Ali Mehrabian - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ali Mehrabian

In an evolving online education environment, innovation is a key factor in advancing the stateof-... more In an evolving online education environment, innovation is a key factor in advancing the stateof-the-art. The advantages of distance learning and online education are well established. Many institutions of higher and continuing education in the United States and around the world have online systems and mechanisms in place, delivering effective and robust online education to the learners. Here is discussed a case study of an online engineering course that required innovation in the structure of the course content and in the course presentation to accommodate all learners, including well-prepared and underprepared ones. This has been a three-phase online course, undergone three phases of revisions and improvement in three semesters using the students’ feedback. The course is well delivered and received, based on the feedback and anecdotal evidence. The overall assessment provided evidence that in the current distance learning environment, innovation is the name of the game.

Land development is the process of converting land from one use to another, and is typically appl... more Land development is the process of converting land from one use to another, and is typically applied to residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial lands. Land development process involves many entities including, but not limited to the land use planner, landscape architect, civil engineer, land surveyor, developer, realtor, and land owner. From an engineering and design perspective, the land surveyor and the civil engineer are essential parts of this process, as they are usually the first to arrive at the site and the last to leave the site after the completion of the development. Some of the major components of land development and subdivision design include street design, sidewalk and trail design, storm-water drainage design, water distribution systems design, sewage collection design, on-site and off-site sewage treatment design, utility systems and easements, erosion and sediment control design, lot and open space grading, and installation of survey monuments and mar...

Abstract. A novel reliability analysis technique is presented to estimate the reli-ability of rea... more Abstract. A novel reliability analysis technique is presented to estimate the reli-ability of real structural systems. Its unique feature is that the dynamic loadings can be applied in time domain. It is a nonlinear stochastic finite element logarithm combined with the response surface method (RSM). It generates the response sur-face around the most probable failure point and incorporates information of the distribution of the random variables in the RSM formulation. It is verified using the Monte Carlo simulation technique, and is found to be very efficient and accurate. Most sources of nonlinearlity and uncertainty can be explicitly incorporated in the formulation. The flexibility of connections, represented by moment-relative rota-tion (M–θ) curves, is addressed. After the Northridge earthquake of 1994, several improved steel connections were proposed. Structural Sesimic Design Associates (SSDA) tested several full-scale proprietory slotted web beam–column connec-tions. The autho...

Some Selection Criteria for Offering Online Courses in Engineering and Technology

With distance learning on the run, economicaladvantages of online courses make offering them very... more With distance learning on the run, economicaladvantages of online courses make offering them verypopular. As such, many institutions of higher education inthe United States and elsewhere have online systems andmechanism in place, delivering effective online education tothe learners. This applies to both “non-profit” and “forprofit”institutions. Here is discussed some of the selectioncriteria for choosing what online courses to be offered inengineering and technology-related fields. Discussions alsoinclude current trends and related challenges.Index Terms ⎯ distance learning; delivery modes;engineering education; live; online; hybrid; online selectioncriteria.

Journal on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 2008

Present technology and the accessibility of internet have made distance learning easier, more eff... more Present technology and the accessibility of internet have made distance learning easier, more efficient, and more convenient for students. This technology allows instructors and students to communicate asynchronously, at times and locations of their own choosing, by exchanging printed or electronic information. The use of project-based approach is being recognized in the literature as a potential component of courses in the faculties of engineering, science, and technology. Instructors may have to restructure their course differently to accommodate and facilitate the effectiveness of distance learning. A project-based engineering course, traditionally taught in a classroom settings using live mode at the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has been transformed to a distance course taught using distance modes. In this case, pedagogical transitions and adjustments are required, in particular for obtaining an optimal balance between t...

Prism project: fostering green energy industry training

The green energy industry has emerged as agrowing industry over the last few years. Economicdeman... more The green energy industry has emerged as agrowing industry over the last few years. Economicdemands for green energy push for skilled engineers andpeople with technical skills and proper training in theseareas to fulfill the forecasted job growth in these sectors.The birth of the PRISM project is to present and provide thetraining opportunities in solar energy, fostering a greenenergy industry training center. PRISM Project is a$238,000, NSF funded training project for three years,centered at Daytona State College in Daytona Beach. Itsgoal is to provide entry level and short-duration training inphotovoltaic and solar energy. The training programcurriculum is designed with the objectives that the graduatesof the program are equipped with the basics knowledge inphotovoltaic energy production basic theories, installations,and troubleshooting. Here is discussed PRISM project andits successes in training and collaborating with the greenenergy industry. Index Terms - solar energy; photovo...

One of the typically damaged steel beam-column connection during the Northridge earthquake of 199... more One of the typically damaged steel beam-column connection during the Northridge earthquake of 1994 was bolted-web, welded-flange (BWWF), now known as “pre-Northridge” connection. Proposed post-Northridge connections are more ductile and capable of dissipating more energy, thus improving the behavior of steel moment resisting frames (SMRF). The post-Northridge connections with added ductility will be denoted in the paper as BWWF-AD. However, the estimation of the nonlinear response of SMRF in the presence of BWWF-AD is not simple. These are essentially partially restrained (PR) connections. The behavior of PR connections is generally represented by moment-relative rotation (M-θ) curves. Along with material and geometric nonlinearities, the presence of PR connections adds another major source of nonlinearity and must be considered appropriately for accurate seismic response analysis. Structural Seismic Design Associates (SSDA) proposed a unique proprietary SlottedWebTM connection and ...

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

A robust project-based engineering course at the undergraduate senior level, traditionally taught... more A robust project-based engineering course at the undergraduate senior level, traditionally taught face-to-face synchronously, has been transformed to a distance course taught asynchronously using distance modes. In this case, pedagogical transitions, alterations, and adjustments are required for meeting the course objectives effectively and without sacrificing the instructional quality. Project collaboration in groups or teams requires effective communication, which is made possible in this case with extensive utilization of new information technology (IT) and communication tools such as virtual meetings. Some technologies used in transition from live to distance learning modes are summarized and their effectiveness is addressed experientially in this paper. This discussion includes some benefits of implementing project-based courses in the domain of distance learning modes.

Seismic performance of steel frames with a post-Northridge connection

Seismic performance of steel frames with "post-Northridge" bolted web, welded flange, b... more Seismic performance of steel frames with "post-Northridge" bolted web, welded flange, beam-column connection with adequate ductility (BWWF-AD) and "preNorthridge" bolted web. welded flange, beam-column connection (BWWF) is comprehensively evaluated using a nonlinear finite element method (FEM). The material and geometric nonlinearities, major sources of energy dissipation, and the flexibility of the connections are considered. The Richard Model is employed to analytically describe the moment-relative rotation (M-0) curves of BWWF-AD connections using limited available data of fullscale, ATC-24 laboratory experiments. From the limited experimental data, an analytical method is developed to predict and to extrapolate the M-0 curves of BWWT-AD connection with any sizes of beams and columns. This method is used to extend the test results of an individual BWWF-AD cotmection to a frame with several or more BWWFAD connections. The inelastic seismic response of two SAC S...

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Distance learning is recognized in the engineering and technology-related education profession as... more Distance learning is recognized in the engineering and technology-related education profession as an attractive method of instructional delivery. The asynchronous and economical advantages of distance education and learning make offering and taking them very popular. The fast pace availability of the technology and its rapidly changing environment compel the profession to constantly evaluate, address, re-evaluate and re-engineer some of the assessment-related issues. In this article, we discuss some aspects of online performance assessment in distance learning environments in engineering and technology. The article is built on the foundation laid by many previous studies and articles by the authors and others. It encompasses discussions on effective techniques on the use of technology for online student performance assessment. We rely on our own many years of online teaching as an experiential instrument in the former parts of this study while we use statistical analysis in the later part of the paper. The data used are collected from recent sample courses in engineering and technology taught by the authors and their colleagues. We conclude that the currently available automated robust and effective online assessment tools are significant in pedagogical assessment in engineering and technology. The results are confirmed through our discussions with the colleagues having similar experience at some other institutions of higher education. We plan to expand our database and revalidate our study through collaborative data-sharing efforts with our colleagues across the States in the near future.

Curriculum Innovation Driven by Industry Input

Examples are covered here of curriculum innovation driven by industry input. At Middle Tennessee ... more Examples are covered here of curriculum innovation driven by industry input. At Middle Tennessee State University an engineering management degree forms an innovative partnership with industry. At Florida Atlantic University the Mobile Technology Consortium (MTC) has formed through an Industry-University Alliance as well as using Motorola’s vision to impact its engineering curriculum. IUPUI is forging an industrial partnership with engineering technology capstone courses. At Rochester Institute of Technology curriculum development driven by industry input is taking place.

Internships, Capstone Projects, Engineering Centers, and Other Methods to Work with Industry

Examples are covered here of internships, capstone projects, engineering centers, and other metho... more Examples are covered here of internships, capstone projects, engineering centers, and other methods to work with industry to give students more real world experiences. At Carnegie Mellon University assessing the impact of mandatory internships on employability of recent college graduates in Mexico is taking place. At Weber State University changing capstone projects in a way to improve the curriculum is happening. At Texas A&M University telecommunication engineering technology students are learning via the Cisco Test Engineering Center. At Purdue University – West Lafayette they are making it real by immersing students in week long enterprise resource planning simulations. At Vancouver Island University their “Mission Impossible” is providing maximum learning in minimum time. And at Florida Atlantic University engineers and other people are communicating engineering results to a larger audience.

Implementation of sustainable construction basics in a construction materials and methods course

The field of construction demands educatedpersonnel in green and sustainable construction. With t... more The field of construction demands educatedpersonnel in green and sustainable construction. With therecent trends in the industry, many clients demand moregreen materials and design and an overall sustainability toachieve a cleaner and safer structures. The LEEDcertification has also attracted much attention. Here a caseof successful implementation of “green module” into aconstruction material and method course at the bachelor’slevel is presented. Discussions include curriculum flexibilityand constraints reflected by the addition of the greenmodules. The module discussed here is developed accordingto the state-of-the-art body of knowledge and is consistentwith educational program outcomes of the course and that ofthe educational program. The more comprehensive coursecan be delivered online or using hybrid modes ofinstructional delivery. The follow-up empirical assessmentof green modules shows that they are well received by thestudents and their reflective employers, indicating asucce...

In recent years distance education and learning have emerged as a popular method of instructional... more In recent years distance education and learning have emerged as a popular method of instructional delivery in engineering and technology-related fields. Many faculties of engineering and technology may found themselves teaching online classes or thinking about teaching one. In this process, crafting and preparation of online exams without sacrificing the educational quality and exam security is a crucial issue to the faculty. Psychological setbacks and barriers among engineering students also add another concern for the faculty teaching in a distance education environment, i.e., students may have fears of losing partial credit in an online multiple-choice exam. The asynchronous and economical advantages of distance education and learning that make offering and taking them very popular force the profession to reexamine and re-engineer some of these exam-related issues. In this paper we discuss some background and lessons learned from our experience with crafting online exams for the distance learning students in engineering and technology. We use some accurate but crude empirical data and evaluation methodologies to draw our conclusions. The article's discussion encompasses six faculty concerns of security, interactivity, equity, hands-on demonstration of concept, team-workability assessment, and ethics, all related to crafting online examinations in engineering and technology. Some of the results presented here are also confirmed intuitively through our informal discussions with the colleagues having similar experiences. We conclude, from our experiences, that in "open and honest" learning environments such as those in most institutions of higher education in the United States, the most important focus should be on the "ethics" education of the students before they can take online examinations in a non-proctored examination environment.

2001 Annual Conference Proceedings

National Science Foundation (NSF) aimed at encouraging more students with physical disabilities t... more National Science Foundation (NSF) aimed at encouraging more students with physical disabilities to study SMET. The result of their efforts is Program ACCESS (Accessing Career Choices in Engineering and ScienceS). Program ACCESS is a three-year project sponsored by the National Science Foundation and The University of Arizona, and is housed in the Department of Mathematics. It is a multidisciplinary program involving faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students with physical disabilities from the College of Science, the College of Engineering and Mines, the Graduate College,

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

A menu-driven graphics-based simulation package called DESIGN has been developed. It enables the ... more A menu-driven graphics-based simulation package called DESIGN has been developed. It enables the users to add/delete poles or zeros and vary design requirements such as the value of the gain, damping factor, overshoot, delay time, rise time, bandwidth, resonance frequency, etc., to investigate the effects of these parameters on system performance. The package is free and is designed around the root locus plot of a unity feedback control system in a MS-Window environment. It is a useful tool for both the instructors and the students in a basic control system theory course with a special emphasis on design.

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

In recent years distance education and learning have emerged as a popular method of instructional... more In recent years distance education and learning have emerged as a popular method of instructional delivery in engineering and technology-related fields. Many faculties of engineering and technology may found themselves teaching online classes or thinking about teaching one. In this process, crafting and preparation of online exams without sacrificing the educational quality and exam security is a crucial issue to the faculty. Psychological setbacks and barriers among engineering students also add another concern for the faculty teaching in a distance education environment, i.e., students may have fears of losing partial credit in an online multiple-choice exam. The asynchronous and economical advantages of distance education and learning that make offering and taking them very popular force the profession to reexamine and re-engineer some of these exam-related issues. In this paper we discuss issues as they relate to crafting online exams for the distance learning students in engineering and technology. More specifically, we discuss one major theme: how should faculty craft and design online exams for students studying in engineering and technology-related fields? We use some accurate but crude empirical data and evaluation methodologies to draw our conclusions. The data used are collected from more recent sample courses that have been taught by the authors over the last five years. This facilitates the evaluation of the latest challenges, development of new methodologies, and monitoring the current trends.

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Young women in Jordan have begun to demand greater freedom than in the past. Although there are s... more Young women in Jordan have begun to demand greater freedom than in the past. Although there are still some traditional practices that govern women's life style. Women's participation in different aspects of life has been increasing over the last years; their interaction along with the Jordanian society has begun to take different shapes, the contribution of women to there families, society and in the workforce has been more significant than it was formerly. In this paper, we will address the factors that limit the enrollment of women in graduate engineering schools; these factors include cultural and economical reasons, labor market outlooks, status and prestige. We study the interrelationship among these factors, the positive impacts on the economy and on some sectors of the engineering industry in general. As we believe that women in engineering related fields have significant role in supporting and enriching these fields. The effective participation of women engineers will help sustaining the society by empowering the women through her participation in all fields, enhancing the Jordanian women's skills, knowledge and access to information.

Some Selection Criteria for Offering Online Courses in Engineering and Technology

Journal on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 2008

Prism project: fostering green energy industry training

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Seismic performance of steel frames with a post-Northridge connection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

Curriculum Innovation Driven by Industry Input

Internships, Capstone Projects, Engineering Centers, and Other Methods to Work with Industry

Implementation of sustainable construction basics in a construction materials and methods course

2001 Annual Conference Proceedings

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

In recent years distance education and learning have emerged as a popular method of instructional... more In recent years distance education and learning have emerged as a popular method of instructional delivery in engineering and technology-related fields. Many faculties of engineering and technology may found themselves teaching online classes or thinking about teaching one. In this process, crafting and preparation of online exams without sacrificing the educational quality and exam security is a crucial issue to the faculty. Psychological setbacks and barriers among engineering students also add another concern for the faculty teaching in a distance education environment, i.e., students may have fears of losing partial credit in an online multiple-choice exam. The asynchronous and economical advantages of distance education and learning that make offering and taking them very popular force the profession to reexamine and re-engineer some of these exam-related issues. In this paper we discuss issues as they relate to crafting online exams for the distance learning students in engineering and technology. More specifically, we discuss one major theme: how should faculty craft and design online exams for students studying in engineering and technology-related fields? We use some accurate but crude empirical data and evaluation methodologies to draw our conclusions. The data used are collected from more recent sample courses that have been taught by the authors over the last five years. This facilitates the evaluation of the latest challenges, development of new methodologies, and monitoring the current trends.

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings