propulsion Design

Assessment Results1. Formative assessment and evaluation results from courses.2. Survey site (http://www.surveymonkey.com) linked into courses. 3. Experience of student learning styles and preferences through discussion fora set up in course management websites. 4. Initial learning styles survey of students in different courses. 5. Formative survey modules in 3 courses. Being technical in nature, students (should) have somewhat strong motivation to answer these.


Learning stylesWhat types of resources are you most likely to FIRST TRY, when you are trying to learn a subject (for instance, as you prepare to do an assignment for an engineering class?)


What types of resources are you likely to eventually use, when you are trying to learn a subject?


Module Survey: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

1. Please think how you learned this section. What did you find to be helpful? Please tick all that apply.


Please list the top 5 concepts that you learned in this module. For example, your 4th choice may be: "vorticity is twice the rotation vector of a packet of fluid."

1. - The equation for a streamline2. - dilatation is the divergence of velocity3. - vorticity describes the rotation of flow4. - circulation is the line integral of velocity about a curve5. - Kutta-Joukowski Theorem

Module Survey: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

3. What concepts pose(d) difficulties for you? Please discuss, and also how you solved the difficulty if you did.

The physical interpretation of dilatation


4. Explain as to a 6th grader the 4 basic types of fluid motion

Translation is the air moving, dilatation is the expanding of a fluid like air in a balloon, rotation can be though of stirring water so the water is rotating, and shearing can be thought of as rubbing something against jello and observing the jello shift in the direction of motion

Rotation leads to lift because if flow turns, it produces a force perpendicular to the turning due to it accelerating. This force can produce lift. Dilatation can also lead to lift because if the volume changes, the density changes and this can cause a pressure difference. The pressure difference also causes a force pointing in the direction of decreasing pressure. The Kutta-Joukowsky theorem allows the calculation of lift by using the fact that rotating flow produces a force in a direction perpendicular to the rotation and also the velocity. So when the circulation is crossed with the velocity, it produces a vector perpendicular to both, lift.

5. Explain as to a 4th grader (or professor) two different types of fluid motion that lead to lift generation, and how the Kutta-Joukowsky theorem allows you to calculate lift per unit span in low-speed flow.


DISCUSSIONRelation of Student Educational Outcomes to ABET

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across DisciplinesAssessment: Iterative Refinement

•Sophomore classes took by far the greater interest, introspecting well. •Junior/senior class showed far less participation. •1st year graduate class failed en masse to answer surveys even after repeated demonstration that test questions would come from there (until late in the course). •Reliance on notes, solved problems and textbooks is as expected and welcome. •Poor attention to order-of-magnitude estimates as common-sense validation. •Cavalier attitude of seniors/grad students towards magnitudes of numbers, forces drastic remedial measures. •Similar assessments were conducted in the Aeroelasticity class in Spring 2011 where most students expect to be graduating seniors. •Responses provide guidance to refine modules. More detailed responses in Appendix A of the paper.


Use of “skill” tools

Intrinsic ability (when pushed)

Applying “theory” learned in classes

Capturing essence of logic methods

Using analysis to develop bounds

SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS


CONCLUSIONS

•Second-year results from formative and summative assessments focused on vertical streams. •Learning styles show expected dependence on notes, surprisingly good use of textbooks, some dependence on discussions with co-students, and extensive efforts with solved problems and old tests.

• Use of EXTROVERT resources reveals major learning issues:A. Few students appear to appreciate the role of conducting order-of-magnitude estimates in

order to bolster their problem-solving approaches. B. Problem is worse with incoming graduate students (from “top institutions” worldwide!) C. Irresponsible to let people coast with “advanced technology” when they are clueless on the

basics.

.Work on advanced concept development, and stricter insistence on common sense in course formative evaluations, are successful in addressing this issue

.Transferable lessons: A. Pushing the frontiers on what the best students can achieve, need not come at the cost of

leaving anyone behind. B. Return to rigorous fundamentals is not inconsistent with experiential learning, teamwork or appreciation for global and societal contexts, when intelligently organized through experiences in advanced concept development. C. It no longer matters where the resources or learner are located if they can be reached through the Internet.


McMahon Solutions LibraryMcMahon Solutions Library

Skills LibrarySkills Library Design-

Centered Introduction

Design-Centered

Introduction

FluidsFluids

PhysicsPhysics

ChemistryChemistryThermalSciencesThermalSciences

MaterialsMaterials

Elasticity

Strength

Composites

LowSpeedGasdynamics

HighSpeed

PropulsionPropulsion

Controls

System DesignSystem Design

Engg. Disciplines

Engg. Disciplines

Public PolicyPublic Policy

Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Space ScienceSpace

Science




Advanced ConceptsAdvanced Concepts

Project Structure

MODULE-BASED ASSESSMENTMODULE-BASED ASSESSMENT

U R HereU R Here


Concept essays and concept modules provide succinct junctions between knowledge streams.

CE Examples•Antenna Design•Fluid dynamic Drag•Aerodynamic Lift•Brayton Cycle Engine• Vortex Flows


Case Study: SR 71 Performance Prediction in AE3310 class)

“The wisdom (?) of crowds !!!”

Presented at the 2010 ASEE Annual Conference & Exhibition

Case studies and “real world” applications provide perspective and in-depth engineering analysis experience to motivate learners and .stimulate depth in thinking processes.

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across DisciplinesConfiguration before and after supersonic area ruling.


Drag Prediction for Supersonic Hydrogen-Fueled Airliners

Alex Forbes, Anant Patel, and Narayanan Komerath(AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Honolulu,

Thursday June 30, last session)


Supersonic Area-Ruling Using Autodesk Inventor


Advanced concept explorations help learners build “common sense” estimation skills based on the laws of science, and experience with the process of systematically reducing uncertainty and identifying areas requiring more knowledge while refining concepts.


Cross-disciplinary Project Examples

•Liquid hydrogen supersonic transport concept development, including demographics, economics, carbon market issues.

•Space Power Grid approach to Space Solar Power, synergizing renewable energy, communications, lighter-than-air platforms, radar technologies, orbital mechanics, economics and public policy.

•Micro Renewable Energy Systems courses and testbeds.

•Retail Power Beaming

•Microgravity flight tests.

•Force-field Tailoring of objects in reduced gravity.


Role Of Other EXTROVERT Resources

Companion paper in the Multidisciplinary Division [12], extending work from prior years[11,13], summarize our efforts to use advanced concept development as a way for students to learn how to proceed in the face of large uncertainties, and how to reduce the uncertainty through use of physical laws and “common sense”. This also addresses the above issue of inattention to orders of magnitude. While the survey responses above indicate minimal use of the solved problem library, anecdotal evidence from questions brought by students during courses and responses to other questions above, show that they are indeed using these problems, without identifying the resource with the word “library”. Use of this resource will expand as more of the examples and tests given out by course instructors are added here, after conversion to suitable formats. Web--based notes are as valuable as they are expected to be, and are the leading resource used by learners. Result may be biased by the fact that most respondents are taking these courses, an issue that remains to be studied as we get more data from alumni and other practicing professionals. Initial data from using Case Studies in a vehicle performance course [7] showed excellent impact in getting students to validate their work. Reference [11] shows comfortable use of CATIA and MatLab as problem solving and innovation tools. Sophomores in low speed aerodynamics showed an inclination to use Mathematica.


Present course evaluation process EXTROVERT approach

Focused on instructor popularity Focus on learning effectiveness

Anonymous survey devalues thinking Learners asked to participate as team members; open-ended questions seek new thinking

Web-based surveys eliminate need for repetitive signatures and disclaimers; reduce overhead

Adopt web-based survey creation resources accepted in assessment community

Low participation Integrate survey into modules throughout the course. End-of course results derived from learner evolution through the semester

Customer Service focus weighted towards complaints. Drives to minimum change/surprise

Encourage initiative, recognize value of dealing with innovative thinking.

Focus on popularity discourages excellence Reward excellence in learner value addition

Assessment Why? Discover how students are learning and using the resources we develop, and how to adapt the resources to improve learning. Measure effectiveness of given resources and strategies for transferable products. Obtain peer-review for final products.


• Adapting to evolving technology, knowledge resources & project needs

• Not practical to take a new course sequence for each project. • Breadth vs. depth

• Different learning styles become critical to motivation, especially when learning happens outside a formal course.

• Innovations come from all quarters, but require academic depth and breadth to understand and refine.

Issues


Design Centered Introduction To Aerospace Engineering

• Designing a Flight Vehicle: Road Map• Force Balance During Flight• Earth's Atmosphere• Aerodynamics• Propulsion• Performance• Stability and control• Structures and Materials• High Speed Flight• Space Flight

http://www.adl.gatech.edu/research/extrovert/


Why?

•Rapid change demands swift and confident movement across disciplines to innovate advances

•Cross-functional teams require everyone to learn quickly and understand the

principles and methods of everyone else’s area of specialty.

•Extreme complexity and technological diversity of aerospace systems

•Breakthrough innovations come from experience in turning dreams to reality

•Perspective needed for innovations comes from far-away disciplines (breadth)

but is applied to solve intricate problems in a core discipline (depth)


• EXTROVERT builds on 12 year experience of the Aerospace Digital Library collection of resources, expanding and refining the resources.

• Intuitive gateway to AE based on conceptual design of flight vehicle systems, suited to learners at all levels.

• Allow any user to go up to the perspective of the general public, and down to level of detail needed for R&D.

• Detailed sequential course notes, linked across disciplines.

• Worked Examples, Concept Development examples, Case Studies

• Continuous, modular learning assessment, focused on learning.

How



StaticsDynamicsThermodynamicsFluid mechanics& Low Speed AerodynamicsGas dynamics& High Speed AerodynamicsPropulsion & PowerComposite MaterialsAerostructuresAeroelasticityControlsSystem Design



• Aerodynamics Codes

• Atmosphere Calculator

• Unit Converter

• Aviation Weather Forecast

• Periodic Table

• Shock-Expansion Tool

• Materials Properties

• Wolfram Mathematica Online Solver

Skills Library Examples



Library of solved example problems and applications to guide learners. Built from the core of solutions published by permission from the estate of Georgia Tech’s Professor Emeritus Howard McMahon.

Enables learners to navigate worked examples at a wide variety of skill levels in these core areas. Now that a basic structure is in place and is being utilized in academic courses and PhD Qualifying Exam preparation, these resources will be expanded to other disciplinary content across the aerospace curriculum.

McMahon Solutions Library



Case Studies of Innovations Used as Course Study Projects

•C-5 Military Cargo Transport Aircraft • SR-71• ??For students: Design-Build-Fly case study


Serve Diverse Learning Styles* of Innovators(*Everyone has some of each trait somewhere within!)

• “Rocket Scientist”: Succinct core content in aerospace disciplines with uncompromising tie-back to the laws of physics and mathematics followed by demonstrations

“Astronaut”: Detailed worked examples including demonstrations, data, procedures.

• “Eagle”: Case studies with access to concept modules, demos, results

• “Barnstormer”:Advanced concept development examples with instant access to visual resources across many disciplines to illustrate and define.

• “Designer”:Advanced concept development examples with access to data and standardsillustrated via case studies and detailed worked examples.


Case Study: SR 71 Performance Prediction by Brian German’s AE3310 class)

“The wisdom (?) of crowds !!!”

Presented at the 2010 ASEE Annual Conference & Exhibition

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across DisciplinesAssessment Prototype: High Speed Aerodynamics

2. Free-form comment

http://www.surveymonkey.com

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across DisciplinesCASE STUDY: COMPOSITE MISSILE WING DESIGN COMPOSITE SANDWICH WING COMPONENTS

Core

Facing

Aluminum root

Shell elements Solid elements

Displacement in Z direction

Stress in the external layer

Transverse shear in the core

Wing

Dial -gageClamped plate

Load cell

FINITE ELEMENT MODEL

3-D Modeling

TEST SETUP

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across DisciplinesDISCUSSION

Postulate: Learning and innovating across disciplines is substantially self-driven. Requires initiative, confidence and persistence.

Hypothesis: Enabling people to learn on their own terms will enhance and sustain such initiative and confidence.

Basic pedagogical question: “How should learners seek and grasp thefundamentals of new disciplines, and how to use them appropriately to solve problems?”

Cross-disciplinary learning is considered at 3 basic levels:

• At the freshman level: Everyone is a freshman when trying to “learn the ropes” of a new discipline. Emphasis on the “culture”, and building confidence in making estimates using laws of Nature, common sense and benchmarking.

• Senior undergraduate / new engineer level: learn to work in multidisciplinary project teams, synergizing and building off the work of others.

• PhD student/ faculty / senior practitioner level: Focus on depth, while obtaining perspective and learning the essentials quickly.


Aerospace engineering requires depth of understanding.

Engineering curricula are designed on the reasoning that a firm foundation in basic disciplines gives the graduate a lifetime to gain breadth.

The intense, demanding and rigorous college experience also instills confidence and persistence to approach tough problems.

Traditional curriculum with linear course sequences coming together in senior-year “capstone” design experiences, was appropriate for Cold War era, large-company recruiting that emphasized corporate training after school.

Small-team requires better comprehension levels, experience and perspective through research participation and other learning by iteration.

Depth and breadth compete for shrinking learning time.

Is technological change really more rapid today than, say, in 1940 or 1960?Are today’s engineers able to deal with concept innovation better?


SUCCESSES – AND ISSUES ENCOUNTERED

Target is depth of understanding and breadth of capabilities: encounters stiff resistance from “experienced” students who “know” what should be taught. - freshmen complained about intense calculations and learning in 1st 6 weeks of

conceptual design assignment (short-range airliner), but then repeated those calculations in 1 week (LH2 fuelled short-range airliner) and then did the essential parts of the design as one of six questions on a 3-hour final.

- Seniors in AE3021 had a good deal of trouble with the small conceptual design

part preceding supersonic airplane drag calculation. Concept of developing a “figure of merit” for a given design from the ideal, was missed by most.

- Graduate students in AE6020 (transonic and hypersonic aerodynamics) were indeep trouble as the availability of “assumed” undergraduate knowledge and examples made “thought” questions fair game on closed book tests; several then did extremely well on take-home open-ended, integrative “final exam”. Some still not “get” the idea that one was expected to deliver well-thought-out quantitative answers, not just “suggestions”.


CONCLUSIONS

Attempt to deal with the issues of learning across disciplines in order to turn advanced concepts into reality. It is founded on the core knowledge of aerospace science and engineering, but Uses a Conceptual Design gateway to make this knowledge quickly accessible and usable. Intense effort to develop a library of worked examples is a key featurein opening the knowledge base to different types of learners. At this writing, the initial test website is up with a substantial amount of core content, and a number of resource modules and case studies are being refined and uploaded.

Results to-date show that we are “getting traction” and dealing with real issues. Students are indeed doing much better than they could before - when they pay attention to the new expectations and use the resources.

EXTROVERT: Learning To Innovate Across DisciplinesAssessment Prototype: High Speed Aerodynamicshttp://www.surveymonkey.com


• Experienced engineers in industry, and researchers

• University Faculty

• New graduates at NASA, DoD and industry centers

• Aerospace graduate students

• Upper-division undergraduates

• Non-engineering majors in aerospace project teams

• College freshmen

• K-12 students

6 Sample Categories Of Learners


6. Explain how fluids are different from solidsFluids are different from solid by the fact that they take the shape of the container they're put in. They also have higher molecular velocities and have more freedom of movement

7. How many atoms of nitrogen are present in a cubic meter of air at 20,000 meters altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere? Repeat for 100,000m. 2.9E24, no data of density for 100,000 m

8. Why does shear cause rotation in a flow? Because the flow will be moving slower the closer it gets to the surface causing the shearing. When there is a region of low velocity the region farther away with a higher velocity wants to move in towards the lower velocity, causing the flow to rotate

Detailed sample results for the “Introduction to Aerodynamics” module are listed in Appendix A since those are of less general interest to readers.

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