Conference Session

Educational Research and Methods Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julie P. Martin, Clemson University; Matthew K. Miller, Clemson University; Marian S. Kennedy, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2012-3860: GRADUATE STUDENTS: INFLUENTIAL AGENTS OF SO-CIAL CAPITAL FOR ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERSDr. Julie P. Martin, Clemson University Julie P. Martin, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of engineering and science education with a joint appoint- ment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Her research interests focus on social factors affecting the recruitment, retention, and career development of under-represented students in engineering. Trenor is a recent NSF CAREER award winner for her research entitled ”Influence of Social Capital on Under-represented Engineering Students Academic and Career Decisions.”Matthew K. Miller, Clemson University Matthew K. Miller is a Ph.D. student and

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Megan F. Campanile, Illinois Institute of Technology; Eric M. Brey, Illinois Institute of Technology; Allison Antink Meyer, Illinois Institute of Technology; Norman G. Lederman, Illinois Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

opportunity to their graduate students was an approach to prepare themto be future faculty advisors. The faculty members influenced the undergraduate students’ career focused preparation andresearch design and preparation knowledge by providing them with the resources to develop andtake ownership of a research project. As evidence of the faculty members influencing thestudents’ career focused preparation, “This program is a checkpoint for the students, to make thedecision about their career paths. I think we have been very successful at getting undergraduatesto become interested in engineering research and many have gone on to graduate school. About80% of my students have gone on to graduate school and many will eventually move on to eitheran

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janet Y. Tsai, University of Colorado, Boulder; Daria A. Kotys-Schwartz, University of Colorado, Boulder; Beverly Louie, University of Colorado, Boulder; Virginia Lea Ferguson, University of Colorado; Alyssa Nicole Berg, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

onexperiential learning and community building. This program aims to provide 1st and 2nd yearundergraduates with an authentic engineering research experience so that from an early stage intheir engineering careers they can already experience and begin participating in high-level andreal-world engineering work. Though only a single semester intervention, the program’s one-on-one pairing of undergraduate and graduate students delivers personalized attention for eachundergraduate mentee [9].Program Goals and Research QuestionsThe primary goals of this research-based mentoring program are threefold: (1) increase retentionof undergraduate students in engineering, particularly women and underrepresented minorities(URMs); (2) excite undergraduate student

Conference Session

Understanding Our Students II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shannon Ciston, University of California, Berkeley; Maria-Isabel Carnasciali, University of New Haven; Viktoria Zelenak, University of New Haven; Michael J. Hollis, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, course drops, persistence, and graduation rates. Programs tohelp with stress and time management including support services geared toward adult studentssuch as their own orientations, academic and financial aid advisors, peer advisors, and supportstaff and faculty who understand their needs without loss of academic rigor,10 campus day care,families invited to campus events, etc.Additional research supports the hypothesis that the balance adult students face between work,school, family, and other commitments is an additional cause of stress for adult students, but thedifficulty of the coursework was also a factor. A research project in 2009 that surveyed 72 adultgraduate students at Texas State asked students an open-ended question: “_______ are

Conference Session

Research in Engineering Education I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sandra Loree Dika, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Jae Hoon Lim, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

minorities)Classic Studies of Student Engagement Astin’s publication, “What matters in college?” explained that the freshman collegeexperience provides rich and critical opportunities for learning and development for teenagerstransitioning into young adulthood. He argued that these great opportunities for learning anddevelopment come with an increased level of risks (e.g., attrition) and responsibilities becausestudents must adjust to their new campus life separated from families and pre-existing supportsystems. Through his influential research exploring patterns of student academic and socialdevelopment, Astin concluded that students’ college experiences and academic outcomes areprofoundly affected by college environments. Astin’s

Conference Session

Contextual Competencies

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joshua David Schwartz, Trinity University; Ashley Ater Kranov, ABET

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2012-3106: INTRODUCING CONTEMPORARY ISSUES TO ENGI-NEERING STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY MODULEDr. Joshua David Schwartz, Trinity University Joshua Schwartz has been an Assistant Professor with the Engineering Science Department at Trinity University since 2010. His graduate and postdoctoral studies have garnered international recognition in the area of analog microwave signal processing. In 2008 McGill University awarded him the Governor General’s Gold Medal, Canada’s highest academic award, for his doctoral thesis on the applications of a new microwave interconnect, and in 2009 he was awarded the distinguished IEEE Microwave Prize for the most significant paper contribution in an area of interest to the IEEE Microwave

Conference Session

Problem-based and Challenge-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Fatin Aliah Phang, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Khairiyah Mohd-Yusof, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Syed Helmi Syed Hassan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Mimi H. Hassim, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. She obtained her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Aalto University School of Science and Technology, Finland, in 2010. She is also a Chartered Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). She has been working in the area of inherent occupational health studies for more than 10 years. Her research studies also include inherent safety, multi-criteria decision making, and industrial hygiene. Page 25.557.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Engineering Students' Perception on Learning through

Conference Session

Before and After: Matriculants and Alumni

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Helen L. Chen, Stanford University; Michelle Marie Grau, Stanford University; Samantha Ruth Brunhaver, Stanford University; Shannon Katherine Gilmartin, SKG Analysis; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University; Michelle Warner, Stanford University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

togeneralize from and modify some of the strategies used with non-college student populations.An iterative design of the recruitment emails was employed in order to identify the specificissues and approach would resonate with alumni, emphasizing their connections to theinstitution. The snapshot in Figure 1 represents an early draft of the initial recruitment email withcomments linking specific statements to documented research strategies for increasing responserates.Figure 1. Early version of initial recruitment emailThe final version of the initial recruitment email (in Figure 2) was addressed to each alumnus byfirst name from a senior faculty member, and included a school logo. These elements wereincluded in order to decrease the possibility of the

Conference Session

Identity and Culture

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elliot P. Douglas, University of Florida; Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, University of Florida; David J. Therriault, University of Florida; Christine S. Lee, University of Florida; Nathan McNeill, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

epistemological stances are enacted in engineering education research. He has been involved in faculty development activities since 1998, through the ExCEEd Teaching Workshops of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Essential Teaching Seminars of the American Society of Mechanical Engi- neers, and the U.S. National Science Foundation-sponsored SUCCEED Coalition. He has also been active in promoting qualitative research methods in engineering education through workshops presented as part of an NSF project. He has received several awards for his work, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Ralph Teetor Education Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers, being named a

Conference Session

Thinking About the Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Geoffrey L. Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Mark H. Somerville, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; David E. Goldberg, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Kerri Ann Green, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

thempursue their personal goals. Rather than learning only about how a computer works, this teamused the opportunity to develop many of the “soft skills” or nuances of engineering. Theydeveloped teamwork skills, explored the tradeoffs of different design methods, found ways touse their engineering skills to help their fellow students, and learned how to conduct backgroundresearch on a topic that they had never seen before. Learning Team 2 experienced mixed success. The team struggled to find an identity thatcaptured the imagination and motivations of the members, but many of the members discoveredthat success in education is achieved more by effort rather than by ability. The team pursuedharder challenges as the semester progressed, despite an

Conference Session

Thinking About the Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Judith A. Sunderman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Raymond L. Price, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

collaboratively bouncing ideas off one another in ways that support dialogue aboutteaching and learning. Incubated courses and programs are piloted and student outcomesdocumented on a small scale outside the official curriculum. The purpose of curriculum incubation is to create an environment free from situationalinfluences and organizational realities known to impede innovation and change. Within theincubator, faculty test and refine ideas over time in a cyclic research and development processstructured to minimize early resistance to change and demonstrate practices that work. Theincubator relies on voluntary participation at all levels. Faculty who wish to participate opt in tothe incubator by proposing to explore a novel approach to

Conference Session

Research Informing Teaching Practice I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris Venters, Virginia Tech; Lisa D. McNair, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2012-4530: USING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS TO IMPROVE CON-CEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN STATICS: RESULTS FROM A PILOTSTUDYMr. Chris Venters, Virginia Tech Chris Venters is a Ph.D. candidate in engineering education at Virginia Tech. His primary research in- terests involve studying conceptual understanding among students in early undergraduate engineering courses. He received his B.S. in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University and his M.S. in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech.Dr. Lisa D. McNair, Virginia Tech Lisa McNair is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where she also serves as Assistant Department Head for Graduate Education and co-directs the