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Microcomputer applciations in an industrial engineering curriculum
Computers ind. Engng Vol. 17, Nos 1-4, pp. 580-585, 1989
0360-8352/89 $3.00+0.00 Copyright © 1989 PergamonPress plc
Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM
Jose A. Sept~lveda, Ph.D., P.E. Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida 32816 ABSTRACT This paper discusses the present use of micro computers in an industrial engineering curriculum. The design and contents of a required undergraduate course in the subject is presented. The objective of the course is to introduce students to software application packages and give students insight into which software application packages are best suited for particular problems. This is a survey course with a 3 hour laboratory which gives the students hands-on experience on how to utilize the software discussed in the lectures. Issues such as computer literacy requirements for IE students and faculty, laboratory requirements (hardware and software) for a successful course, and other computer related topics will be discussed. INTRODUCTION EIN 4118, Industrial Engineering Applications of Computers, is a required undergraduate (junior level) course in the Industrial Engineering curriculum at the University of Central Florida. This 3 credit course has been in the catalog since 1981 but has recently changed its focus from a language (BASIC) oriented approach to a survey of computer methods in industrial engineering practice. The primary objective of the course is to provide the student with an understanding of basic principles and problems arising from the evaluation, selection and utilization of equipment, commercial software and engineering support systems. The course introduces students to software application packages and gives them insight into which software application packages are best suited for particular problems. The course is offered in 2 lecture hours and a 3 laboratory hours per week which gives the students hands-on experience on how to utilize the software discussed in the lectures. Industrial Engineering students are exposed to computers in several other courses in the curriculum. In CGS 3422, Programming and Numerical Methods, a pre-requisite for EIN 4118, they use the university's main frame computer and learn programming in a high level language (FORTRAN) and applications to numerical problems. Courses in Operations Research, Industrial Control, Facilities Planning, Simulation, and Management Information Systems extensively use software packages, some of which are covered in EIN 4118. COMPUTER LITERACY In last Fall's first lecture, a survey was made to determine the students' familiarity with micro computers concepts and software. A summary of last year findings is presented in Table 1. For the majority of the course students, EIN 4118 represents their first exposure to micro computers. Approximately two third of the students have ready access to a microcomputer and are proficient in some application, usually word processing. Only a handful of students (usually those with working experience) are familiar with applications beyond word processing. Occasionally, a student is familiar with a CAD/CAM package, such as AUTOCAD, or a graphics package, such as GEM. The familiarity with some basic computer terms is probably due to the course pre-requisite. The survey's results are important to determine the extent of coverage allocated to the "three basics", e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, and data bases.
580
Sep•lveda: Microcomputers in an industrial engineering curriculum
TABLE 1: COMPUTER I./TERACY: INITIAL SURVEY'S RF~ULTS Students in class:
Number 33
Students indicating no familiarity with micro computers (beyond games and elementary word processing):
21
Proficiency in specific applications: (*)
12
Word processing Word Star Q&A EasyWrite Volkswriter Word WordPerfect Spreadsheets Lotus VP Planner Symphony EXCEL Data bases Q&A dBase III Plus Paradox PROFILE Other software GEM AUTOCAD SPSS/PC StoryBoard
6 7 7 11 1 3 7 5 1 1 1 4 2 1 2 3 1 1
Correct definition of: bit byte word CPU RAM micro processor mouse hard disk *
28 26 17 26 14 11 19 17
Most experienced students knew more than one package in a category.
581
582
Proceedings of the 1lth Annual Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering
RESOURCES Software demonstrations and laboratory sessions are conducted in CB 358, the IEMS department's Micro Computers Laboratory. Students are required to read the manuals, try the tutorials (when available), and practice in the laboratory enough commands to get a working knowledge of the potential applications of all software packages discussed in lectures. They are also encouraged to explore other software packages presented by their class mates as individual projects. The laboratory is open for about fifty hours a week under the supervision of student assistants. Although the hardware available is old and limited, the most frequent complaint about the course is the scarcity of extra copies of software programs. Piracy is neither allowed nor condoned and the students must work around these constraints to practice, do homework, and prepare their individual projects. We are considering the installation of a Novell network with a large file server to make accessibility and management of software easier (and to further deter piracy), but this approach does not solve the site licensing problem. The Hardware The Industrial Engineering department's Micro Computers Laboratory has twelve IBM XT and one IBM AT micro computers. Each of these machines has 640 KB of RAM and a 20 MB hard disk. There are five dot matrix printers available, shared by the computers through switch boxes. Also available in this laboratory is a Hewlett Packard plotter and a Sony high resolution color projector. Elsewhere in the department, students have access to two other IBM XT's and an AST-286 Premium computer with a HP Scanner, a Houston Instrument digitizer and a Houston Instrument large size plotter. In a research laboratory, the department has a Compaq 386 computer with 8 MB RAM and 120 MB hard disk which runs under UNIX, and an IBM PS/2 machine with 8 MB RAM and 80 MB hard disk. In addition, the College of Engineering has two micro computer laboratories which can be used by students for most assignments. IBM compatible machines are also the norm in these laboratories.
The Software A micro computer applications course with a hands-on laboratory requires a significant investment in software. The frequent upgrades and the multitude of new packages which characterizes the field only makes it more difficult to be able to offer students instructions in the latest software. Site licenses, when available, are very expensive. The most liberal (and best) educational policy in software programs is offered by Pritsker Corporation which authorizes the copy of the student version of SLAM and its user manual to all student registered for a simulation course. Other software companies offer a student version of their programs at a reduced price, but at an average price of 30 to 40 dollars each, the aggregated value of all the packages covered in the course represents an excessive economic burden for most students. The EIN 4118 course does not require that students purchase software. For those topics covered in class the department usually has a limited number of copies. For example, spreadsheets are taught using VP Planner, a Lotus 1-2-3 look alike which has a very reasonable price. The department owns twenty copies of the first version of this software and only two copies of the latest one, VP Planner Plus. It was decided that the first version is enough to give students a working knowledge of spreadsheets. The department owns one copy of EXCEL which is assigned as an individual project to show students the state of the art in the field. Similarly, data bases are taught through dBase III Plus, of which the department owns 5 copies. Other data bases, such as Paradox, Q&A, and FOCUS are demonstrated by students in individual projects. For most IE applications covered in lectures, such as Project Management, Expert Systems, Statistical Applications, Forecasting, and CAD/CAM, the department owns one or two copies of each program demonstrated. For all the programs assigned as individual projects the department owns just one copy. THE COURSE CONTENTS The course's outline is presented in Table 2. The outline includes topics to be covered in class and a list of subjects to be presented by students (in the laboratory session) as individual projects throughout the course. Selection and scheduling of individual projects is made with the objective to complement, expand and enhance the material covered in class. In the first two weeks, students are shown the department's and are exposed to software and hardware available for preparation of quality presentations. Presentation skills are vital for a successful industrial engineer and students are expected to polish their skills and use these resources when presenting their individual projects. The following seven weeks are dedicated to what is considered essential skills for any IE practitioner today. They include mastering DOS, learning what a good word processor (Word Perfect, Manuscript) can do, getting familiar with spread sheets, and mastering the concept and applications of relational data bases. The last six weeks are dedicated to demonstrate software for specific IE applications. The applications covered are selected after extensive reading of the literature and recommendations from faculty, alumni, and practitioners. The basic criteria is the likelihood of utilization in professional practice. Software selected for demonstration may not be the most recent version or the best available in the market: The main reason for inclusion is its availability.
Sepfllveda: Microcomputers in an industrial engineering curriculum TABLE 2: COURSE OUTLINE FOR EIN 4118 (Fall 1988) Week
TOPIC
Individual Projects
1 Introduction Input/Output Hardware
Microprocessors: Intel vs Motorola Communications hardware & software
2
Presentation Graphics (Harvard Graphics)
GEM Windows, UNIX and OS/2
3
Operating Systems
DOS: Advanced Commands File Managers (Discover, Norton)
4
Word Processing (WordPerfect)
Norton Editor Pro-Search and Pro-Cite
5
Spreadsheets (VP Planner)
Spelling and grammar checkers Technical word processors
6
Spreadsheets
IBM S/2 vs other 30386 machines EXCEL
7
Databases (dBASE III Plus)
Memory Expansion Boards SQL
8
Databases
Software Piracy Q&A
9
Databases
Relational Report Writer Clipper
10 Simulation
(SIMFACTORY)
SLAM Animation SIMAN/CINEMA
11 Project Management (MS Project)
Computer Assisted Instruction StoryBoard
12 Forecasting, Statistic (Forecast Plus, SPSS/PC)
Compilers and Interpreters FORTRAN in the IBM/PC
13 IIE Software
QC/Reliability Software Physician Office
14 Expert Systems (VP Expert)
Law Office Issues in Office Computing
15 CAD/CAM (AUTOCAD)
Expert Teach Ventura Publisher
583
584
Proceedings of the 1lth Annual Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering
Applications currently covered are statistical software (SPSS/PC), forecasting techniques (Forecast Plus), project management (MS Project), simulation (SIMFACTORY), and expert systems (VP Expert). The Institute of Industrial Engineering's micro computer applications series, in which departmental faculty has had a significant development role, is also reviewed in detail. THE COURSE EVALUATION The evaluation of any survey course is usually difficult. The students are exposed to a large number of concepts, techniques, and software solutions. Any of them would take a significant amount of time to master and requiring perfect mastery of all would be unrealistic and unfair. The course's grading policy calls for two exams (25% each), an individual project (30%), and a Group Project (20%). The exams are heavily focused in the applicability of software presented in lectures and in individual projects to specific problems. The individual project forces the student to become familiar with important concepts and software not covered in class and requires them to make a professional presentation to their class mates. The group project usually requires students to recommend hardware and software for a specific application, thus forcing them to read about recent developments and prices and get an idea of the basic principles and problems arising from the evaluation, selection, and utilization of equipment, commercial software and engineering support systems. Individual ~ojects These are selected topics randomly assigned the first day of class from a given list. An example of such a list is included in Table 2. Topics change from term to term, and they are selected with the objective to expand and enhance the material covered in class. Presentation dates are assigned in the course syllabus. These dates can not be changed, since they are selected so the material complements the lectures. Out of deference to those presenting projects, students are required to attend all individual presentations. The presentation itself is a 20 minutes professional presentation using slides, overheads, and/or the Sony projector. A 1-2 page class handout is required. Software packages are to be demonstrated whenever possible (e.g., if available). Two thirds of the presentation's contribution to the course's grade is evaluated by the students attending the lecture. An evaluation form is provided with detailed criteria to evaluate the quality of the delivery and the presentation aids used (10%), and the presenter s mastery of the hardware and/or software described (10%). The remaining 10% of the presentation's contribution to the final grade is assigned by the professor based on a four to eight (double spaced) page report about the assigned topic (not a copy of the overheads or slides used), due the day of the presentation. Grouo Project A typical disadvantage of a survey course is that the large number of topics/techniques/equipment/packages presented preclude the in-depth knowledge associated to specific courses. Most sophisticated software packages have a steep learning curve and require a large number of hours of practice in order to attain an adequate mastery of the program's features. It is not the objective of this course to have all students mastering all packages presented. However, it is desirable that all students get a good working knowledge of the most important packages and have an understanding of the potential applications of the others. The objective of the group project is to force the students to use a significant number of the software learned in the class in a realistic engineering exercise. The project usually deals with the evaluation, selection and utilization of equipment, commercial software and en$ineering support systems. In the preparation of the final report, students are expected to use word processing, spreadsheets, a data base, project management, forecasting, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of specific software and hardware recommendations. A "Request for Proposal" is issued by the fourth week of class. Students are assigned to groups of size four which work as independent consulting firms. Each group should present a bid. Winning bids (may be several) get an A, acceptable (competitive) bids get a B, unacceptable bids get a C (or worse). Criteria for acceptance include quality of proposal and whether the response addresses all concerns described in the RFP. The best (more realistic) responses are rated as "winning" bids.
Sepfilveda: Microcomputers in an industrial engineering curriculum
585
Last year's RFP called for each group to prepare a bid to design and implement a 'state of the art' classroom for teaching a micro computer applications class to engineers and managers. Groups could propose to use either CB 358 or CB 237 (two of the department's laboratories) and recommend that all or part of the furniture in the selected be removed (must include alternative furniture in design). Similarly, a group may recommend replacing and/or upgrading current hardware (again, must be specific and include cost analysis). The scope of the "consultant services" included the following professional services and deliverables: A proposed course outline, with a justification for each recommended topic and level of coverage. A list of suggested software packages to be covered. A detailed list of hardware recommended to demonstrate topics and to give students 'hands-on' experience in some of them. An analysis of what (if any) hardware currently available in CB 358 and/or CB 237 laboratories can be used as is, or upgraded at a reasonable cost. A design of suggested work stations. A classroom layout. Recommendations about software maintenance, site licenses, back up policies, upgrading policies, etc. An outline of the tasks needed to fully implement the proposal with time hne charts. Pricing information, including suggested vendors. The proposed cost of the project. The evaluation and rating of the written proposals reflects the importance given to the group's understanding of the work to be performed as evidenced by: 1. The description of the manner in which each specific hardware or software recommendation was selected. (20%) 2. The justification of the methods, hardware, computer languages and/or software recommended. (20%) 3. The outline of the tasks with time-lines. (20%) 4. The proposed cost for the services. (20%) 5. References (including vendors visited and/or people interviewed, if any). (20%) SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The design and contents of EIN 4118, Industrial Engineering Applications of Computers, a required undergraduate course in the Industrial Engineering curriculum at the University of Central Florida, has been discused. The course is offered in 2 lecture hours and a 3 laboratory hours per week which gives the students hands-on experience on how to utilize the software discussed in the lectures. The course concentrates in IBM compatible hardware and software. Although the hardware available is old and hmited, the most frequent complaint about the course is the scarcity of extra copies of software programs. Students are not required to purchase software. For applications covered in lectures the department owns a limited number of copies of each program demonstrated. For the programs assigned as individual projects the department owns just one copy. The initial computer literacy among the course students is very limited. Sixty p.ercent of the course focuses in the preparation of quality presentations, mastering DOS, word processing, spreadsheets, and relational data bases. The last six weeks are dedicated to demonstrate software for specific IE applications. An individual project familiarizes students with important concepts and software not covered in class and requires them to make a professional presentation to their class mates. A group project requires students to recommend hardware and software for a specific application. The described approach meets the primary objective of the course: To provide the student with an. understanding of basic principles and problems arising from the evaluation, selection ana utilization ot equipment, commercial software and engineering support systems.
0360-8352/89 $3.00+0.00 Copyright © 1989 PergamonPress plc
Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM
Jose A. Sept~lveda, Ph.D., P.E. Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida 32816 ABSTRACT This paper discusses the present use of micro computers in an industrial engineering curriculum. The design and contents of a required undergraduate course in the subject is presented. The objective of the course is to introduce students to software application packages and give students insight into which software application packages are best suited for particular problems. This is a survey course with a 3 hour laboratory which gives the students hands-on experience on how to utilize the software discussed in the lectures. Issues such as computer literacy requirements for IE students and faculty, laboratory requirements (hardware and software) for a successful course, and other computer related topics will be discussed. INTRODUCTION EIN 4118, Industrial Engineering Applications of Computers, is a required undergraduate (junior level) course in the Industrial Engineering curriculum at the University of Central Florida. This 3 credit course has been in the catalog since 1981 but has recently changed its focus from a language (BASIC) oriented approach to a survey of computer methods in industrial engineering practice. The primary objective of the course is to provide the student with an understanding of basic principles and problems arising from the evaluation, selection and utilization of equipment, commercial software and engineering support systems. The course introduces students to software application packages and gives them insight into which software application packages are best suited for particular problems. The course is offered in 2 lecture hours and a 3 laboratory hours per week which gives the students hands-on experience on how to utilize the software discussed in the lectures. Industrial Engineering students are exposed to computers in several other courses in the curriculum. In CGS 3422, Programming and Numerical Methods, a pre-requisite for EIN 4118, they use the university's main frame computer and learn programming in a high level language (FORTRAN) and applications to numerical problems. Courses in Operations Research, Industrial Control, Facilities Planning, Simulation, and Management Information Systems extensively use software packages, some of which are covered in EIN 4118. COMPUTER LITERACY In last Fall's first lecture, a survey was made to determine the students' familiarity with micro computers concepts and software. A summary of last year findings is presented in Table 1. For the majority of the course students, EIN 4118 represents their first exposure to micro computers. Approximately two third of the students have ready access to a microcomputer and are proficient in some application, usually word processing. Only a handful of students (usually those with working experience) are familiar with applications beyond word processing. Occasionally, a student is familiar with a CAD/CAM package, such as AUTOCAD, or a graphics package, such as GEM. The familiarity with some basic computer terms is probably due to the course pre-requisite. The survey's results are important to determine the extent of coverage allocated to the "three basics", e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, and data bases.
580
Sep•lveda: Microcomputers in an industrial engineering curriculum
TABLE 1: COMPUTER I./TERACY: INITIAL SURVEY'S RF~ULTS Students in class:
Number 33
Students indicating no familiarity with micro computers (beyond games and elementary word processing):
21
Proficiency in specific applications: (*)
12
Word processing Word Star Q&A EasyWrite Volkswriter Word WordPerfect Spreadsheets Lotus VP Planner Symphony EXCEL Data bases Q&A dBase III Plus Paradox PROFILE Other software GEM AUTOCAD SPSS/PC StoryBoard
6 7 7 11 1 3 7 5 1 1 1 4 2 1 2 3 1 1
Correct definition of: bit byte word CPU RAM micro processor mouse hard disk *
28 26 17 26 14 11 19 17
Most experienced students knew more than one package in a category.
581
582
Proceedings of the 1lth Annual Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering
RESOURCES Software demonstrations and laboratory sessions are conducted in CB 358, the IEMS department's Micro Computers Laboratory. Students are required to read the manuals, try the tutorials (when available), and practice in the laboratory enough commands to get a working knowledge of the potential applications of all software packages discussed in lectures. They are also encouraged to explore other software packages presented by their class mates as individual projects. The laboratory is open for about fifty hours a week under the supervision of student assistants. Although the hardware available is old and limited, the most frequent complaint about the course is the scarcity of extra copies of software programs. Piracy is neither allowed nor condoned and the students must work around these constraints to practice, do homework, and prepare their individual projects. We are considering the installation of a Novell network with a large file server to make accessibility and management of software easier (and to further deter piracy), but this approach does not solve the site licensing problem. The Hardware The Industrial Engineering department's Micro Computers Laboratory has twelve IBM XT and one IBM AT micro computers. Each of these machines has 640 KB of RAM and a 20 MB hard disk. There are five dot matrix printers available, shared by the computers through switch boxes. Also available in this laboratory is a Hewlett Packard plotter and a Sony high resolution color projector. Elsewhere in the department, students have access to two other IBM XT's and an AST-286 Premium computer with a HP Scanner, a Houston Instrument digitizer and a Houston Instrument large size plotter. In a research laboratory, the department has a Compaq 386 computer with 8 MB RAM and 120 MB hard disk which runs under UNIX, and an IBM PS/2 machine with 8 MB RAM and 80 MB hard disk. In addition, the College of Engineering has two micro computer laboratories which can be used by students for most assignments. IBM compatible machines are also the norm in these laboratories.
The Software A micro computer applications course with a hands-on laboratory requires a significant investment in software. The frequent upgrades and the multitude of new packages which characterizes the field only makes it more difficult to be able to offer students instructions in the latest software. Site licenses, when available, are very expensive. The most liberal (and best) educational policy in software programs is offered by Pritsker Corporation which authorizes the copy of the student version of SLAM and its user manual to all student registered for a simulation course. Other software companies offer a student version of their programs at a reduced price, but at an average price of 30 to 40 dollars each, the aggregated value of all the packages covered in the course represents an excessive economic burden for most students. The EIN 4118 course does not require that students purchase software. For those topics covered in class the department usually has a limited number of copies. For example, spreadsheets are taught using VP Planner, a Lotus 1-2-3 look alike which has a very reasonable price. The department owns twenty copies of the first version of this software and only two copies of the latest one, VP Planner Plus. It was decided that the first version is enough to give students a working knowledge of spreadsheets. The department owns one copy of EXCEL which is assigned as an individual project to show students the state of the art in the field. Similarly, data bases are taught through dBase III Plus, of which the department owns 5 copies. Other data bases, such as Paradox, Q&A, and FOCUS are demonstrated by students in individual projects. For most IE applications covered in lectures, such as Project Management, Expert Systems, Statistical Applications, Forecasting, and CAD/CAM, the department owns one or two copies of each program demonstrated. For all the programs assigned as individual projects the department owns just one copy. THE COURSE CONTENTS The course's outline is presented in Table 2. The outline includes topics to be covered in class and a list of subjects to be presented by students (in the laboratory session) as individual projects throughout the course. Selection and scheduling of individual projects is made with the objective to complement, expand and enhance the material covered in class. In the first two weeks, students are shown the department's and are exposed to software and hardware available for preparation of quality presentations. Presentation skills are vital for a successful industrial engineer and students are expected to polish their skills and use these resources when presenting their individual projects. The following seven weeks are dedicated to what is considered essential skills for any IE practitioner today. They include mastering DOS, learning what a good word processor (Word Perfect, Manuscript) can do, getting familiar with spread sheets, and mastering the concept and applications of relational data bases. The last six weeks are dedicated to demonstrate software for specific IE applications. The applications covered are selected after extensive reading of the literature and recommendations from faculty, alumni, and practitioners. The basic criteria is the likelihood of utilization in professional practice. Software selected for demonstration may not be the most recent version or the best available in the market: The main reason for inclusion is its availability.
Sepfllveda: Microcomputers in an industrial engineering curriculum TABLE 2: COURSE OUTLINE FOR EIN 4118 (Fall 1988) Week
TOPIC
Individual Projects
1 Introduction Input/Output Hardware
Microprocessors: Intel vs Motorola Communications hardware & software
2
Presentation Graphics (Harvard Graphics)
GEM Windows, UNIX and OS/2
3
Operating Systems
DOS: Advanced Commands File Managers (Discover, Norton)
4
Word Processing (WordPerfect)
Norton Editor Pro-Search and Pro-Cite
5
Spreadsheets (VP Planner)
Spelling and grammar checkers Technical word processors
6
Spreadsheets
IBM S/2 vs other 30386 machines EXCEL
7
Databases (dBASE III Plus)
Memory Expansion Boards SQL
8
Databases
Software Piracy Q&A
9
Databases
Relational Report Writer Clipper
10 Simulation
(SIMFACTORY)
SLAM Animation SIMAN/CINEMA
11 Project Management (MS Project)
Computer Assisted Instruction StoryBoard
12 Forecasting, Statistic (Forecast Plus, SPSS/PC)
Compilers and Interpreters FORTRAN in the IBM/PC
13 IIE Software
QC/Reliability Software Physician Office
14 Expert Systems (VP Expert)
Law Office Issues in Office Computing
15 CAD/CAM (AUTOCAD)
Expert Teach Ventura Publisher
583
584
Proceedings of the 1lth Annual Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering
Applications currently covered are statistical software (SPSS/PC), forecasting techniques (Forecast Plus), project management (MS Project), simulation (SIMFACTORY), and expert systems (VP Expert). The Institute of Industrial Engineering's micro computer applications series, in which departmental faculty has had a significant development role, is also reviewed in detail. THE COURSE EVALUATION The evaluation of any survey course is usually difficult. The students are exposed to a large number of concepts, techniques, and software solutions. Any of them would take a significant amount of time to master and requiring perfect mastery of all would be unrealistic and unfair. The course's grading policy calls for two exams (25% each), an individual project (30%), and a Group Project (20%). The exams are heavily focused in the applicability of software presented in lectures and in individual projects to specific problems. The individual project forces the student to become familiar with important concepts and software not covered in class and requires them to make a professional presentation to their class mates. The group project usually requires students to recommend hardware and software for a specific application, thus forcing them to read about recent developments and prices and get an idea of the basic principles and problems arising from the evaluation, selection, and utilization of equipment, commercial software and engineering support systems. Individual ~ojects These are selected topics randomly assigned the first day of class from a given list. An example of such a list is included in Table 2. Topics change from term to term, and they are selected with the objective to expand and enhance the material covered in class. Presentation dates are assigned in the course syllabus. These dates can not be changed, since they are selected so the material complements the lectures. Out of deference to those presenting projects, students are required to attend all individual presentations. The presentation itself is a 20 minutes professional presentation using slides, overheads, and/or the Sony projector. A 1-2 page class handout is required. Software packages are to be demonstrated whenever possible (e.g., if available). Two thirds of the presentation's contribution to the course's grade is evaluated by the students attending the lecture. An evaluation form is provided with detailed criteria to evaluate the quality of the delivery and the presentation aids used (10%), and the presenter s mastery of the hardware and/or software described (10%). The remaining 10% of the presentation's contribution to the final grade is assigned by the professor based on a four to eight (double spaced) page report about the assigned topic (not a copy of the overheads or slides used), due the day of the presentation. Grouo Project A typical disadvantage of a survey course is that the large number of topics/techniques/equipment/packages presented preclude the in-depth knowledge associated to specific courses. Most sophisticated software packages have a steep learning curve and require a large number of hours of practice in order to attain an adequate mastery of the program's features. It is not the objective of this course to have all students mastering all packages presented. However, it is desirable that all students get a good working knowledge of the most important packages and have an understanding of the potential applications of the others. The objective of the group project is to force the students to use a significant number of the software learned in the class in a realistic engineering exercise. The project usually deals with the evaluation, selection and utilization of equipment, commercial software and en$ineering support systems. In the preparation of the final report, students are expected to use word processing, spreadsheets, a data base, project management, forecasting, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of specific software and hardware recommendations. A "Request for Proposal" is issued by the fourth week of class. Students are assigned to groups of size four which work as independent consulting firms. Each group should present a bid. Winning bids (may be several) get an A, acceptable (competitive) bids get a B, unacceptable bids get a C (or worse). Criteria for acceptance include quality of proposal and whether the response addresses all concerns described in the RFP. The best (more realistic) responses are rated as "winning" bids.
Sepfilveda: Microcomputers in an industrial engineering curriculum
585
Last year's RFP called for each group to prepare a bid to design and implement a 'state of the art' classroom for teaching a micro computer applications class to engineers and managers. Groups could propose to use either CB 358 or CB 237 (two of the department's laboratories) and recommend that all or part of the furniture in the selected be removed (must include alternative furniture in design). Similarly, a group may recommend replacing and/or upgrading current hardware (again, must be specific and include cost analysis). The scope of the "consultant services" included the following professional services and deliverables: A proposed course outline, with a justification for each recommended topic and level of coverage. A list of suggested software packages to be covered. A detailed list of hardware recommended to demonstrate topics and to give students 'hands-on' experience in some of them. An analysis of what (if any) hardware currently available in CB 358 and/or CB 237 laboratories can be used as is, or upgraded at a reasonable cost. A design of suggested work stations. A classroom layout. Recommendations about software maintenance, site licenses, back up policies, upgrading policies, etc. An outline of the tasks needed to fully implement the proposal with time hne charts. Pricing information, including suggested vendors. The proposed cost of the project. The evaluation and rating of the written proposals reflects the importance given to the group's understanding of the work to be performed as evidenced by: 1. The description of the manner in which each specific hardware or software recommendation was selected. (20%) 2. The justification of the methods, hardware, computer languages and/or software recommended. (20%) 3. The outline of the tasks with time-lines. (20%) 4. The proposed cost for the services. (20%) 5. References (including vendors visited and/or people interviewed, if any). (20%) SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The design and contents of EIN 4118, Industrial Engineering Applications of Computers, a required undergraduate course in the Industrial Engineering curriculum at the University of Central Florida, has been discused. The course is offered in 2 lecture hours and a 3 laboratory hours per week which gives the students hands-on experience on how to utilize the software discussed in the lectures. The course concentrates in IBM compatible hardware and software. Although the hardware available is old and hmited, the most frequent complaint about the course is the scarcity of extra copies of software programs. Students are not required to purchase software. For applications covered in lectures the department owns a limited number of copies of each program demonstrated. For the programs assigned as individual projects the department owns just one copy. The initial computer literacy among the course students is very limited. Sixty p.ercent of the course focuses in the preparation of quality presentations, mastering DOS, word processing, spreadsheets, and relational data bases. The last six weeks are dedicated to demonstrate software for specific IE applications. An individual project familiarizes students with important concepts and software not covered in class and requires them to make a professional presentation to their class mates. A group project requires students to recommend hardware and software for a specific application. The described approach meets the primary objective of the course: To provide the student with an. understanding of basic principles and problems arising from the evaluation, selection ana utilization ot equipment, commercial software and engineering support systems.