Conference Session

Factors Affecting Student Performance

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Abel Fernandez, University of the Pacific; Camilla Saviz, University of the Pacific; Jeff Burmeister, University of the Pacific

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

points for a correct solution missing thesteps used to arrive at the solution, and 5 points for either not showing units or the correctnumber of significant figures. Key attributes of each course are presented in Table 1. Ofparticular note is the relatively large number of homework assignments per term for eachcourse: homework clearly represents a significant load on students and faculty. ENGR 20 CIVL 130 CIVL 133 EMGT 170Number of sections in study 4 6 6 8Total number of students 108 185 74 168Average number of students per section 27 31 12 21Average

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nadia Kellam, University of South Carolina; Veronica Addison, University of South Carolina; Michelle Maher, University of South Carolina; Mann Llewellyn, University of Queensland; David Radcliffe, University of Queensland; Walter Peters, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Barbara Lovitts, National Academy of Engineering; Norman Fortenberry, National Academy of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Research, Review of Educational Research, Review of Higher Education,Studies in Higher Education).Inclusion CriteriaEach article chosen for inclusion in the database was determined by us to meet all five of thefollowing criteria: 1. It had an educational intervention. 2. The intervention was at the undergraduate level. 3. The intervention was in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field. 4. It discussed an outcome (no matter how anecdotal). 5. The outcome was related to improved learning or performance, retention, or assessment (and not simply student satisfaction).Although we have classified all the articles accepted for inclusion as “research,” this does notnecessarily reflect

Conference Session

Climate Issues for Women Students

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashlyn Munson; Barbara Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; Wanda Dann, Ithaca College; Stephen Cooper, Saint Joseph's University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

solving and algorithmic thinking before introducing syntax. Intraditional first year courses, students must master algorithmic thinking and syntax simultaneously. Byusing a drag and drop editor in the Alice software, students are freed from the difficulties of syntax errors,such as missing commas or semicolons, allowing them to focus on problem solving and algorithmicthinking. Early on in the curriculum, the concept of object oriented programming is introduced.1 A featureof the Alice software is the use of three dimensional graphics (3D) to create virtual worlds. Using theAlice software, students may test their programs in 3D virtual worlds, an environment that has greatappeal to a generation of students that grew up in a multimedia environment

Conference Session

Curricula of the Past, Present, and Future

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yvonne Ng, College of St. Catherine; Lori Maxfield, College of St. Catherine

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

assess and evaluate the effects of innovation on a student’s entire engineering education. PCM addresses many topics outlined by the Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) including active and cooperative learning, integrated and non- traditional curricula, life-long learning, new learning models and applications, and the art and science of teaching. This paper explains PCM and how it relates to engineering education, analyzes selected ASEE presentations in relationship to the four parallels, and illustrates how PCM integrates key curriculum components and the four interrelated parallels to create innovative curricular designs in engineering education.1 Introduction1.1

Conference Session

Assessment

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Meyer, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, over five years later, thereremains a wide variability in outcome assessment strategies employed by various professors).This prompted the author to embark on an empirical study of course-specific outcomeassessment strategies, the results of which are summarized in this paper.The basic questions addressed in this study include:1. formulation of content-specific learning outcomes that can be consistently and quantitatively assessed;2. formulation of effective outcome assessment instruments along with mechanisms to determine outcome demonstration thresholds;3. formulation of grading strategies that incorporate outcome demonstration thresholds yet produce results consistent with prior (accepted) grading practices; and

Conference Session

Student Teams and Design Skills

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Zemke, Gonzaga University; Donald Elger, University of Idaho

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

employed specific implementations of these elements, broadercharacteristics of these elements emerged. First, the challenging project necessitated the practiceof team processes and provided strong motivation. Second, effective teamwork processesexhibited the characteristics of direct applicability to team goals and appropriate investment ofeffort for returned value. Third, accountability with coaching appeared to be a strongcombination to keep students’ behavior professional and to keep teams on track with the project.1. IntroductionStudent teams are commonly used to teach design skills side-by-side with teamwork skills. Ourexperience with these classes is that while many teams produce excellent results other teamsunravel. On the low performing

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roman Taraban, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, using a questionnaire methodology: i) Do engineering studentsbecome more active and metacognitive readers between their freshman and senior years;ii) do engineering students become less “transmission” oriented and more “transaction”oriented in their beliefs about text? The results are considered in terms of theirconsistency with other available data about engineering students’ study behaviors, and interms of implications for the design of undergraduate engineering curricula.IntroductionThe claim that “Engineering is a profoundly creative process”1 seems entirely correct as adescription of the nature of professional engineering. It also conveys a sense of themindset and skill levels that are set as goals for advanced students in engineering

Conference Session

Student Misconceptions and Problem Solving Abiltiy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Litzinger, Pennsylvania State University; Peggy Van Meter, Pennsylvania State University; Monica Wright, Pennsylvania State University; Jonna Kulikowich, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the strategic and meta-cognitive processes that learners use to integrate multiple representations and acquire knowledge that will transfer and be useful in problem solving. She can be contacted at pnv1@psu.edu. Page 11.15.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 A Cognitive Study of Modeling during Problem-solving: An integrated problem solving modelIntroductionA fundamental issue in engineering education is the question of how to improve students’analytical skills.1 Analysis skills are central to engineering students’ abilities to interpret andsolve problems and the

Conference Session

Curricula of the Past, Present, and Future

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Litzinger, Pennsylvania State University; Robert Pangborn, Pennsylvania State University; David Wormley, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

gained in creating and institutionalizing theLeadership Development Minor.15The Entrepreneurship Minor began as largely a “top down” approach to change, with those inleadership positions conceiving the vision and plan and then implementing them. In crafting asuccessful NSF Action Agenda effort, the opposite approach was used in which a vision andstrategy were built from the “bottom up.” Shortly after the formation of the Faculty AdvisoryBoard of the Leonhard Center, the Director began a strategic planning process with the FacultyAdvisory Board around the following question: “If you could make any changes you wished,what would you do to increase the success of your students in the workplace?” From thisdiscussion grew two major themes: (1) have

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eugene Rutz, University of Cincinnati; Virginia Westheider, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

NSF’sBridges for Engineering Education program (grant # EEC-0341842). This project also sought toquantify differences in student performance and engagement with various learning technologies2.Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory was used as a measure of student learning styles preferences.This paper reports on several aspects of these projects and compares our results to publishedstudies regarding the learning styles of students. Two questions are addressed: 1) how doengineering and engineering technology students at the University of Cincinnati compare toother similar populations?; 2) are there significant differences in the learning styles ofengineering students as compared with engineering technology students? Educators whounderstand these various

Conference Session

Faculty Development

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cynthia Finelli, University of Michigan; Amy Gottfried, University of Michigan; Matthew Kaplan, University of Michigan; Vilma Mesa, University of Michigan; Christopher O'Neal, University of Michigan; Mary Piontek, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

faculty at a large research institution participated in a project for evaluating methodsto improve teaching. Faculty were randomly assigned to one of four separate cohorts (eachreceiving a different type of feedback designed to improve teaching) and comparative data wascollected on each of the four methods. Faculty in Cohort 0: Control served as the controlpopulation and did not receive formal feedback of any kind to improve teaching. Faculty inCohort 1: Ratings Report received a report summarizing student ratings of teaching at midterm.For faculty in Cohort 2: Feedback and Consult, an instructional consultant facilitated a studentfeedback session at midterm (also known as a small group instructional diagnosis) and thenconducted a follow-up

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students III

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brad Kinsey, University of New Hampshire; Erick Towle, University of New Hampshire; Grace Hwang, University of New Hampshire; Edward J. O'Brien, University of New Hampshire; Christopher F. Bauer, University of New Hampshire

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

different objects in both shaded and no hidden line representations.The web-based software recorded the radial button the student selected for each of thetest questions. To ensure anonymity, an encrypted identification (ITID) was used asopposed to the student’s name for data analysis purposes. Using this identification, theretention of a student could be tracked through the Dean’s Office of CEPS.The self efficacy test includes three example questions to provide instruction to thestudent followed by twenty questions. A question begins with two images of an objectbeing shown on the screen before (left image) and after (right image) rotation (see Fig.1). These images are presented for three seconds and then removed from the screen.This short amount of

Conference Session

Curricula of the Past, Present, and Future

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wendy Harrison, Colorado School of Mines; Ruth Streveler, Colorado School of Mines; Ronald Miller, Colorado School of Mines; Arthur Sacks, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

) to design a new Programfor review by its faculty governance committee and by the institution. The paper incorporatesthe results of assessing the curriculum process via interviews with faculty who have beenengaged in the redesign effort.Introduction and BackgroundThe McBride Honors Program in Public Affairs at The Colorado School of Mines (CSM)1,instituted in 1978, is an award-winning exemplar in the liberal arts which “….provides a selectnumber of CSM engineering students an opportunity to cross the boundaries of their technicalexpertise in engineering and applied science, and to gain the understanding and appreciation ofthe contexts in which engineering and applied science and all human systems reside, andspecifically to explore and

Conference Session

Curricula of the Past, Present, and Future

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amy Banzaert, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; John Duffy, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; David Wallace, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the integration of academic subjectmatter with service to the community in credit-bearing courses, with key elements includingreciprocity, reflection, coaching, and community voice in projectsiv. Reflective activities helpstudents process their experience and gain insight into the service they perform, the concepts thatthey are reinforcing, and the connection between the twov,vi,vii. When S-L is used effectively inan academic class, students typically benefit in a number of important ways, includingmotivation for learning, teamwork, communication, synthesis of multiple technical concepts,understanding of engineering ethical responsibilities, and civic engagementi,ii,iii.As shown in Table 1, S-L can help educators to fulfill ABET Criterion 3

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heidi Loshbaugh, Colorado School of Mines; Tawni Hoeglund, Colorado School of Mines; Ruth Streveler, Colorado School of Mines; Kimberley Breaux

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

engineering undergraduate degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering,and Math-intensive (STEM) institutions experience imbalance unlike most other undergraduatesin co-educational institutions. The curricular demands on those enrolled are particularly intenseand focused, leaving little opportunity for pursuits aside from studies. [1] As engineeringeducation seeks to broaden its enrollment, it becomes important to better understand the studentexperience. This paper explores the question: What is the role of life balance in satisfaction andpersistence of engineering students?Our data indicate that engineering students have a desire for more balance than their academicenvironment will allow. If engineering education wants not only to recruit but to

Conference Session

Student Misconceptions and Problem Solving Abiltiy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald Miller, Colorado School of Mines; Ruth Streveler, Colorado School of Mines; Barbara Olds, National Science Foundation and Colorado School of Mines; Michelene Chi, University of Pittsburgh; Mary Nelson, University of Colorado; Monica Geist, University of Northern Colorado

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, thermodynamics). [1-4] Version 2.21 of the instrument, knownas the Thermal and Transport Concept Inventory (TTCI) has been beta-tested at sixUnited States engineering institutions and psychometric results have been used to testinstrument validity and reliability. Preliminary beta test results from this facet of theinstrument development have been reported previously. [4] Nine of the original 32questions did not perform at expected levels of reliability and have been replaced inversion 3.0 of the TTCI. Additional beta testing is on-going and will be completedbefore wide-spread dissemination of the instrument via the web scheduled for mid-2006.As part of our psychometric work, we use factor analysis and cross-tabulations to identifycommon misconceptions

Conference Session

Building Communities for Engineering Education Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maura Borrego, Virginia Tech; Ruth Streveler, Colorado School of Mines; Nancy Chism, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Karl Smith, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Ronald Miller, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

facilitators. (This included formal presentations at the end of the workshop.) • Structuring a research methods session around facilitator-defined participant groups with similar research interests.Initial results indicate that activities in the original workshop structure as well as theupdates helped participants to focus on engineering education research questions ofpersonal interest while building a community that extends beyond the week-longworkshop.1. IntroductionCalls for embracing more rigorous research in engineering education are emerging withincreasing frequency [1-5]. The Journal of Engineering Education has reinvented itself asa research-based journal [6-7]. Both Lee Schulman of the Carnegie Foundation for theAdvancement of

Conference Session

Innovative Classroom Techniques

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Hanson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Patrick Brophy, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

record all of the interviews as audiofiles. The author collected any sketches generated during the interviews so that they could bereferenced when reviewing the audio files.IntervieweesSince the goal was to obtain as many evaluation tools as possible, the authors chose to interviewas many practicing structural engineers as reasonably possible. Invitations to participate weresent to a variety of firms. In total, 35 engineers from 9 different firms participated in theinterviews. Five of the interviewees were female. The firms spanned the United Statesgeographically from New York to California. The office sizes ranged from 1 to 55 structuralengineers. The interviewees’ experiences ranged from 1 to 55 years, with a median of 8 years.Only six did not

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Veronica Burrows, Arizona State University; Michael Oehrtman, Arizona State University; Anton Lawson, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

individual’s behaviors and attributes. Thebehaviors are engaged in a cyclical manner through the following four phases:1. Observation of a problem, which may be posed by another individual or formed by the problem solver in response to other results, a puzzling real world situation or pattern, etc. This phase involves orienting oneself to the nature, elements, and structure of the problem.2. Conjecturing solution paths involves imagining several possible plans of attack without actually carrying them out, quickly evaluating the potential effectiveness and requirements of each, then making a decision on how to proceed. This is often informed by previous problem solving efforts.3. Execution of a plan involves proceeding with the chosen

Conference Session

Factors Affecting Student Performance

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rick Covington, California State University-Northridge; G. Michael Barnes, California State University-Northridge

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Page 11.136.2two parallel sections of the same course and tested the hypothesis that periodic self assessment oftime management by the experimental section would improve performance as measured byproject grades compared to the control section.The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. In the Study 1 section, we describe thedetails of the first study, including a description of the assessment surveys, how the surveys weregraded, and the results of two different analyses: (1) a hypothesis test analysis and (2) anassessment survey validity test analysis. In the Study 2 section, we describe the details of thesecond study, with a description of the experimental design and the survey questions used. Wealso present the results of the

Conference Session

Factors Affecting Student Performance

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daria Kotys-Schwartz, University of Colorado-Boulder; Lawrence Carlson, University of Colorado-Boulder; Derek Reamon, University of Colorado

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

method for categorizing an active learningclassroom environment by introducing the level of interactivity concept and explaining theselevels of interactivity within the context of a unique experimental setup. Additionally, thepreliminary results for instructional effectiveness, student conceptual knowledge gains andstudents’ confidence in their technical knowledge will be compared for both course sections.IntroductionSpectrum of Active LearningActive learning has been broadly defined as “any instructional method that engages students inthe learning process.”1 Bonwell and Eison define active learning strategies “as instructionalactivities involving students doing things and thinking about what they are doing.” 2 In hisreview of current active

Conference Session

Use of Technology to Improve Teaching and Learning

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Margherita Landucci, Liceo Artistico Statale; Fabio Garganego, Municipality of Venice

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

traditional way of teaching chemistrybut rather constitutes an important background towards mastering of the chemicalterminology in a systematic manner.The MethodologyThis work is structured in two parts.The first part is a theoretical examination of the subject, subdivided in three stages: • Stage 1 - the links between the Language of Chemistry and Linguistics are identified; • Stage 2 - an innovative way of presenting common chemical process through macro- linguistics principles is proposed; • Stage 3 - the development of the software game CHICKA.The second part consists of the empirical research, subdivided in two stages. • Stage 1 – CHICKA has been used in the classroom to test the speed of Language Acquisition. • Stage 2

Conference Session

Innovative Classroom Techniques

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Todd Johnson, Washington State University; Reid Miller, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

education, and assessment methodologies31-32. For some engineering programs, ablended instructional environment could provide the initial step towards the development of anonline learning experience for students and faculty31-32. However, additional research into theblended learning environment for engineering students’ learning, satisfaction, and retention isneeded to assist these programs in using the technology wisely31-32.PurposeThe purpose of the present study was to compare blended instruction to a traditionally taughtsophomore level chemical engineering material and energy balances course (a traditionalintroductory course in the chemical engineering curriculum). Specific research questions to thisstudy were: 1). How does the use of

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Todd Johnson, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

motivation reported by freshman in comparison to other undergraduatestaking an introductory computer sciences course. A reason for this interest was based on a studyin the field of pharmacy education which found that decreases in intrinsic motivation wereobserved within first year matriculating students26. As a follow-up study, researchers found thatfirst year students were more externally motivated and reported a greater reliance on recallability than third-year students’27.PurposeBuilding on prior research, the present study investigated the following: 1. What motivationstrategies are reported by freshman versus other undergraduates taking an introductory computerscience course?; 2. What learning strategies are reported by freshman versus

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katie Sullivan, University of Utah; April Kedrowicz, University of Utah

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

enhances the numerical ranking of satisfaction with multiplecourse attributes. A deeper understanding of students’ experiences gives educators theopportunity to make important curricular changes. This research speaks to issues of multi-method assessment tools in engineering, as well as the broader implications of students’experiences with writing, speaking and teamwork instruction.IntroductionWith the advent of ABET’s EC 2000, much focus has been placed on equipping engineeringstudents with the necessary professional skills to be effective in the workplace.1-3 As such,engineering educators highlight unique approaches to teaching students how to write (and speak)effectively. 4-6 A few key themes characterize this research. First, most attempts to

Conference Session

Faculty Development

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Brent, Education Designs Inc.; Richard Felder, North Carolina State University; Sarah Rajala, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

to bring their research productivity and teaching effectiveness to a level that meets orexceeds the standards of their institutions.1 Boice also observed, however, that roughly 5% of hissubjects managed to meet or exceed expectations for both research and teaching within their firsttwo years. These quick starters did several things differently from their colleagues, includingscheduling regular time for working on scholarly writing and sticking with the schedule,integrating their research into their lectures, trying to cover less content in their courses andleaving more time for student questions and interactions, and limiting course preparation timeafter the first offering to less than two hours of prep for each hour of lecture. The quick

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Trevor Harding, Kettering University; Cynthia Finelli, University of Michigan; Donald Carpenter, Lawrence Technological University; Matthew Mayhew, University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

forboth intention and behavior.IntroductionThere is a growing emphasis in the United States on graduating engineering students whounderstand professional and ethical responsibility, as evidenced by The Engineer of 2020 reportproduced by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)1. This report concludes that futureengineers will need to “possess a working framework upon which high ethical standards and astrong sense of professionalism can be developed.” To date, most research on ethics educationin engineering has focused on the effectiveness of various pedagogies as measured by in-classassessment of learning. While valuable, these efforts fail to recognize that the best measure ofsuccessful learning of ethical decision-making may be the extent to

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students III

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lorraine Fleming, Howard University; Kimarie Engerman, Howard University; Dawn Williams, Howard University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

continuedinquiry of factors leading to student attrition in engineering programs.IV. ResultsIn this study, researchers found four major issues that led to students leaving engineering majors.Students cited the following factors that led to their decision to change majors: (1) lack of facultyguidance/advisement; (2) lack of community engagement; (3) scholarship/financial dilemmas;and (4) course difficulty in the areas of calculus I and II. The latter two factors were particularlyintriguing because of the unanticipated connection between them. The challenge of mathematicscourses, particularly calculus, and a student’s financial circumstances combined to sway studentsaway from majoring in engineering. Although other researchers have shown that

Conference Session

Innovative Classroom Techniques

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eileen Kowalski, U.S. Military Academy; Joe Manous, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

authors have begun a multi-year research programto assess a specific area of basic science education, general chemistry, within an environmentalengineering education. Chemistry was selected as an area of investigation because of itsrepetitive application within the environmental engineering curriculum and, as such, provides abasic science topic that should be reasonably well understood by all environmental engineeringundergraduates. A cohort of 12 seniors majoring in an ABET accredited environmentalengineering program at the United States Military Academy were interviewed a few monthsbefore graduation on selected chemistry topics. Each student was presented with five questions(Table 1) and asked to work the problems on a blackboard, explaining to