VaNTH at UTPA

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VaNTH at UTPA

• Bob Freeman
• Mechanical Engineering
• UT - Pan American
• 6/16/04

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Outline

• Activity Overview
• UTPA Modules
• Local implementation
• Dissemination
• VaNTH Module Implementation at UTPA
• HPL Inspired Biomechanics Course
• Cross Fertilization
• Research Opportunity
• More general infusion of VaNTH principles

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Overview of Activities

• Completing, and locally implementing and
  assessing 4 modules currently under development,
• Disseminating locally developed modules to VaNTH,
  
• Implementation and assessment of existing
  VaNTH-wide modules throughout the undergraduate
  (Mechanical) Engineering curriculum,
• Enhancement of existing modules
• Implementation and assessment of existing VaNTH
  pre-college modules in UTPA's Upward Bound Math
  and Science Program,
• Continued delivery and assessment of a new
  Biomechanics technical elective course,
• Development and dissemination of 2 new modules,
• Aggressive enlistment of Hispanic UTPA
  undergraduates into the VaNTH REU program, and
• Implementation and assessment of existing
  VaNTH-wide modules throughout the NEW graduate
  Biomedical Engineering program

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Current Module Development

• Human Knee Joint Mechanics
• To develop students understanding of the
  functional anatomy of the Human Knee
• The module focuses on the development and
  appropriate use of various (planar) models of the
  human knee joint.
• Dr. Robert A. Freeman, Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Selection for Biological Systems
• To promote students understanding of the complex
  issues surrounding the application of engineering
  materials to biological systems
• To present a motivating challenge for the
  selection of materials for tissue repair in an
  alien creature with an extreme biology
• Dr. Robert Jones, Mechanical Engineering, and Dr.
  Mauli Agrawal (UTHSC-SA).

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Module Development, cont.

• A Planar Biomechanical Model-Based Control of a
  Human Leg
• To develop students understanding of the
  neuromuscular skeletal system from a control
  systems perspective using a simplified computer
  model of the human leg
• Developed in MatLab
• Dr. Mounir Ben Ghalia, Electrical Engineering
• Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Muscle Work Capacity
  Development and Retention Models
• To learn the concepts of energy expenditures
  during muscle work through aerobic and anaerobic
  combustion of nutrients as individual and
  combined sources of energy, and the physiological
  changes that take place during the use of muscles
• To learn the concepts of maximum work capacity
  for parts of the body that are generally used to
  perform static work
• Dr. Miguel A. Gonzalez, Manufacturing Engineering
  (Ergonomics)

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Planned Modules

• An instructional module that supports both the
  Virtual Biomechanics Laboratory module and the
  Jumping Jack module. (Dr. Steve Crown)
• Will teach students the basics of writing a
  program in LabView that would be used to collect
  force plate data.
• A module illustrating the relationship between
  "classical mechanics of solids" and "finite
  element" stress-strain analyses. (Dr. Arturo
  Fuentes)
• Will use VisualNastran and Algor
• A set of VRML virtual learning environments will
  be implemented to support various VaNTH modules.
  (Dr. Steve Crown)

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Internal Implementation and Assessment of UTPA
Modules
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External Implementation and Assessment of UTPA
Modules

• Knee 3 Challenges
• UT- Austin, ME Elective (Barr)
• UT-Austin, BME Required (Pandy)
• Vanderbilt (Roselli)
• Others to be determined

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Implementation and Assessment of VaNTH Modules at
UTPA
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Implementation and Assessment of VaNTH Modules at
UTPA
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Implementation and Assessment of VaNTH Modules at
UTPA

• Upward Bound Math and Science Program
• U.S. Department of Education
• low-income and or potential first-generation
  college students
• 50 students in a two-year cycle, enter after 9th
  grade
• expected that 85 or more will be Hispanic
• Potential Modules
• I, Bio Physiology (D. Kanter Northwestern)
• Why do I need glasses Optics (A.J. Welch
  UT-Austin)
• New UTPA BioMedical Engineering Program
• Compilation of VaNTH UTPA modules
• Transport (Dr. Ken Diller UT-Austin)
• TBD

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MECE 4333 Introduction to Computational
Biomechanics

• New course and first Biomedical Engineering
  course ever taught at UTPA (Spring 2004)
• Would not have been offered without interaction
  with VaNTH
• Comprised solely of VaNTH Modules
• Iron Cross 1 Challenge
• Initiated at Vanderbilt University (Roselli)
• Virtual Biomechanics Laboratory 3 Challenges
• Initiated at UT-Austin (Barr)
• Jumping Jack (JJ) 3 Challenges
• Initiated at UT-Austin (Pandy)
• Knee 1 Challenge
• Initiated at UT- Pan American (Freeman)

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Preliminary Results

• Class demographics
• 15 students
• 14 Hispanic 1 Anglo
• 10 Male 5 Female
• Effect Size Posttest versus Pretest
• Iron Cross
• ES 1.40 - 1.50 (Medium effect)
• VBL
• ES 0.19 - (neg.) (Small effect but they are
  Learning)
• JJ
• ES
• Knee
• ES
• Student Opinion Survey
• Liked the high level of in-class interaction
• Liked the change compared to the classical
  classroom

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Preliminary Results, cont.

• Students liked VBL more because the activities
  were more organized
• I did more hand holding on IC than VBL
• I gave less detailed formative feedback on VBL
• Didnt like black-box activities (JJ challenges
  23 my lack of expertise)
• Liked visual simulations (Working Model -
  familiarity)
• Cultural implementation issues
• Are not self-directed
• Need detailed formative feedback
• Are not good at guessing what to study
• Are used to community activities

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Cross Fertilization

• Dissemination is not a one-way street
• Users of a Module will develop additional
  materials for that module (also other textual
  references)
• IC
• VBL1, VBL2
• Users of Modules will develop additional modules
  to enhance coverage of domain
• Elbow (very similar to IC can use for adaptive
  expertise assessment)

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Research Opportunity

• Will compare with UTPA student performance with
  VaNTH student performance
• UT-Austin Mechanical Engr. Elective
• UT-Austin BME Required
• UTPA
• 15,000 students
• 26,000 in 2015
• 86 Hispanic
• 2nd largest in Hispanic enrollment
• 6th largest in Hispanic engineering
• 3000 students in Science Engineering
• 5000 in 2015
• 330 students in ME

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More general infusion of VaNTH principles at UTPA

• HPL incorporated into other courses and
  disciplines ME, EE, MANE
• VaNTH Project Manual Curriculum Development
  Projects
• Modular Design Template
• Design Teams (LS, AE, LT)
• VOS
• Project Profile
• Assessment Articles

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Questions?