Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Schimmels, Marquette University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

course sequence was that it act as anabstract (or “roadmap”) of the engineering curriculum as well as an abstract for a generalengineering career. Other design objectives, related to the program-level objectives providedabove, are that the courses: 1) engage students in activities similar to those performed bypracticing engineers to allow them to make informed decisions regarding persistence inengineering, 2) motivate the need for the analysis skills that are the focus of subsequentcoursework; 3) motivate, define, and exercise the skills and characteristics of an experiencedengineer related to design, communication, and teamwork, 4) demonstrate the importance ofthese not-exclusively-analysis skills and characteristics to students, and 5) instill

Conference Session

Introducing Programming in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Bucks, Purdue University; William Oakes, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

an important concept for engineers and engineering students. Challengesexist for educators trying to introduce students to design early in their academic careers. Onechallenge is that students do not have much knowledge upon which to build a design from. Theyhave not had their engineering coursework yet and do not have the tools to do sophisticateddesigns. A fall back is to have students do simple designs that do not require much, if any,iteration and hardly any analysis. Students can have fun working on these design projects, butthey, in general, are not real designs and the students know they are not real. Trying to introducea human-centered design approach is doubly challenging for early students because they arelimited to what they can

Conference Session

First-Year Programs (FPD) Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pamela Renee Lockwood, West Texas A&M University; Emily M. Hunt, West Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

University, a regional institution of 8000 students in the TexasPanhandle, began offering curricular learning communities for first year engineering majors.This type of learning community model enrolls a cohort of students into two or more courseslinked by a common theme. The goal of this program was to create a community among the firstyear engineering students, and instigate study groups early in their academic career which wouldoffer support through the gateway mathematics, science and engineering courses. Engineeringlearning communities initially were created linking Precalculus and Fundamentals ofEngineering or Calculus I and Fundamentals of Engineering for first semester freshmanengineering majors. By student request the experiences were

Conference Session

FPD V: Gender and Engineering Education: A Panel Discussion and Workshop

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yevgeniya V. Zastavker, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Debbie Chachra, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Caitrin Lynch, Olin College of Engineering; Alisha L. Sarang-Sieminski, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Lynn Andrea Stein, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs, Women in Engineering

faculty in 2003. Her current research interests are twofold: as well as her research in biological materials (cur- rently focused on bioderived plastics synthesized by bees), she also researches the engineering student experience, including persistence and migration, differences by gender, and the role of self-efficacy in project-based learning. In 2010, she received an NSF CAREER Award in support of her research on engineering education.Caitrin Lynch, Olin College of Engineering Caitrin Lynch is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. Her research concerns gender, work, aging, and globalization, with a focus the United States and Sri Lanka. She is the author of the book

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

designed to recruit students to careers in teaching.4UGTAs at other institutions, like Carnegie Mellon University, are utilized in departments andclasses across campus. In programs like engineering, UGTAs are often used as graders and labassistants and are paid an hourly rate5. While these institutions usually outline the differentroles, policies, and expectations of the UGTAs in relation to graduate teaching assistants,oversight is left to specific departments and students do not receive any common training orpreparation. In some programs, like the department of sociology at Penn State University,undergraduate students must be invited by an instructor to serve as an undergraduate teachingassistant6. As described in further detail throughout this

Conference Session

FPD I: Research on First-year Programs Part I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; Victoria E. Goodrich, University of Notre Dame; Natalie Gedde, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

schools have reported anecdotal evidence for addedbenefits to the student assistants as well, including2,5,11,12: (1) By having an opportunity to teach others the material, undergraduate assistants also benefit. In learning to explain topics, the assistants often reveal their own misunderstandings and are able to expand on their own knowledge. (2) Undergraduate assistants are often faced with describing many sections of the course material, and therefore, their communication skills develop much more quickly due to constant practice with students. They also develop excellent teaching skills that can serve them well depending on their future career paths. (3) When acting as an authority figure for the course, the

Conference Session

FPD XI: Assessing First-Year Programs, Experiences, and Communities

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech; Kelly J. Cross, Virginia Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

AC 2011-1903: ASSESSING FIRST-YEAR PROGRAMS: OUTCOMES, METH-ODS, AND FINDINGSMarie C Paretti, Virginia Tech Marie C. Paretti is an associate professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where she co-directs the Virginia Tech Engineering Communications Center. Her research focuses on communication in en- gineering design, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, and design education. She was awarded a CAREER grant from NSF to study expert teaching practices in capstone design courses na- tionwide, and is co-PI on several NSF grants to explore gender in engineering, design education, and interdisciplinary collaboration in engineering design.Kelly J Cross, Virginia Tech University

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

ourcells, thus increasing the total energy we could capture without paying for additionalphotoelectric cells. Many other groups used various permutations of turbines to captureeither wind or hydraulic power.Observations and Impressions from a Student’s Perspective: At the time, as a freshman engineer I initially viewed this design project as simplyanother source of stress in my life; however, as our design evolved into the final product Ibecame quite proud of our accomplishment. This design project represented the first timein my academic career I had truly used synthesis in a project; looking back on this projectas a senior, I doubt I will ever forget this first milestone in my career as an engineer.This project also introduced me to the

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: First-Year Experiences

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Stephanie L. Walkup PE, Villanova University; John Komlos, Villanova University; Kevin A. Waters P.E., Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering course with activities relevant to the identifiedmajor may develop stronger beliefs regarding their career choice and expectancy-related beliefs,improving engineering identity5. For this reason, the Civil and Environmental EngineeringDepartment elected to move a previously offered second-year course titled Civil EngineeringFundamentals to the second semester of the first-year. This paper presents a before and aftercomparison of faculty-assessed student proficiency, as well as students’ self-assessedproficiency, in select civil engineering technologies taught in the course to better understand howthe transition from second-to-first year affected both learning of and comfort with thesetechnologies.Course DescriptionThe Civil Engineering

Conference Session

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

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Shannon Barker, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

get students to fall in love with the practice of engineering. Designingmeaningful and engaging assignments and projects is key. The Expectancy-Value Theoryconnects students’ course perceptions to their engagement and performance [1]. The Valueportion of the theory includes utility value, or how well the assignments and projects align withthe students’ future goals. Including activities with a high utility value greatly influences astudent’s choice of major and their career interests [2]. The Expectancy part of the theory isdescribed as the students’ perception of how well they will perform on tasks within a domain.The more capable a student feels in doing the work of a particular course or curriculum, the moreacademic satisfaction they feel

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

Disagree (2) 8. I feel really close to team members Strongly disagree (1) 9. I am satisfied with my performance at this task 10. I was pretty skilled at this activity 11. This was a lab that I couldn't do very well 12. I enjoyed doing this lab very much Qualitative questions for hybrid lab 2 1. What are the main benefits of working in a hybrid lab? 2. What are the main challenges of working in a hybrid lab? 3. What are the important skills needed in industry as organizations move to remote work? 4. What skillsets have you learned from the labs that could be transferable to the future in your careers

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Research and Spatial Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Mayari I. Serrano, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Suzanne Zurn-Birkhimer, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

investigating the intersec- tion of education and career path with cultural identity and is developing strategies to inform programming and policies that facilitate recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations in academia. In 2012 Dr. Zurn-Birkhimer was presented with an Outstanding Alumni Award from the Department of Earth, At- mospheric, and Planetary Sciences and in 2019 the College of Science Distinguished Alumni Award at Purdue University. Dr. Zurn-Birkhimer earned her B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from Purdue University. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2020

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Research and Spatial Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Emily J. Schiavone, Viterbo University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

SemesterEngineering CourseIntroductionSpatial visualization skills are linked to success in chemistry, computer science, engineering, andmathematics [1,2]. Studies found that females, independent of racial and ethnic background,consistently lag behind males in measures of spatial skills[3]. Brus et al. found that femalestudents entering an engineering program report less confidence than male students in threecategories: career choice, scientific preparation, and their preparation of using graphical tools[1].The combination of a lack of confidence upon entry into an engineering program and low spatialvisualization skills, in comparison to male peers, may hurt retention efforts in the case of femaleengineering students[1,2]. Studies also found that students

Conference Session

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

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Megan Gray, Duke University; Ann Saterbak, Duke University; Sophia T. Santillan, Duke University; Michael Rizk, Duke University; Jessica Sperling, Duke University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-efficacy describes a student’s beliefs abouthis or her ability to attain educational goals [4]. A systematic review of research examining therelationship between academic self-efficacy and academic performance showed that academicself-efficacy is not only an important predictor of performance among college students, but alsoinfluences emotions about learning [5]. The concept of academic self-efficacy may be particularly consequential to efforts aimedat retaining students within a given area of study. Retention of STEM majors is especiallyimportant in modern American society, as technology-related careers employ millions ofAmericans [6]. Nevertheless, despite the importance and appeal of these fields, retentioncontinues to be a challenge in

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Research and Spatial Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Susan Elaine Benzel, Colorado State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Paper ID #31299You had me at ”undergraduate research”: how one institution achievedincredible results in the first year of a formal program to placefreshmen (and sophomores) in research labs, while helping students chipaway at the cost of collegeSusan Elaine Benzel, Colorado State University Susan E. Benzel, PMP Scott Scholars Program Coordinator Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering Colorado State University Susan earned her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Colorado State University, and after a 30-year career in high-tech working for Hewlett Packard (HP)/Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), she

Conference Session

FPD6 - First Year Curricula Development

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; John Uhran, University of Notre Dame; Catherine Pieronek, University of Notre Dame; Dan Budny, University of Pittsburgh; John Ventura, Christian Brothers University; Patricia Ralston, University of Louisville; John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; Constance Slaboch, University of Notre Dame; Brenda Hart, University of Louisville; Rebecca Ladewski, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

success. Students must be taught more than just calculus,physics and chemistry; they need to have opportunities to learn to be resourceful and resilient.Preparing First-Year Engineers to “Stay the Course”Many engineering programs provide introductory engineering courses in the first year so thatstudents can “experience engineering” early on in their academic careers and thereby make aneducated choice about their futures. The courses present engineering problems that emphasizethe use of math and science so that students learn to apply these subjects to solve realengineering-related problems. But educators of students in first-year programs find themselvesinvolved in a balancing act between nurturing the first-year students through the transition

Conference Session

Retention Tools and Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Jan Collins-Eaglin, Michigan State University; Nathaniel Ehrlich, Michigan State University; Denise Fleming, Michigan State University; Timothy Hinds, Michigan State University; Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University; Thomas Wolff, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

ABET.Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University Dr. NEERAJ BUCH is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University. He is also the Director of Cornerstone Engineering and Residential Experience program at Michigan State University. He earned his M.S. degree in 1988 from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, College Station, in 1995. Dr. Buch began his academic career at Michigan State University in 1996. Dr. Buch teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in concrete materials and pavement engineering. He is also involved in teaching short courses on pavement design and rehabilitation and pavement

Conference Session

Retention Tools and Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Thomas Wolff, Michigan State University; Wolfgang Bauer, Michigan State University; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Nathaniel Ehrlich, Michigan State University; John Courtney, Michigan State University; Ruth Heckman, Lansing Community College; Denise Fleming, Michigan State University; Louise Paquette, Lansing Community College; Renee Mickelson, Lansing Community College; Mark Urban-Lurain; Clifford Weil, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

in hurricane Katrina. As Associate Dean, he oversees curriculum, advising, career planning, study abroad, early engineering and other related initiatives.Wolfgang Bauer, Michigan State University Wolfgang Bauer is University Distinguished Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University, as well as Founding Director of the Institute for Cyber-Enabled Discovery. He has pioneered internet-based distance learning classes for college and advanced placement high school audiences and has been a co-PI on the MSU Lon-Capa project, a course management and automated individualized homework system. He is MSU’s representative for the Science &

Conference Session

The Best of First-Year Programs Division

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jan DeWaters, Clarkson University; John C. Moosbrugger, Clarkson University; Pankaj Sharma, Clarkson University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

important factor in persistence to degree completion. For example, somestudies report that the diversity gap in STEM participation may be attributed more to perceptionsand beliefs than to academic preparation or achievement levels [1-5]. To the extent that suchperceptions and beliefs form an inaccurate (or “negative”) vision of a future engineering career,curricular approaches that aim to form a more “positive” vision may be warranted. Theseapproaches can be pedagogical, such as collaborative and project-based learning [6-8], content-based by aiming (for example) to expose the positive contributions of engineering to society [9-12], or both. All other things being equal, curricular features than can foster among students amore positive

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Design in the First Year

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew J Jensen, Florida Institute of Technology; Jennifer Lynn Schlegel, Florida Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

), freshman students begin their studies within theirchosen major, typically taking an introductory engineering course specific to their discipline.For undecided engineering students, they have the option to start in a general engineeringprogram to help them select a major. FIT has had great success using this general engineeringmodel to improve student retention and time to graduation; however, improvement can be madein preparing students to be innovative, entrepreneurial-minded professionals. The purpose of thispaper is to describe the activities focused on exposing students to the entrepreneurial mindset andpreparing them for engineering careers. An introductory course in the General Engineeringprogram comprises both a lecture and a lab component

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Focusing on Student Success

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dawn Patterson Shew M.Ed., University of Kansas; Lorin P. Maletsky, University of Kansas; Grace Clark; Molly McVey, University of Kansas

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

semester and only spike the few sessionbefore exams.All students including those in engineering benefit by developing strong study groups with theirpeers and collaborating throughout their undergraduate career. Engineering programs frequentlycontain team-based projects in courses that help students develop teamwork and managementskills for use in their professional careers. Helping students work with their peers for academicsupport is an important skill that most successful students develop over time. This develops thenecessary collaboration skills that today’s students need to possess post-graduation.Underclassmen also benefit by learning collaboratively from upperclassmen in their majors [4].Additionally, students retain a larger quantity and

Conference Session

Interactive Panel on Improving the Experiences of Marginalized Students on Engineering Design Teams

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lorelle A Meadows, Michigan Technological University; Denise Sekaquaptewa, University of Michigan; Marie C Paretti, Virginia Tech; Alice L. Pawley, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Shawn S. Jordan, Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus; Debbie Chachra, Olin College of Engineering; Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education, Electrical and Computer, Engineering Libraries, First-Year Programs, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Minorities in Engineering, Student, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering, Women in Engineering

experiences.Dr. Marie C Paretti, Virginia Tech Marie C. Paretti is an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where she co- directs the Virginia Tech Engineering Communications Center (VTECC). Her research focuses on com- munication in engineering design, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, design education, and gender in engineering. She was awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation to study expert teaching in capstone design courses, and is co-PI on numerous NSF grants exploring com- munication, design, and identity in engineering. Drawing on theories of situated learning and identity development, her work includes studies on the teaching and learning of communication

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 7: The Transition from High School to College

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Caitlin Cairncross, University of Portland; Sharon A. Jones P.E., University of Portland; Zulema Naegele, University of Portland; Tammy VanDeGrift, University of Portland

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Page 26.300.6on campus, and participated in workshops on topics such as effective writing and “survivingengineering.” These co-curricular activities were intended to introduce students to differentresources on campus that could be valuable to them, and to call attention to some of the commonchallenges that students face during their first year. Students also went on site visits to localengineering companies, in order to familiarize them with the local engineering community, andgive them an overview of the various career opportunities available within the field.Throughout their time in the program, participants stayed in a residence hall together and had thesupport of a peer mentor, a sophomore engineering student who provided assistance

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 1: Using Technology and/or Technology Tools to Enhance Learning

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Matthew Long, Deakin University; Sivachandran Chandrasekaran P.E., Deakin University; Simon William Cavenett

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

education philosophy is founded on the Project Ori- ented Design Based Learning (PODBL) approach at Deakin University.Mr. Simon William Cavenett Simon Cavenett is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Professional Practice (Engineering) at the School of Engineering at Deakin University. Prior to joining Deakin University in 2007 his 20 year career was based in industry. His career includes a number of significant achievements both in Australia and inter- nationally, particularly involving the design and implementation of leading edge telecommunications and IT technologies. Simon has extensive experience internationally; having worked professionally based the United States for over 11 years prior to returning to Australia to

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Peer Mentoring

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Rezvan Nazempour, University of Illinois at Chicago; Houshang Darabi, University of Illinois at Chicago; Renata A. Revelo, University of Illinois at Chicago; Peter C. Nelson, University of Illinois at Chicago; Anthony E. Felder, University of Illinois at Chicago; Didem Ozevin P.E., University of Illinois at Chicago; Jeremiah T. Abiade, University of Illinois at Chicago

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

], motivatingstudents to pursue science careers [8] [9], enhancing student learning outcomes [10] [11],promoting STEM career among women [12], and psychological processes relevant to the problem[13] [14] are all examples of targeted interventions.On the other hand, an engaging first-year engineering experience can circumvent the need forinterventions and has been shown to play a critical role in encouraging excitement, retention, andsatisfaction in engineering [15] [16]. This is attributable to the importance of the first year and itsfrequent coincidence with failed classes and dropouts [17]. In addition, completion of the first-year (i.e., first-year retention) is predictive of eventual graduation rates [17]. Therefore, significantefforts have been invested

Conference Session

FPD IV: Innovative Curriculum Elements of Successful First-year Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, the computerbecomes a tool students can use to collect and analyze data and allow their programming projectsto interact with the world outside the computer.Another benefit of utilizing graphical languages and data acquisition hardware as the mediumthrough which engineers learn computer programming is the ability to incorporate elements ofengineering design. In addition to computing, design is an important concept for engineers andengineering students. Challenges exist for educators trying to introduce students to design earlyin their academic careers. One challenge is that students do not have much knowledge uponwhich to build a design from. They have not had their engineering coursework yet and do nothave the tools to do sophisticated

Conference Session

FPD 4: Peers and Perceptions

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sudhir Kaul, Western Carolina University; Robert D. Adams, Western Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, Learning Outcomes, Project-based Learning (PBL).1. IntroductionThe role of introductory courses in engineering is commonly acknowledged to be extremelyimportant for student engagement as well as retention.4 The introductory courses in engineeringgenerally serve the purpose of raising student awareness about engineering careers and theengineering curriculum while trying to excite and motivate them by using hands-on activities,projects, etc. The core learning objectives of the introductory courses involve activities thatentail application and understanding rather than higher level cognitive outcomes involving Page 24.854.2design and analysis. An

Conference Session

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

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elora Candace Voyles, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; Rhonda K. Kowalchuk, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; John W. Nicklow, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; Robert Ricks

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Donaldson, S.I., E.A. Ensher, and E.J. Grant-Vallone. 2000. Longitudinal examination of mentoring relationshipson organizational commitment and citizenship behavior. Journal of Career Development 26(4): 233-249.5 Pisimisi, S. and M. Loannides. 2005. Developing mentoring relationships to support the careers of women inelectrical engineering and computer technologies. An analysis on mentors' competencies. European Journal ofEngineering Education, 30(4): 477-486.6 Moxley, D., A. Najor-Durack, and C. Dunbrigue. 2001. Keeping students in higher education: Successful practices& strategies for retention. London: Kogan Page Limited.7 Macintosh, K.A., B.S. Rushton, and A. Cook, eds. 2006. Students supporting students: Student mentoring.University of

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Poster Session

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Alexander James Carroll, Vanderbilt University; Joshua Daniel Borycz, Vanderbilt University; Julianne Vernon, Vanderbilt University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

semester.Background on Problem Being AddressedIn the first-year engineering program at Vanderbilt University, students take a three-credit coursein the fall of the first year called Introduction to Engineering. The Introduction to Engineeringcourse is broken into three modules, each consisting of 14 sections. Because the program aspiresto preview what students can expect to learn in each major and the possible career paths thatcould follow, students are encouraged to explore modules that align with their interests or thatfall outside of their previous experiences.While the design of each course section reflects the expertise and interests of the individualinstructor who leads it, most sections include problem-based learning opportunities and someform of

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Focus on Student Success I

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Hossein EbrahimNejad, Purdue University at West Lafayette; David Ray Waller, Purdue University at West Lafayette; Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University at West Lafayette; Hayaam Osman, Purdue University at West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students[3]. over thepast years, there has been an increase in the number AP programs offered in high schools and thenumber of students enrolling in these programs. The numbers mentioned above were 4.9 millionexams and 2.7 students in 2017. Among the various STEM courses offered in high schools,mathematic courses such as calculus and statistics are the most popular courses students take. Withthe increase in these programs, it is worth revisiting the potential benefits they may have onstudents' career and academic future. However, with the wide spread of AP courses there arestudents who do not have access to AP courses due to their location.The potential benefits of AP courses rise the concern of the equity and access of these courses.Students