This paper discusses the gradual integration of LabVIEW, a dataflow programming language, into a freshman engineering course, data acquisition activities designed to utilize LabVIEW programming and the status of development of a LabVIEW Enabled Watershed Assessment System (LEWAS). This system is capable of monitoring water data in a real-time from an impaired stream that flows through the campus of Virginia Tech. These data have potential to develop classroom exercises targeted at promoting awareness of environmental sustainability among engineering freshmen. LEWAS has been successfully expanded from the desktop version and is programmed to enable real-time monitoring using an embedded computer that is field deployable with less power consumption and more reliability compared to the desktop version. Student attitudinal responses on using LabVIEW to teach programming constructs and collect environmental data are analyzed and discussed.
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