Enhancing Engineering First-Year Experience (FYrE) through Supplemental Instruction

Sharri Lee Kornblum; Zanj Kano Avery El; Gustavo B Menezes; Deborah Won; Emily L. Allen

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Conference: 2017 FYEE Conference
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Publication Date: August 6, 2017
Start Date: August 6, 2017
End Date: August 8, 2017
Conference Session: Student Success & Development - Focus on Mentoring
Tagged Topics: Diversity and FYEE Division - Paper Submission
Page Count: 8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--29408
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/29408
Download Count: 297

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Paper Authors

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Sharri Lee Kornblum CSULA engineering department

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Dr. Sharri Lee Kornblum teaches for the math and engineering department at CSULA. Prior to that she taught at Belmont High School. Dr. Kornblum primarily teaches the calculus series. She designed and facilitates the "Academic Excellence Workshops" for the engineering department.

Her primary research area is in cooperative learning workshops and the psychology of teaching and learning. She enjoys working with undergraduates and helping them become successful learners and is involved in several grants at CSULA increasing student articulation.

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Zanj Kano Avery El

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Gustavo B Menezes California State University, Los Angeles

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Menezes is an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering Department at CalStateLA. Since becoming part of the faculty in 2009, Menezes has focused on improving student success and has participated in several teaching workshops, including one on “Excellence in Civil Engineering Education” and another in “Enhancing Student Success through a Model Introduction to Engineering Course.” He is currently the PI of TUES project to revamp the sophomore-year experience at the college of engineering (esucceed.calstatela.edu) and the PI/Director of the First-Year Experience (FYrE) program at ECST. He has also developed an open access, web-based audience response system (educatools.com).

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Deborah Won California State University, Los Angeles

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Deborah Won is an Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at California State University, Los Angeles. Her specialization is in Biomedical Engineering and her scientific research area focuses on neuro-rehabilitative technology. Her educational research interests include use of Tablet PCs and technology to better engage students in the classroom as well as pedagogical and advisement approaches to closing the achievement gap for historically under-represented minority groups.

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Emily L. Allen California State University, Los Angeles

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Emily L. Allen, Ph.D., is Dean of the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology at California State University, Los Angeles. She earned her BS in metallurgy and materials science from Columbia University, and her MS and PhD in materials science and engineering from Stanford University. She previously served as faculty, chair and Associate Dean at San Jose State University's College of Engineering. Dr. Allen believes in a collaborative, student-centered approach to research, education and academic administration and leadership. She currently serves on the ASEE Engineering Deans Council Executive Board, the ABET Academic Affairs Council, and chairs the ABET Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion.

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Abstract

The College of Engineering, Computer Science and Technology (ECST) at Cal State LA recently introduced the First-Year Experience (FYrE@ECST) program that focuses on building a more academically focused engineering mindset in freshmen engineering majors during their first year of college. While FYrE@ECST consisted of a number of proven practices integrated into the freshmen experience, the goal of this paper is to present the benefits of implementing a supplemental instruction (SI) model, adapted from the UMKC model to enhance student learning in Calculus and Physics, which are pre-requisite courses for most core upper division engineering courses, but have very high attrition level. In 2014 leading up to the development of FYrE@ECST, we examined 6-year graduation rates of the most recent 5 years, and thus we had data from the Office of Institutional Research for the Fall 2007 through Fall 2011 first-time freshmen cohorts. Out of those total 1052 students, only 567 even took Calculus I, and out of those who took Calculus I, 203 failed the course on the first try, yielding 35.8% of students needing to repeat the course. Historically, very few (~6%) of our freshmen completed their Physics I requirement within their first 2 terms. Therefore, FYrE@ECST interventions focused on effective learning pedagogy and practices in these traditionally challenging but foundational courses. In particular, we wanted to demonstrate the benefit of SI workshops in a majority first-generation, underrepresented minority, predominantly academically unprepared student population. The peer-led workshops are mandatory for FYrE@ECST students and designed to promote inquiry-based and collaborative learning environment and increase students’ mathematics self-efficacy. Supplemental Instruction was assessed using self-efficacy surveys, physics and math grades, pre- and post-tests, and focus groups. FYrE@ECST students were compared to concurrent (CG-2) and historical (CG-3) control groups. The math average GPA for FYrE@ECST students at the end of the first year was 2.9, compared to 2.2 and 2.45 for CG-2 and CG-3, respectively, and completion rate of Physics I within the first 2 terms for FYrE@ECST students was 81%, compared to 9.4% for CG-2 and 6.3% for CG-3. Results from focus groups and surveys indicated that students had a very positive experience in the SI workshops.

Citation
Format

Kornblum, S. L., & Avery El, Z. K., & Menezes, G. B., & Won, D., & Allen, E. L. (2017, August), Enhancing Engineering First-Year Experience (FYrE) through Supplemental Instruction Paper presented at 2017 FYEE Conference, Daytona Beach, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--29408

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The College of Engineering, Computer Science and Technology (ECST) at Cal State LA recently introduced the First-Year Experience (FYrE@ECST) program that focuses on building a more academically focused engineering mindset in freshmen engineering majors during their first year of college. While FYrE@ECST consisted of a number of proven practices integrated into the freshmen experience, the goal of this paper is to present the benefits of implementing a supplemental instruction (SI) model, adapted from the UMKC model to enhance student learning in Calculus and Physics, which are pre-requisite courses for most core upper division engineering courses, but have very high attrition level. In 2014 leading up to the development of FYrE@ECST, we examined 6-year graduation rates of the most recent 5 years, and thus we had data from the Office of Institutional Research for the Fall 2007 through Fall 2011 first-time freshmen cohorts. Out of those total 1052 students, only 567 even took Calculus I, and out of those who took Calculus I, 203 failed the course on the first try, yielding 35.8% of students needing to repeat the course. Historically, very few (~6%) of our freshmen completed their Physics I requirement within their first 2 terms. Therefore, FYrE@ECST interventions focused on effective learning pedagogy and practices in these traditionally challenging but foundational courses. In particular, we wanted to demonstrate the benefit of SI workshops in a majority first-generation, underrepresented minority, predominantly academically unprepared student population. The peer-led workshops are mandatory for FYrE@ECST students and designed to promote inquiry-based and collaborative learning environment and increase students’ mathematics self-efficacy. Supplemental Instruction was assessed using self-efficacy surveys, physics and math grades, pre- and post-tests, and focus groups. FYrE@ECST students were compared to concurrent (CG-2) and historical (CG-3) control groups. The math average GPA for FYrE@ECST students at the end of the first year was 2.9, compared to 2.2 and 2.45 for CG-2 and CG-3, respectively, and completion rate of Physics I within the first 2 terms for FYrE@ECST students was 81%, compared to 9.4% for CG-2 and 6.3% for CG-3. Results from focus groups and surveys indicated that students had a very positive experience in the SI workshops.
AU  - Sharri Lee Kornblum
AU  - Zanj Kano Avery El
AU  - Gustavo B Menezes
AU  - Deborah Won
AU  - Emily L. Allen
CY  - Daytona Beach, Florida
DA  - 2017/08/06
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Enhancing Engineering First-Year Experience (FYrE) through Supplemental Instruction
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/29408
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--29408
ER  -