ABET Outcome Survey

ABET Outcomes for AE 481W/482	Outcome not able to be assessed (Score of 0)	Level of ability demonstrated but below acceptable (Score of 1)	Minimum acceptable level of ability demonstrated (Score of 2)	More than minimum level of ability demonstrated (Score of 3)
a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering	5	5	5	x
b. An ability to analyze and interpret data	5	5	5	x
c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs	5	5	5	x
e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems	5	5	5	x
f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility	5	5	5	x
g. An ability to communicate effectively	5	5	5	x
h. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context	5	5	x	5
i. An ability to engage in life-long learning	5	5	x	5
j. A knowledge of contemporary issues	5	5	x	5
k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice	5	5	5	x
o. Engineering design capabilities in at least two (2) of the (3) basic curriculum areas of architectural engineering, and that design has been integrated across the breadth of the program	5	5	5	x
p. Communication and interaction with other design professionals in the execution of building projects	5	5	x	5

 
AE 481W/482 Course Reflection

The architectural engineering courses, AE 481W and 482, consist of a year-long capstone thesis project that AE students complete throughout their 5 th undergraduate year. Each student is required to select and obtain detailed information/drawings for a recent industry building project prior to the fall semester of his or her fifth year. Throughout the fall semester, every student performs a variety of studies on his or her existing building's design. Most of the analyses pertain only to the student's option of interest (mechanical, lighting/electrical, structural, or construction management) but some include small portions of all the options. Both faculty and industry consultants help to guide each student throughout his or her fall semester studies. When all the building examinations are completed (near the end of the fall semester), all students are required to submit proposals for research/building redesign work to be done over the students' spring semester. Based on these proposals, each student is paired with a specific faculty advisor who possesses extensive knowledge in the field of the student's proposed research/redesign. In the spring, the proposed work of every student is carried out. Again, both faculty and industry contacts are made available to all students. At the end of the spring semester, each student is expected to submit a final thesis report/book of all work completed throughout the 5 th year. The students are also required to present their final results to a panel of AE faculty. In order to graduate, every 5 th year student must successfully complete this year-long process.

My experience with the AE 5 th -year senior thesis, in general, was very good. I put a lot of time and effort into the whole thing but I came out having learned a whole lot more than I ever expected. When beginning the fall semester of my fifth year, I was not quite sure what to expect. I really had no idea about what all AE 481W and 482 entailed. I had selected my thesis building the summer before and just thought that everything would go swimmingly throughout my last year in school. However, to put it lightly, I definitely was not aware of just how much work thesis involved. The fall semester was much more intense than I had bargained for, at least at the very beginning. I got up to speed quickly though and was able to successfully complete all assignments on time. The spring semester was a little different from the fall in that I did not really feel as pressured. Besides progress reports, there really weren't any intermittent submissions of work. Therefore, I got to research and redesign at my own pace, on my own time. I could put as much or as little effort into all of the different areas as I wanted. But, time management really caught up with me. I found myself slightly rushed near the end. Luckily, though, no corners that I didn't want to cut had to be cut, just some sleep was lost. In the end, my final book was completed on time and my presentation went very well. I was and still am very proud of the work that I was able to accomplish throughout senior thesis.

I have definitely learned a lot from taking AE 481W and 482. To begin, the whole process has made me a much better writer. I have also seen a ton of improvement in my time management skills. I tend to tackle things in order of highest priority and have learned how and when I can work most efficiently. Additionally, in certain situations, I have learned how to “let things go”. I still don't like it but I am capable of realizing that, sometimes, results just are what they are and you have to move on. My overall engineering skills have definitely been heightened as well. I am now very familiar with the general building design processes used from the start to completion of building projects. Ultimately, there is no doubt that all of the skills I have acquired throughout senior thesis will help me immensely in my career as a mechanical design engineer. Right now, I probably don't even realize how much this experience is going to help me/give me an advantage in the future.

CPEP & Discussion Board Reflection

The AE Capstone Project E-Portfolios (or CPEP(s)) and Discussion Board are both linked to the Penn State AE 5 th year senior thesis projects. The E-Portfolios serve as websites for each individual student enrolled in thesis in order to showcase work done for the class. The websites also serve as a form of communication between faculty and industry advisors/consultants. The Discussion Board furthers this communication by allowing all students taking thesis to post questions and problems encountered throughout analysis/design work. From there other students, faculty, and industry practitioners can reply/answer and/or comment on any discussion board item posted. All questions and respective replies are logged on the Discussion Board for future reference by all.

My experiences with using both the CPEP(s) and the Discussion Board have been excellent. I have really enjoyed maintaining my website and being able to show people my work through my website. It is something that I can really be proud of and want show off. Coming into thesis, I had already prepared myself on how to set up a website. So, putting my CPEP together was no surprise, I pretty much knew what to expect/how much work it was going to take to create and get the site up and running. (I began contemplating my CPEP website the summer before my fifth year. By the start of the fall semester, I was overly prepared to put together the design for my CPEP website.) I also really liked using the thesis Discussion Board. I had never used a discussion board before so, I had absolutely no expectations/experience but was excited to give it a try. It ended up that I only used the Discussion Board a couple of times throughout the spring semester but every time I posted a question, it was answered within less than 24 hours! I also liked the fact that I received multiple responses from different people for the same question. This gave me an insight into all of the different perspectives that existed. That helped me to really think about how I wanted to handle solving my different problems.

Overall, the CPEP and Discussion Board experience was great for me. My website came in very handy when attempting to communicate with advisors and practitioners. It also definitely made my thesis work more organized and taught me how to emphasis key issues. My scheduling and time management were improved because of my CPEP as well. I had to make sure that I allowed enough time to maintain my website in addition to completing core thesis work. The Discussion Board, by allowing me to interact with both faculty and industry practitioners, really prepared me for communicating in “the real world”. I was able to get a feel for how I should pose questions and comments. I also learned not to be afraid of my own thoughts and ideas/questions. There really are no stupid questions.