Conference Session

Best Zone Paper Competition

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Hunter, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dwayne Henclewood, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology; Mshadoni Smith, Georgia Institute of Technology; Laurie Garrow, Georgia Institute of Technology; Angshuman Guin, Georgia Institute of Technology

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table. The camp was very effective in increasing students’awareness of transportation engineering (means across both camps increased from 2.05 to 3.89),helping students understand how transportation engineering research relates to the real world(mean=4.63), and helping students understand career opportunities in transportation engineering(mean=3.95). This is also revealed in comments from the students: “The Georgia Tech campwas an excellent experience for me. Now I have a better understanding of what civil engineeringis. Now every time I’m at a traffic light, I will think about the engineers that work every day tomake this possible.” However, overall, the course was not as effective in encouraging students toconsider a career in transportation

Conference Session

Best Zone Paper Competition

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rashmi Jain, Stevens Institute of Technology; Keith Sheppard, Stevens Institute of Technology; Elisabeth McGrath, Stevens Institute of Technology; Bernard Gallois, Stevens Institute of Technology

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numbers of students choosing STEM fields.Providing engineering experiences and curriculum components in middle and high schools is seen as ameans to engage students and excite them about the opportunities for an engineering career. Given thatsystems thinking and perspective are now seen as playing an important role in educating engineers for thefuture, it follows that coupling these concepts to the engineering elements of the pre-college program hasmerit. Stevens, through its Center for Innovation in Engineering & Science Education (CIESE), has beenvery active in promoting the introduction of engineering into K-12 curricula in the State of New Jersey aspart of a broader approach to increasing the STEM pipeline. As part of this pre-engineering

Conference Session

Best Zone Paper Competition

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristi Shryock, Texas A&M University; Helen Reed, Texas A&M University

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what students learn through the program.1 This criterion has brought aboutterminology that programs are not accustomed to utilizing in their day to day business. Theseterms included objectives and outcomes. In addition, continuous improvement has become soimportant to ABET that a separate criterion has been devoted to it in the latest update fromABET.2 Defining Objectives and OutcomesProgram objectives are long-range goals of what a program envisions their graduates willachieve. ABET regards objectives as being obtained by graduates a few years after graduation.Program objectives will usually focus on successful careers or being skilled practitioners. Theyare much longer range attributes a graduate accomplishes. One

Conference Session

Best Zone Paper Competition

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Gattis, University of Arkansas; Shannon Davis, University of Arkansas; Bryan Hill, University of Arkansas; Edgar Clausen, University of Arkansas; Christa Hestekin, University of Arkansas; Bradley Dearing, Illinois State University

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need to introduce engineering and scienceto students at an early age in order to increase the number of students entering engineeringdisciplines. However, most students in the middle level grades (6th, 7th and 8th) are unaware ofopportunities in engineering and do not recognize engineering as a rewarding career option.Furthermore, research tells us that women and minority students are drastically underrepresentedin the engineering fields.1 To more effectively prepare students for engineering and sciencedegrees, K-12 students should be engaged in activities which develop the critical thinking skillsnecessary for solving problems in the real world. It is universally accepted that all studentbenefit from hands-on learning activities in the

Conference Session

Best Zone Paper Competition

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nathan Klingbeil, Wright State University; Richard Mercer, Wright State University; Kuldip Rattan, Wright State University; Michael Raymer, Wright State University; David Reynolds, Wright State University

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come.AcknowledgementsThis work has been supported by a planning grant from the National Science Foundation,Division of Engineering Education and Centers, under program solicitation NSF-03-562,"Department Level Reform of Undergraduate Engineering Education," Grant Number EEC-0343214. This work has also been supported by the College of Engineering & ComputerScience and the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at Wright State University. Page 11.1073.12Bibliography1. Adelman, Clifford, 1998, "Women and Men of the Engineering Path: A Model for Analyses of Undergraduate Careers," U.S. Department of Education Report, May, 1998.2. Pomalaza-Raez