Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Retention & Bridge Programs #2

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Maryam Darbeheshti, University of Colorado Denver; William Schupbach, University of Colorado Denver; Ariel Cervantes Lafuente; Tom Altman, University of Colorado Denver; Katherine Goodman, University of Colorado Denver; Michael S. Jacobson, University of Colorado Denver; Shani O'Brien, University of Colorado Denver

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

this study,which supports the results from our regression model. Interviews with three students from thesample reveal various positive impacts of ELC participation including: improved socialexperiences, access to resources and mentoring, and valuable support for the transition from highschool to college, all of which may have contributed to higher GPA for this group.IntroductionThis study examines the critical need for improving first-year student retention in Engineeringand STEM majors, which disproportionately fail to retain students of underrepresented groups[1, 2, 5, 6, 8]. The ELC is a first foray into providing additional support and resources for theseunderrepresented students in this university setting. ELC students are matriculated

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Core Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Ada E. Barach, Ohio State University; Connor Jenkins, Ohio State University; Serendipity S. Gunawardena, Ohio State University; Krista M. Kecskemety, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

thesefundamental concepts” [1]. The first and most famous concept inventory, called the ForceConcept Inventory (FCI), was developed as a diagnostic test for force concepts in physics and waspublished by Hestenes et. al in 1992 [2]. As the use of concept inventories grew in popularity dueto the success of FCI [3, 4], more assessments were developed in areas such as physics,chemistry, astronomy, geoscience, and others [5]. Concept inventories are often given before andafter instruction (referred to as the ’pre-test’ and ’post-test’ in the literature) [4]. Thisdemonstrates the use of concept inventories as effective assessment tools. Faculty can gain insightinto student understanding and develop teaching and assessment techniques [6].In 2011, Allison Tew and

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Focus on Students

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Philip Reid Brown, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Ilene J. Rosen, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the basic principles of computer programming,there is a dissonance between the free-sharing, open culture often found in some programmingcommunities, and the needs of instructors when it comes to determining that students understandthose basic principles. Additionally, we often encourage students to work in groups (and groupwork can be a boon to motivation, engagement, and learning) in engineering courses [e.g. 1],which can sometimes lead to confusion about the limits of plagiarism when submittingindividual work. Some computer programming courses may avoid plagiarism by focusing onclosed book testing for assessment. However, in addition to the universally acknowledgeddrawbacks to test-centric assessment[2],[3], the knowledge displayed in test

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Maker Spaces in the First Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Nicholas Hawkins, University of Louisville; James E. Lewis, University of Louisville; Brian Scott Robinson, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Methods, Tools, &Practice I (ENGR 110), is structurally analogous to the previous introductory course and isprimarily focused on introduction to and practice with fundamental engineering skills. The secondcomponent, Engineering Methods, Tools, and Practice II (ENGR 111), is primarily focused onapplication and integration of the skills developed in ENGR 110. There are a variety of skillstaught in ENGR 111, including 3D design, programming, teamwork, and critical thinking.Potentially one of the most unique features of ENGR 111 is that the course is conducted in amakerspace; more specifically, a 15,000 ft2 makerspace called the Engineering Garage (EG).Typically, makerspaces are used to offer training in new skills and/or knowledge [1

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Assessment in the First Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Jamie R. Gurganus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Shannon M. Clancy, University of Michigan; Richard Olaf Blorstad, DeMatha Catholic High School; Ryan Reinhardt; Charles D. Eggleton, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; L. D. Timmie Topoleski, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Architecture from the University of California.Prof. L. D. Timmie Topoleski, University of Maryland, Baltimore County c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Engineering State of Mind Instrument: A tool for self-assessmentIntroduction Undergraduate student recruitment and retention in engineering continue to be animportant topic in higher education, especially as it relates to diversity and inclusion. In 2016about 45% of freshmen indicated they planned to major in an S&E field (up from about 8% in2000); [1]. While the number of degrees awarded in the STEM fields has increased steadily inthe past 10 years, only 16% of bachelor’s degrees awarded were engineering degrees. Best practices (i.e

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Student Perceptions and Perspectives

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Matthew B. James, Virginia Tech; Homero Murzi, Virginia Tech; Jason Forsyth, James Madison University; Lilianny Virguez, University of Florida; Pamela L. Dickrell, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

holistic/global aspects, which provides further evidencethat arts-based methods are effective in capturing student perceptions of the engineeringdiscipline.IntroductionMany engineering programs offer first-year engineering programs with foundational courses fornewly matriculated students to ensure they are prepared for their future academic and personalcareers. These programs may exist across all engineering degrees or be targeted towards specificdisciplines. In addition to their broad population, these programs can focus on a wide variety oflearning outcomes including engineering and professional skills, orientation to a particularprogram, degree, or university, and to understanding the engineering profession itself [1], [2].Beyond possessing the

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Research and Spatial Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Cassondra Wallwey, Ohio State University; Tara Gupte Wilson, Ohio State University; Alexander James Egyed, Ohio State University; Olivia Vick, Ohio State University; Michael Parke, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

publishtheir work throughout their academic careers.By exposing students to research-related technical writing such as proposals and journal articles,students gain an expanded understanding and appreciation for the technical communication andare better prepared for their own engineering research experiences, should they choose to havethem.IntroductionFirst Year engineering courses have become very popular in the last few years with nearly sixtypercent of engineering programs having some sort of incoming first-year engineering course orclass sequence [1]. These FYE programs vary based on content and focus, but many of them,employ methods such as project-based learning, as well as design projects [2]. These methods ofteaching, as opposed to traditional

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Assessment in the First Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Abigail T. Stephan, Clemson University; Elizabeth Anne Stephan, Clemson University; Matthew K. Miller, Clemson University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

their preparation andperformance on a formal assessment, such as a quiz or exam [1]. The learning strategies courseaccompanying the GELC at Clemson University includes an innovative, extended use of examwrappers. Currently in its second iteration, the exam wrapper activity is well-integrated into thecourse and emphasizes the professional significance of self-evaluation and critical reflection inthe learning process. Slight modifications to the exam wrapper activity were made between itsfirst [2] and second implementations, and the similarities and differences in outcomes as a resultof these modifications will be the focus of the current paper.In the series of exam wrapper assignments, students are asked to complete (1) a reflectiondetailing

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Student Perceptions and Perspectives

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Joanne Kay Beckwith, University of Michigan; Laura Hirshfield, University of Michigan

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

University of Michigan. Her research interests lie in assessing and amending curricula to help students transition from undergraduate to professional practice. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020 First-year engineering experience from the rural student’s perspectiveIntroductionThis complete research paper will explore the experiences of first year engineering students fromrural communities. According to the United States Department of Education, 31.3% of publicelementary and secondary schools are in rural communities, serving 21.3% of students in theUnited States [1]. Of these students, only 27.1% will continue their education by enrolling in acollege or university by the time they turn 24

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Student Perceptions and Perspectives

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Michael Elmore P.E., Binghamton University; Peter J. Partell, Binghamton University; Meghan Crist, Binghamton University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

to university life and the increaseddifficulty of their coursework. Is their perceived academic performance accurate? Are theyutilizing university academic services in response to their perceived academic performance?Does their perceived academic performance correlate to the amount of time students reportstudying?One unexpected result of the study was it was found that students who took the survey hadstatistically higher science grades and overall grade point averages (GPAs) than students who didnot take the survey.Project ApproachSurveys are frequently given to college students, especially those in their first-year. Surveys aregiven in an effort to foretell retention [1], [2], ascertain student understanding of engineering [3]and better

Conference Session

ENT Division Technical Session: First-year Experiences

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Courtney A. Lemasney, Rowan University; Hayley M. Shuster, Rowan University; Kaitlin Mallouk, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation, First-Year Programs

KEEN “3Cs” - Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value.ReflectionIt is a practice of human nature to reflect on experiences of the past and present. However, in thecase of reflection, most people fail to recognize the use of these experiences to aid in the future.True reflection “on experience can be framed as an intentional and dialectical thinking processwhere an individual revisits features of an experience with which he/she is aware and uses one ormore lenses in order to assign meaning(s) to the experience that can guide future action (and thusfuture experience)” [1]. It takes various elements and perspectives to achieve reflective thinking.Schon simplified reflection down to two categories known as “reflection-on-action” and“reflection

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Peer Mentoring

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Leila Keyvani Someh, Northeastern University; Brian Patrick O'Connell, Northeastern University; Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Jake Levi, Northeastern University; Whitney Elise Hansberry; Vishrudan Swami

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

not required to attend all milestones. However, the students met their TA in almost everyclass throughout the semester. A summary of these differences is provided in Table 1.Table 1: Summary of difference between two peer-mentor employment techniques studiedby this work. Technique 1 Technique 2 Peer-Mentor Not assigned to teams Assigned to 2 teams Responsibility: Number of Peer-Mentors 2 per class section 4 (3 peer-mentors, 1 TA-mentor) Provides project In-class Outside of class feedback: By

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Metacognition, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation #2

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Melissa Lynn Morris, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Joseph Dygert, West Virginia University; Robin A.M. Hensel, West Virginia University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-fall bridge experience and two common courses, was founded in 2012 and has beenoperating with National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM funding since 2016. Students whoreceived S-STEM funded scholarships are required to participate in focus groups, one-on-oneinterviews, and complete Longitudinal Assessment of Engineering Self-Efficacy (LAESE),Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), and GRIT questionnaires eachsemester.The researchers applied qualitative coding methods to evaluate student responses from focusgroups and one-on-one interviews which were conducted from 2017 to 2019. Questions examinedin this paper include:1) How would you describe an engineer?2) Please describe what you think an engineer does on a daily basis.3

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Major Choice

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Brian J. Smith, University of Notre Dame; Elizabeth Kerr, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering education retention and recruitment in addition to topics in structural concrete and masonry. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020 PARAMETERIZING MAJOR DISCERNMENT FOR FIRST AND SECOND-YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENTSIntroductionTo address the desire for a more technically oriented workforce on a national level, severalengineering educational initiatives were launched with a goal to increase the number of studentsthat graduate with an engineering degree each year from the United States [1-2]. Subsequentengineering education research has led to a better understanding of the major discernmentprocess for engineering students. Numerous studies exist that have focused on

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Major Choice

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Michelle E. Jarvie-Eggart, Michigan Technological University; Amanda Marie Singer, Michigan Technological University; Jason Mathews, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Michigan Technological Univer- sity. She graduated in 2019 from Michigan Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineer- ing. Her current research focuses on perceptions of first year engineering students on the engineering disciplines as well as sustainable landfill design.Jason Mathews, Michigan Technological University c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020Family Influence on First-year Engineering Major ChoiceAbstractThis complete research paper discusses parent and family influences on the selection ofengineering as a college major. The choice of a career or profession is a developmental process[1] that is influenced by a diverse set of factors including familial influences [1

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Peer Mentoring

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Corey Kiassat, Quinnipiac University; Ruby ElKharboutly, Quinnipiac University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. These initiatives are pilot for a First-year Academy (FA) program that we plan to offer starting next year to increase the school retention rate. The three initiatives target social, metacognitive and academic skills. The first initiative is a mentoring program; the second a metacognition course; and the third an online mathematics help module. This paper discusses each initiative, the lessons learned, and the plan for moving forward.1. Introduction 1.1. Background At the School of Engineering at Quinnipiac University, a private university in northeastern United States, we have set a short-term target rate of 90% for first-year students in making a successful transition through their first year. We plan to conduct the First

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Assessment in the First Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Abigail T. Stephan, Clemson University; Elizabeth Anne Stephan, Clemson University; Laurel Whisler, Clemson University; Andrew I. Neptune, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the General Engineering Learning Community at Clemson University,with the ultimate goal of increasing the retention of engineering students entering the universitywith underprepared calculus skills [1], [2]. Two secondary goals of the program that feed into thefirst include providing academic support through on-campus resources and constructing acommunity of learners. The learning strategies course promotes program goals by equippingstudents with effective personal and professional skills related to self-regulatory behaviors,learning strategies, and habits of mind, while simultaneously building their awareness ofavailable academic resources.Peer sharing presentations, the instructional practice that is the focus on this paper, allowstudents

Conference Session

The Best of First-year Programs Division

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Campbell R. Bego, University of Louisville; Jason Immekus, University of Louisville; Jeffrey Lloyd Hieb, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students that have potential for graduation but are at risk of leaving engineering. Ourresults indicate that a strategic intervention in increasing interest in engineering may lead tostrong gains in engineering retention at this university, and potentially others as well.IntroductionIncreasing the number of engineers in the US is a national priority [1], [2]. In addition toattracting more K-12 students into engineering undergraduate programs, improving the retentionof these programs is also critical to produce more graduates. Keeping students in engineering hasproven to be a difficult task due to many deterring factors such as challenging curricula,competitive classroom environments, and feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome (e.g., [3]).Over

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Focus on Students

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Goli Nossoni, University of New Haven; Ronald S. Harichandran, University of New Haven

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Haven Ron Harichandran is Dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Relationship between Gen Z Engineering Students’ Personality Types and Topics of Technical InterestIntroduction In this paper we build upon a preliminary work in progress reported last year [1]. A popularpersonality assessment tools is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) test [2]. In thisindicator, people are classified according to 16 different personality types. Results of the MBTIself-assessment test indicates whether the person tends to be sensing (S) or intuitive (N),thinking (T) or feeling (F), judging (J) or perceiving (P), and extroverted (E) or

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Core Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Gustavo B. Menezes, California State University, Los Angeles; Paul S. Nerenberg, California State University, Los Angeles; Ni Li, Northwestern Polytechnical University; Emily L. Allen, California State University, Los Angeles

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

designed considering theEbbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve, to provide students with learning opportunities in 6-day cycles:(i) day 1: a pre-class learning activity (reading or video) and a quiz; (ii) day 2: in-class Kahootlow-stakes quiz with discussion, a short lecture with embedded time for problem-solving anddiscussion, and in-class activities (labs, group projects); (iii) day 4: homework due two days afterthe class; (iv) day 6: homework self-reflection (autopsy based on provided solutions) two daysafter homework is due. The assessment of course performance is based on the well-characterized force concept inventory (FCI) exam that is administered before the intro tomechanics course and both before and after the Physics I course; and on student

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Maker Spaces in the First Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Stephanie M Gillespie, University of New Haven; Goli Nossoni, University of New Haven

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Results of Integrating a Makerspace into a First-Year Engineering ClassIntroductionThis Complete Evidence-Based Practice paper explores the integration of makerspace lessonsand projects into a first-year Introduction to Engineering class. Beginning in 2013, the studybody representing traditional students starting their degrees immediately following high schoolbegan to switch from Millennials to Generation Z (Gen Z). As our student population changes,their interests and characteristics should influence our teaching pedagogy. Seemiller found thatstudents prefer to work independently, involving others only when necessary [1]. Cruz found thatover half of the

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Metacognition, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation #2

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Racheida S. Lewis, University of Georgia; Holly M. Matusovich, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering (GE) matriculation structures[1]–[3], this paper is an exploratory qualitative study of how students in a declared engineering(DE) matriculation structure describe their self-efficacy development. Some engineering programsdirectly admit students into a specific sub-discipline of engineering. Others admit students asgeneral engineering majors and offer generalized first-year programs that include all engineeringmajors together [4]. These students will be referred to as declared engineering (DE) students andgeneral engineering (GE) students respectively.While not a direct comparison to previous work with GE students, this exploratory study providedinitial insights regarding the extent to which the experiences of DE students correspond to

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Student Perceptions and Perspectives

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Devin R. Berg, University of Wisconsin-Stout; Tina Lee, University of Wisconsin-Stout; Elizabeth Anne Buchanan, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering, if such courses even exist. At the same time,universities are often interested in providing their students with diverse learning opportunitiessuch as service learning, both domestically and internationally. However, students often lack theproper experience or training to deal with complex ethical, cultural, or societal situations thatwill likely be encountered or the resources to properly participate while carrying out service-learning projects [1].Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of various pedagogical andcurricular approaches on the transfer of knowledge in ethics and social justice in STEMdisciplines, often with disappointing results [2]–[5]. However, it may be that we are notmeasuring concepts of ethics

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Peer Mentoring

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Noah Salzman, Boise State University; Ann E. Delaney, Boise State University; Catherine Rose Bates; Donna C. Llewellyn, Boise State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, students with highlevels of financial need (such as those who are eligible for Pell grants), and non-traditionalstudents [1]–[3]. Prior research (explored in more depth in the literature review section of thispaper) has also shown that peer networks can provide crucial support to the aforementionedstudents, and play an important role in the success of all incoming students.To address the previously mentioned challenges, Boise State University developed a summerbridge program, RAISE, that combines an on-campus component with a multi-day outdoorexperience (See [4] for more background on this program). The on-campus portion of theprogram focuses on relationship-building among STEM students, building skills and awarenessof campus resources for

Conference Session

ENT Division Technical Session: First-year Experiences

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Elizabeth Pluskwik, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Yuezhou Wang, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation, First-Year Programs

Engineering Education, 2020 Student responses to active learning strategies: A comparison between project-based and traditional engineering programsIntroductionOver the past three decades, engineering education has experienced calls for innovation in termsof effective teaching and learning. One of the reformations is to introduce active learning in theclassroom to promote students’ engagement. Different from traditional teacher-centered lectures,active learning [1] focuses on students’ participation, peer-to-peer interaction as well as learningreflection and metacognition [2]. Including a wide range of teaching strategies, such as groupbrainstorming, jigsaw discussion [3], think-pair-share [4], and problem-based

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Professional Development and Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, University of California, Davis

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

have a network of individuals that can assist them in their career development or in theirjob search. While job searching and a number of career development resources are offered throughcampus-wide internship/career center offices, many engineering students, for various reasons, donot utilize these resources. Hence, a number of engineering colleges provide this type ofinformation through stand-alone workshops [1], modules [2-3], and incorporation within existingcourses [4-6]. Some engineering departments also teach stand-alone courses targeted at studentscloser to graduation [7-8]. Other engineering colleges have developed multiple college-widecourses that encompass a complete professional development program including teamwork,decision-making

Conference Session

FPD11 -- Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kauser Jahan, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the curricula, and• Creating continuous opportunities for stronger communication skills.Entrepreneurship, Cooperative Learning and Teamwork are the hallmark of the RowanEngineering Clinics.Table 1 indicates an overview of the engineering clinic content in the 8-semester engineeringclinic sequence. As shown in the table, each clinic course has a specific theme although the maintheme of engineering design pervades throughout. Table 1: Overview of course content in the 8-semester Engineering Clinic sequence Year Engineering Clinic Theme (Fall) Engineering Clinic Theme (Spring) Freshman Engineering Measurements Competitive Assessment Laboratory

Conference Session

FPD10 -- Pre-Engineering and Bridge Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cecelia Wigal, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga; Molly Littleton, Signal Centers

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Junior – Interdisciplinary Design and Industrial Partners (3 hrs) Sophomore – Design and small mechanical/structural applications (1 hr) Freshman – Introduction to Design (3 hrs)Figure 1.0: The Design Curriculum at UTCThe goal of the design curriculum is to graduate students who understand and can apply thesteps of the design process to various interdisciplinary and discipline-based applications. Thefirst step toward meeting this goal is to introduce the steps of the design process in UTC’s 3credit hour freshman level course Introduction to Engineering Design (IED). The design processemphasized at UTC is shown in Figure 2.0.The freshman IED course

Conference Session

FPD5 -- Placement & Early Success

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Beverly Jaeger, Northeastern University; Susan Freeman, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering educators, typically they are to: 1. Facilitate student learning and concomitant motivation. 2. Strengthen genuine retention of students. 3. Prepare students for engineering application in the industry outside the classroom. 4. Identify the most effective selection of course components and best use of class time.While each of these objectives might be considered mutually exclusive on some levels, an idealcourse would be one developed to create maximum overlap across each of these goal categories.Ensuring that students like their work certainly helps to retain them, but do they feel they arelearning from the same experience?Review of LiteratureLearning Styles. It is well established that using a variety of teaching styles

Conference Session

FPD6 -- Early Intervention & Retention Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pat Pyke; John Gardner; Marcia Belcheir; Janet Callahan; Amy Moll; Cheryl Schrader

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

national measuresof higher education institutions are: 1) persistence (retention) of first-time, full-time freshmen,and 2) six-year graduation rate of students who started and finished at the same university. Asstudents are central to this discussion, here are descriptions of four typical engineering studentsat Boise State University, a public metropolitan university. (Names have been changed toprotect their identities.) • Stefano entered college as an engineering major full of hope and ability but lacking in adequate preparation. He attended full time for three semesters but then slowed down his academic progress as he had to work to support his family. He graduated from the university more than eight years later as a capable