Page 1 of 12
Syllabus
EN.500.109 Explore Engineering Innovation
Contents
About the Course ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Teaching Team ................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Schedule ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Access ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Communication ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Grading .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Major Deliverables .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Policies ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
About the Course
Descriptions
Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI) is an exciting college-level summer program for
motivated high school students with an aptitude in math and science and an interest in (or
curiosity about) engineering. This program has been available to high school students since
2006. In the program, students learn to think and problem-solve like engineers and have the
opportunity to earn Johns Hopkins University (JHU) credit.
This is a course of lectures, laboratories, and special projects. Its objective is to introduce
students not only to different fields of engineering, but also to the analytic tools and
techniques that the profession uses. Assignments include hands-on and virtual experiments,
oral presentations of product design, and design/construction/testing of structures.
Visit our website for more information: https://ei.jhu.edu.
Prerequisites
• High school algebra II and trigonometry
• High school chemistry or physics
• As and Bs in high school math and science courses
Objectives
• To introduce students to prevalent topics in engineering
• To prepare students for rigorous college engineering programs
• To help students develop problem solving strategies and confidence
• To assist students in determining whether engineering is a career they are interested
in pursuing
Page 2 of 12
Outline
• Module 1: Engineering Design
• Module 2: Units and Dimensions
• Module 3: Technical Communication
• Module 4: Excel
• Module 5: Materials
• Module 6: Error and Uncertainty
• Module 7: Ethics
• Module 8: Statics
• Module 9: Finance
• Module 10: Electronics
• Module 11: Chemical Processes
Textbook and Lab Kit
This course does not have a textbook. All course materials are found on the course
Blackboard site or Microsoft Teams.
A lab kit will be mailed to each student early in the course. If you have issues receiving your
lab kit, please contact the Engineering Innovation office at ei@jhu.edu.
Teaching Team
The course is taught by an Instructor, typically someone with a PhD that teaches college-
level courses, and a Teaching Fellow, typically a high school teacher. Some sections also have
TAs that assist with the course. Teacher biographies and contact information can be found in
the Syllabus & Course Information area of the Blackboard course menu.
While teachers will not be “on call” outside of the class meeting time, they will make every
effort to respond to questions and reply in a timely fashion. Once the course begins, please
make every effort to contact the teachers through Microsoft Teams rather than email.
See the Access and Communication sections of this Syllabus for more information.
Schedule
Students should expect to spend 5 ½ hours per weekday on this course:
1. Self-study: Each day begins with approximately 1 hour of independent work to cover
new material. This includes watching pre-recorded lectures, reading, and solving
simple practice problems. Students should complete this work on their own time.
2. Synchronous 3-hour class meeting: The second block of time is 2 ½ hours of work
during the synchronous 3-hour session that was assigned during course enrollment.
Students work for three blocks of 50 minutes with 15-minute breaks in between. Most
of this time is spent working in small groups.
3. Homework: The day ends with a homework assignment that is designed to take 1 ½
hours to complete. This work may be independent or group work.
A calendar with due dates is available in the Calendar area of the Blackboard course menu.
Unless otherwise noted, all homework must be submitted to Blackboard before the next
class meeting begins.
Page 3 of 12
Access
Required Software
To complete the course, students need access to a computer with the following capabilities:
• Access to a spreadsheet application which will allow them to analyze data*
• Access to a word processing program that can be used to write their course lab
reports*
• Access to a presentation program so they can create a presentation for their final
project*
• Ability to upload videos to the internet
• USB port to communicate with the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
• Reliable internet access
*All students are granted a Microsoft Office 365 license during the program.
Johns Hopkins Online Account
The Johns Hopkins Enterprise Directory (JHED) system is an online, comprehensive source of
contact information for Johns Hopkins University faculty, staff, and students that grants
access to the following resources:
• Blackboard – access the course files (lecture videos, assignments, etc.)
• Microsoft Teams – communicate with the class
• Microsoft Office 365 – access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, etc.
• myJHU – view and update your student profile
• SIS – view your final grade at the end of the course
• Library – access online reference materials
Sign in to these applications using [email protected] (NOT @jhu.edu) and your password.
New students should receive an email from the registrar containing their JHED ID shortly
after enrollment. Instructions for activating the account are provided in the Online Account
Activation Instructions Form during course enrollment. Contact webregistratio[email protected]
or call 410-516-8080 for assistance, if needed.
Page 4 of 12
Blackboard – Course Materials
Most course materials will be provided through Blackboard. Students sign into Blackboard
using their JHED username and password.
The daily class schedule can be found in the Syllabus & Course Information area of
Blackboard. The lectures, assignments, and quizzes are divided into modules, which can be
accessed by clicking Course Modules on the Blackboard course menu. Upcoming
assignment deadlines and course grades are visible in the Calendar and My Grades areas.
Microsoft Teams – Class Meeting and Communication
This course will use Microsoft Teams for communication, including the daily synchronous
class meeting. This is a platform that works in a browser, desktop application, and app for
tablet and phone (iOS and Android).
Students can access Teams by clicking Microsoft Teams on the Blackboard course menu or
navigating to https://teams.microsoft.com. After signing in, the course Team will be listed on
the left-hand side with the Team channels (discussion areas) listed below. Module channels
are for questions and topics related to specific modules. Students can open the Meetings
channel to view upcoming meetings or join a meeting in progress.
Students can customize channel notifications by clicking the dots next to the channel name
and selecting Channel notifications. It is also possible to configure email notifications, alert
sounds, and more.
For more information, check out the Microsoft Support information for getting started with
Microsoft Teams. For assistance with signing in or accessing Microsoft Teams, please contact
the Help Desk at wse-is@jhu.edu.
Microsoft Office 365 Software
Students have access to the Microsoft Office 365 Suite software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint,
Excel, etc.) for the duration of the course. To access:
1. Go to https://www.office.com and click Sign In.
2. Sign in using [email protected] (NOT @jhu.edu) and your password.
3. When you land on the Office.com home screen, you can click Install Office in the
upper right corner. Installing the software in optional; you can also use the web
versions directly in the browser.
Page 5 of 12
JHU Library
Students have online access to the Johns Hopkins University library for the duration of the
course.
Communication
Course Announcements
Important announcements will be posted to Microsoft Teams in the General channel. They
may also be cross posted in the relevant Module channel. Students should check for new
announcements each day.
Public Questions via Teams Channels
Questions about the course should be posted in the relevant channel in Microsoft Teams.
Students can post replies to questions from their peers, and this behavior is encouraged! In
addition to written replies, it is also helpful to “like” posts by clicking on a post then selecting
the thumbs-up icon.
The quickest way to get an answer to a question is to use the @Question tag. When typing a
message, include the text @Question. A pop-up should appear, and the text “Question”
should turn purple. Including this tag alerts the teaching team and helps distinguish the
question from discussion posts.
Personal Questions via Teams Chat
Direct chat messaging should be reserved for content that is not relevant to the whole class
(late assignment, accommodations, etc.). To start a chat group with your teaching team,
select Chat on the left-hand menu of Teams and click the New Chat icon ( ) above the chat
list pane. Type in the names of all your teachers to add them to the group. Please refrain
from chatting with an individual teacher; instead, chat with the whole teaching team.
Interacting with Peers
Students are encouraged to discuss the course content with their classmates. In addition to
posting and replying to messages in the public Microsoft Teams channels, students can also
use Microsoft Teams to chat with an individual student or groups of students.
Students must be respectful and reach out to the teaching team if they believe someone is
behaving inappropriately. All students are bound by the Academic Integrity policy for the
duration of this course, including time spent outside of the synchronous meeting time.
Grading
Submission Format
Documents should be submitted in PDF format. Videos should be created as .mp4 or .mov
format, uploaded to Microsoft Stream, and shared via a link to the video.
Typed submissions are preferred, but handwritten work can be scanned or photographed
and included within a Word document. One option is to use a program like CamScanner to
Page 6 of 12
digitize handwritten work. Please take the time to ensure scans are not blurry, handwriting is
legible, pictures are not sideways, and text and photos are not too small.
Late Policy
Unless otherwise noted, all homework submissions are due before the start of the next
synchronous class meeting. Large files take time to upload, so students should not wait until
the last minute to submit their work.
Because this course moves at a fast pace, in general, late work will not be accepted.
Submitting something on time is better than submitting nothing. There are a few
exceptions to this rule:
• All students will be able to submit one assignment or activity late (up to 12 hours late)
with no penalty.
• The second late assignment (up to 12 hours late) will be penalized at 50% credit
• Exceptions will be made for genuine hardships experienced during the course.
Students should contact their teaching team as soon as possible to let them know why an
assignment is late.
Grade Questions and Regrade Policy
Students may submit work to be regraded if they feel there is an error or if they have
questions about how it was graded. Requests should be made via Teams chat with the
teaching team within 48 hours of the grade being posted in Blackboard. The student should
indicate what portion of the work should be regraded and explain the rationale for their
request. The new grade may be higher, the same, or lower than the original grade. Once
work is regraded, it may not be submitted for another regrading analysis.
Final Grade Letters
Final grades will be awarded as follows:
• Above 90% A
• 80% - 90% B
• Below 80% No credit - Audit
A grade of A indicates achievement of consistent excellence and distinction throughout the
course—that is, conspicuous excellence in all aspects of the course assignments. A grade of B
indicates work that meets all course requirements on a level appropriate for undergraduate
academic work. Students who do not earn an A or a B will be marked as “audit”; they will not
receive a final grade and the course will not appear on their transcript.
Students who earn an A or B grade in the course receive 3 credits from Johns Hopkins
University. If they are accepted to and matriculate as an undergraduate student at JHU, the
credits awarded by JHU for this course are available to count towards their undergraduate
degree at JHU. Credits may be applied towards the total required credits to graduate.
Students who complete the course (turn in all lab reports, design projects, and the final
project) will receive a Certificate of Completion regardless of the grade they achieved.
Certificates will be sent by email from ei@jhu.edu approximately two weeks after the last day
of class.
Page 7 of 12
Grade Calculation
Final grades will be determined by the following weighting:
Item # of Points % of Grade
Spaghetti Bridge Project 400 20%
Electronics Project 300 15%
Assignments 280 14%
Quizzes 240 12%
Class Participation 240 12%
Chemical Processes Project 160 8%
Request for Proposal Project 140 7%
Mousetrap Project 120 6%
Ethics Project 120 6%
Surveys 10 points extra credit
Total 2000 100%
Major Deliverables
Spaghetti Bridge Project
Students test the material properties of spaghetti and use truss analysis (statics) to design,
build, and test a bridge made of spaghetti and wood glue.
Instructions are posted to Blackboard in the Materials and Statics modules. The deliverables
for the Materials labs are written lab reports. Students use provided data to complete a lab
report for tension, then they collect data and complete a lab report for bending. Students
then write the experimental methods, collect data, and complete a lab report for buckling.
The deliverable for the individual bridge design and build is the student’s choice of either a
poster, a written report, or a video presentation.
The points for this project are allocated as follows:
• 200 pts – Materials labs (tension, bending, and buckling)
• 100 pts – Group bridge design
• 100 pts – Individual bridge design, build, and test
In total, deliverables for the Spaghetti Bridge Project are worth 400 points (20% of the final
grade).
Page 8 of 12
Electronics Project
Students use MakeCode block programming, JavaScript, or CircuitPython to control a Circuit
Playground Express (a programmable circuit board with built-in sensors, buttons, and lights).
After working in a group to build a memory game, students are given a design challenge:
build a device that will help the user live a healthier life. Emphasis is placed on transferable
skills like defining the problem, writing use cases, debugging, developing verification
procedures, and creating documentation.
Instructions are posted to Blackboard in the Electronics module. The deliverables for the
individual design challenge are the code, a user guide, and a demonstration video. Projects
are then peer reviewed.
The points for this project are allocated as follows:
• 125 pts – Group project
• 145 pts – Individual project (code, user guide, demonstration video)
• 30 pts – Peer review
In total, deliverables for the Electronics Project are worth 300 points (15% of the final grade).
Assignments
Assignments are questions or activities designed to give you practice with the course
content. Students should complete assignments on their own, not in a group.
Assignment links are provided in the corresponding Blackboard modules. Students are
required to submit their work to Blackboard as a PDF file. All work must be shown and
legible to earn full credit. Solutions without justification will not be considered complete and
the grade will be adjusted down accordingly.
Each of the following assignments is worth 40 points:
1. Units and Dimensions Assignment
2. Excel Assignment
3. Error and Uncertainty Assignment
4. Statics Assignment
5. Finance Assignment
6. Electronics Assignment
7. Chemical Processes Assignment
In total, the assignments are worth 280 possible points (14% of the final grade).
Quizzes
Each module includes quizzes composed of multiple choice and fill-in-the blank style
questions. Students should complete quizzes on their own, not in a group.
Quiz links are provided in the corresponding Blackboard modules. The quizzes are designed
to test the concepts and skills covered in the module lectures, so students should plan to
complete all lecture videos and readings before attempting the quiz. Quizzes are untimed,
and students can attempt each quiz up to 2 times. Feedback on the quiz will be available
after the quiz due date.
Each of the following quizzes is worth 20 points:
Page 9 of 12
1. Engineering Design Quiz
2. Units and Dimensions Quiz
3. Technical Communication Quiz
4. Excel Quiz
5. Materials 1 Quiz
6. Materials 2 Quiz
7. Materials 3 Quiz
8. Error and Uncertainty Quiz
9. Ethics Quiz
10. Statics 1 Quiz
11. Statics 2 Quiz
12. Finance Quiz
13. Electronics 1 Quiz
14. Electronics 2 Quiz
15. Chemical Processes Quiz
The lowest three quiz grades will be dropped. So, the highest 12 quiz grades will count
toward the final grade for a total of 240 possible points (12% of the final grade).
Class Participation
The class will meet for a synchronous three-hour session every weekday. Most of this time will
be spent working in small groups to complete projects, conduct discussions, or solve
engineering challenge questions. All students are expected to participate the activities.
A description of the activities for each meeting will be posted to Blackboard in the Syllabus &
Course Information area. Additional instructions and files may be shared in real time during
the meeting.
Participation is worth 12 points for each of the 24 meeting days. The lowest four
participation
grades will be dropped. So, the highest 20 participation grades will count toward the final
grade for a total of 240 possible points (12% of the final grade).
Chemical Processes Project
Students design an experiment to convert cornstarch to sugar using an amylase enzyme.
They calculate the percent conversion and the energy efficiency of the heating element.
Instructions are posted to Blackboard in the Chemical Processes module. The deliverable for
this activity is a written lab report. The Chemical Processes Project is worth up to 160 points
(8% of the final grade).
Request for Proposal Project
Students work in teams to imagine a new product or service in response to one of several
Requests for Proposals (RFPs). They create a PowerPoint presentation to pitch the idea to
their peers. This is an exercise in technical communication, finance, and the engineering
design process.
Instructions are posted to Blackboard in the Technical Communication module. The
Request for Proposal Project is worth up to 140 points (7% of the final grade).
Page 10 of 12
Mousetrap Project
Students design a paper mousetrap and create instructions for how to build it. A classmate
then attempts to recreate the device by following the instructions and provides feedback.
This is an exercise in the engineering design process and technical communication.
Instructions are posted to Blackboard in the Engineering Design and Technical
Communications modules. The Mousetrap Design is worth 70 points and the Mousetrap
Build is worth 50 points, for a total of up to 120 points (6% of the final grade).
Ethics Project
Students learn about the National Society of Professional Engineers’ (NSPE) code of ethics
and apply it to one of several case studies. They read one or two provided articles, respond to
short-answer questions, and construct an argument for peer review.
Instructions are posted to Blackboard in the Ethics module. The Ethics Project is worth up to
120 points (6% of the final grade).
Surveys
The Engineering Innovation office hires an external evaluator to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of this course. Student feedback is essential to that process. Survey responses
are anonymous; neither the teaching team nor the Engineering Innovation office can match
students to survey responses.
A pre-course survey will be sent by email on or about the first day of class. A post-course
survey will be sent by email during the last week of class. In addition, there are anonymous
weekly surveys that are available in Blackboard. Your participation is voluntary.
Students that complete both the pre-course survey and the post-course survey will earn 10
points extra credit.
Policies
Academic Integrity
All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Procedures for Dealing with
Issues of Academic Misconduct, as provided during enrollment.
This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following:
cheating, plagiarism, submitting the same or substantially similar work to satisfy the
requirements of more than one course without permission, submitting as one’s own the
same or substantially similar work of another, knowingly furnishing false information to any
agent of the University for inclusion in academic record, falsification, forgery, alteration,
destruction or misuse of official University documents or seal.
Plagiarism is defined as taking the words, ideas, or thoughts of another and representing
them as one’s own. If you use the ideas of another, provide a complete citation in the source
work; if you use the words of another, present the words in the correct quotation notation
(indentation or enclosed in quotation marks, as appropriate) and include a complete citation
to the source.
Page 11 of 12
Disability Services
The Johns Hopkins University and the Engineering Innovation program are committed to
making all courses, support services, and facilities accessible to students with disabilities.
To receive accommodations for a disability, students must register with the JHU Office for
Student Disability Services (SDS) at https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/disabilities/. Students are
highly encouraged to do so as soon as possible after admission and no later than two weeks
prior to the start of class. Although requests can be made at any time, there may be a delay
in implementation depending on the nature of the request.
Part of the registration process is the submission of documentation of the disability. Please
refer to the university documentation guidelines at
https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/disabilities/newly-admitted-students/documentation-
guidelines/ for more information.
You are encouraged to share this link with your provider (e.g. physician, psychologist,
teacher/counselor, etc.) to help guide his or her writing, if necessary. Please know that IEPs
and 504 Plans, although helpful, do not constitute comprehensive documentation. However,
when combined with other documentation from a qualified evaluator, can provide adequate
support for accommodations during your Engineering Innovation experience.
To begin the registration process with Student Disability Services and to establish eligibility
for disability related accommodations and services, please complete and submit the SDS
Online Registration Form and upload supporting documentation. You can also find this form
by visiting the Student Disability Services website at
https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/disabilities/ and clicking on the link on the left hand side
labeled ‘SDS Homewood Online Registration for New Students.’
Once your form and documentation are received, the next step in the process will be a
phone call or virtual meeting with an SDS professional staff member, when needed, to
complete your requested accommodations. If you have any difficulty providing
documentation or need more information about any aspect of the process, please contact
SDS staff at studentdisabilityservic[email protected].
Director of Student Disability Services: Dr. Terri Massie-Burrell
Mailing address: The Johns Hopkins University; Student Disability Services; 3400 N Charles
Street; Shaffer Hall Suite 101; Baltimore, MD 21218
Discrimination and Harassment
JHU will not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment (including sexual violence),
discrimination or retaliation in the workplace or educational environment whether
committed by managers, faculty, administrators, staff, or students, or by visitors to our
institution of higher learning. If you are a victim of any such situation, you are strongly
encouraged to file a complaint through official university channels.
You may reach out to the Engineering Innovation office at e[email protected]du or submit a
Discrimination and Harassment Report Form to the JHU Office of Institutional Equity -
https://forms.jh.edu/view.php?id=164822.
Page 12 of 12
Recording of Class Meetings
Class meetings recorded by the instructor or teaching fellow may be shared with students in
the class for instructional purposes related to this class. Students may opt-out from
identification in the recording by muting their audio, not enabling video, and not typing in
the chat window. All students are expected to participate fully when the class is not being
recorded. Students are not permitted to copy or share any part of the recording with others.
