Conference Session

Undergraduate Student Issues: Persistence

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cate Samuelson, University of Washington; Elizabeth Litzler, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

different major.IntroductionThere is strong evidence of student flexibility and vacillation around career options post-graduation from college. Specifically, a single interaction or experience (such as a co-op) cansometimes mean the difference between taking a job after graduation in engineering or anotherfield.1 Further, research suggests that cooperative education and internships result in increasedsocial and cultural capital of those who participate, which can contribute to their ability to secureemployment after graduation.2 Student perceptions of the engineering field, which can be shapedby undergraduate work experiences, can also impact persistence in engineering programs.3-7While there is a growing literature examining the relationship

Conference Session

Issues of Outreach and Interest in Engineering

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sara A. Atwood, Elizabethtown College; Joshua M Frey, Elizabethtown College

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

23.633.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 Gender Differences in Motivation to Perform K12 OutreachAbstract To continue our leadership role in technological innovation, the United States is callingfor 10,000 more engineering students to graduate each year. While producing more engineers is acomplex systemic challenge, one of the major hurdles is the lack of students entering the pipelineto higher education in STEM fields. Outreach programs are one way to interest young people inengineering, but more engineers need to be motivated to perform outreach. Using the VIE(Valence, Instrumentality, Expectancy) motivation framework, we determine similarities anddifferences between women and men