Conference Session

Assessment

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa McNair, Virginia Tech; Tamara Knott, Virginia Tech; Mary Leigh Wolfe, Virginia Tech; Marie Paretti, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

for Engineering Education, 2006 Defining and Assessing the ABET Professional Skills Using ePortfolioWhile most engineering programs are confident developing specific criteria and assessment toolsfor the technical skills described in ABET Criterion 3a-k, the question of how to define, teachand assess the professional skills (teamwork, professional and ethical responsibility,communication, impact of engineering solutions, life-long learning, and contemporary issues)remains much more challenging. This paper describes concrete, assessable expectations thatconnect student work to professional skills, broken down by level and organized into ePortfolioassessment matrices that reflect recognized

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

experience to abstract conceptualization and theformulation of meaning along a continuum from reflective observation to active experimentation.Kolb’s model describes an idealized learning cycle that includes all elements in the model -experiencing, reflecting, thinking and acting – in a recursive cycle as illustrated in Figure 1. Concrete Observation & experience reflections Testing implications of Formation of concepts in new abstract concepts situations and generalization

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roman Taraban, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

throughthe ABET standards. How does a student become a reflective thinker and effectiveproblem solver? This paper considers the role that text literacy may play in advancingengineering students toward the goal of making them reflective and creative problem-solvers.A bit of skepticism may surround the idea that effective reading has much to do withengineering. Indeed, some educators have suggested that course textbooks provide nomore than supplemental information and can be disposed of. To a large degree,associating scientific literacy with the passive deciphering of the words in a sciencetextbook takes too narrow a view of the concept 2. Rather, scientific literacy in afundamental sense encompasses all the basic abilities of skilled reading, but

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Turns, University of Washington; Jessica Yellin, University of Washington; Yi-Min Huang, University of Washington; Kathleen Gygi, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Page 11.1446.10sections do not explicitly take into account the characteristics of the participants in the ETPPprogram, specifically characteristics that are relevant to their role as learners. In particular, ourdata reflects the activities of adult learners (graduate students and post-docs) who had a range ofprior teaching experiences. Transformative learning theory is a theory with potential to take thisfeature of our situation into account.Transformative learning theory is a theory of learning that stems from adult education and seeksto explain instances where learner has more experience and significant commitment to priorbeliefs and where the learning is a process of reflecting on experience outside of formal learningenvironments (i.e., at

Conference Session

Innovative Classroom Techniques

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Lee, University of South Florida; Mernet Larson, University of South Florida; Jack Heller, University of South Florida; Douglas Lunsford, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

visual and performing artsAbstractEngineering educations routinely use a variety of means to assist in the education process,including all forms of media (books, visual aids, virtual sources, etc.). The incorporation of “realworld” materials and experiences is disappearing. Students actually see the hardware aspects oftheir subject less and less, including (small scale) individual components and (large scale)industrial processes. While this may reflect economic and convenience realities, there is apotential conceptual error being made by instructors (and subsequently adopted by students) thatstudying models, diagrams, illustrations, etc. of engineering objects or processes of interest isequivalent to (and perhaps even superior to) including the

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Turns, University of Washington; Steve Lappenbusch, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

subset of a larger study employing multipledata collection techniques including written reflections, audio-taped interviews, paper-and-pencilconcept mapping, written surveys, and video-taped think-aloud protocols. For this paper, we useonly the data provided in the weekly written process reflections completed by students. As aresult, the data pertinent to this paper and analysis consist of 60 written weekly processreflections from the six student participants in the two course sections. In each weekly processreflection students responded to the following three questions: 1) how would you describe whatyou have been doing over the past week? 2) what challenges have you encountered?, and 3) whatare you taking away? Though these questions do imply

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

Curricula of the Past, Present, and Future

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cristina Pomales-Garcia, University of Michigan; Yili Liu, University of Michigan; Virginia Soto, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

alsomentioned that it is much better when the presentations are made available on-line; the studentsbelieved that this option saved time. It is not clear from the answers whether the time savingsare reflected in the classroom, whether it contributes by increasing the total amount of materialscovered or by saving student time spent writing.(2) What are the goals of teaching engineering and the types of skills and attitudes that need to be learned?The participants reported that one of the main goals of teaching engineering was to develop abasic knowledge (n=4) and that there was a conflict between knowledge and grades (n=2). Onestudent compared the goal of engineering to the process of checking boxes; being prepared forgraduate school and the real

Conference Session

Building Communities for Engineering Education Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heidi Diefes-Dux, Purdue University; Robin Adams, Purdue University; Monica Cox, Purdue University; Deborah Follman, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the questions were posed by astranger on an elevator ride), a teaching philosophy, and a research philosophy. Each statementwas developed through a series of revision cycles, starting with auto-biographical reflections(ABRs). ABRs provided an (1) entry point for discussing ideas about engineering education andlocating identities within an engineering education landscape and (2) an initial framework fororganizing current views and exploring future ideas. An example of an ABR is presented below:ABRII: Teaching EngineeringWrite a reflection on your ideas about teaching engineering. Your reflection should clearly address thesequestions:• What are features of effective engineering education instruction (e.g. in or out of the classroom, at a

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

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

homework assignment grades.This seeming contradiction prompted a study to examine, at an individual student level,the relationships between homework assignment grades and traditional courseperformance outcome measures; i.e., quizzes, tests and final examination.Substantial homework is dogmatically accepted as an indispensable component ofengineering courses. Faculty reflect on their own education and proudly maintain atraditionally heavy homework load as a rite of passage, while students resignedly acceptthe heavy workload as part of the cost of entering into the engineering profession. Thenature of engineering, as with other hard sciences, is such that conceptual and practicalunderstanding comes from applying principles and techniques to solve

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

small informal spaces to meet in ad hoc pairs or group exercise and reflection (hotel next small groups for further discussion to a stream and bike/walking path) • time scheduled in the middle of the day for assimilation/reflection and unstructured discussion • reception to kick off the event on first evening • daily common meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner

Conference Session

K-12 Activities

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leilah Lyons, University of Michigan; Zbigniew Pasek, University of Windsor

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Museum, a children’s science center. Informal learningenvironments, like museums, align well with outreach efforts because they share manygoals: to intrigue, educate, and inspire visitors. Science museums in particular havebecome more conscious of their role as an auxiliary to the education that occurs intraditional classrooms, striving to encourage interest in science10 and to present sciencepolicy issues9 that might not get addressed in the classroom.This exhibit is divided into three parts, reflecting three interrelated fields required tobring a product to market: design, manufacturing, and marketing/business.6,8 Each of thethree parts of the exhibit was designed to emphasize the processes, tools, and careers ofits field, through an

Conference Session

Building Communities for Engineering Education Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sally Fincher, University of Kent at Canterbury; Josh Tenenberg, University of Washington-Tacoma

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

term bootstrapping is short for “pulling oneself up by the bootstraps” and has a specificmeaning within computing. “In computers, this term refers to … processes whereby a complexsystem emerges by starting simply and, bit by bit, developing more complex capabilities on topof the simpler ones.” 9In naming our project, we used the metaphor in three distinct senses, reflecting our goals toimpact three distinct, though interacting, levels: • bootstrapping the novice CSEd researcher by providing entry points into the theory and methods of carrying out CSEd research; • bootstrapping a community of practice of CSEd research practitioners with similar skills, practices, and language for engaging in shared research endeavours; and

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

percent of the studentsreported feeling frequently stressed, the response option indicating the greatest amount of stress.Note that no student reported a complete lack of worry about keeping up with schoolwork, nordid any student indicate an absence of stress.In Item Three, all but one student indicated some lack of time for pursuing non-academicactivities; a full twenty-five percent of students reported frequently feeling unable to pursue non-academic activities due to a lack of time. Finally, data from Item Four reveal that ten percent ofthe students reported feeling frequently that they did not have a social life, while another forty-one percent reported occasionally feeling this way. Thus, these data reflect a population thatfrequently is

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

learning literature, Prince discusses that “the core elements of activelearning are student activity and engagement in the learning process.” 1 These general definitionsof active learning have inevitably led to a multitude of teaching techniques being grouped withinthe vast spectrum of active learning.Furthermore, it has been acknowledged by several researchers1, 3, 4 that active learningencompasses numerous strategies that facilitate student activity and engagement. These activitiescan include (but are not limited to): the pause technique,5 class discussions,6 informal small-group approaches,7 formal small-group learning,7 brainstorming, debates, role playing,8simulations, peer teaching and one-minute reflection papers.9 Alternative active

Conference Session

Building Communities for Engineering Education Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robin Adams, Purdue University; Philip Bell, University of Washington; Cheryl Allendoerfer, University of Washington; Helen Chen, Stanford University; Larry Leifer, Stanford University; Lorraine Fleming, Howard University; Bayta Maring, University of Washington; Dawn Williams, Howard University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. MAPPING AND ADAPTING THE INSTITUTE MODEL: The ISEE leadership team collaborates with an evaluation team from the Office of Educational Assessment at the University of Washington to distill what has been learned, identify opportunities for improvement, and align the Institute model with the needs of the next host campus.As we begin 2006, we are preparing to launch our third ISEE at Howard University, wecompleted the launch of our second ISEE at Stanford University in June 2005, and we completedthe cycle of the first ISEE at the University of Washington in October 2005 (see Figure 1). TheISEE leadership team has had the opportunity to reflect deeply on the successes and challengesencountered during two ISEE cycles. The following section

Conference Session

Use of Technology to Improve Teaching and Learning

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Chen, Rowan University; Jennifer Kadlowec, Rowan University; Dexter Whittinghill, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

anddisplay student responses from the PDAs is a pre-beta version of OptionFinder VP, which isbeing developed by Option Technologies Interactive.Regardless of the feedback method used each time, the concept question or skill quiz is posed bythe professor through his Tablet PC and is projected to the front of the class along with thepossible solutions. The correct solution is embedded with incorrect answers, also known as‘distractors,’ which are derived from common student mistakes or misconception. Students aregiven time to reflect on the question posed, discuss it with their peers, and then must select fromthe possible solutions. The major differences between the two feedback methods are that thePDA/software-based method allows for 1) quantitative

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

-answer technique witheach interviewee. During this part of the interview the practitioner was asked “What arecommon errors you have seen?” Follow-on questions often included probing such as “How doyou check for those errors?” This technique resulted in the identification of 20 tools. Question-and-answer required less time than the critical incident technique; however, that was due to thelow number of tools identified. In general, the practitioners appeared to struggle to identify thedesired information during this part of the interview. Again, this may reflect the subconsciousnature of the thought processes involved. In order to recognize the thought process, theinterviewee might need to experience a situation where the process is used or have a

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

modify them, 3) affective qualities such as curiosity, intimacy, and frustration,and 4) metacognitive skills such as monitoring for quality and effectiveness of thought processes.While problem solving does not capture all forms of mathematical activity, frameworks tocharacterize other categories involve similar processes. For example, Harel’s DNR proofframework6,7 consists of three principles: Duality, Necessity, and Repeated reasoning. Theduality principle links students’ ways of understanding (involving one’s interpretations,solutions, and evidence) to their ways of thinking (beliefs, problem solving approaches, andproof schemes). The necessity principle reflects the intellectual need to engage in the process ofcreating or understanding a

Conference Session

Assessment

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Faouzi Bouslama, Zayed University; Azzedine Lansari, Zayed University; Akram Al-Rawi, Zayed University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

laterassessed by faculty members. The LOs are observable demonstrations of student learning thatoccur after a significant set of learning experiences. Typically, these demonstrations orperformances reflect what students know, what they can actually do with what they know, andtheir confidence and motivation in demonstrating what they know.Although the OBE2,3 is a very promising approach which answers the needs for students to haveskills that can make them competitive once they join the workforce, there are a number of issuesthat need to be carefully addressed for the OBE to be successful and to have efficientimplementation. Issues such as the evaluation and the assessment of the student’s work, the

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

one weakness that could be changed. Page 11.380.54.3. Professional Decision Making Process (PDM)The students were taught an open-ended problem solving method consisting of six sequentialsteps: 1) Define the situation, 2) Define the goals, 3) Generate alternative solution ideas, 4) Plana solution, 5) Do the solution and, 6) Learn from the solution by reflection. This process waspracticed as a team process in labs. Our version of PDM is a direct adaptation of Charles Waleswork,8 though very similar methods are cited in cognitive psychology texts.94.4. Action ItemsThe teams were required to divide the work to meet each weekly deadline during the

Conference Session

Student Teams and Design Skills

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tamara Moore, Purdue University; Heidi Diefes-Dux, Purdue University; P.K. Imbrie, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Neutral, 4 = Somewhat Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree, DNO= Did Not ObserveThis team established interim goals to complete this 1 2 3 4 5 DNOMEA.This team reflected on its goals during the process of 1 2 3 4 5 DNOsolving this MEA.What evidence did you observe of goal setting? Notes: Table 4. Team Assessment Instrument.Individual team members respond to this survey using Likert scale responses: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3= Neutral, 4 = Agree, and 5 = Strongly Agree INTERDEPENDENCY • My team collaborated effectively to complete our assignments. • My

Conference Session

Student Teams and Design Skills

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gül Okudan, Pennsylvania State University; Madara Ogot, Pennsylvania State University; Girish Rao, SPRINT

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

design tool S: Insufficient External Search P: Design tool output not presented correctlyThe errors in their design documentation, reflecting the errors in their design process,include: information integration errors, errors in application of design tools, insufficientsearch regarding external information sources, and errors in presentation of valid output fromdesign tools (such as AHP, Morphological charts, etc.). An explanation of these errors, andthe ways in which they were minimized with the DIST are presented below:Information integration error (M): This indicates an omission in the transfer of informationbetween design activities, which might include:‚ criteria generated in customer needs assessment not being used in

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

Page 11.602.3session and review the videotape. The consultant showed portions of the videotape (forstimulated recall) and encouraged the faculty member to reflect upon the experience, a protocolthat has also been shown to be effective in improving teaching11. As with Cohorts 0 and 2,faculty in this cohort received details about the midterm and end-of-term student ratings onlyafter the term was over.1.2. Approaches for evaluating teaching improvementTo compare and evaluate the methods to improve teaching, data analysis from three separatesources was conducted. These include student ratings of teaching surveys administered atmidterm and again at the end of the term, an online faculty survey, and focus group discussionswith the consultants who

Conference Session

Assessment

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joanne Mathews, Illinois Institute of Technology; Daniel Ferguson, Illinois Institute of Technology; Margaret Huyck, Illinois Institute of Technology; Abhinav Pamulaparthy, Illinois Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the additional training scored a mean of 56.4% correct vs. the all teammean of 48% correct, a 16% test score improvement. Those five teams involved in trainingexercises also improved their beginning BOS to end of semester EOS test scores from 48.2% to56.4% correct, a significant improvement if not a satisfactory test score. These same teams arealso engaged in a pilot test of a reflection exercise that also may have contributed to theirknowledge gain.Table 4: Pre- and post- test results for the Learning Objectives (LO) assessment for two IPROteams that participated in the training sessions.Sample of IPRO Teams that participated in LO TrainingIPRO Team Pre-test Average of LO Test (% Post-test Average of the LO Test (%Number

Conference Session

Factors Affecting Student Performance

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Hamilton, U.S. Military Academy; Leslie Brunell, Stevens Institute of Technology; Gunnar Tamm, U.S. Military Academy; Ozer Arnas, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

upon graduation. “University courses are the preparatory stage to a profession and should therefore encourage learning that reflects the way in which professionals continue to learn and work.”[2]It was observed that students do not exercise the level of care with their assignments that shouldbe required of young engineers. Not to suggest that the consequences of submitting an incorrectacademic assignment are dire, but it seems reasonable that an elevated level of effort should beput forth, especially from students near the end of their undergraduate studies as juniors andseniors. Students often regard their homework submissions as simply a product to be handed in,and the accuracy of their solutions is of minimal concern. This is an

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

theirunderstanding through reflective writing. In this paper, we will share with you the pilot studyoutcomes regarding student learning, retention, and satisfaction based on the implementation ofthe Collaborative Learner-constructed Engineering-concept Articulation and Representation Page 11.918.2(CLEAR) instructional model. The study compared students from two sections (blended vs.traditional instruction) taking a sophomore level chemical engineering course.Theoretical FrameworkSocial constructivists view learning as being a product developed from individuals interactingwith each other and the environment10-12. One form of this social constructivists

Conference Session

Student Misconceptions and Problem Solving Abiltiy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Prince, Bucknell University; Margot Vigeant, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

understanding in engineering and (3) the lack of inquiry-based educationalmaterials for engineering applications similar to those shown to be effective in physics.Each of these issues can be addressed. For example, there is a growing awareness of the benefitsof active-engagement methods in engineering education as reflected by the literature [1, 14-16].The benefits of active learning have been broadcast with increasing frequency and there are clearsigns that the message is being heard [17].With respect to assessment tools, there has been significant work recently to develop conceptinventories for engineering. Concept inventories provide an excellent example of howassessment practices can lead to improvements in student education [18], because they

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

student were losing interestor verve in the work. A good preceptor would be able to work with students, through variousactivities and discussions, to help them see themselves as future participants in the field.Theoretically, this is the role of the modern advisor in today’s colleges.Attributes of the Curriculum of Identity allow students to: • reflect on their skills and interests as they relate to the discipline, • develop awareness of their modes of working as they relate to the modes of the operation characteristic of the discipline, • reflect on the impact of the discipline in the world and of self in the discipline, • think about the impact of the discipline on the lives of others in the wider world, • examine the