humankind unique, both individually and as a species, remains unclear. Advances in neuroscience and computer science, as well as ethics, generate questions about the nature of intelligence, consciousness, and personhood and the rights and protections associated with being human. In this course students tackle classic readings from Descartes to modern ruminations on artificial intelligence, examine our relation to our creations and pets, and the way our various identities affect how our personhood is perceived and protected.Some basic information from the course syllabus is described below.Broad Topics covered 1. Basic neuroscience 2. Distinctions between humans and nonhumans 3. Emotional connection and dependencies between
support breadth and depth in these topic areas. Research concepts and projects have alsobeen implemented in core and Advanced Placement science courses. This work presents theinfrastructure and methodology for successfully incorporating engineering topics such ascomputer vision, machine learning, virtual reality, and space systems into a high schoolclassroom. Additionally, college preparedness and matriculation into STEM-related collegefields is discussed.IntroductionImproving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) exposure andachievement in pre-collegiate settings has been a long time goal of the education field at a local,regional, and national level [1], [2]. It has been found that increased, consistent exposure toSTEM topics
and undergraduates. Webrainstorm how engineering educators can build deeper understanding of these organizationalprocesses into everyday classes and programs. We consider the need for more research onworkplace practices that frame and stratify early-career engineers’ experiences, and moretranslation of those findings to day-to-day “toolkits” for new engineers.1. IntroductionEngineering students, especially those without internship, co-op, or industry job experience buteven those with that experience, may have limited knowledge about workplace procedureinvolving management, reporting, and advancement. Brunhaver et al.’s [1] findings suggest thatfew recent engineering graduates report having knowledge of organizational practices at thepoint of
understand better the long-term effects the program may have on their students, includinggraduation rates and pathways to future careers.IntroductionTechnical or community colleges provide one pathway through which engineering students mayenter the field. Such pathways are beneficial for colleges and universities to take advantage of, asthey not only provide an additional resource for students but also tend to be the starting point formany underrepresented student populations such as first-generation, underrepresented minoritystudents, women, veterans, and non-traditional students [1][2]. Smith-Doerr et al. [3] explainfour main reasons the engineering workforce can benefit from additional diversity. The first isthat all people should be treated
need for academicsuccess in the engineering curriculum.With nation-wide graduation rates for engineering still holding steady around 50%, engineeringeducators and advisors are seeking ways to improve student retention and graduation. Studieshave identified several factors that drive students to leave engineering including classroomclimate, self-confidence/self-efficacy, academic preparedness, career interests, race and gender,and academic success (i.e., grades and conceptual knowledge,) [1].Math has long been considered the major academic “hurdle” in engineering study. In a previousstudy, we explored the pass and graduation rates of our freshman engineering cohort based onmath courses [2]. But, other challenging core requirements in science
refers to thatwhich can’t be captured purely by science and alludes to the rich and varied global history ofmindfulness and meditation practitioners (often, but not always, with connections to religion andspirituality) [1].Mindfulness practice is used to help the practitioner in being present. The focus first is on self-awareness and through building attention stamina, we can extend the practice to understandingand creating empathy toward others in our communities, and lastly broaden this practice to largersystems and the larger world community [2].How is it beneficial?There is a large field of peer reviewed work that shows that mindfulness interventions inworkplace settings can improve adult mental health [3]. The non-judgmental and
positively correlated with academic success [1-3]. A previousstudy by Mamaril (2016) found significant positive correlations between general engineeringself-efficacy and academic success [4]. With an often-cited need for biomedical engineers toengage more closely with the medical field, this study seeks to create an instrument to determinehow self-efficacy in biomedical engineering is related to a subject’s abilities to identify and solveprovocative questions relevant in a clinical environment and ability to write grant proposalsrelated to those questions.To create the instrument, 35 broad survey questions related to self-efficacy were generated,separated into 4 broad categories: General Self-Efficacy (GEN) a unidimensional scale takenfrom Mamaril’s
: Biotechnology and Science Fiction and Nanotalk: Conversations with Scientists and Engi- neers about Ethics, Meaning and Belief in the Development of Nanotechnology; a science fiction novel; two award-winning books in the genre of body-mind-spirit (including When the Horses Whisper), and numerous papers and articles. Her newest book, ”Animals, Ethics and Engineering” (working title) is under contract to be published in summer, 2024. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023Non-human Animals and a New Ethics for EngineeringIntroductionThe sixth mass extinction is underway. Earth's animal populations have declined by an averageof 69% since 1970 [1], partly due to unsustainable use of land, water and
engineers but rather toexpose students who may only have a stereotypical view of engineering, or may not know anyengineers, to engineering as a career path. Many students may think that engineers are relatableto them in their current lives, which we know is not the case. Because of this, we integrateundergraduate students into our outreach activities at all times and in all cases, because webelieve they serve as models of possibility to K-12 students.Systems Thinking in OutreachAny group or work pattern of interacting human and machine activities, directed by information,which operate to achieve a common specific purpose or objective is a system [1]. Most aspectsof modern life function as part of a system, with parts operating together to achieve a
class toanswer our research questions: 1. Does the sense of belonging within the learning community, within the class, and within the department change with mixed-mode versus in-person, lecture-based versus flipped, 1st class versus 2nd class, and expected course grade? 2. Do students perceive a benefit in their learning by participating in the learning communities? 3. What are the factors that influence how the groups are formed and if they are changed throughout the semester?Students in the current offering of the fluid mechanics course, which uses learning communitiesand some active learning, took one of two offerings of the material balances class: one a flippedclass using learning communities and one a lecture
the context of career goals. Biomedical engineeringundergraduates are often drawn to clinical practice rather than to careers in engineering – 54%according to one study [1]. This implies an equivalent self-concept among BME majors asclinicians and as engineers. Indeed, this has been shown to be the case in previous work [2].These data sets were small, however, and they left unknown how malleable self-concept may beover the course of a single semester, for different groups, or in different learning environments.We performed a multi-year study of BME students’ career self-concept as engineers and asclinicians. The goal was to determine (a) if career self-concept, either in the absolute sense or inits change over time, differed by demographic
greatly depending on conditions, the gravity of the economic andlabor impact caused by solar panel installation, and the importance of data collection and preciseinstrumentation to ensure their collected results reflected accurate recommendations.IntroductionClimate change is a prevalent global issue, as well as for the United States Coast Guard (USCG).With CO2 emissions increasing by 28 percent in just one year, there has been a notable shift inefforts toward finding a solution [1]. This is especially important for the USCG given that the 11USCG missions are heavily impacted by the environment, meaning that changes in the climatecan drastically affect the responsibility of assets across the US. With these considerations,renewable energy sources
. Prior to joining DU, Dr. Roney held both industry and academic positions. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023Hair Dryer Design as a Synergistic Tool for Combining Thermodynamics and the Importance of Diversity in Design Team CompositionIntroductionThe past few years have shown an increasing emphasis on justice, equity, diversity, andinclusion (JEDI) within engineering curriculums [1]. This emphasis on JEDI, also referred to asdiversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), has been reinforced by changes made by the majoraccreditation body for engineering programs, ABET. In 2016, ABET proposed changes toinclude language highlighting an outcome of “creating a collaborative and inclusiveenvironment
perspective of the student, especially high school students, the problem is that thestudent needs to make a fairly significant life decision, “one that potentially frames aspects oftheir future” [1], and often must do so based mainly on their prior experience and knowledge,and often without experience of university-level studies to help them to make the decision. Theproblem of choice between engineering and the physical sciences is compounded by the entrancerequirements from high school being similar for both fields since engineering and the physicalsciences are similarly grounded in the mathematical, computational, and natural sciences. Within the broad literature that discusses many aspects of university education in STEMfields (science
requiring technical electives be taken. To consider this issue, a review of ABETCriterion 5 on the curricular requirements established by ABET for accreditation is helpful [1].Currently, ABET requires an engineering program to have 30 credits of math and basic science,45 credits of engineering topics, and a sufficient number of credits to meet a university’s generaleducation requirement. This last number will vary, but as an illustration consider it to be 21credits. This means that for a program which requires 120 credits for graduation, there are 24credits which the program can use at its discretion. In reality, most programs will use more than45 credits in engineering topics; in many cases, the program believes that more knowledge isrequired for
[1]. Declining costs are expected to continue [2], [3] and further promote thistransition. Solar energy represents a contribution towards such a transition and is a major growtharea for energy generation in the United States. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in summerof 2022, has allocated hundreds of billions towards clean energy incentives [4] that will stimulategrowth of renewable energy in general, including solar photovoltaics (PV). The Department ofEnergy estimates that the US will need 1,600-3,000 GW of total installed solar capacity by 2050to meet climate goals [5]. Reaching this amount would necessitate quadrupling the currentannual solar deployment rate. Growth in solar jobs to meet these needs is already happening [6]and is
between Kansas, U.S. andKirgizstan, substantial cultural variances and mental models. The present report focuses on themost significant dilemmas faced by the students when working on complicated topics ininternational teams.1. IntroductionIn Spring 2018 one of the authors of the present study participated in Fulbright Specialist programin the Central Asian region (Uzbekistan, project FSP-P001840) helping the local faculty and schooladministrators to revise their STEM curriculums and research methodologies at the local hostinstitution of higher education. While being there, it was clearly noticed that Uzbek and Americanresearchers have different meanings for the same words or linguistical phrases. For example,concepts of “learning”, “conducting
mechanicalengineering course on Dynamics of Machines to (1) give students access to real-world learningexperiences and (2) explore and identify the ways in which an interdisciplinary design projectthat combines key components of EM, STEAM and bio-inspiration impacts students’ learning.The results include initial findings from a thematic analysis of the data collected usingphotovoice reflections. Adopted from the relevant studies in the literature in the context of EMcurricular activities, photovoice reflections combine pictorial and textual data and constitute aportion of the project’s conclusion section submitted by students. The paper then discusses futuresteps on the use of interdisciplinary design projects which provide real-world experientiallearning
at a four-year university isapproximately $1240 [1]. At the University of British Columbia (UBC), the average cost oftextbooks for undergraduate students rose from $893 in 2021 to $1,253 in 2022. As a result, astaggering 70% of undergraduates reported not purchasing textbooks [2]. The high cost oftextbooks can negatively impact students’ access to learning materials, course selection, andacademic performance [3, 4]. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the situation,challenging institutions to continue working on innovative approaches to affordable andequitable higher education [5].Open education resources (OER) are learning resources that are openly licensed and freelyaccessible for users to adapt and share. The use of OER can help
Activity. She obtained a Ph.D. in English Literature from Chiba University in 2002. Her current main research interests are: 1) how including humanities courses in an engineering education curriculum can help students to gain flexibility, and an appreciation of equity, and a greater richness of ideas; 2) finding and solving the systematic issues impacting the effectiveness of engineering education, specifically in the context of project-based learnings; and 3) assessing the impact of interdisciplinary engi- neering project-based learnings. Below are her recent presentations at international conferences: WERA 2022, APAIE 2022, IIAI DSIR 2021, IIAI DSIR 2020, WERA 2019. She obtained the Outstanding Paper Award in DSIR
areas since this promotes theirscientific and technological advancement. It is well established that several factors areassociated with attracting and retaining students in the STEM fields, including an affinitywith the discipline, a sense of belonging, interest in the field, self-efficacy, and prioreducational experiences, among others [1, 2]. One indicator of academic progressioncommonly used in educational management is the student retention rate. Academicprogression reflects the ability of the educational institution to achieve the retention of itsstudents. High retention rates imply good institutional management, low dropout rates, and,consequently, positive economic benefits for the families of students and the State itself [3,4].Beyond
pandemic, andviolence against unarmed Black people brought the nation to a racial reckoning. Structuralracism in the form of redlining, lower pay, unequal access to education and healthcare, and manymore forms of institutionalized bias laid a foundation for disproportionate negative health andenvironmental impacts for minoritized groups in the U.S. [1], [2]. The coronavirus pandemic,whose peak in 2020 in particular had a disproportionate effect on Black and Latinx patients,highlighted the inequalities faced by these populations who often had higher exposure to thevirus, more underlying health conditions, and less access to healthcare than their whitecounterparts [3]–[5]. The Black Lives Matter movement and the protests following the murdersof
degreeprograms in STEM into professional research environments. At the conclusion, the Workshopparticipants identified gaps in the present training of STEM doctorates. Then they endorsed thePasteur Partners PhD (P3) track recently established at Lehigh University as a new model forstudent-centered workforce training based on use-inspired research in partnership with industry.Here, we present the key outcomes of the workshop and describe the four distinctive features ofthe P3 program: 1. Pre-program summer internship; 2. Co-advising of students by a universityfaculty member and an industry researcher; 3. Instructions for developing essential professionalskills; 4. Industry Residency (as in medical school). In this context, ‘Industry’ is defined broadlyto
) are an effective approach for enhancing studentsuccess within STEM fields [1]. Due to their documented ability to improve outcomes amongsthistorically underrepresented individuals [2], UREs are a promising strategy for improvingrepresentation within the STEM workforce. Unfortunately, the large-scale adoption of UREs usingtraditional models has been limited by the natural scalability issues associated with traditionalapprenticeship-based models [3]. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a viable alternative forincreasing participation in UR. While these experiences have been disproportionally implementedwithin the life and physical sciences disciplines to date [4], their utilization within engineering isincreasing
engineeringstudents to engage with the ethical issues embedded in their work in undergraduate degreeprograms. Instructors often use open-ended case scenarios to prepare engineering students forethical decision making in their work [1]. Open-ended ethics case studies or scenarios canengage students in ethical reasoning and judgment, especially when they are delivered in flexibleways and provide opportunities for students to express their views in their own words [2].However, assessments of ethics case scenarios have their own downsides. Perhaps most notably,such grading can be time-intensive and in large course sections with multiple instructors (such asthe course we study here), grading may lack consistency for both inter-grader and intra-graderassessment
-basedpersonnel. Over the course of a 6-week research experience, each cohort of teachers (20 teachersin the first two years, with 10 more forthcoming in year three) was paired with an engineeringfaculty member on one of five “energy-focused” research project (2 teachers per project). Inaddition to participating in a research project first-hand, teachers also received support developinga curricular unit for the upcoming school year that incorporated their learning from the summerresearch experience.1. IntroductionIn 2009, a Carnegie Foundation commission of notable national leaders, educators, and researcherscommenced the establishment of the NGSS. The primary factor driving this endeavor wasextensive data suggesting the U.S. system of science (and
the scholarship on social movement pedagogiesfor this analysis [1], [2], [3], [4] to show how a community of practice operating as acontemporary social movement school (SMS) mobilizes a variety of resources through differentpathways to institute changes in the field of STEM higher education. Resource mobilizationtheory proposes resource typologies and lays out the distinct mechanisms through whichresources are accessed, produced, and distributed within movements [2]. Studies of socialmovement pedagogies provide a framework to uncover the role of learning in resource access[3], [4], and to identify the place of community leaders and external patrons in mobilization, vis-a-vis peer-to-peer learning [5]. Bringing these two social theories into
,communication, and sociotechnical systems thinking—come together in engineering practiceand can be integrated simultaneously into engineering curricula. The three streams are definedbelow. 1. Engineering ethics: cultivating a practical and actionable understanding of professional and ethical responsibility in engineering students and practitioners 2. Engineering communication: developing communication proficiency in engineering students and practitioners 3. Sociotechnical systems thinking: taking a holistic approach that locates engineering expertise and projects in human activity in specific settingsThe central metaphor around which the model is constructed is the three-legged stool, whichmaintains its stability in challenging
investigate the ways that peer mentorship affectssense of belonging and discipline identity for students from varied matriculation points.IntroductionAs higher education institutions foster increasingly diverse undergraduate populations, it isimperative that student success initiatives purposefully develop students’ sense of belongingwithin an institution, a campus, a peer community, and an academic discipline. Belonging is acritical dimension of student success affecting a student’s degree of academic adjustment,persistence, and post-graduate aspirations, while also contributing to institutional benchmarkslike retention and degree completion [1]. Additionally, the decline in the number of traditional-age college students after 2025, a result of the
course revision include (1) analyzing the impact of power and privilege onsociety in the context of diversity and inclusion, (2) examining how human and culturalsimilarities and differences influence structural and institutional inequities, and (3) criticallyreflecting upon how one’s own personal and cultural presuppositions affect one’s values andrelationships. In addition to discussing the methodology of curriculum and educational materialdevelopment to meet these objectives, we will present student feedback, via responses toassignments, resulting from the first implementation of the redesigned course, and theimplications of this information for further enhancing course effectiveness. The methodologyused in ensuring integration of diversity