Conference Session

New Learning Paradigms I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Damron, Oklahoma State University; Karen High, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2009-2080: WRITING TO LEARN: THE EFFECT OF PEER TUTORING ONCRITICAL THINKING AND WRITING SKILLS OF FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERINGSTUDENTSRebecca Damron, Oklahoma State University REBECCA DAMRON earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987 in South Asian Studies, her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language in 1992 from Oklahoma State University, and her Ph.D. in Linguistics in 1997 from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Damron worked in the writing program in the department of English at the University of Tulsa from 1996-2001, and is currently an Assistant Professor of English and Director of the OSU Writing Center at Oklahoma State University. Her main research interests

Conference Session

New Learning Paradigms I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Philip Parker, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

taught using the control method.As such, this paper helps to address a gap in the engineering writing education literature, in thatfew studies have investigated the effect of various methods in an experimental fashion. Oneexception is the work of Jensen and Fisher,(1) who showed that the use of student peer reviewwas found to be positively correlated with an improvement in student writing proficiency. Thefindings were based on a comparison of scores on a writing assignment at the beginning of thesemester and a writing assignment at the end of the semester for a control section and a testsection.BackgroundThe test method was guided by advice gleaned from the technical writing and engineeringwriting instruction literature. Two very practical

Conference Session

New Learning Paradigms I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Warren Hull, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Warren Waggenspack, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Lillian B Bowles, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; David Bowles, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Tiffany Walter Choplin, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

many articles and books on writing in various disciplines, led a number of successful grants on communication in technical fields, and served as the Chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication. She was previously a member of the faculty at the University of Minnesota.David Bowles, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge David Bowles is a Technical Communication Instructor in the Engineering Communication Studio at Louisiana State University. He earned a baccalaureate degree in English and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a former assistant editor of Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts, and his

Conference Session

Using Technology to Enhance Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Chen, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Instead, thestudents in this section were asked to watch the podcasts (recorded from one of the other tworegular class meetings) within 48 hours of the scheduled class. The topic lasted for three 50-minute class meetings. At the end of the cluster of classes for this topic, a homework assignmentwas completed and a quiz was administered (in person) to each student. Our results show thatenhanced podcasting appears to be a viable means to replace some face-to-face class meetings,but its many pitfalls outweigh its benefits. Students report a perceived decreased amount oflearning that we attribute to the lack of social interactions with peers and instructor and thedecreased motivation level to use the podcasts. On the other hand, enhanced podcasting

Conference Session

Student Attitudes and Perceptions

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farrokh Attarzadeh, University of Houston; Deniz Gurkan, University of Houston; Miguel Ramos, University of Houston; Mequanint Moges, University of Houston; Victor Gallardo, University of Houston; Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi; Reddy Talusani, Houston Community College System; Shruti Karulkar, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

results of an NSF sponsored program to implement an undergraduatepeer-to-peer mentoring model using concept mapping at the College of Technology-ComputerEngineering Technology (CoT-CET) program of the University of Houston. Realizing thebenefits of combining peer-to-peer mentoring with the use of concept mapping as a learning tool,the CoT-CET program launched a pilot program in fall 2008 to its freshman course in order toimplement and assess the impact of incorporating the two models. The study compares skillsreported by the students at the beginning of the semester with those collected at the end of thesemester. It also presents the results of the performance achieved by the mentored students in thepilot group and the performance of students who

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Olga Pierrakos, James Madison University; Julie Trenor, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

undergraduate research, the students as the newcomers workunder the direction of faculty mentors and graduate students as the old-timers. The old-timersprovide expertise and resources to enable the student newcomer to engage in the practice ofresearch. Peer undergraduate researchers being a part of the research laboratory community alsoplay a key role in fostering a successful experience. Figure 1 illustrates the data collected duringthis effort in the context of the CoP theoretical framework. The two main tools utilized were theNational Engineering Students’ Learning Outcomes Survey (NESLOS) and weekly self-reflective journal entries. The figure illustrates that pre-NESLOS was administered at thebeginning of the REU experience (during the first day

Conference Session

Measurement Tools

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karen Alfrey, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Elaine Cooney, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

themselves enoughtime to write up all of their observations and conclusions. In addition, slightly loweraverage scores on “Proposing Methods of Solution” (average 2.2) and “Applying Methodto Generate Results” (average 2.2) reinforced observations from instructors of ourprogram’s Senior students that our students do not understand the process of writingrequirements and using them to guide the design and testing process. Both of theseweaknesses are being addressed in the Spring 2009 session of this course: students willgo through a separate exercise in requirements-writing before confronting thisassignment, and the assignment itself will be due earlier in the semester, with anopportunity for re-writing and re-submitting after peer feedback. The

Conference Session

Classroom Engagement

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Cardella, Purdue University; Heidi Diefes-Dux, Purdue University; Amber Oliver, Purdue University; Matthew Verleger, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

pursuing her Masters of Science in Human Resource Management in the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. She received her B.S. in Organizational Communication with a concentration in Human Factors Engineering from Purdue University.Matthew Verleger, Purdue University Matthew Verleger is a doctoral candidate in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. He received his B.S. in Computer Engineering and his M.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, both from Purdue University. His research interests are on how students develop mathematical modeling skills through the use of model-eliciting activities and in peer review as a pedagogical tool

Conference Session

Engineering Design: Implementation and Evaluation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cameron Denson, Utah State University; Nathan Mentzer, Utah State University; Jodi Cullum, Utah State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Page 14.668.2NCETE Teacher Professional Development Positioning of the teacher as developer of lessons facilitates coherence with otherlearning activities occurring in each teacher’s classroom. Specifically, teachers can situate theengineering design concepts into their curriculum by crafting a lesson rather than attempting tofit a pre-packaged generic lesson into an existing and, perhaps, rigidly structured curriculum.The lesson development opportunities provide teachers with an active learning experience,wherein they first experience exemplary engineering design challenges as participants and thencreate design challenges. Formative feedback was provided by peer teachers and professionaldevelopers as the teachers developed the lessons

Conference Session

Classroom Engagement

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keith Holbert, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

and Bowers (1997) of studentsstudying physics found that reading is, in fact, more important than hearing.IntroductionHaving been challenged by a member of the public—specifically a K-12 school teacher—toprovide authoritative source(s) of the STATEMENT, what was envisioned as a simple search andproof would ultimately reveal a lack of evidence for the cited statistics. The STATEMENT beingreferred to here is that people (or students) learn (or recall/remember): • 10% of what they read • 20% of what they hear • 30% of what they see • 50% of what they hear and see • 70% of what they say (and write) • 90% of what they say as they do a thingThere are various forms and permutations of the STATEMENT found in published

Conference Session

Measurement Tools

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lourdes Gazca, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Enrique Palou, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Aurelio López-Malo, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Juan Manuel Garibay, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

assignments.In addition, we encourage students to write brief reflective journal entries to further solidify andreinforce their own understanding, and demonstrate that improved understanding for animproved quiz grade.UDLAP’s Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Food, Industrial, Mechanical,and Mechatronic engineering students have in EI-100 a great opportunity for a multidisciplinarycollaborative experience. EI-100 is a team-taught course that uses active, collaborative andcooperative learning, which has been a major player in UDLAP’s efforts of engineeringeducation reform since 200131. The major goal of the project “High-Quality Environments forTeaching and Learning Engineering Design: Using Tablet PCs and Guidelines from Research

Conference Session

Measurement Tools

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Cady, National Academy of Engineering; Norman Fortenberry, National Academy of Engineering; Malcolm Drewery, National Academy of Engineering; Stefani A. Bjorklund, Rankin & Associates Consulting

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Faculty Surveyof Student Engagement (FSSE). These engineering versions (E-NSSE and E-FSSE) assess theextent to which engineering students are being engaged by identified “best instructionalpractices” and are achieving certain learning outcomes desired of engineering graduates. Bothinstruments include sections on students’ college activities; reading, writing, and othereducational program characteristics; educational and personal growth; and opinions aboutschool. These surveys were first pilot-tested at six engineering programs across the UnitedStates. These institutions were selected to participate in the pilot administration of the surveybecause of their leadership and interest in the field of engineering education, their geographicdiversity

Conference Session

ERM Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dan Budny, University of Pittsburgh; Laura Lund, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

to write, submit and present aconference paper for the annual Freshman Sustainability Conference held at the end of the springsemester. The paper is graded by a member of the university’s writing center and counts for20% of their course grade. To incorporate the same writing component in the freshman honorsservice learning course, we have each team submit a paper to the same conference. The servicelearning papers include a summary of the community organization and the project, a review of anaspect of technology involved with the project, and reflection on their experience with thespecific project as well as the concept of service learning. The paper evolves in components andis also graded by the writing center. The first component is an

Conference Session

Student Attitudes and Perceptions

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Debbie Chachra, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Deborah Kilgore, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

” offemale engineering undergraduates are as good as, if not better than, those of their male peers.”14 Because the outcome of preparatory and programmatic interventions has been largely positivefor URM students while remaining, in the aggregate, neutral for women, we seek to extend thisinquiry into self-confidenc to a different group of students. While much prior research hasfocused on tying differences in confidence to different trajectories of academic study, such asselecting a major or switching out of STEM majors, we wanted to investigate the interactionamong self-confidence, gender, and majority or URM status for those who “stuck with it,”persisting as engineering majors throughout their academic career.Given the persistent gender gap between

Conference Session

Using Technology to Enhance Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Blowers, University of Arizona

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

focusimprovement of their aural comprehension skills.IntroductionThe history of education is filled with innovation in approaches for enhancing student mastery ofmaterial while also allowing more efficient delivery of instruction. New technologies in theclassroom are often attractive to faculty members because they can be used to foster learning inways that are not possible through a traditional lecture style format. As instructors, faculty havemoved from the not so distant past of writing on a black board, to writing in multiple colors on awhite board, to using overhead projectors with preprepared slides, to using overhead projectorswith PowerPoint[1], to using television sets in classrooms to watch videos in person or fromdistant classrooms[2, 3], to

Conference Session

Modeling Student Data

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Isaac Wait, Marshall University; Andrew Nichols, Marshall University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

towards degree programs, those completing IEP may be at an academic advantagewhen compared to students with a similar academic background but who do not attend anintensive language training program. By improving students’ ability to communicate in thelanguage of instruction, IEP-attending students can become better equipped to engage in thelearning activities that lead to academic success, such as critical listening, taking notes, readingtextbook materials, understanding class lectures, performing writing assignments, interactingwith English-speaking peers in group assignments, and seeking assistance from English-speakingfaculty outside of the classroom. Regardless of a student’s field of study, an improved ability tounderstand and communicate in

Conference Session

New Learning Paradigms II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Hahn, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Alan Hansen, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

professional and personaldevelopment. A number of prompts were used to guide students to reflect on various aspects oftheir experience, including communication and teamwork, critical cultural incidents, andprogress on their engineering projects.A third component of the learning outcomes assessment of this experience involved the South Page 14.840.5African students. At the end of the program they were asked to write a short paper reflecting onwhat they had learned. Prompts were developed in collaboration with the ILLINOIS and UKZNsupervising professors and the educational specialist. Table 1 summarizes the assessments.Assessment Methods and Purposes

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexandre Probst, Colorado School of Mines; Aarthi Krishnaswamy, Colorado School of Mines; Vinita Singh, Colorado School of Mines; Barbara Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; Cyndi Rader, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

various researchers comparing traditional and multimedia instruction and concluded that, in general, interactive lessons have a positive impact on both students‟ learning and attitudes. Using this prior research as a framework, this article describes an effort to develop culturally relevant software designed to support the scientific learning of students at a secondary school in St. Denis, Uganda, Africa. The secondary education system at St. Denis is based on a traditional, lecture format. Teachers within this system seek to transfer their knowledge to students by writing on the blackboard while their students take scrupulous notes. According to the research previously discussed, this passive method of instruction may place students at

Conference Session

Engineering Design: Implementation and Evaluation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gül Okudan, Pennsylvania State University; Alexander Yin, Pennsylvania State University; Saraj Gupta, Pennsylvania State University; Lisa Lattuca, Pennsylvania State University; Patrick Terenzini, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

and find an answer, or whatever.”From our conversations with professors and students, the first step in the process is for the teamto understand the client’s demands and write a problem statement. In this step, the facultyadvisor is encouraging the team to carefully analyze the client’s problem in order to understandthe objectives and constraints of the project. A student talking about the problem statementrevision process says: “They [faculty advisors] also emphasize at the very beginning the problem statement revision… It is like one person giving you the project. Are they sort of laying the ground work? Do they already have an idea of what solution they want? Whether or not this is the right idea, you don’t

Conference Session

Measurement Tools

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heidi Diefes-Dux, Purdue University; Matthew Verleger, Purdue University; Judith Zawojewski, Illinois Institute of Technology; Margret Hjalmarson, George Mason University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

the development, implementation, and assessment of model-eliciting activities with realistic engineering contexts.Matthew Verleger, Purdue University Matthew Verleger is a doctoral candidate in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. He received his B.S. in Computer Engineering and his M.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, both from Purdue University. His research interests are on how students develop mathematical modeling skills through the use of model-eliciting activities and peer review as a pedagogical tool.Judith Zawojewski, Illinois Institute of Technology Judith Zawojewski is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Science Education at Illinois

Conference Session

Educational Research

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University; Christine Kelly, Oregon State University; Philip Harding, Oregon State University; Edith Gummer, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

including the process of identifying the problem, designing the data collection method to address the problem, analyzing the results and making decisions. A low level response to this simply identified experimental design as an outcome. Situated Nature Place the laboratory experiment in the context of their future professional environments or scenarios. Communication/Documentation Develop written and oral communication skills and practice report (Comm/Doc). writing, including reporting results to clients

Conference Session

ERM Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nadia Kellam, University of Georgia; Joachim Walther, The University of Georgia; Ashley Babcock, University of Georgia

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

would ideally lead to good grades (positive feedback) which in turn leads to increased motivation and ultimately more learning.5. At a local scale, complex systems are in a constant state of flux Within complex systems, the local relationships among agents are constantly changing and agents themselves are changing their roles or moving into or out of the system in short periods of time. In other words, there is considerable, varied activity at a local scale. Within engineering education there is much happening at a local scale within a single day or even an hour. There are students in class listening to lectures, working on homework, conducting research on a topic for a project, working in the computer lab, writing papers

Conference Session

New Learning Paradigms I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Duffy, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Carol Barry, University Massachusetts Lowell; Linda Barrington, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Manuel Heredia, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, cooperative learning, andrecruitment of under-represented groups in engineering; it also leads to better retention ofstudents, and citizenship (3), as well as helping meet the well-known ABET criteria (a)-(k) (4).Astin et al. (5) found with longitudinal data of 22,000 students that S-L had significant positive Page 14.1055.2effects on 11 outcome measures: academic performance (GPA, writing skills, critical thinkingskills), values (commitment to activism and to promoting racial understanding), self-efficacy,leadership (leadership activities, self-rated leadership ability, interpersonal skills), choice of aservice career, and plans to participate in