Conference Session

ERM Technical Session 9: Persistence and Retention

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Johnny C. Woods, Jr., Virginia Tech; Tahsin Mahmud Chowdhury, Virginia Tech; Homero Murzi, Virginia Tech; Michelle Soledad, Virginia Tech, Ateneo de Davao University; David B. Knight, Virginia Tech; Jacob R. Grohs, Virginia Tech; Scott W. Case, Virginia Tech; Natasha Smith, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Paper ID #26549Factors Influencing Course Withdrawal in Fundamental Engineering Coursesin a Research 1 UniversityMr. Johnny Crayd Woods Jr., Virginia Tech Johnny C. Woods, Jr. is a Higher Education PhD Student at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. He obtained his master’s in Educational Foundations from Makerere University (Uganda), and a bachelor’s in Sociology from A.M.E. Zion University College (Liberia). Prior to joining Virginia Tech, he served at Tubman University (Liberia) for 10 years in several capacities, including his last position as Chief of Staff to the University President and Liaison to the

Conference Session

ERM Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carl Lund, State University of New York at Buffalo

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2008-192: A TEXT FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN THE 21STCENTURY 1. OBJECTIVES AND OVERVIEWCarl Lund, State University of New York at Buffalo Carl Lund has been on the faculty of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at the University at Buffalo, SUNY since 1986. He was appointed as a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2007. Page 13.126.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 A TExT for Engineering Education in the 21st Century 1. Objectives and OverviewAbstractEngineering education research continues to demonstrate that a growing variety of

Conference Session

Curricular Innovations 1

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Martin, Youngstown State University; Anna Martin, Kent State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

variable consisting of twogroups, while the engineering concept knowledge of Statics, along with the subjective cognitiveload scores will serve as the dependent variables to be measured using multivariate analysis ofvariance (MANOVA).Pre-testStudents will first complete a pre-test to identify their baseline Statics knowledge regarding trussanalysis and the method of sections. Figure 1 shows an example of a sample pre-test questionwhere students will be asked to solve for internal forces of truss members using the method ofsections.Figure 1. Pre-test sample question.1 Reprinted from Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics & Dynamics, (p.320), F., Beer et al, 2016, McGraw-Hill Education.Group 1: Partially

Conference Session

Curricular Innovations 1

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Martin, Youngstown State University; Anna Martin, Kent State University, Kent

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

basicfriction problems. Figure 1 shows an example of a sample pre-test question where students willbe asked to solve for unknown external forces acting on an object involving friction.Figure 1. Pre-test sample question.1 Reprinted from Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics & Dynamics, (p.442), F., Beer et al, 2016, McGraw-Hill Education.Group 1: Embedded-Formatting ExamplesFollowing traditional instruction students in this group will be given a worked example that issetup using embedded-formatting, which will be used as reference material to solve a similar in-class problem. At the end of class students will be given a homework assignment, where theywill be provided another worked example utilizing embedded

Conference Session

Curricular Innovations 1

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Branislav M. Notaros, Colorado State University; Ryan McCullough, Colorado State University; Pranav S. Athalye, Colorado State University; Anthony A. Maciejewski, Colorado State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, electronics, and electromagnetics. These three two-course sequences are alsopart of the focus of an effort funded by the National Science Foundation whose overall goal is torevolutionize engineering education5. A team of educators has broken each of the courses into aset of five learning studio modules (LSMs). After LSMs 1-2, 3-4, and 5, respectively, in each ofthe core competency areas, a knowledge integration (KI) module is conducted to illustrate howLSM concepts from signals/systems, electronics, and electromagnetics can be applied together tosolve real-world engineering problems.This paper presents and discusses innovations in teaching and learning electromagnetics LSMsaimed at increasing the student engagement, especially as related to class pre

Conference Session

Curricular Innovations 1

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicole Johnson-Glauch, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Geoffrey L. Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

improvement in engineering education, conceptual change and development in engineering students, and change in fac- ulty beliefs about teaching and learning. He serves as the Publications Chair for the ASEE Educational Research and Methods Division. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2017 Students’ Conception and Application of Mechanical Equilibrium Through Their Sketches1. Introduction and Relevant LiteratureSketching is central to engineering practice, especially design[1]–[4]. When constructingsketches, a student/engineer must synthesize various pieces of knowledge and reasoning into anideally self-consistent graph or set of graphs. University educators have

Conference Session

Curricular Innovations 1

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica E. S. Swenson, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach; Kristen B. Wendell, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

assignmentassigned for that week. These problem sets were comprised of problems from the class textbook9or modeling problems created by the professor and executed in Microsoft Excel or MatLab. Thesampling of what was recorded was determined by the problems the students decided to work ontogether in the group. Some recorded sessions begin with students having started the problems inthe problem set while others work on all four problems from start to finish together. While this isnot ideal for research purposes, it captures the authentic ways in which students work and doesnot require them to do anything out of the ordinary as a participant in this study.Table 1: Overview of Data Corpus Group Assignments

Conference Session

Curricular Innovations 1

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark J Indelicato, Rochester Institute of Technology (CAST); Miguel Bazdresch, Rochester Institute of Technology (CAST); George H Zion, Rochester Institute of Technology (CAST); Joseph (Yossi) Nygate, Rochester Institute of Technology (CAST); Surabhi M Sarda, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE)

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

research 1. Its questions are tailored to identify students’ implicit assumptions in aspecific field and may be applied both pre- and post-instruction. There is no currently existing CIfor networking and telecommunications. Our initial results seem to suggest that the developmentof a CI for this field would be very useful. However, we would like this CI to be applicable to adiverse set of students, with respect to both their culture and their educational level(undergraduate and graduate). At the moment, the development of such a CI is still in an earlystage.In summary, this study expands the breadth of knowledge on student preconceptions in STEMby including the subject of QoS in telecommunications, identifying some of thepreconception(s

Conference Session

Novel Pedagogies 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

M. Razi Nalim P.E., Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Manikanda K Rajagopal, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis; Robert J Helfenbein, Indiana University-IUPUI, School of Education

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the design and implementation of afaculty development program. The objectives of this program were: (1) to promote facultyadoption of non-traditional instructional methods and materials that have been proven effectiveby classroom research studies and (2) to improve institutional support for teaching at each of theeight SUCCEED campuses. The study finds that the percentage of responders giving requiredteam assignments vary from a low of 35% at one institution to a high of 72%. Assistantprofessors are more likely to do so than associate or full professors. Female professors are morelikely than male professors to use in-class group activities and the internet in their teaching, andthe assistant professors and female professors are more likely to

Conference Session

Engineering Identity 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine E Winters, Virginia Tech; Holly M Matusovich, Virginia Tech; Samantha Ruth Brunhaver, Stanford University; Helen L. Chen, Stanford University; Ken Yasuhara, University of Washington, Center for Engineering Learning & Teaching (CELT); Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

within the engineering education community hasfocused on preparing engineers for the technological and global challenges of the future. Suchconversations often consider the skills that engineers will need and how we can best helpstudents develop such skills. For example, ABET shifted to skills-based assessment ofengineering programs 1. Additionally, the National Academies proposed a list of the desiredattributes of “The Engineer of 2020” followed by suggestions on how to educate the engineer of2020 2, 3. As engineering education researchers have developed assessment tools and techniquesto evaluate development of needed skills among students and ways that they are used byprofessionals 4, 5, few studies have been able to follow the same students

Conference Session

Novel Pedagogies 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sensen Li, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Sean P Brophy, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

challenges that students encountered when they used freebody diagrams to interpret system equilibrium. This study also indicates the effectivenessof PPDs in externalizing students’ understanding of system equilibrium. This research isrelevant to engineering instructors and researchers who want to develop students’abilities to use cognitive strategies effectively. It may also interest engineering instructorswho are willing to apply new instructional methods and tools to facilitate students toovercome complex design challenges.TheoryEffective formative assessment process has repercussions on all aspects of students’learning [1], [2]. It can help students understand marking criteria and subject standards [3],produce significant learning gains, and

Conference Session

Novel Pedagogies 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arthur C Heinricher, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Paula Quinn, Quinn Evaluation Consulting; Richard F. Vaz, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kent J Rissmiller, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Impacts of Project-Based Learning in Science and EngineeringAbstractLong-term impact of formal project work for science and engineering alumni from WorcesterPolytechnic Institute was studied through an externally-conducted web-based survey. The surveyincluded 39 Likert scale questions targeting impacts grounded in 1) institutional undergraduatelearning outcomes and 2) areas of unanticipated impact that emerged from a pre-survey onlineideation exercise. The survey was distributed to over 10,000 randomly-selected graduates andhad a response rate of 25%. Results showed that project work had long-term positive impacts onalumni in terms of professional skills, world views, and personal lives. Mann-Whitney U testsrevealed

Conference Session

Engineering Identity 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristen Hatten, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Tiago R Forin, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Robin Adams, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Numerous studies have examined identity in regards to engineering and engineeringeducation. These studies focus particularly on areas such as gender 1-3 ; recruitment, retention, andburnout4-6 ; and identity development in becoming an engineer.7-10 Various methods have beenemployed to study identity in these contexts, including surveys, “draw an engineer” tests,ethnography, and personal narratives. While each of these methodologies is important andsupplies its own contribution to the discussion of identity, they may not provide an in-depth,interpersonally developed understanding of the participant’s own subconscious and consciousperceptions of his or her reality (or thick description—e.g., Geertz11 ). In other words, thesemethods can supply a good

Conference Session

Novel Pedagogies 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shannon Rhey Butler, Purdue University; Kay C Dee, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, which manyhave already done1-3,6. Specifically, we sought to explore the “active” portion of “activelearning.” In Prince’s words, “The core elements of active learning are student activity andengagement in the learning process,” (Reference 1, page 1, emphases added). The active recallof information has been shown to increase information retention, compared to that resulting frompassively reading the same material repeatedly6. It makes sense to break a long lecture intosmaller units, punctuated by activities, given the conventional wisdom that students have anattention span of roughly 10 to 15 minutes7, and that student self-reported interest is highest atthe beginning of a lecture and decreases throughout a lecture8. Might active learning

Conference Session

Novel Pedagogies 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie Cutler, Virginia Tech; Maura J. Borrego, University of Texas, Austin

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

different RBIS, the percentage of required critical componentsimplemented in conjunction with the RBIS was examined. Use of all critical components foreach RBIS varied from 55-83%. Higher percentages (65-83%) were associated with RBIS thathad one required critical component, such as concept tests. For RBIS with higher numbers (3-5)of critical components (such as Problem Based Learning and Collaborative Learning), though thepercentage of users with complete fidelity (all critical components) was low (3-66%), thepercentage that did not include any components was also low (most with 0% of users having noor only 1 critical component used in the classroom). To highlight the relationships between usersand critical components, a Chi Square was completed

Conference Session

Engineering Identity 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lorraine N. Fleming, Howard University; Kalynda Chivon Smith, Howard University; Dawn G. Williams, Howard University; Leonard B. Bliss, Florida International University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

isdeveloped influences the identity development. Carlone and Johnson’s theoretical frameworkcan be applied to engineering identity development. In this case, we focus on the culturalcontext in which the identity develops, namely the MSI campus.Researchers have conducted studies on identity development of engineering students,specifically. They found that three factors influence the development of an engineering identity,(1) how engineering is understood as a science, (2) the rules that govern the behavior of anengineer, and (3) the environmental setting of the institution in which one learns to become anengineer28, 29. It is this latter factor that we have examined in this study. Taken together, theimportance of studying the development of an

Conference Session

Engineering Identity 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allison Godwin, Clemson University; Geoff Potvin, Clemson University; Zahra Hazari, Florida International University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

incorporate math and scienceinterests and experiences.IntroductionIn view of the current situation of the STEM education pipeline, the President’s Council ofAdvisors in Science and Technology (PCAST) recently called for one million additional STEMgraduates over the next ten years.1 One way to address the need for more STEM graduates isthrough understanding what causes students to choose engineering and how to more effectivelyrecruit them upon entrance into college.A potential way to begin to address this need for a greater pool of new engineering students isthrough the interpretive framework of critical engineering agency. This perspectives is rooted incritical science agency theory which has been developed in qualitative research in scienceeducation

Conference Session

Engineering Identity 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder; Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, University of Colorado, Boulder; Daria A Kotys-Schwartz, University of Colorado, Boulder; Beth A Myers, University of Colorado Boulder; Beverly Louie, University of Colorado, Boulder; Jeffrey T. Luftig, Engineering Management Program, CEAS, University of Colorado - Boulder; Malinda S Zarske, University of Colorado, Boulder; Jordan Michelle Hornback

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

engineeringenterprise, and discussion on broadening participation has increasingly permeated STEMdiscourse and engineering education agendas for decades.1-3 Yet, even with pervasive college-based initiatives aimed at broadening participation, results remain stagnant; the national averagefor underrepresented minority BS engineering graduates is flat, hovering at ~10% for the last 15years4,5 while the national average for women engineering BS graduates peaked at ~21% in2002.5,6 Clearly, a need exists to identify models that bolster diversity; very likely, these modelswill be multifaceted and complex.Inclusive Excellence Research ProjectThe Inclusive Excellence Research Project is an NSF-funded investigation at the University ofColorado Boulder that takes a

Conference Session

Knowing our Students, Part 1

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Reed Stevens, University of Washington; Daniel Amos, University of Washington; Andrew Jocuns, University of Washington; Lari Garrison, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

to this lack of understanding, as such we argue that students constructreasons for their expected future prosperity that if they work harder now, they deserve morelater.IntroductionIt seems a universal feature of human experience to tell stories about one’s place and direction inthe world. Research on storytelling has shown that this is as true of individuals as it is of nationstates.1 Given this range, we can assume that members of cultural groups of sizes betweenindividuals and nations will share common, if never identical, narratives. In this paper, we reporton a collection of common narratives that come from a distinctive student culture, that ofundergraduate engineering education in America.Our paper reports on two related beliefs that

Conference Session

Knowing our Students, Part 1

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heidi Loshbaugh, Colorado School of Mines; Brittany Claar, Regis University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

MotivationNationwide, need for U.S. engineering talent continues to grow, yet enrollment in and graduationfrom engineering institutions continues to decline. If engineering educators better understandhow students come to engage with their studies and chosen institutions as well as develop anidentity with the profession, engineering colleges can adjust institutional climates to encouragemore students to enroll in engineering studies and persist to completion.Methods and ParticipantsThe Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE) is a study funded by theNational Science Foundation exploring the experience of undergraduate engineering studentswith the intended outcome of improving engineering education.1, 2, 3 The Academic PathwaysStudy (APS) is

Conference Session

Knowing our Students, Part 1

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jill Auerbach, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jonathan Gordon, Georgia Institute of Technology; Gary May, Georgia Institute of Technology; Cleon Davis, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

graduate program of study. In addition to thepositive impact the SURE experience had on the decision to attend graduate school (93.5 percentof respondents), this research uses logistic regression techniques to illuminate other relevantfactors on graduate school attendance--such as attitudes about graduate school before SURE, theenvironment of the home institution, academic encouragement from others, and frequency ofcontact with SURE faculty and mentors after program completion.IntroductionDespite some gains in the representation of minorities in engineering and science fields, arelatively small number of underrepresented minorities (16% in 1999) graduated with degrees inthose fields.1 Although this figure represents a modest increase over the

Conference Session

Knowing our Students, Part 1

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary Lichtenstein, Stanford University; Heidi Loshbaugh, Colorado School of Mines; Brittany Claar, Colorado School of Mines; Tori Bailey, Stanford University; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

knowledge of engineering before they begin college.In addition (and possibly as a result), students’ intentions to major in engineering waiver, evenwhile they actively complete engineering requirements. Nearly all students in our sample wereentrepreneurial in seeking experiences within and outside of engineering to help them decide ontheir major. Implications of this research are that 1) attrition rates from engineering may beinflated, and 2) classroom, departmental, and institutional adjustments could increase retention ofstudents in engineering.Persistence in Engineering EducationFrom the era of Sputnik through to the present, concerns about preparing sufficient numbers ofengineers to meet the demands of industry and national security have gained

Conference Session

Knowing our Students, Part 1

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dale Baker, Arizona State University; Stephen Krause, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

greatertechnical self-efficacy than the females who graduate as engineers8.MethodologyThe method used to gather and analyze data was grounded in the descriptive study surveyapproach. The question posed was what technical and tinkering characteristics engineers deemedimportant and to what extent these characteristics corresponded to the ABET Criterion 3 a-klearning outcomes. To answer this question a volunteer sample of engineering faculty, students,and practicing engineers, who are members of ASEE, were recruited. They were asked torespond to two open-ended prompts on a survey in paper and pencil format and electronically.These prompts were; 1) List the characteristics of someone with good tinkering skills, and 2) Listthe characteristics of someone with

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Learning 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Hirshfield, Oregon State University; Jaynie L. Whinnery, Oregon State University; Debra M. Gilbuena, Oregon State University; Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

as “one of the more instructionally powerful and least understoodfeatures” of learning.1 Appropriate feedback can help to address student misconceptions,improve transfer of knowledge, and increase retention and satisfaction in school. However, bothimplementing and studying feedback is complicated; feedback content and effectiveness varieswidely depending on the learning environment and the people involved in the feedback process.Feedback effectiveness can change depending on its timing, complexity, structure and content.Furthermore, students react to feedback differently based on differences in their personalities,backgrounds, academic capacities, and understanding of the material.This paper empirically investigates feedback in a project

Conference Session

Assessment of Student Learning 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Catherine T. Amelink, Virginia Tech; Bevlee A. Watford, Virginia Tech; Glenda R. Scales, Virginia Tech; Mahnas Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, Virginia Tech; Dakota Farquhar-Caddell, School of Education

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

ideas and solutions. One-way ANOVA was used to determine whether there are differences in frequency ofstudents innovative thinking and also their self-reported perceptions of level of innovativethinking based on the type of instructor facilitated use of slate enabled technology (e.g.,structured, unstructured, no use). Differences in innovative thinking skill frequency and level bytype of instructor-led use are reported in Table 1 and Table 2. In terms of specific innovative thinking skills, in the pre-survey students reported veryfew differences across groups (refer to Table1). During the initial start of the semester students’reported frequency of use of innovative thinking skills in the areas of Knowledge Acquisition,Scaling

Conference Session

Assessment of Student Learning 1

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nidal Al-Masoud, Central Connecticut State University; Viatcheslav Naoumov, Cental Connecticut State University; Steven Joseph Kirstukas, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

concepts of this course are fundamental for many subsequent courses like MachineDesign, Modeling of Dynamic Systems, Fluid Mechanics, and many other courses. The widespectrum of applications of these concepts in real-life engineering and daily life problemsprovides a rich source of lifelong learning problems. The pool of topics consisted of elevenresearch and open-ended problems. As shown (Figures 1 and 2), these problems covered a wide Page 23.479.3range of subjects including sports, entertainment, space mechanics, and meteorology to name afew. Figure 2: Sample dynamics problem - II5

Conference Session

Trends in Engineering Education 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey Wigdahl, The University of New Mexico; Gregory L. Heileman, University of New Mexico; Ahmad Slim, University of New Mexico; Chaouki T. Abdallah, University of New Mexico

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Youngstown State University, with a Bachelors of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering in 1981. He then obtained his MS and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from GA Tech in 1982, and 1988 respectively. He joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of New Mexico where he is currently professor and was the chair between 2005 and June 30, 2011. Since July 1, 2011, Professor Abdallah is the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at UNM. Professor Abdallah conducts research and teaches courses in the general area of systems theory with focus on control and communica- tions systems. His research has been funded by national funding agencies, national laboratories, and by

Conference Session

Trends in Engineering Education 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Khairiyah Mohd-Yusof, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Fatin Aliah Phang, Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Aziatul Niza Sadikin, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Syed Ahmad Helmi, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Mohd Johari Kamaruddin, Centre of Lipids Engineering & Applied Research (CLEAR), Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

engineering overview assignment given to the first year students rightat beginning of their study had managed to lead them into the desired mindset of what theyshould prepare themselves for while learning to be future engineers.IntroductionIn the 21st Century, there is a high demand for engineering graduates who have soundtechnical knowledge as well as positive attitude and good professional skills, such as problemsolving, communication, teamworking, etc.1, 2. Nevertheless, learning engineering content initself can be challenging to most students, resulting in problems on maintaining students'interest and motivation to learn, as well as retaining them3. In addition, the lack ofunderstanding and connection of how the material they have to learn or the

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Learning 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Glenn W. Ellis, Smith College; Halimat A. Ipesa-Balogun, Smith College; Yanning Yu, Northwestern University; Yezhezi Zhang, Smith College; Xi Jiang, Smith College

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

education—and engineering in particular—remains largely unexplored. In order to inform and examinedesigns for idea-centered, knowledge-building discourse communities in undergraduateengineering education, this paper reports on an analysis of the data collected in a sophomoreengineering mechanics course using knowledge-building pedagogy. This includes attempts tomeasure (1) changes in the learners’ conceptualization of the learning process based upon surveydata and (2) changes in the nature of their knowledge-building contributions over time based onan analysis of knowledge-building discourse.Learning EnvironmentParticipantsData was collected over a two-year period in a four-credit, semester-long introductoryengineering mechanics course at Smith

Conference Session

Trends in Engineering Education 1

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa R. Lattuca, University of Michigan; David B Knight, Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Education; Michael Geoffrey Brown, University of Michigan-CSHPE

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

influences that encourage engineering faculty members toemphasize interdisciplinary knowledge, topics, and skills. Our conceptual framing is based onthe assumptions of the academic plan model, which posits that a variety of factors, both internaland external to faculty and their institutions, influence faculty as they plan and design courses 46.The academic plan model (Figure 1) builds on the observation by Toombs and Tierney47 that acurriculum is “an intentional design for learning negotiated by faculty in light of their specializedknowledge and in the context of social expectations and students’ needs” (p. 183). Toombs andTierney identified three essential parts of a curriculum design process: the “content” that is to betaught; the “context” in