Showing papers in "Journal of Engineering Education in 2011"

Engineering education and the development of expertise

Abstract: Contributors Michael Alley, The Pennsylvania State University; Cindy Atman, University of Washington; David DiBiasio, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Cindy Finelli, University of Michigan; Heidi Diefes-Dux, Purdue University; Anette Kolmos, Aalborg University; Donna Riley, Smith College; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University; Maryellen Weimer, The Pennsylvania State University; Ken Yasuhara, University of Washington Background Although engineering education has evolved in ways that improve the readiness of graduates to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, national and international organizations continue to call for change. Future changes in engineering education should be guided by research on expertise and the learning processes that support its development. Purpose The goals of this paper are: to relate key findings from studies of the development of expertise to engineering education, to summarize instructional practices that are consistent with these findings, to provide examples of learning experiences that are consistent with these instructional practices, and finally, to identify challenges to implementing such learning experiences in engineering programs. Scope/Method The research synthesized for this article includes that on the development of expertise, students' approaches to learning, students' responses to instructional practices, and the role of motivation in learning. In addition, literature on the dominant teaching and learning practices in engineering education is used to frame some of the challenges to implementing alternative approaches to learning. Conclusion Current understanding of expertise, and the learning processes that develop it, indicates that engineering education should encompass a set of learning experiences that allow students to construct deep conceptual knowledge, to develop the ability to apply key technical and professional skills fluently, and to engage in a number of authentic engineering projects. Engineering curricula and teaching methods are often not well aligned with these goals. Curriculum-level instructional design processes should be used to design and implement changes that will improve alignment.

Problem-based Learning: Influence on Students' Learning in an Electrical Engineering Course

Abstract: Background Recently, there has been a shift from using lecture-based teaching methods in undergraduate engineering courses to using more learner-centered teaching approaches, such as problem-based learning. However, research on the impact of these approaches has mainly involved student perceptions of the teaching method and anecdotal and opinion pieces by faculty on their use of the teaching method, rather than empirically collected data on students' learning outcomes. Purpose (Hypothesis) This paper describes an investigation of the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) on undergraduate electrical engineering students' conceptual understanding and their perceptions of learning using PBL as compared to lecture. Design/Method Fifty-five students enrolled in an electrical engineering course at a Midwestern university participated in this research. The study utilized a within-subjects A-B-A-B research design with traditional lecture as the baseline phase and problem-based learning as the experimental phase of the study. Participants completed pre- and post-tests surrounding the four topics covered in the study and also completed a Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) survey. Result Results suggested participants' learning gains from PBL were twice their gains from traditional lecture. Even though students learned more from PBL, students thought they learned more from traditional lecture. We discuss these findings and offer implications for faculty interested in implementing PBL. Conclusion Given the limited research on the beneficial effects of PBL on student learning, this study provides empirical support for PBL. We discuss findings from this study and provide specific implications for faculty and researchers interested in problem-based learning in engineering.

Situated Engineering Learning: Bridging Engineering Education Research and the Learning Sciences

Abstract: Contributors Indigo Esmonde, University of Toronto; Krishna Madhavan, Purdue University; Wolff-Michael Roth, University of Victoria; Dan L. Schwartz and Jessica Tsang, Stanford University; Estrid Sorensen, Humboldt University and Aarhus University; Iris Tabak, Ben Gurion University of the Negev Background The field of engineering education research has seen substantial growth in the last five years but it often lacks theoretical and empirical work on engineering learning that could be supplied by the learning sciences. In addition, the learning sciences have focused very little on engineering learning to date. Purpose This article summarizes prior work in the learning sciences and discusses one perspective—situative learning— in depth. Situativity refers to the central role of context, including the physical and social aspects of the environment, on learning. Furthermore, it emphasizes the socially and culturally negotiated nature of thought and action of persons in interaction. The aim of the article is to provide a foundation for future work on engineering learning and to suggest ways in which the learning sciences and engineering education research communities might work to their mutual benefit. Scope/Method The article begins with a brief discussion of recent developments in engineering education research. After an initial overview of the field of learning sciences, situative learning is discussed and three analytical aspects of the perspective are outlined: social and material context, activities and interactions, and participation and identity. Relevant expert commentaries are interspersed throughout the article. The article concludes with an exploration of the potential for contributions from the learning sciences to understanding engineering learning. Conclusion There are many areas of mutual benefit for engineering education and the learning sciences and many potential areas of collaborative research that can contribute not only to engineering learning but to the learning sciences.

Emerging Research Methodologies in Engineering Education Research

Abstract: Background Methodology refers to the theoretical arguments that researchers use in order to justify their research methods and design. There is an extensive range of well established methodologies in the educational research literature of which a growing subset is beginning to be used in engineering education research. Purpose A more explicit engagement with methodologies, particularly those that are only emerging in engineering education research, is important so that engineering education researchers can broaden the set of research questions they are able to address. Scope/Method Seven methodologies are outlined and for each an exemplar paper is analyzed in order to demonstrate the methodology in operation and to highlight its particular contribution. The methodologies are: Case Study, Grounded Theory, Ethnography, Action Research, Phenomenography, Discourse Analysis, and Narrative Analysis. It is noted that many of the exemplar papers use some of these methodologies in combination. Conclusion The exemplar papers show that collectively these methodologies might allow the research community to be able to better address questions around key engineering education challenges, such as students' responses to innovative pedagogies, diversity issues in engineering, and the changing requirements for engineering graduates in the twenty-first century.

The Emergence of Engineering Education Research as an Internationally Connected Field of Inquiry

Abstract: BACKGROUNDIn recent years, engineering education research (EER) has emerged as an internationally connectedfield of inquiry through the establishment of EER conferences, interest groups within engi ...

What is an Engineer? Implications of Elementary School Student Conceptions for Engineering Education

Abstract: Background Research in engineering education tends to focus on students' factual knowledge about engineering, their interests and attitudes, and on students' conceptions of the engineer and the relation to curriculum development. Thus, it is essential to expand our understanding of students' conceptions about the engineer phenomenon as the foundation for informing STEM education standards and curriculum. Purpose(Hypothesis) The purpose of this study was to investigate students' conceptions about engineers specifically: (1) What are elementary school students' conceptions of an engineer? (2) How might students' conceptions vary by grade level, gender, and community setting? (3) What are implications of students' conceptions for engineering education? Design/Method This study was descriptive in nature and reflected a cross-age design involving the collection of qualitative data from about 400 Grade 1 through 5 students from urban and suburban schools located in the Midwest, United States. Data were analyzed using content analysis and statistical testing. Results Students conceptualized an engineer as a mechanic, laborer, and technician. Students' conceptions entailed the engineer fixing, building, or making and using vehicles, engines, and tools. Students' conceptions were relatively consistent across urban and suburban school communities with the exceptions that laborer was more common among urban students and technician was more common among suburban students. More than half of the students who drew a person drew male engineers. Conclusion A framework for organizing and interpreting students' conceptions is presented. Curricular recommendations and implications are made that build on students' conceptions and reinforce connections between national standards and the engineer concept.

Engineering Instructional Development: Programs, Best Practices, and Recommendations

Abstract: Background Economic globalization, rapid advances in technology and cognitive science, and a worldwide movement toward outcomes-based program accreditation increasingly require changes in the traditional model of engineering education design and delivery. As yet, no validated framework exists for designing instructional development programs that would equip engineering educators to make those changes. Existing programs consequently vary considerably in scope and effectiveness across countries and institutions. Purpose The goals of this article are to review the content and structures of instructional development programs around the world and to formulate a robust framework for designing and delivering effective programs for engineering educators. Scope/Method Literature on the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional development programs is reviewed and summarized. Five criteria drawn from Raymond Wlodkowski’s theory of adult learner motivation [expertise of instructors, relevance of content, choice in application, praxis (action plus reflection), and groupwork] were proposed as a framework for designing engineering instructional development programs, and the framework was applied to formulate recommendations for making programs effective. Research questions that should be explored to validate the framework were suggested. Conclusion Wlodkowski’s five-factor theory of adult learner motivation provides a good framework for the design of engineering instructional development programs. The criteria are compatible with the cognitive science-based How People Learn instructional model and also with recommendations of faculty development authorities. Making engineering instructional development effective at an institution will require applying the criteria to program design and delivery and creating an institutional expectation of faculty participation in the programs.

Collaborative Learning in Engineering Students: Gender and Achievement

Abstract: Background Collaboration is an ABET accreditation required component of the engineering curriculum. Research has shown that collaborative learning positively influences student achievement. The relationship between motivation, collaborative learning strategies, and achievement is not well studied in an engineering education context. Purpose(Hypothesis) A set of hypotheses were tested that predicted positive relationships between students' self-reported informal collaboration, self-efficacy for learning course material, knowledge building behaviors, and course grade. A second set of hypotheses were tested that predicted gender similarities in reported self-efficacy, and gender differences in reported collaborative learning activities. Design/Method One hundred fifty engineering students were surveyed for study 1 and 513 students were surveyed for study 2. Bivariate correlations were completed to examine relationship between study variables; multiple regression analysis was completed to examine predictive ability of variables on course grade; MANOVA was completed to examine multivariate relationship between variables. Results In study 1, students' reported use of collaborative learning strategies and reported self-efficacy for learning course material were significantly predictive of their course grade. In study 2, female students reported greater use of collaboration as a learning strategy than their male classmates; among male and female students combined, those who received “B's” in their engineering course reported more collaboration than their peers who received “A's” or “C's” and lower. Conclusion Overall, students' self reported collaborative learning strategies were associated with increased self-efficacy for learning course material and course grade, particularly for students who received “B's” in the course. Female students reported greater use of collaborative learning strategies than their male peers.

Multiple perspectives on engaging future engineers

Abstract: Background Engaging future engineers is a central topic in everyday conversations on engineering education. Considerable investments have been made to make engineering more engaging, recruit and retain aspiring engineers, and to design an education to prepare future engineers. However, the impact of these efforts has been less than intended. It is imperative that the community reflects on progress and sets a more effective path for the future. Purpose The purpose of this article is to map a new innovation landscape for what it means to engage future engineers. This is a theoretically grounded divergent-thinking effort to enable a broader space of high impact innovations for engaging future engineers. Scope/Method A multiple perspectives methodology drawing from innovation, cross-disciplinary, and boundary work frameworks was used to make visible multiple facets of engaging future engineers. Scholars from diverse communities of thought and discourse were selected to present interparadigmatic perspectives, act as boundary agents, challenge and transform current ways of thinking, and illustrate new opportunities for engineering education innovation. Conclusions A new innovation landscape for engaging future engineers is needed, one that emphasizes epistemological development and social justice, new configurations on engineering thinking and connecting to the formative years of development, the entwinement of engineering knowing and being, and mutually informing consequences for opening up a broader space for innovation. We also need to adopt strategies and tools for using a multiple perspectives approach to better understand complex engineering education problems.

Race, Gender, and Measures of Success in Engineering Education

Abstract: Background Concern for workforce needs, social justice, and the diversification of the engineering profession make it critical to understand how different metrics may overestimate or underestimate the success of various race-gender populations in engineering. Purpose (Hypothesis) While earlier work found that women in nearly all racial groups persist to the eighth semester at rates comparable to men, results vary in studies that use other measures of success, providing an incentive to compare multiple measures of success in the same population. Design/Method The eight-semester persistence and six-year graduation rates are compared for various race-gender populations using a longitudinal, comprehensive dataset of more than 75,000 students matriculating in engineering at nine universities from 1988–1998. Results Gender differences in persistence of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, and White students are far outweighed by institutional differences. Racial differences are more pronounced, however, revealing some patterns that transcend institutional differences. Conclusion Our work demonstrates that trajectories of persistence are non-linear, gendered, and racialized, and further that higher education has developed the way in which persistence is studied based on the behavior of the majority, specifically the White, male population. Even if institutions were to treat all students equally, the outcomes will not necessarily be the same because various populations respond differently to the same conditions. Using eight-semester persistence may result in a “systematic majority measurement bias.” Therefore, multiple measures may be needed to describe outcomes in diverse populations.

Constructing Professional Portfolios: Sense-Making and Professional Identity Development for Engineering Undergraduates

Abstract: Background While previously researching the educational impacts of single-course and cross-curricular portfolios, investigators noted that student participants described their portfolio activities as positively impacting their growing identities as engineering professionals. These impacts were seen particularly in studies regarding cross-curricular portfolios. Purpose (Hypothesis) This study was designed to explicitly investigate identity-related impacts of cross-curricular portfolios and to explore the processes students employed during portfolio construction to identify themselves as budding engineers and as future professionals. Design/Mscethod Engineering undergraduate students attended four weekly workshops where they wrote a professional statement, selected artifacts that demonstrated their engineering abilities, and wrote annotations that explained how the artifacts served as concrete examples of their claims for professional standing. Online surveys were administered at each workshop asking participants about their ongoing experiences of creating their portfolios and sharing these portfolios with their peers. Results Analysis of the survey responses revealed that participants had two primary frames of reference for the construction of professional identity during portfolio creation. The external frame of reference focused on students' understanding of the expectations of potential employers and recruiters. The internal frame of reference, which accounted for twice as many responses as the external frame coding, focused on students' emerging realizations of their own values and interests as professional engineers. Conclusions As engineering educators, we often support the external frame of reference in terms of building professional identity. We need to provide students with opportunities to engage the internal frame of reference with which our participants were particularly concerned.

Nonparametric Survival Analysis of the Loss Rate of Undergraduate Engineering Students

Abstract: Background As presented by Willet and Singer (1991), survival analysis can sensitively reveal rich information about when students leave their majors. Although survival analysis has been used to investigate student and faculty retention, it has not been applied to undergraduate engineering student retention. Purpose (Hypothesis) The impact of cohort, gender, ethnicity, and SAT math and verbal scores on the loss rate of undergraduate engineering students was investigated to answer the questions: Does the profile of risk of dropout differ among groups with different backgrounds? When are students most likely to leave engineering? Which SAT scores better predict the risk of dropout? Design/Method Using a large longitudinal database that includes 100,179 engineering students from nine universities and spans 19 years, nonparametric survival analysis was adopted to obtain nonparametric estimates of survival and associated hazard functions, and complete rank tests for the association of variables. Results There are significant differences for early semesters: White or female students tend to leave engineering earlier than other populations. Engineering students leave engineering during the third semester the most, although students who have an SAT math score less than 550 tend to leave engineering during the second semester. SAT math score better predicts the risk of dropout than SAT verbal score. Conclusion The results of this study support using survival analysis to better understand factors that determine student success since student retention is a dynamic problem. Survival analysis allows characteristics such as risk to be evaluated by semester, giving insight to when interventions might be most effective.

Engineering Competence? An Interpretive Investigation of Engineering Students' Professional Formation

Abstract: Background There is growing evidence that engineering students' professional formation is shaped by the interplay of explicit learning activities and various influences from the wider educational context. The unintended outcomes of these processes, or Accidental Competencies, formed the lens for an empirical investigation of this social learning system. Purpose (Hypothesis) The exploratory inquiry addressed the following research questions. What are influences that contribute to engineering students' professional formation? How does it occur and what are resulting competencies and incompetencies Design/Mscethod Data was collected internationally in focus groups with 67 students in their transition from university into professional practice. The students' accounts were analyzed qualitatively using the software NVivo7. From the iterative analysis based on a grounded theory approach, categories and subordinate clusters of influences, mechanisms, and outcomes emerged. Results The following three forms of representation provide an authentic view of the social learning system under investigation: (i) a contextual model of competency formation illustrates the complex nature of the learning processes; (ii) an overview of the coding structure presents seven competence clusters (Flexibility, Interaction, Plan, Professional Realities, Self, Social Context and Technical); and (iii) thick descriptions from the students' accounts trace three characteristics of the complex learning processes (compound influences, ambiguity of outcomes, context-dependent nature of learning outcomes). Conclusions Engineering education is a complex system where a range of influences outside the realm of explicit instruction contribute to the development of students as professional engineers. This study provides an evidence-based framework to consider this complexity in reflective teaching practice and innovative curriculum design.

Pre-Collegiate Factors Influencing the Self-Efficacy of Engineering Students

Abstract: Background Many engineering colleges have the goal of increasing the quality and number of students choosing to pursue engineering and therefore are heavily invested in programs that expose pre-collegiate students to engineering. Most commonly, these institutions are involved with summer outreach programs and weekend or fieldtrip opportunities for students to visit engineering campuses, and some curriculum development. A lesser, often untapped resource for engineering colleges is through K-12 technology and pre-engineering teacher training. Purpose(Hypothesis) This study addresses the long term effects of pre-collegiate engineering experiences on student selfefficacy. It is hypothesized that the greater the rigor of a pre-colligate experience, the more it will contribute to a student's self-efficacy related to engineering studies. The pre-collegiate experiences examined in this study include pre-engineering classes, multi-day programs, engineering hobbies, working in an engineering environment, extra-curricular engineering programs, and single-day field trips. Design/Method The long term effects of pre-collegiate experiences were evaluated by comparing the self-efficacy of firstyear students who had the experiences to first-year students who did not have the experiences. Results Significant differences in self-efficacy were only found between groups of students who had pre-engineering classes and engineering hobbies versus students who did not have these experiences. Conclusion Based on the findings, engineering colleges with the goal of increasing the self-efficacy of engineering students should consider focusing resources on developing K-12 technology and pre-engineering teachers. Additional recommendations for practice, pedagogical implications, and areas for further research are offered.

Student Perceptions of Learning in the Laboratory: Comparison of Industrially Situated Virtual Laboratories to Capstone Physical Laboratories

Abstract: Background This study compares students' perceptions of key cognitive processes and specific content afforded by an industrially situated virtual laboratory project and two physical laboratory projects. Purpose(Hypothesis) 1. How do students' perceptions of the nature of cognition, experimental design, and ambiguity compare across selected virtual and physical laboratory experiences? 2. In what ways do students perceive the virtual and physical laboratories as an authentic experience that is reflective of real-life engineering? Design/Method Three, free-response survey questions were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. Content analysis was used to establish categories to group the responses, and the coding process had an interrater reliability of 0.90. Results Student responses showed statistically significant increases in categories of Experimental Design, Critical Thinking, and Ambiguity in the virtual laboratories and in Lab Protocol and Specific Content in the physical laboratories. Additionally, more overall High Cognition statements were observed in the virtual laboratory. Student perceptions of ambiguity shifted from ambiguity in the instruction to an ambiguity in the experimental process itself, and many students were able to suspend disbelief in the virtual laboratories and demonstrated psychological presence, leading to the potential for a rich learning experience. Conclusion The industrially situated virtual laboratories reported in this paper provide affordances for substantially different student thinking about their thinking than the physical laboratories in the same course. This conclusion does not suggest that the differences are a direct result of the medium of the laboratory (virtual vs. physical) but rather the opportunities that the instructional design of each type of laboratory affords.

The Relationship Between Team Discourse, Self‐Efficacy, and Individual Achievement: A Sequential Mixed‐Methods Study

Abstract: Background While much research has been conducted to study the effect of teaming on student learning and attitudes, few studies have explored the nature of team discourse and how these discussions support or hinder student learning and self-efficacy. Purpose (Hypothesis) This study investigated the relationship between verbal exchanges, self-efficacy, and individual student achievement. Results are discussed through the lenses of two frameworks: Bandura's social cognitive theory and Vygotsky's social constructivist theory. Design/Mscethod Twenty-two first-year engineering students participated in this study. The verbal exchanges of these students were recorded and then coded into 35 discourse moves and six discourse actions. Data on students’ pre and post self-efficacy were also collected. Correlations between discourse actions, self-efficacy scores, and individual student achievement were computed. Results Students engaged in six types of discourse actions: task-oriented, response-oriented, learning-oriented, support-oriented, challenge-oriented, and disruptive. Results indicated no direct correlation between support-oriented discourse (verbal persuasions) and achievement. However, there was a moderate positive correlation between post self-efficacy and the extent to which a student engaged in support-oriented discourse. Engaging in challenge-oriented or learning-oriented discourse did not reveal correlations with self-efficacy or achievement. Conclusions Finding that self-efficacy and achievement are related confirms Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Furthermore, the low self-efficacy of under-performers was evident in their grades, as well as in the conversations of team members. However, contrary to theory, supportive comments (verbal persuasions) received were not correlated with self-efficacy. The scarcity of challenge-oriented discourse (argumentation) is a concern and should be addressed in future research.

Feminist Theory in Three Engineering Education Journals: 1995–2008

Abstract: Background Women remain underrepresented in engineering despite decades of effort. Feminist theory may explain why some well-intentioned efforts actually reinforce the very conditions they seek to change. Purpose (Hypothesis) Our purpose is to understand and advance the use of feminist theory in engineering education research towards the goals of increasing gender diversity and equity in engineering. Specifically, we seek to address the following questions: How has feminist theory been engaged within engineering education scholar ship? And what opportunities exist for further engagement? Design/Method We analyzed articles from Journal of Engineering Education (JEE), European Journal of Engineering (EJEE), and International Journal of Engineering Education (IJEE) that had women or gender as a central part of their studies. Titles, keywords, and abstracts for every article in the journals were reviewed for the years 1995–2008. The 88 articles directly addressing gender or women in engineering were analyzed to determine their level of engagement with feminist theory. Result Feminist theory is not widely engaged or systematically developed in this scholarship. Most work rests upon implicitly liberal and standpoint feminist theories, but a minority of articles point to intersectional, interactional, and masculinity studies approaches. We identified several ways in which deeper engagement with a wider range of feminist theories can benefit engineering education scholarship. Conclusion Feminist theory is underutilized within engineering education scholarship. Further engagement with, and systematic development of, feminist theory could be one beneficial way to move the field forward.

Assessing Creativity Specific to Engineering with the Revised Creative Engineering Design Assessment

Abstract: Background In engineering, creativity is vital for innovation. The revised Creative Engineering Design Assessment (CEDA) also assesses Usefulness, unlike existing tools. Purpose (Hypothesis) The primary purpose was to test for convergent validity of the CEDA with other engineering creativity and engineering specific measures. The CEDA was administered with the Purdue Creativity Test (PCT), the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotations (PSVT-R), and a Systems Test that assessed rollercoaster design functionality. We hypothesized that the CEDA would be moderately related to the PCT and anticipated a slight relationship with the PSVT-R and Systems Test. We also investigated gender differences to follow up on previous research. Design/Mscethod Participants were 259 engineering students (221 males and 38 females) in an introductory engineering design two-course sequence who completed the CEDA and PCT (in a cross sectional design). We analyzed PVST-R scores for Fundamentals of Engineering I and Systems Test scores for Fundamentals of Engineering II. Results The CEDA showed high inter-rater reliability. The CEDA and the PCT were significantly related to each other and the CEDA was modestly related to the PSVT-R, both demonstrating convergent validity. Male and female engineering students did not significantly differ on the CEDA, PCT, PSVT-R or Systems Test. Conclusions The CEDA showed high inter-rater reliability. The CEDA and the PCT were significantly related to each other and the CEDA was modestly related to the PSVT-R, both demonstrating convergent validity. Male and female engineering students did not significantly differ on the CEDA, PCT, PSVT-R or Systems Test.

Student and Faculty Interdisciplinary Identities in Self-Managed Teams

Abstract: Background Interdisciplinary teamwork is increasingly important for engineering graduates. Yet, the reality of teaching interdisciplinarity requires faculty and students to navigate structures of engineering pro grams that do not accommodate interdisciplinary work. Purpose (Hypothesis) The purpose of this study is to understand how students and faculty negotiate interdisciplinary identities and how self-managed work teams can be used as a pedagogical strategy for promoting interdisciplinarity. Gee's concepts of affinity identity and institutional identity are used to theorize interdisciplinary teaming. Design/Method Multiple data sets from observations and interviews are used to present a case study of one interdisciplinary design course from the points of view of faculty and students. This approach, combined with research literature, is used to propose a pedagogical model for interdisciplinary teaming. Results A pedagogical approach of self-managed teaming can promote interdisciplinary identities if (a) faculty model institutional identities as interdisciplinary researchers and instructors, (b) students are encouraged to perform as decision-makers in groups constructed through affinity identities, and (c) faculty provide scaffolding for self-managed teams and encourage valuing of different disciplinary perspectives. Conclusion In the midst of an international shift toward interdisciplinarity, structural boundaries within academia present challenges to interdisciplinary collaborations. Gee's identity theory can facilitate our understanding of academic structures, especially in examining how overlapping affinity and institutional identities are at the center of newly formed interdisciplinary spaces. Issues critical to aiding interdisciplinary teaming include conflict management, scaffolding by instructors, and realistic appraisal of disciplinary grounding.

Modeling Engineering Degree Attainment Using High School and College Physics and Calculus Coursetaking and Achievement

Abstract: Background Models of engineering retention use high school GPA and mathematics standardized test scores to measure pre-college characteristics and first year of college GPA to measure academic integration in college This study uses high school and college physics and calculus coursetaking and achievement to predict engineering degree attainment among students on-track for an engineering degree Purpose (Hypothesis) This study predicts that high school accelerated physics and calculus coursetaking and grades influences grades earned in college physics and calculus and both sets of factors influence engineering degree attainment Design/Mscethod Multinomial logistic regression analyses determine the effects of high or low achievement in high school on high and low achievement in college physics and calculus courses and the effects of both on earning an engineering degree Results Pre-college characteristics and academic integration were not consistently related to the destination of engineering migrants Community college enrollment was not related to attrition High school calculus achievement is the strongest predictor of grades in college physics and calculus courses, accounting for the positive effects of accelerated physics and calculus coursetaking Conclusions Engineering degree attainment models should include coursetaking and particularly achievement in high school and college physics and calculus courses Attrition outcomes should include the destination major in order to capture achievement effects on migration to business and non-STEM fields compared to migration to other STEM fields that require quantitative skills acquired in physics and calculus courses

The Socially Responsible Engineer: Assessing Student Attitudes of Roles and Responsibilities

Abstract: Background A state university's Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) programs initiated curricular reform efforts that incorporated systems thinking and service learning as part of a National Science Foundation Department Level Reform (DLR) grant. Purpose(Hypothesis) The purpose of this study was to examine changes in students' perceptions of engineers' social responsibilities and technical knowledge that were influenced by the programs' DLR curricula reforms. A secondary goal was to test the validity and reliability of a student attitude survey. Design/Method A longitudinal, concurrent, mixed method study was implemented over a four-year period. A survey was developed and administered to 125 graduating CEE seniors. Qualitative analyses included open-ended survey responses and interviews with faculty, students, and focus groups. Results Student attitudes declined during the first two years of implementation with students citing dissatisfaction with course changes. Yet, no statistically significant difference was found for students' self-reported technical knowledge and social responsibilities by graduating class or major. Female students, however, showed a positive statistically significant difference in their self-perceptions of increased technical knowledge and engineers' social responsibilities. Adoption of new language was noticeable for students in the Class of 2009, indicating that concepts of systems thinking and service learning were beginning to be assimilated. The student attitude survey was determined to be a valid and reliable instrument. Conclusion Students caught in the middle of program reform are likely to resist change and express dissatisfaction. Assessments of student attitudes allowed implementers to evaluate their reform efforts' successes and shortcomings and enabled them to adapt and modify their strategies accordingly.

Looking Toward the Real World: Student Conceptions of Engineering

Abstract: Background This paper contributes to the growing body of scholarship on engineering students' conceptions of core concepts in engineering, including their conception of engineering itself. Understanding how students view engineering practice can provide guidance into student responses to course features such as collaborative projects. Purpose (Hypothesis) The research question addressed in this study is: What do student portfolios reveal about student constructions of engineering? Design/Method Texts from portfolios created by mechanical engineering undergraduates were analyzed qualitatively using concepts drawn from discourse analysis. This approach makes it possible to examine conceptions through close reading of linguistic structure of a body of writing. Results Students conceived of engineering practice as “the real world,” with most students not conceiving school experiences as integral to practice. Students conceived of engineering practice in terms of strongly contrasting elements rather than as a system of intrinsic elements. Two major aspects in student conceptions were present in the portfolios: values in engineering practice and the role of other people. Largely missing also from the student discourse was the sense that engineering is inherently collaborative. Conclusion Student conceptions formed continua which bear further study to more completely characterize student views. Conceptions of engineering leaders and engineering educators deserve greater attention as well as contrasts and models for comparison to student conceptions. The benefits of understanding conceptions more completely include understanding student resistance to exercises, predicting student difficulties with exercises, and understanding the distance between what educators are trying to teach students and what students are “hearing.”

Fostering Argumentation While Solving Engineering Ethics Problems

Abstract: Background Ethical issues pervade engineering practice. Ethical problems are ill-structured with alternative solutions, perspectives, and rationales for justifying solutions to ethical problems. We describe studies examining argumentation as a pedagogical strategy for engaging engineering students in ethical problem solving. Purpose (Hypothesis) Previous studies by the authors showed that arguing for solutions to ethical problems is an effective strategy for helping students to learn how to address multiple perspectives in support of ethical problems. However, from an argumentative perspective, a significant weakness in student solutions to ethical problems is conceiving and rebutting counterarguments. Design/Mscethod In two experiments, engineering students constructed argumentative solutions to everyday engineering ethics problems in a complex hypertext representing multiple perspectives. Experiment 1 compared the effects of arguing against one's own solution versus solutions recommended by others. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of providing examples of counterarguments on justifications for students' solutions. Results In two experiments, engineering students constructed argumentative solutions to everyday engineering ethics problems in a complex hypertext representing multiple perspectives. Experiment 1 compared the effects of arguing against one's own solution versus solutions recommended by others. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of providing examples of counterarguments on justifications for students' solutions. Conclusions Engineering students can learn to meaningfully address ethical issues; however, more sustained treatments are necessary to help students to transfer those skills more broadly.

Professional Development Through Engineering Academies: An Examination of Elementary Teachers' Recognition and Understanding of Engineering

Abstract: Background K-12 teachers typically lack formal instruction on engineering. To address this issue, the Institute for P-12 Engineering Research and Learning (INSPIRE) developed engineering academies for elementary teachers. During 2006 and 2007, 40 teachers participating in the academies each completed an engineering photo journal. Purpose(Hypothesis) The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of week-long engineering summer academies on elementary teachers' recognition and understanding of engineering in the world around them. Design/Method The change in teachers' recognition and understanding of engineering in the world around them was measured by analyzing pre/post academy engineering photo journal entries using the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy as a framework to code the journal responses. Paired t-tests were conducted and effect sizes calculated to determine change from pre to post academy for each academy year, and for each Revised Bloom's Taxonomy Cognitive Level. Results Results showed teachers demonstrated change in understanding after participation in the engineering academies. Further, 2007 teachers showed greater change than did 2006 teachers. Overall, teachers demonstrated significant changes in the Cognitive Levels of Remember, Analyze, and Evaluate during the academies. Conclusion The photo journal and corresponding coding scheme were used successfully to measure teachers' change in recognition and understanding of engineering. These tools helped INSPIRE researchers to better understand teachers' abilities to communicate engineering ideas. These tools will be useful in classroom settings to assess teacher and student ideas and understanding about engineering.

The Motivational and Transfer Potential of Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble Activities

Abstract: Background Reverse engineering and product dissection, more broadly termed Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble (DAA) activities, have been a regular practice in industry. The systematic analysis of the benefits of these activities for learning and instruction is, however, a relatively recent phenomenon. A number of studies have provided highly descriptive accounts of curricula and possible learning outcomes of DAA activities, but relatively few have compared participants performing DAA activities to a control group doing more traditional activities. Purpose (Hypothesis) A study was designed to investigate the relative potential of DAA activities to motivate students and promote transfer, the ability for students to apply or adapt their knowledge to develop novel solutions. It was hypothesized that students who engaged in the DAA activity would be more motivated and would demonstrate greater transfer of knowledge. Design/Mscethod A within-subjects experiment, counterbalanced for order of treatment, was conducted with 290 first-year engineering students to compare a DAA activity to a more traditional step-by-step laboratory activity for potential effects on learning and motivation. Results The DAA activity elicited significantly higher ratings of learning, enjoyment, and perceived helpfulness than traditional instruction. On a redesign task, a significantly higher frequency of students showed transfer from the DAA activity than from the traditional instructional activity. Conclusions DAA activities may offer a potential solution to the challenge of poor instruction, a cited cause of discontentment among undergraduates in STEM. They have the potential to motivate and to facilitate the transfer of knowledge.

A Psychometric Re-Evaluation of the Design, Engineering and Technology (DET) Survey

Abstract: Background Instrument development is an iterative process that requires continuous efforts to ensure the psychometric soundness of the assessment tools. Previous research has provided validity evidence for the design, engineering, and technology (DET) survey in assessing K-12 teachers' familiarity with and perceptions of engineering. Purpose (Hypothesis) The purpose of this study was to re-examine the psychometric soundness of the DET survey with a new data set collected from elementary teachers representing a national population. In addition, details regarding how to appropriately conduct confirmatory (CFA) and exploratory (EFA) factor analyses and item analysis were presented. Design/Mscethod The DET survey was administered to 405 elementary teachers (second through sixth grades) between 2006 and 2010. First, a CFA was conducted to test the factor structure based on a theoretical model. Second, an EFA was used to explore and refine the factor structure. Finally, item analysis was used to evaluate individual item performance and estimate internal reliability. Results While the CFA conducted using the new sample reported unsatisfactory fit indices to the previous DET model, the EFA proposed a refined four-factor solution explaining 74% of the total variance. The item analysis revealed problems with several items that possibly contributed to the CFA results. Conclusions The DET is a useful instrument with sufficient reliability and moderate validity evidence. However, we recommend revisions of its scale and several items. We also recommend future research with middle and high school teachers as well as with teachers in different cultural contexts and countries.

The Impact of Mathematics Anxiety on the Performance of Students of Electromagnetics

Abstract: Background Although the negative effects of academic anxiety on students' learning performance have long been recognised, the consequences of mathematics anxiety on the performance of engineering students have not yet been widely studied. Purpose(Hypothesis) This study examined how the perceived mathematics anxiety of engineering students can be related to their performance in electromagnetics. Design/Method The data were collected from an undergraduate Static Field Theory course at the Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. Mathematics anxiety was evaluated with the Electromagnetics Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (EMARS), which consists of five qualitatively different components: usefulness, mathematics confidence, interpretation anxiety, fear of asking for help, and persistency. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results The study showed a significant relation between mathematics anxiety and the students' performance in electromagnetics. Individuals with high mathematics anxiety were significantly less successful in the examination and the concept test when compared with individuals with low mathematics anxiety. However, students with high mathematics anxiety performed relatively well in the concept test when compared to their performance in workout problems, often even better than individuals with medium mathematics anxiety. Conclusion The study suggests that in curriculum design and in assessment practices, there could be more emphasis on conceptual understanding, which is shown to arouse less anxiety among low-achieving students in this particular group.