Conference Session

Introducing Programming in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Gordon, The Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Page 15.1321.2IntroductionThe need for a workforce with expertise in the Science, Technology, Engineering andMathematics (STEM) disciplines is widely recognized. 1 Multiple national advisory committeesand blue ribbon panels have cited the need for engineers and scientists familiar with modelingand simulation approaches to scientific exploration, design, and management as a necessary thirdleg of knowledge advancement, along with theory and experimentation. 2,3 A Council onCompetiveness survey of chief information and chief technology officers indicated that 97percent of major companies could not function without high performance computing andcomputational science. 4Modeling and simulation is ideally suited for the implementation of inquiry

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ismail Jouny, Lafayette College; Polly Piergiovanni, Lafayette College

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

longer tube shows conditions where assumptions are no longer valid. A similar lab has been discussed in [1]. ≠ Differential equations. A heat transfer lab using a cup heater with a conducting surface on top demonstrates another application of engineering modeling. The model solution includes the error function, which is introduced to the students in Excel and Matlab. ≠ Logarithms and exponential equations. A pressurized vessel provides another example of engineering modeling. The model solution is an exponential equation. The students find model parameters by linearizing the equation. They also plot the data on logarithmic paper, and skill we have found students lack. ≠ Integration. An

Conference Session

Service Learning and Societal Issues in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; Kenneth Reid, Ohio Northern University; Jed Marquart, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

even millions through the thoughtful development of just a single well-designed project. As engineering educators, one of our roles is to raise awareness of both issuesand opportunities. All too often, students arrive at college with visions of designing that which isat the forefront of technology: a faster car, a longer bridge, or a next generation iPod. But whatabout the over two billion people in the world’s population who live on less than $2 a day?Visionaries such as Dr. Paul Polak, author of Out of Poverty 1 and a Distinguished Lecturer at the2008 ASEE Annual Conference, do not see this group as “poor people” but as potentialentrepreneurs and customers. Through his work in various Third World countries, Polak hassuccessfully demonstrated

Conference Session

Administering First-Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gretchen Hein, Michigan Technological University; Amber Kemppainen, Michigan Technological University; Susan Amato-Henderson, Michigan Technological University; Jason Keith, Michigan Technological University; Melissa Roberts, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

education. At Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech),we had three different groups (faculty, graduate students and upper level undergraduate students)develop design activities. These activities were developed for the ENG1001/1100 coursesequence for first-year students who were enrolled in pre-calculus as their first math course atMichigan Tech as part of an NSF CCLI Phase 1 grant (DUE: 0836861). All groups developedengineering activities that included a: Design/Model/Build sequence, Matlab mathematicalmodel, spreadsheet analyses, and technical communication of their activities. For thecomponents listed previously, lectures and class activities, project description and deliverablesand example Matlab codes were developed for the

Conference Session

Service Learning and Societal Issues in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Sevier, Boise State University; Seung Youn Chyung, Boise State University; Cheryl Schrader, Boise State University; Janet Callahan, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

SL andNSL groups of students participated in collaborative project-based learning environments tocomplete given assignments, the types of collaborative learning differed in several ways: 1) TheSL students completed one comprehensive project for 7 ½ weeks, whereas the NSL studentscompleted a series of small scale problem-solving projects, 2) The SL students worked with thesame members of a team throughout the project, whereas the NSL students worked with differentteam members for each project (teams of four members worked on the SL project, and teams ofthree members completed the NSL projects), and 3) Each SL team worked with a client from thecommunity to solve a real problem (i.e., real-world learning experience), whereas NSL teamssolved a

Conference Session

Potpourri of First-Year Issues

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farid Farahmand, Sonoma State University; Saeid Moslehpour, University of Hartford

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

suggest that increasing interactions among students withphysical disabilities can considerably improve their peer interaction and social skills.In the rest of this paper we elaborate on our methodology and outcomes and look at howthe service-learning project improved communication and teamwork skills amongparticipating engineering students.2. BackgroundService-learning is defined as a credit-bearing educational experience in which studentsparticipate in an organized service activity in such a way that meets identified communityneeds 1. Studies suggest that service-learning can significantly impact various educationaloutcome measures, including academic performance (GPA, writing skills, criticalthinking skills), values (commitment to activism and

Conference Session

Service Learning and Societal Issues in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Savilonis, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; David Spanagel, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kristin Wobbe, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

threw down a serious challenge:“Engineering today involves more than the solution of technical problems, more than the designof advanced technological devices, more than the pursuit of pure research, and engineeringcourses must be reviewed and revised to ensure that engineers, once again, play a role in thewider issues concerning society.” 1 This challenge has been addressed by a series of curricularinnovations undertaken by leading institutions of engineering education around the world.Specifically, within the United States, a national trend toward more active, project-basedlearning in engineering education has been gaining momentum for more than 40 years.2 Awidely publicized illustration of the trend was the establishment in 1997 of the Olin

Conference Session

Mentoring First Year Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rose Marra, University of Missouri; Whitney Edmister, Virginia Tech; Bevlee Watford, Virginia Tech; Barbara Bogue, Pennsylvania State University; Chia-Lin Tsai, University of Missouri; Fleur Gooden, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering, and differences in post surveyresponses by gender, ethnicity and mentor program variations. Finally we reportthe actual retention / graduation data for this cohort of participants and discussthese figures relative to the overall college of engineering.IntroductionResearch has shown that the first year of an engineering program is critical tostudents’ success and specifically to their ability and decision to stay in anengineering degree program 1. Peer mentoring programs – where upper divisionstudents work with entering students – are a popular way to support the success offirst-year engineering students. Mentoring programs are based on theory thatproposes the benefits of reducing feelings of isolation and developing a strongsense of self

Conference Session

Mentoring First Year Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daina Briedis, Michigan State Univesity; Nathaniel Ehrlich, Michigan State University; Colleen McDonough, Michigan State University; Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Thomas Wolff, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

that it would be helpful 52% I was doubtful that it would be helpful 30% I did not think it would be helpful at all 5% The percentages for Q3 do not add to 100% because of rounding; 13.7%, 51.7%, 29.8% and 4.9% were the exact numbersThe first three questions provided background to the critical question of whether there was achange in student perception as a result of the CF program, and, if there was, what was thenature of the change?Question 4 stated, “Now that the semester is nearly over, how has your expectation changed?”The results are shown in Figure 1. Page 15.1221.6

Conference Session

Design in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sami Khorbotly, Ohio Northern University; Kenneth Reid, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, testing and verification of design by prototyping, and preparation and presentation ofdesign report.GE106: Class Format and ObjectivesThe objectives of the class are as follows: 1. Teach students to work in teams to accomplish a goal. 2. Teach students how to generate and follow a project schedule. 3. Prepare students to develop and submit technical proposals and formal technical reports typical of engineering practice. 4. Teach students the correct process to validate designs using physical testing and other methods. 5. Train students to organize and present oral technical presentations. Page 15.431.3These

Conference Session

Research on the First Year I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Senay Purzer, Purdue University; Jing Chen, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

number ofstudies investigate how to teach and learn decision-making skills in engineering. Weconducted an in-depth content analysis of 1) first-year engineering textbooks and 2)instructional decision-support tools published in ASEE proceedings in the last decade.We discussed our findings in the light of research and theoretical frameworks on decisionmaking. The examination of fourteen books that are commonly used as a textbook infirst-year engineering courses revealed that half of these books discussed decisionmaking usually very briefly or as one step in the design process. Twenty-nine percentlinked engineering decision making to social and ethical issues (e. g., examination ofengineering disasters and historical decisions that led to failures

Conference Session

Mentoring First Year Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rosemary Patterson, Virginia Tech; Erin Crede, Virginia Tech; Kaitlyn Hines, Virginia Tech; Tyler Aarons, Virginia Tech; Jean-Louis Bile, Virginia Tech; Jared Chelko, Virginia Tech; Whitney Edmister, Virginia Tech; Bevlee Watford, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

opportunity for mentors to learn from the peer leaders and veteranmentors can in turn lead new mentors. The purpose of this study is to assess the relative successof the transition from a single facilitator model to a peer leader model. The following questionsare addressed: 1. How does the peer leader model compare to the single facilitator model with regard to program structure? 2. How does the peer leader model compare to the single facilitator model with regard to feedback?Program StructureThere are 5 different segments of the peer mentoring program developed at a large publicuniversity in Eastern United States. These programs aim to provide the opportunity for all first-year College of Engineering students to be matched with a

Conference Session

Administering First-Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Philip Parker, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

opportunity to deliver a “sales pitch” with which they can attract students. The new course is supervised by the Chair of the General Engineering Department. Heensures that the grades for each module are turned in in a timely manner, and serves as the pointof contact for students who otherwise would have seven different faculty members to sortthrough when problems arise. For the Spring 2010 semester, all sections had less than 30students enrolled. This occurred because the Chair has been an advocate for sections containingno more than 30 students, and has strictly enforced this cap. In summary, both the old and the new course are 1-credit hour courses, with the sameprerequisite (College Algebra). For both courses, 14 sections are offered

Conference Session

FPD II: Increasing Engagement and Motivation of First-Year Students

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

George Roesch Johnson, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Engineering Professional Development

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

become clearer about their professionalgoals as well as improve their technical writing skills. Page 22.5.2IntroductionMaximizing student involvement and retention in science, technology, math and engineering(STEM) still remains a challenge. As noted by Astin and Astin (1) and again by Seymour andHewitt (2), approximately 50% abandon the physical and biological sciences, and approximately40% of those potential majors in engineering switch to non-science courses. This lack ofpersistence in pursuit of a STEM major has generated numerous studies and explanations. Anextensive study by Seymour and Hewitt (3) of STEM majors who persisted in the

Conference Session

FPD II: Increasing Engagement and Motivation of First-Year Students

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicky Wolmarans, University of Cape Town, Department of Civil Engineering and Centre for Research in Engineering Education (CREE); Corrinne Shaw, University of Cape Town, Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Centre for Research in Engineering Education (CREE)

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Page 22.1724.2Becoming an engineerThe background to being or becoming an engineer lies in studies of graduate attributes orcompetencies. This body of literature focuses on the need to develop core knowledge andskills for success as an engineer. In the mid to late 1990’s the focus was predominantlyconcerned with deficiencies in graduate engineers in terms of complementary skills such asteamwork, communications and business skills 1. More recently, there has been a shifttowards acknowledgement of the primacy of the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to realindustrial applications2 or as Ferguson warns, a danger of losing the basic analytical skills inthe push for employment ready graduates3.The response to these concerns includes the

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Beverly Louie, University of Colorado, Boulder; Daniel Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder; Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Yet, once in university-level engineering courses, many students are unable to improvepoor grades because they make the realization too late in the semester that they need help, haveineffective study habits, and/or do not know how to seek and find help.The performance profiles of the first- and second-year engineering students in our institution areshown in Figure 1. Despite higher grade point averages while in high school and an incomingpredicted GPA of 3.15 upon admission to our college, our students’ mean first-year GPA duringthe past three years was ~2.84.After their first semester, on average, more than 8% of our ~700first-year students have GPAs below 2.0, immediately placing them on academic probation. 3.100 3.000

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; Benjamin Mertz, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering later – but since they are not currentlyclassified as seniors they were not considered in the current study.The students' responses were grouped into 14 different categories and tallied. The categoriesused were “Math/Science,” “Better World,” “Problem Solving,” “Build Things,” “Practicality,”“Specific Field,” “Prepare for Other Career,” “Family,” “Broad,” “Groups,”Innovative/Creative,” “Previous Experience,” “Good Career,” and “How things Work.” The restof this section is dedicated to defining these groups, shown in Table 1. Table 1. Coding for Student Motivation EssaysCategory  Description  ExampleMath/Science  Indicate aptitude or enjoyment of a math

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ding Yuan, Colorado State University, Pueblo; Jude L. DePalma, Colorado State University, Pueblo; Nebojsa I. Jaksic, Colorado State University, Pueblo; Jane M. Fraser, Colorado State University, Pueblo

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

material integration within linked courses2, 5, 6 to fully integratedcurricula for the first year students7, 8 and living learning communities9. Most learningcommunities focus on the first-year cohorts where the attrition rates are the highest. A learningcommunity can be functionally defined as “a broad structural innovation that can address avariety of issues from student retention to curriculum coherence, from faculty vitality to buildinga greater sense of community within our colleges.”1 Learning communities are more sustainablethan many other educational reforms10.High attrition rates are even more pronounced among low-income, first-generation collegestudents (which closely resemble the student demographics at Colorado State University -Pueblo

Conference Session

FPD X: First-Year Design with Projects, Modeling, and Simulation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Clifford A. Whitfield, Ohio State University; Philip Schlosser, Ohio State University; John A Merrill, Ohio State University; Elizabeth Riter, Ohio State University; Kuldeep Agarwal, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

success among students with learning disabilities. Dr. Merrill currently serves as an advisor for Engineers for Community Service (ECOS), a student-run organization at Ohio State. He teaches a Service-Learning course for Engineering students, which also involves traveling to Honduras with his students over Spring Break to implement projects on behalf of a rural orphanage. He is a two-time recipient of the College of Engineering’s Boyer Award for Excellence in Teaching. Address: The Ohio State University, 2070 Neil Ave., 244E Hitchcock Hall, Columbus, OH 43210-1278; telephone: (+1) 614.292.0650; fax: (+1) 614.247.6255; e-mail: merrill.25@osu.edu.Ms. Elizabeth Riter, Ohio State University Elizabeth is currently a

Conference Session

FPD X: First-Year Design with Projects, Modeling, and Simulation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mario Gomes, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

University, severalopen-ended freshman engineering design projects were created in each engineering depart-ment.1 The complexity, costs, and design of these projects varies widely between universitiesand also varies over time at the same university as well. However, in general most of thesefreshman design courses have the same objectives: to apply basic engineering principles toa project, build on concepts learned in their physics and math courses, to think creatively,to develop teamwork skills, to understand the the basics of the engineering profession. Thedesign project described in this paper was created for undergraduate freshman mechanicalengineering students. The pre-requisites for the course included high-school physics, algebra,geometry, and

Conference Session

FPD 3: Research on First-year Programs and Students, Part I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Malinda S. Zarske, University of Colorado, Boulder; Derek T. Reamon, University of Colorado, Boulder; Daniel Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

clients during the PBSL-based section of the course. Theinstructor treated the projects between both sections equally, and, when queried, did not thinkthat client-based design would have a greater impact on student learning or attitudes.Student demographics for both sections (n = 66) are provided in Table 1. Ethnicity was recordedas either students who are underrepresented in engineering (URM) or majority students (MAJ).MAJ students included White and Asian students, while URM students included AfricanAmerican, Hispanic, Native American and Multicultural students.Table 1. Fall 2009 and 2010 First-Year Engineering Projects (FYEP) course demographics, with rawnumbers followed by percentage of the whole. Course

Conference Session

FPD X: First-Year Design with Projects, Modeling, and Simulation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ani Ural, Villanova University; Joseph Robert Yost, Villanova University; David W Dinehart, Villanova University; Shawn P. Gross, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

describesone of these interdisciplinary freshman projects. The project, known as Analytical andExperimental Evaluation of a SMARTBEAM, combines elements of civil, mechanical andelectrical engineering in the study of flexural behavior of expanded wide flange steel beamsknown as cellular beams. The project combines finite element analysis, flexural stress concepts,strain gauge instrumentation and experimental investigation into a unified experience. Detailsrelated to course development and structure, lecture content, method of delivery, outcomes, andlearning assessment are presented.1. IntroductionEngineering analysis, design and research investigation must rely on theory, computationalanalysis and experimental evaluation. In order to effectively

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bernard White, George Mason University; Eileen Patricia Mazzone, George Mason University; Vicki L. Dominick, George Mason University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

“understand how to acquire knowledge, how to develop personal strategies,how to discern their own capacities and limitations, and how to approach new bodies oflearning.” We set out to develop a curriculum that would provide opportunities for STEMstudents to develop these skills. Because we were departing from our typical on-campus programand were determined to create a quality online version, information on how to build an effectiveonline class was also researched. Johnson and Aragon7 state that "powerful online learningenvironments need to contain a combination of these principles: (1) address individualdifferences, (2) motivate the student, (3) avoid information overload, (4) create a real-lifecontext, (5) encourage social interaction, (6) provide

Conference Session

Introducing Programming in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Virgilio Gonzalez, University of Texas, El Paso; Eric Freudenthal, University of Texas, El Paso

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

applying it to practical uses. Thecritical changes will be the first few weeks, and in preparing the right reference sheets so thatstudents can gain momentum quickly. The later periods of the semester will cover the originalmaterial at a faster pace. The proposed new content is: A. Introduction, installation of python environment (Jython) and interface. (1 hours) B. Simple plots using arithmetic, iterations and “if-then” statements. (2 hours) C. Use of summation and linear operations applied to image transformations. (2 hours) D. Functions and example of class definition. (2 hours) E. Application to simulation of simple mechanical systems. (2 hours) F. Application to simulation of basic electric circuits. (3 hours) G

Conference Session

Research on The First Year II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Junqiu Wang, Purdue University; P.K. Imbrie, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

score.IntroductionThe Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)1 Engineering Criteria 2000requires engineering students should “be able to function effectively in a multidisciplinary team”.The question is: how can students’ team skills be taught and assessed2,3,4? In a previous study,we defined student’s team skills through a three-construct theoretical model: interdependency,goal setting and potency. This model entails possible application in both pedagogy andassessment. Peer evaluation has been used as an effective instrumentation tool to assess students’team skills and performance5,6,7,8,9. We developed a 9-item peer evaluation questionnaire tomeasure student’s individual perceptions on their teammates along our three-constructstheoretical

Conference Session

Innovations in First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Curran, University College Dublin; Colleen Doyle, University College Dublin; Enda Cummins, University College Dublin; Kevin McDonnell, University College Dublin; Nicholas Holden, University College Dublin

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-ordinator beforemeeting their teams to ensure a clear understanding of their responsibilities during the semesterincluding the assessment of student performance. The role of the mentors is not to providespecific technical guidance but to advise according to a timetable of activities (Table 1). Adiscussion is held with the module co-ordinator in the second week on developing informationresearch skills in order to find reliable and useful documents for the project. The next few weeksare spent on compiling the relevant information and developing a small number of alternativedesigns. Students must also consider the scale-up of the design for a specific situation, e.g. a graywater treatment system for a typical suburban house.Materials are located and

Conference Session

Design in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Pacella, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Taryn Bayles, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

thisend, students are asked to provide a self assessment, via a survey of their progress in keyABET areas which were part of the course. Survey results from the three years of thecourse that is being discussed in this paper are provided in Table 1 (on the next page).This data is used to assess if there was a difference in the student’s perception of thecomponents of this course. While the course’s previous curriculum addressedcompetency in the discipline, it lacked components that would allow students to criticallydesign and analyze an open ended problem, to cooperate with one another and, in theprocess, learn effective communication skills. However, by introducing a design projectthat places students into groups of 4-6 that are both diverse in

Conference Session

Research on The First Year II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Odesma Dalrymple, ASU Polytechnic; David Sears, Purdue University; Demetra Evangelou, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

recentphenomenon. The current DAA literature presents highly descriptive accounts of its use andaffordances in engineering curriculum; claims primarily supported by instructor observations andcourse evaluations. Most of the research methods that have been employed thus far are notcapable of providing the evidence needed to evaluate the unique allowances of DAA activitieswith respect to motivation or learning. An experimental approach is needed where studentsengaged in DAA activities can be compared to a control group engaged in other traditionalactivities. This experimental approach can provide answers to questions such as: 1. How do DAA activities affect motivation? 2. What types of knowledge can students gain from engaging in DAA activities? 3

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Lowery, West Virginia University; Steve Kane, West Virginia University; Vicki Kane, West Virginia University; Robin Hensel, West Virginia University; Gary Ganser, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

diligently in both subjects. Sincestudents historically perform well in freshman engineering, the expected result, if this experimentis successful, would be improved grades in calculus.In this experiment, three joint projects were defined to illustrate the following math concepts:(1) functions, composition of functions, discrete and continuous variables; (2) exponentialgrowth and decay; and (3) rate of change, specifically focusing on Newton’s Law of Cooling.Each project presents a fictitious real world problem that puts the students in the context of beingthe consulting group that needs to develop the solution to the problem. The problem must beunderstood analytically (the part done in math recitation and continued for homework) as well

Conference Session

Innovations in First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zane Mitchell, University of Southern Indiana; Marco Lara Gracia, University of Southern Indiana; Ronald Diersing, University of Southern Indiana; Glen Kissel, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs