Conference Session

FPD VIII: Crossing Bridges and Easing Transitions into the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Jones, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Carmen R. Zafft, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Evan T. Curtis, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Research and Practice, 21(3), 279–288.17. Wheatly, M., Klingbeil, N., Jang, B., Sehi, G., & Jones, R. (2007). Proceedings from ASEE Annual Conference ’07: Gateway into first-year STEM curricula: A community college/university collaboration promoting retention and articulation. Honolulu. HI.18. Cox, M.F., Berry, C.A., & Smith, K.A. (2009). Development of a leadership, policy, and change course for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduate students. Journal of STEM Education, 10(3-4), 9-16.19. Harris, K.S. & Rogers, G.E. (2008). Soft skills in the technology education classroom: What do students need? The Technology Teacher, 68(3), 19-24.20. Reave, L. (2004). Technical communication instruction in

Conference Session

FPD IX: Research on First-year Programs Part III

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Federica Robinson-Bryant, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

this study. The course is designed to introduce students to engineering and its manydisciplines. It leans heavily on communication, teamwork and technical skill through designtasks, computational analyses and research-based projects while also attesting to the importanceof crucial soft skills often unrecognized by young engineering students. Each section averaged27 students, with one student assistant assigned to each. All courses were taught by a singleinstructor using the group blog format within the Blackboard interface for the first half of thecourse only (approximately 8 weeks).3.2 ParticipantsStudents were generally first-year students enrolled in one of several engineering programsoffered at the University. Although specific majors vary

Conference Session

FPD 2: Building Community

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Betsy F. Willis, Southern Methodist University; David A. Willis, Southern Methodist University; Mark Fontenot, Southern Methodist University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

participation in a living-learningcommunity and persistence.2 Fundamentally, though, no negative effects to participation have Page 24.404.3been noted.Future employers of engineering and computer science undergraduates want more than just asolid technical education. A number of “soft skills” must be developed as well. Some of theseskills include work ethic, timeliness, attendance, and professionalism.6 The Center forProfessional Excellence indicates that 95% of human resources managers feel universities shouldinclude professionalism training as part of the curriculum.7 This professionalism training shouldinclude skills for interviewing, communication

Conference Session

FPD V: Increasing Engagement and Motivation of First-year Students

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carrie Robinson, Arizona State University; James Collofello, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Program.All UGTAs are also enrolled in a one-credit FSE 294 course called “Engineering UndergraduateLearning Assistant.” The class is facilitated online by the executive coordinator and is offeredfor credit without a grade. From a logistical standpoint, enrolling all UGTAs in one courseimproves communication between the UGTAs and the Engineering Office of Academic andStudent Affairs, provides a communication forum in which all UGTAs can contribute andinteract with each other, and increases accountability of the UGTAs through the semester.Course assignments help to develop the students’ soft skills, promote reflection on their growththrough the semester, and provide a setting in which they are asked to articulate the real-worldexperiences in which

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Virtual Instruction in the First Year III

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Rui Li, New York University; Jack Bringardner, New York University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, effectiveness, and innovation in the world economy [46]. Teamworking Students need to work as a team during Soft skills like teamwork are Capstone/final year design [47]. increasingly important in business operations [48]. Communication Students need good presentation skills for class Effective communication is the key to assignments [49]. deliver or share business ideas [50]. Leadership The learning process of becoming an

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Major Choice

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

J.w. Bruce, Tennessee Technological University; Mahnas Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

”, Proc. 2007 ASEE Midwest Sectional Conference, 2007.[5] R. Christensen, G. Knezek, and T. Tyler-Wood, “Student perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content and careers”, Computers in Human Behavior, Elsevier Press, 2014.[6] R.M. Felder, G.N. Felder, M. Mauney, C.E. Hamrin, and E.J. Dietz, “A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. III. Gender Differences in Student Performance and Attitudes, J. Engr. Educ., vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 151-163, 1995.[7] M. Itani and I. Srour, “Engineering Students' Perceptions of Soft Skills, Industry Expectations, and Career Aspirations,” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract., vol. 142, no. 1, 2016.[8] B.N. Geisinger

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Tuesday 5-Minute Work-in-Progress Postcard Session

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brandon B. Terranova, Drexel University; Christopher M. Weyant, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.); Steven Wrenn, Drexel Unviersity, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department; Youngmoo Kim, Drexel University, ExCITe Center; Lunal Khuon, Drexel University; Kristin Imhoff, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.); Kevin Ayers, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.); Antonios Kontsos, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.); Leonid Hrebien, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.); James E. Mitchell, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.)

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the projects,and self-evaluated their relevant knowledge and abilities before and after the projects. Earlyresults presented in this paper indicate an improved level of student satisfaction with the newcourse structure and the pilot mini-projects.IntroductionThe goal of introductory general engineering laboratory courses is to engage, challenge andexcite first-year students about engineering. This report discusses the restructuring of a three-quarter general engineering laboratory course sequence (ENGR 101/102/103) to ensure thesegoals are met, while improving soft skills and student understanding of engineeringconcepts. The effort, guided by faculty representatives from each department in the college,included the development of two

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

P.K. Raju, Auburn University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, decision making, communicatingwell, team working effectively, practicing ethical conduct, and developing a goodunderstanding of fundamental business concepts) to develop each of the topic into achapter in the book. Each chapter explains the topic in a prescriptive manner telling thestudents what they need to do as an engineer in dealing with that topic. Then it illustratesthese topics with examples from real-world case studies that are provided throughout thechapter. The students are also provided with a CD-ROM where they can view photos,videos, and explanations from the real-world case studies described in each chapter.Thus, each “soft skill” described in the chapter is also explained through a case study(real-world example). The topics covered

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Deciding on a Major

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J.w. Bruce, Tennessee Technological University; Mahnas Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, 2007.[Chr2014] R. Christensen, G. Knezek, and T. Tyler-Wood, “Student perceptions of Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content and careers”, Computers in HumanBehavior, Elsevier Press, 2014.[Fel1995] R.M. Felder, G.N. Felder, M. Mauney, C.E. Hamrin, and E.J. Dietz, “A LongitudinalStudy of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. III. Gender Differences in StudentPerformance and Attitudes, J. Engr. Educ., vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 151-163, 1995.[Hut2014] C.J. Hutto and Eric Gilbert, “VADER: A Parsimonious Rule-based Model forSentiment Analysis of Social Media Text”, Proc. Int’l Conference on Web and Social Media,2014.[Ita2016] M. Itani and I. Srour, “Engineering Students' Perceptions of Soft Skills, IndustryExpectations

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 1: It's All About Teams and Teamwork

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Leslie, New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering (formerly Polytechnic University); Gunter W. Georgi, New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering; Alyssa Marie D'Apice, New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

effectiveness. Over theyears, we have noted that teamwork is a particularly difficult aspect to improve, and we are notalone in this regard. For one thing, soft skills like teamwork may take several courses todevelop,7 and so our effort in this course may only be the beginning of a trajectory that results ina successful engineer. Incorporating teamwork in the first year of college also is challengingbecause it runs counter to students’ previous experience. According to one researcher, theindividualistic nature of high-school education, which rewards students for their performance inindividual assessments, like taking tests and presenting oral reports, does not fit in with theexpectation of working on a team.8 Teaching students to work on teams is

Conference Session

First Year Programs Division Poster Session: The Best Place to Really Talk about First-Year Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Denise H Bauer, University of Idaho, Moscow

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

semester, he or she may not have all of their concerns about succeeding inan online course addressed although each introductory course does include valuable informationon time-management, scheduling, college resources, and study skills. Usually, these topics aresecondary to engineering-specific content and many times are only included in the first fewweeks of the semester. Therefore, they get a quick overview of these important “soft-skills” atthe beginning of the semester before they may put them into full use and never revisit them laterin the semester.Due to the described situations, many of the Math 143 students tend to struggle in the onlineclasses and do not know who to ask for help until their first advising appointment, which comesafter

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 2A: Using Alternative Measurements to Look at Students and Their Success

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jack Bringardner, New York University; Christopher Leslie, New York University; Gunter W. Georgi, New York University; Alyssa Marie D'Apice, New York University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

improve team interactions. For instance, somecourses manage teams by providing pre-defined roles for members and pre-selecting the teammembers based on personality profiles.3 Others focus on how team experiences influence studentsatisfaction in the course. Some have discussed how to address slackers on a team in aneducational setting, such as removing students who do not contribute to the team effort.4 Recentinvestigations have looked at how teamwork improves retention throughout undergraduateeducation. However, now, a focus has shifted from educational exercises to improving soft skills,or skills needed for long-term professional development.Many studies on teamwork performance and attitudes have identified the need for professionalskills as a

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Postcard Session 1: Retention and Student Success Strategies

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Krystal S. Corbett, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

University have decided to rewrite and overhaul the course materials. Thecurrent iteration of the redesign is geared toward restructuring the content to more systematicallyfoster student ability to solve complex, multi-step problems involving circuits, conservation ofenergy, material balance, statics and engineering economics, while also utilizing a new cost-efficient robot that was designed in-house. More focus is also being placed on soft skills liketeamwork and communication. Some of the revision materials for the curriculum includes: notesthat have more structure and clarity, new engaging projects that drive the fundamental conceptspresented, more time built-in during class to work on projects, structure for group assessments,and a fresh set of

Conference Session

FPD VI: Presenting "All the Best" of the First-year Programs Division

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Scott Moor, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

materials and learning spaces that stimulate serious play. Page 25.845.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Introducing Memo Writing and a Design Process with a Four-Week Simulator ProjectIntroductionFirst-year engineering courses often include design projects to help spark students’ interest andto introduce them to the broad range of issues engineers face. These projects introduce studentsto the many “soft skills” required of an engineer including judgment, idea generation,communication, planning and organization.This range of skills is difficult

Conference Session

Research on the First Year I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chirag Variawa, University of Toronto; Susan McCahan, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

importance ofengineering competencies is subconsciously influenced by gendered assumptions. Engineeringcompetencies that are perceived as “feminine” are regarded as soft skills that are less valued. Asa mitigation strategy, they and others 35,36 suggest emphasizing the value and importance of awide variety of competencies in engineering, and being careful not to reinforce stereotypes. Tobe effective, they contend improvement strategies should be structural rather than individualistic.In general, the literature on gender issues in engineering education shows that the currentpopulation of women in STEM education is low relative to the general population and theinclusion of feminine identity plays a key role in the formation of an inclusive

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Design in the First Year

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Joseph Frank, Ohio State University; Kelly Lynn Kolotka, Ohio State University; Andrew H. Phillips, Ohio State University; Michael Schulz, The Ohio State University; Clare Rigney, Ohio State University, Engineering Education Department; Allen Benjamin Drown, Ohio State University; Robert G. Stricko III, Ohio State University; Kathleen A. Harper, Ohio State University; Richard J. Freuler, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-classroom approach, the program incorporates rapiddevelopment of programming and CAD skills, in addition to the soft skills developed fromworking in a challenging and long-term group project.Beyond this groundwork is the project itself, which is based on an interactive robotics course.The course is controlled using a modular network of partially custom hardware and monitoredusing an array of cameras which provide positioning information for robots. Students are loaneda custom controller designed by the program, and access to the program’s store of buildingmaterials from which they can use their team budget to buy components from. Interfacing withthe store using a catalog like website, students are able to order parts as well as submit designsfor

Conference Session

FPD IV: Improving Student Success: Mentoring, Intervening, and Supplementing

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Colleen A. McDonough, Michigan State University; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Renée S. DeGraaf, Lansing Community College; Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Sarah J. Stoner, Michigan State University; Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University; Claudia E. Vergara, Michigan State University; Thomas F. Wolff, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

development of critical thinking skills andprovides both the participants and the PAL Leaders with an opportunity to engage incollaborative learning. These benefits directly support the project’s stated goal of improvingretention of early engineering students, as well as criteria set forth by The Accreditation Boardfor Engineering and Technology (ABET), which is increasingly placing emphasis on “soft skills”development within engineering programs 16, 17, 18. While the primary goals of the grant areaimed at students enrolled in targeted courses, our research has shown that the program also Page 22.1148.4provides numerous benefits to the PAL leaders and

Conference Session

FPD VII: Innovative Curriculum Elements of Successful First-Year Courses

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris Plouff, Grand Valley State University; Deborah Morrow, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Lehmann[7] provide anexcellent overview of the goals of the ABET a-k criteria in relation to the real challenges facingstudents and academic institutions: academic institutions must matriculate not-yet-fully-matureadolescents, and in the course of a 4- or 5-year curriculum, foster growth in their knowledge,skills, and attitudes, ideally graduating students who are prepared to progress successfully intoprofessional work or graduate studies. These authors give particular attention to lifelong learningand “soft” skills which have not historically been the explicit goal of engineering education.Oxnam[8] provides a detailed look at the intersection of ABET engineering program evaluationcriteria and essential IL skills endorsed by the Association of

Conference Session

Assessment and Curriculum Development

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Godfrey, University of Auckland; Rosalind Archer, University of Auckland; Paul Denny, University of Auckland; Margaret Hyland, University of Auckland; Chris Smaill, University of Auckland; Karl Stol, University of Auckland

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

: Page 14.736.13"Really cool course, well organised. Especially enjoyed finding out about how biofuels worked, about energyand car engines, also the concept of desalination, and current events in ecology.""Liked the topicality of most parts of the course and the constant linking of it to current engineering problems."The 2006 restructuring had removed the First-year Professional Development course and thedevelopment of professional “soft” skills of writing, communication and team work weredistributed amongst the other first-year courses. Consequently, a web-based researchassignment was developed with the aid of a teaching grant. This assignment, based aroundthe theme of Biofuels incorporated library skills (tested via an online quiz), and