Conference Session

Open-Ended Problems and Student Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nora Siewiorek, University of Pittsburgh; Larry J. Shuman, University of Pittsburgh; Mary E. Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Rosa Goldstein, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2011-1521: COMPARISON OF INSTRUCTOR PERCEPTIONS ANDSTUDENT REFLECTIONS ON MODEL ELICITING ACTIVITIESNora Siewiorek, University of Pittsburgh Nora Siewiorek is a graduate student in the Administrative and Policy Studies department in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh where she also received her MS in Information Science. Her research interests include: engineering education and educational assessment and evaluation. Her K-12 outreach activities are organizing a local science fair and a hands on workshop in nanotechnology. Her other research interests are: higher education administration, comparative and international education.Larry J. Shuman, University of Pittsburgh Larry J. Shuman is

Conference Session

Understanding Our Students

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joachim Walther, University of Georgia; Nicki Wendy Sochacka, University of Georgia; Nadia N. Kellam, University of Georgia

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2011-2056: EMOTIONAL INDICATORS AS A WAY TO INITIATE STU-DENT REFLECTION IN ENGINEERING PROGRAMSJoachim Walther, University of Georgia Joachim is an assistant professor of engineering education research at the University of Georgia (UGA). He is one of the leaders of the Collaborative Lounge for Understanding Society and Technology through Educational Research (CLUSTER), an interdisciplinary research group with members from engineering, art, and educational psychology. His research interests span the formation of students’ professional identity, the role of reflection in engi- neering learning, and interpretive research methods in engineering education. He was the first international recipient of the ASEE

Conference Session

They're Not "Soft" Skills!

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brook Sattler, University of Washington; Ashley Ann Thompson, University of Washington; Jennifer A. Turns, University of Washington; Deborah Kilgore, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

AC 2011-1852: THE DIALECTICS OF GOAL SETTING AND MONITOR-ING: TWO STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH PORTFOLIO CONSTRUC-TIONBrook Sattler, University of Washington Brook Sattler is a PhD student in Human Centered Design & Engineering. Her research interests include the design and use of critical reflection methods to support inclusive teaching practices, and intellectual development.Ashley Ann Thompson, University of Washington Ashley (Babcock) Thompson is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at the Univer- sity of Washington. She is a first year PhD student in the department of Human Centered Design and Engineering. Her research interests include the effects of interdisciplinary teams on engineering

Conference Session

Open-Ended Problems and Student Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

humanperceptions, understandings, and realities are based on the lived experiences of individuals(Cardellini, 2006; Crotty, 1998; Gordon, 2009; Kincheloe, 2005). Individuals create, interpret,and recognize knowledge in diverse and contextual ways (Windschitl, 2002). An individual isseen as an active knower and as a consequence personal reflections on experiences are integral tothe data collection process (Crotty, 1998; Fosnot, 2005; Schwandt, 2001). In the context of thethink aloud method discussed in this paper, students generated knowledge about their problem Page 22.1084.4solving strategies and approaches by reflecting actively and in real-time on

Conference Session

Assessment Instruments

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Syed Helmi Syed Hassan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Khairiyah Mohd-Yusof, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Mohd Salleh Abu, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Shahrin Mohammad, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

problem solving assets which are knowledge, perception and cognitiveprocessing. The instrument consists of 24-self-report items which require students to indicate thedegree of their problem solving skills across the following domains: problem identification,problem analysis and synthesis, and solution generation. The instrument also measured students’ability in conducting self-directed learning and reflection, which are very important elements indeveloping and enhancing problem solving skills. The instrument shows the degree of students’problem solving process skills, whether they usually take the surface or deep approach. Asample study is performed on a group of students in a third year engineering class which useCPBL as the teaching methodology

Conference Session

Modeling and Problem-Solving

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adam R. Carberry, Arizona State University; Ann F. McKenna, Arizona State University; Robert A. Linsenmeier, Northwestern University; Jennifer Cole, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

relevance of the model to the real world - interpreting and verifying data produced by the modelThe intervention was implemented as the course material in conjunction with the students’ seniorcapstone design work. The general pedagogical approach taken with the activities was to allowthe students to attempt the activities followed by a discussion/lecture about the ideal processes. Page 22.688.3An added reflection component was implemented midway through the course based on instructorfeedback that suggested students were unclear about the purpose of the activities. The activitysimply asked the students to write a short reflection on why the

Conference Session

Research on Engineering Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carla B. Zoltowski, Purdue University, West Lafayette; William C. Oakes, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Monica E Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

detailed version of the paper13.FindingsAnalysis of the data yielded seven qualitatively different ways in which the students experiencedhuman-centered design within the context of “designing for others”. These different ways ofunderstanding are referred to as categories of description. Each category reflects a qualitatively Page 22.1156.5different way of understanding or experiencing human-centered design. Inclusion in the specificcategory was based on the student designers’ understanding of human-centered design as awhole as reflected in the experiences they shared in their interviews. The students themselvesare not assigned to that category, but

Conference Session

Educational Research and Methods Potpourri I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa M. Abrams, Ohio State University; Robert J. Gustafson, Ohio State University; Sharnnia Artis, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

/she indicated his/her “teaching methods, which do receive very goodratings by the students, were being challenged for no apparent reason”. This response provides Page 22.693.9good information on areas of improvement for future studies.What Students Learned from Doing the Faculty InterviewsAs part of their reporting, students were asked to reflect on what they learned from the interviewexercise. They uniformly reported they enjoyed the exercise and had a good discussion with thefaculty member. In many cases the discussion went well beyond the particular focus of thepublication and, per the classroom discussion, the original time requested

Conference Session

Assessing Student Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Bucks, Ohio Northern University; William C. Oakes, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Page 22.1157.6For this study, a semi-structured interview protocol was employed in order to obtain a measureof consistency among the interviews, with each interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. Theprotocol was designed to allow the participants to talk about their previous experiences withprogramming in a general sense in order to prime them for the reflection needed to answer thein-depth questions about their understanding23. This is a key component in conducting aphenomenographic research study, as it is only through this process of reflection that theparticipant is able to fully articulate their experience or understanding, especially if thephenomenon under investigation is a specific event or experience. However, reflection is a

Conference Session

Special Session: Moving Towards the Intended, Explicit, and Authentic: Addressing Critical Misalignments in Engineering Learning within Secondary and University Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Anderson, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Sandra Shaw Courter, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Mitchell J. Nathan, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Amy C. Prevost, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Christine G. Nicometo, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Traci M. Nathans-Kelly, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Thomas Dean McGlamery, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Amy K. Atwood, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods, K-12 & Pre-College Engineering, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

and Self-Objectives; examinations) Assessment andPresentations) Self-Reflection Items)In the set up to the Are students Are the students Is the teacherlesson or within the directed to actively assessed in a way presented withmaterials presented connect math and that allows them to materials in trainingduring the lesson, science concepts to demonstrate that wouldare math and science engineering connections of math explicitly connectconcepts explicitly concepts in their and science

Conference Session

Learning From Experts

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alejandra J. Magana, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Ruth A. Streveler, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Natalie Barrett, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

thesystem are represented as dotted lines because this kind of work requires researchers tobridge domains. Identifying these concepts (the top of the pyramid) will inform Page 22.1038.13curriculum development.The bottom of the pyramid describes learning strategies and kinds of thinking necessary,e.g. computational thinking and the ability to handle complex systems. The bottom partof the pyramid may inform pedagogical approaches.Implications of the use of PCK as a theoretical framework to conduct research inengineering education relate to a) the need for better integration between content andpedagogy that is informed by and reflects what practitioners do, b

Conference Session

Research on Engineering Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leslie Reed, Purdue University; Michael J. Dyrenfurth, Purdue University, College of Technology, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

very least different levels of each, are required to solveproblems across the technological spectrum, yet little is known about the level of capabilityamong students in the domain, how those capabilities influence creative work in the domain, orhow the judgment of creativity in the domain reflects capabilities and/or influences theirexpression. The content of creative capability enhancement efforts in technological designprojects is difficult to determine when there is little understanding of what those capabilitiesactually are or how well they assessment measures adequately capture them. There is increasingevidence that capabilities that are most useful in solving straightforward, algorithmic problemsmay not play the same role in solving more

Conference Session

Open-Ended Problems and Student Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karen M. Bursic, University of Pittsburgh; Larry J. Shuman, University of Pittsburgh; Mary Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

done using student reflections recorded after completing MEAs. Students insections of the courses that used MEAs rated their knowledge and understanding of theseprofessional skills significantly higher than students in sections that did not use the MEAs. As aresult we suggest that engineering faculty seriously consider using MEAs as a tool to improveboth student learning and the attainment of a number of ABET outcomes in addition to providinga process for assessing that attainment. By combining pre- and post-concept inventories with theMEA implementation, faculty can better document learning gains, and thus have acomprehensive tool for ABET assessment. This should prove especially helpful in those areaswhere previous assessments may have shown

Conference Session

Research on Engineering Design Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shanna R. Daly, University of Michigan; James Loren Christian, University of Michigan; Seda Yilmaz, Iowa State University; Colleen M. Seifert, University of Michigan; Richard Gonzalez, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

alternative energy for everyday jobs, such as cooking. Simple reflection and absorption of sunlight can generate adequate heat for this purpose. Your challenge is to develop products that utilize sunlight for heating and cooking food. The products should be portable and made of inexpensive materials. It should be able to be used by individual families, and should be practical for adults to set Page 22.1382.9 up in a sunny spot. Note: Specific materials for a targeted temperature can be postponed to a later stage. Do not worry about the specific quantity of heat that can be generated. Please focus on

Conference Session

Learning Outside the Classroom

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian A. Burt, University of Michigan; Donald D. Carpenter, Lawrence Technological University; Cynthia J. Finelli, University of Michigan; Trevor Scott Harding, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Janel A. Sutkus, Carnegie Mellon University; Matthew Holsapple, University of Michigan; Robert M. Bielby, University of Michigan; Eunjong Ra, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

lessons in ethics were lacking in the classroom.Involvement Influenced Students’ Abilities to Articulate Ethical Development The students who attended the engaged institutions often articulated their ethicaldevelopment by demonstrating how they process various scenarios. As students reflected onethical decision-making, common elements emerged: acknowledging an ethical dilemma,processing how to respond, and finally, identifying where they are in the decision makingprocess. One senior at Charlie University offered a reflection on the ethical decision-makingprocess: I feel like I‟m often surprised at our school. Like I think they teach us to be very ethical engineers but I‟m often surprised by how unethical some people‟s behavior

Conference Session

Educational Research and Methods Potpourri I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sohum Sohoni, Oklahoma State University; Donald P. French, Oklahoma State University; YoonJung Cho, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

become „Junior Colleagues‟ who considerthemselves as fellow faculty and become concerned with the impact they may have on studentlearning and engagement. Most studies on teacher concerns have employed survey methods andmost surveys were developed based on Fuller‟s[23] model. Researchers often revised andextended survey items to reflect unique needs and characteristics of diverse teacher populationsand teaching contexts. Mok[26] proposed that teacher concerns are context-specific and thereforedifferent teacher populations in varying educational contexts may express different teachingconcerns, which should be considered to address teaching concerns appropriately within GTAdevelopment programs.An important first step in addressing this issue for

Conference Session

They're Not "Soft" Skills!

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan M. Lord, University of San Diego; Candice Stefanou, Bucknell University; Michael J. Prince, Bucknell University; John Chen, California Polytechnic State University; Jonathan D. Stolk, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

of mechanical engineering at Cal Poly, which he joined in 2008. Prior to that he was on the faculty at Rowan University.Jonathan D. Stolk, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering Page 22.1334.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Student Lifelong Learning Outcomes For Different Learning EnvironmentsAbstractCalls for educational reform emphasize the need for students to develop a capacity for lifelonglearning. Lifelong learners may be characterized as curious, motivated, reflective, analytical,persistent, flexible, and

Conference Session

Persistence and Retention II: Curricular Issues

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas F. Wolff, Michigan State University; Steven M. Cramer, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Barbara A. Masi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

all majors defined as ‘non-S.M.E.’ (including those who enter as‘undecided’) is modest (6.2%)” and “ Engineering gains 13.1 percent of switchers from thecomputer and technical fields.” As the book title reflects the emphasis on the broad group of allSTEM majors, it also does not provide a detailed accounting of multiple entry paths toengineering. However, when the focus switches to the dynamics of entry and exit to and from anengineering program, the numbers of those who switch to engineering from the sciences orelsewhere requires consideration, as will be discussed later.An exception to the practice of assuming that migration into an engineering major is negligible isnoted by Donaldson and Sheppard6, who found a 25% rate of inward migration

Conference Session

Special Session: Discovering implications of the Academic Pathways Study for YOUR Campus

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cynthia J. Atman, University of Washington; Sheri Sheppard, P.E., Stanford University; Samantha Brunhaver, Stanford University; Debbie Chachra, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Helen L. Chen, Stanford University; Shannon Katherine Gilmartin, Stanford University; Deborah Kilgore, University of Washington; Micah Lande, Stanford University; Gary Lichtenstein, Quality Evaluation Designs; Dennis Lund, University of Washington; Karl A. Smith, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Jennifer A. Turns, University of Washington; Ken Yasuhara, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and he holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of MinnesotaJennifer A Turns, University of Washington Jennifer Turns is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington. She is interested in all aspects of engineering education, including how to support engineering students in reflecting on experience, how to help engineering educators make effective teaching decisions, and the application of ideas from complexity science to the challenges of engineering education.Ken Yasuhara, University of Washington Ken Yasuhara is a research scientist at the University of Washington’s

Conference Session

Engineering Education Research in K-12

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brenda M. Capobianco, Purdue University; Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Irene B. Mena, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods, K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, lesson plans, and reflections.6 During this phase, we focused onidentifying indicators of concepts and categories that fit the data. Repeatedly appearing Page 22.551.3categories, concepts, and events helped us construct themes based on the events leading up to theteachers‟ attempts in implementing engineering design-based learning tasks. The viability of theconstruction of themes was then tested against other relevant data sets (e.g. field notes fromclassroom observations and other supporting documents). To ensure trustworthiness of the data,we informally conducted member checks with each teacher by sharing analytic notes frominterviews

Conference Session

K-12 Students and Teachers

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elsa Head, Tufts University; Morgan M. Hynes, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

aboutengineering design, and engineering design pedagogical content knowledge, or a amalgamateknowledge of engineering design, students and how the two interact, was measured using ahands-on think-aloud interview tasks that asked teachers to reflect on a hypothetical studentdesign and observations of a STOMP classroom. To examine self-efficacy, an online engineeringdesign self-efficacy survey was administered to teachers enrolled in STOMP and to teachers notenrolled in STOMP as a comparison group for analysis.With the support of STOMP, it is possible that teachers develop knowledge of engineeringdesign and feel more comfortable using engineering design in the classroom. Preliminaryevaluation of this program shows that teachers feel STOMP helps them learn

Conference Session

Engineering Education Research in K-12

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karen A. High, Oklahoma State University; Melanie C. Page, Oklahoma State University; Julie Thomas, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods, K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

implement reflects themany ways engineer take designs from ideas to reality. Many engineers do build designs using abroad array of techniques. Perhaps one of the biggest differences between engineeringdisciplines is the specialized methods and technologies they use to implement designs. Howeversome engineers implement ideas through manipulation of information, such as designingcomputer software or producing plans. Here the real value is the information in the blueprint orcode, not the medium (paper or magnetic disk) that contains the information. Another option forimplementing a design is to contract another company to build it. In this case the engineer workswith the company to ensure the work is done properly.The fourth step of the engineering

Conference Session

Learning Outside the Classroom

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adam R. Carberry, Arizona State University; Christopher W. Swan, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Communicate effectively with others. 0.799 3. Operate in the unknown (i.e. open-ended design problems). 0.793 4. Function within a team 0.781 5. Engage in critical, reliable, and valid self-assessment (i.e. reflection). 0.727 6. Persevere to complete an engineering design task. 0.767 7. Maintain a strong work ethic throughout an engineering design project. 0.743 8. Design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs

Conference Session

Digital Technologies and Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Debra Gilbuena, Oregon State University; Ben Uriel Sherrett, Oregon State University; Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

authors are grateful for support provided by the National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program, under Phase 2 grant DUE-0717905. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Page 22.635.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Episodes as a Discourse Analysis Framework to Examine Feedback in an Industrially Situated Virtual Laboratory ProjectIntroductionFeedback has been shown to be one

Conference Session

Open-Ended Problems and Student Learning

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark T. Carnes, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Monica E. Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

period. The MEA was launched in the laboratory setting which was facilitated by twoGTAs supported by four undergraduate assistants. Student teams of 3-4 students developedDRAFT 1 of their memo with procedure and results. This draft entered a double-blind peerreview process. In preparation for the peer review, students participated in a calibration exercisein which they practiced giving feedback on one prototypical piece of student work using theMEA Rubric, were provided an expert‟s review of that student work, and reflected on what theyneeded to do differently to improve their ability to give a peer review. For the actual peerreview, each student reviewed one other team‟s solution to the MEA. Each team was assigned atleast 3 peer reviewers. Each

Conference Session

Understanding Students and Faculty

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Linda Vanasupa, California Polytechnic State University; Qiong Zhang, University of South Florida; James R. Mihelcic, University of South Florida; Julie Zimmerman, Yale University; Nina J. Truch, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

web-based open-access format toencourage change. The significance of this tool and its open format is that it provides theengineering education community with a way to participate in the broader development andrefinement of a tool that shows merit in assessing proxy indicators of students' readiness tocollaborate for sustainability. It has the potential to raise awareness of this limited proxyindicator of students’ readiness of collaborating for sustainable design. Our intent in making ittransparent is to foster a deeper reflection in the engineering education community aboutsustainable design and the hidden meaning within engineering curricula and cultures.Introduction: Why is this instrument needed?In 2007, the National Academy of

Conference Session

Assessment Instruments

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Gerlick, Pittsburg State University; Denny C. Davis, Washington State University; Michael S. Trevisan, Washington State University; Shane A. Brown, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

productivity.Professional Development: 5. Growth Planning (F) Individuals document professionalIndividual demonstration of 6. Growth Progress (F) development in technical,improved knowledge, skills, 7. Professional Practices (F) interpersonal, and individualand behaviors essential to 8. Growth Achieved (S) attributes important to their personalengineering practice and project needs, professional behaviors, and ways of a reflective practitioner.Design Processes

Conference Session

Educational Research and Methods Potpourri II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen R. Hoffmann, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Alice L. Pawley, Purdue University; Ranjani L. Rao, Purdue University; Monica E. Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

under theumbrella of sustainable engineering. Page 22.418.2In this paper, we present two sets of data: (1) a comparative analysis of fifteen published sets ofsustainability principles (some of which are drawn from the context of engineering, some fromother contexts, but none in the context of engineering education), and (2) a summary of arepresentative set of engineering courses at US Universities that include sustainability terms intheir titles or course descriptions. While other methods of data collection may reflect a morenuanced understanding of the idea of sustainable engineering (and, in fact, seeking this nuance ispart of the motivation

Conference Session

Learning Outside the Classroom

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Justin P. Micomonaco, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

clarity of survey items. Then the students were asked to reflect on theirunderstanding of certain items to ensure clear wording where concerns were previously raised.The feedback from the pilot resulted in the rewording of some questions to clarify some of theagree/disagree statements. From the data collected during the first survey administration, I used a combination ofscale reliability tests and factor analysis to develop sub-scales in each of the theoretical areas.After exploring inter-item reliability and correlations, I decided to employ a principle-componentanalysis (PCA) for each of the four theoretical components listed above. I chose PCA because itis useful when trying to reduce the number of data items and when trying to see how

Conference Session

Persistence and Retention I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cheryl A.P. Cass, Clemson University; Zahra Hazari, Clemson University, Department of Engineering & Science Education and Department of Mathematical Sciences; Philip Michael Sadler, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Gerhard Sonnert, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

, where students iteratively solved problems andreceived feedback from expert engineers.24 STEM identity development prior to college (i.e.prior to encountering engineering-specific curricula) and in the absence of engineering activityinterventions (e.g. Digital Zoo) was further described by Aschbacher and colleague as beingheavily influenced by student relationships and interactions with family and teachers.25The micro-macro dimension, described by Lichtwarck-Aschoff and colleagues, distinguishesbetween time scales within which identity formation can occur. While micro-level events arealmost always real-time and non-reflective, “the macro level of identity typically requires theperson to explicitly reflect on what the person considers stable and