Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students, Diversity, and Assessment

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrienne Minerick, Mississippi State University; Rafael Hernandez, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

they needed guidance to agree wherethey demonstrated some independence (3.5 at course start) and this increased to a greater overallindependence (4.1) by the end of the course. The students self-rated skills compiling theliterature, organizing it, and recognizing missing information did not change substantially fromcourse beginning to course end (4.0 to 4.2). While the course did not involve practice analyzingraw data, it did involve describing how the data analysis would be conducted. Pre and postcourse ratings in this area increased from 3.7 to 4.2. Experience writing research articles wasrated 3.7 in the beginning and 4.0 in the end although only two students in the class had actuallypublished a peer-reviewed research article. This rating

Conference Session

Methods, Techniques and New Programs in Graduate Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Cox, Purdue University; Cyndi Lynch, Purdue University; Jiabin Zhu, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Phillip Dunston, Purdue University; Audeen Fentiman, Purdue University; Pamella Shaw, Purdue University; Demetra Evangelou, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

and seminars; engagement in research and grant writing groups;collaboration with existing campus programs to create sustainable communities across diversegraduate student populations; and the development of research skills. This paper provides anoverview of the program and research questions that are being explored via the participation ofstudents and mentors in the program.Project Objectives and PlansThe Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History (REACH) Scholars Program offersqualified Master’s and direct Ph.D. engineering students opportunities to explore multipleacademic pathways and to work closely with their peers, with alumni, and with faculty to createa community of scholars who will be prepared broadly for careers across

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experience

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sunni Newton, Georgia Institute of Technology; Lydia Soleil, Georgia Institute of Technology; Tristan Utschig, Georgia Institute of Technology; Donna Llewellyn, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and is Assistant Director for the Scholarship and Assessment of Teaching and Learning at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Formerly, he was Associate Professor of Engineering Physics at Lewis-Clark State College. Dr. Utschig has regularly published and presented work on a variety of topics including assessment instruments and methodologies, using technology in the classroom, faculty development in instructional design, teaching diversity, and peer coaching. Dr. Utschig completed his PhD in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His technical expertise involves analysis of thermal systems for fusion reactor designs.Donna

Conference Session

Innovation and Measuring Success in Graduate Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Brooks, Temple University; Tony Singh, Temple University; Hossein Rostami, Philadelphia University; Fernando Tovia, Philadelphia University; Amithraj Amavasai, Temple University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Kodkani4 stated that active learning approach implies that the student is adynamic participant in his or her acquisition of skills and knowledge. Bonwell and Eison5defined active learning as anything that involves students in doing things and thinking about thethings they are doing.” They stated the importance of active learning as: “students are involved inmore than listening; less emphasis is placed on transmitting information and more on developingstudents’ skills; students are involved in higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation),and students are engaged in activities (e.g., reading, discussing, writing).” The attention span ofan average student wanes quickly in traditional lecture formats. Active learning environmentscan

Conference Session

Professional Graduate Education and Industry

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Stanford, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

communication is frequently is used to convey ideas and project results. Reports, proposals, andproject results are transmitted to others in written form. These documents must be clear, concise, anderror free because there is no opportunity for immediate response from the reader. Oral presentations toan audience of peers and superiors also must be clear, concise and error free. In addition, key ideas mustbe presented visually in such a way that a knowledgeable audience can follow them without prior study.The effective engineer-leader must continually strive to improve both written and oral communicationskills.Two-way communication is much more commonly encountered in day-to-day activities. Here, of course,there is an opportunity for verbal exchange of