Conference Session

FPD5 -- Placement & Early Success

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Gattis, University of Arkansas; Bryan Hill, University of Arkansas; Abraham Lachowsky, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

AC 2007-1460: A SUCCESSFUL ENGINEERING PEER MENTORING PROGRAMCarol Gattis, University of Arkansas Carol S. Gattis, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas. She also directs and develops new programs for the college-wide efforts of recruitment, retention and diversity.Bryan Hill, University of Arkansas Bryan Hill, an industrial engineer, is the associate director of recruitment, retention and diversity for the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas. Bryan managed the 2005-2006 pilot engineering peer mentoring program.Abraham Lachowsky, University of Arkansas Abraham Lachowsky is a senior undergraduate student in the Industrial

Conference Session

FPD3 -- Professional Issues for First-Year Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karen High, Oklahoma State University; Rebecca Damron, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

fall 2007 students. Writing fellows areassigned to work in our University Writing Center with freshman composition sectionsand are undergraduate peer tutors who assist in developing writing skills through workwith students on course papers. The authors have also discussed asking the researchquestion a bit differently, to what extent do the student critically think and write asopposed to are they able to critically think and write.The interrater reliability information provided some interesting questions for futureresearch: 1) How effective are norming sessions on reliability? 2) How do Engineering faculty see writing and critical thinking differently than English faculty? 3) How reliable and valid are the

Conference Session

FPD3 -- Professional Issues for First-Year Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Mathias, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Lalit Gupta, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Jale Tezcan, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Ronald Caffey, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Bruce Chrisman, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Chris Pearson, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; John Nicklow, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Ernest Lewis, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Rhonda Kowalchuk, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Kathy Pericak-Spector, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Hasan Sevim, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering residential college, and peer mentoring, faculty mentoring,and mentoring by practicing engineers.The introduction to engineering course will include all freshman students in SIUC College ofEngineering. This lecture-laboratory course will provide an interesting description of eachengineering major and allows students to work with hands-on projects that will teach theusefulness of mathematics and basic engineering concepts. The SIUC College of Engineeringhas worked with other departments on campus to offer engineering designated sections of corecurriculum courses, such as math, sciences, English, and speech communication. The summermath course lasts four-weeks and accepts students who test below the pre-calculus level andprepares them for

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Schimmels, Marquette University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

of eachcourse is reflected in their respective titles. The first course in the sequence is titled,“Engineering: The Art of Creating Change”. The title of the second is: “Engineering Projects:The Practice of the Art”.Both courses use assigned reading followed by reflection, writing, and discussion related to adebatable question (or questions) posed by the instructor. Section size is limited to 25 students.A relatively senior member of the regular faculty and one teaching assistant facilitate classdiscussion using Socratic questioning.Both courses also use design projects as vehicles in developing student understanding of keyconcepts. In the first, the course requirements manage student-team project activities; in thesecond, the student-teams

Conference Session

FPD4 -- Hands-on & Real-World Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Larry Bland, John Brown University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

requirements? 3)understanding the engineering design process, 4) beginning to learn basic engineering computertools, 5) developing writing skills, and 6) establishing ethical engineering practices.The course begins with understanding what engineering is. There is the classical definition thatengineers use science to solve problems. Most programs have come to recognize that this is anoversimplification of the engineering discipline. The students are taught that engineers have toconsider many elements that go beyond the physical sciences and mathematics. There are theadditional, broader issues of economics, politics, environment, health, safety, quality, ethics,culture and other contemporary issues.Along with an understanding of general engineering

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dan Cordon, University of Idaho; Barbara Williams, University of Idaho; Steven Beyerlein, University of Idaho; Donald Elger, University of Idaho

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, for students who are just learning these processes, auniversal model may not be the best way to build performance skills. This work was undertakento help novices understand unique characteristics of each process and the circumstances underwhich each process is most effective and efficient. This paper examines two tools that werecreated to build this understanding: (i) a matrix analyzing the similarities and differences amongthe processes and (ii) a graphical presentation highlighting key skills that are hypothesized foreach process. Effectiveness of the two tools was evaluated in a freshman design course whereteams of five students work on a six-week design mini-project. Data collected included notes bythe instructor, observations by peer

Conference Session

FPD11 -- Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi; Lifford McLauchlan, Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

learning involves “a structured form ofgroup work where students pursue common goals while being assessed individually.” Theproposed project in this paper utilizes all the three learning styles.The positive effects of cooperative learning are apparent in literature. In their extensive literaturesurvey, K. A. Smith et. al. find that the level of college-level student success, when learningcooperatively, is much higher than when learning competitively or individually5. The studiedpapers reveal that cooperative learning promotes ‘meta-cognitive thought’, persistence inreaching goals, intrinsic motivation, and “transfer of learning from one situation to another”.Cooperative learning not only helps establish positive peer relationships, which are

Conference Session

FPD12 -- Novel Approaches to First Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Rowe, Vanderbilt University; Stacy Klein-Gardner

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

view “MultiplePerspectives” of others commenting on the challenge and possible ways to address it. Studentsthen participate in extended “Research and Revise” activities where data and information wouldbe gathered to help the student address the challenge, followed by “Test your Mettle” a formative Page 12.125.3self-assessment and “Going Public” where students solutions would be made public to peers andothers. While having been implemented in a limited, but growing, number of K-12 studies'2-3results were positive for students working with this design, referred to as the “Legacy Cycle”, bythe developers.The VaNTH Engineering Research Center (ERC

Conference Session

FPD2 -- Highlighting First-Year Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean Kampe, Virginia Tech; Whitney Edmister, Virginia Tech; Matthew Stimpson, Virginia Tech; Brad Matanin, Virginia Tech; Amanda Martin, Virginia Tech; Cory Brozina, Virginia Tech; Bevlee Watford, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

%)Program Likes/Dislikes: For both runs of both communities, residents were surveyed at the end of the fallsemester as to the aspects of the community that they liked best and least. This survey was Page 12.763.8administered by passing out 3x5 inch lined index cards and asking the students to write whatthey liked least on the lined side and what they liked best on the blank side of the card. TheseTable VI. The frequently cited best and least liked aspects of the living-learning communities. Hypatia Women Galileo Men Community 2005-06 2006-07 2005-06

Conference Session

FPD7 -- Service Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bert Davy, Morgan State University; Indranil Goswami, Morgan State University; Jiang Li, Morgan State University; Gbekeloluwa Oguntimen, Morgan State University; Charles Oluokun, Morgan State University; Arcadio Sincero, Morgan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

groups project grade. The weighed factor is calculated as shown inTable 5.Table 4. Peer Rating of Team Members Name__________________________________________ Project Group _________ Please write the names of all of your team members, INCLUDING YOURSELF, and rate the degree to which each member fulfilled his/her responsibilities in completing the project assignments. The possible ratings are as follows: Excellent Consistently went above and beyond—tutored teammates, carried more than his/her fair share of the load Very good Consistently did what he/she was supposed to do, very well prepared and cooperative Satisfactory

Conference Session

FPD10 -- Pre-Engineering and Bridge Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair Rowley, Wright State University; Kumar Yelamarthi, Wright State University; Cory Miller, Wright State University; Thomas L. Bazzoli, Wright State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

“perceived lack of relevance of much of theircourse work.”Another study by Amenkhienan and Kogan suggested that individual effort andinvolvement, peer interaction, and faculty contact had a positive impact on their academicperformance.2 This study involved 34 second year students in nine focus groups selectedfrom 200 student volunteers. They were selected based upon gender, ethnicity, and GPA. Page 12.764.2Study habits, completing homework, willingness to seek outside help, study groups,networking, and faculty teaching styles and office hours were found to be important forsuccess.A study by Besterfield-Sacre, et.al. involved seventeen engineering schools over

Conference Session

FPD11 -- Multidisciplinary Experiences

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John-David Yoder, Ohio Northern University; Beverly Jaeger, Northeastern University; John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His areas of research include simplifying the outcomes assessment process, user interface design, and the pedagogical aspects of writing computer games. Dr. Estell is a Senior Member of IEEE, and a member of ACM, ASEE, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Upsilon Pi Epsilon. Page 12.1122.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 One-Minute Engineer, Nth Generation: Expansion to a Small Private UniversityAbstractThe concept of having first-year students conduct ‘One Minute Engineer’ (OME) presentationswas presented at the 2006

Conference Session

FPD10 -- Pre-Engineering and Bridge Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Grimm, Wayne State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

recommended] Science: Conceptual Physics with laboratory [4 cr] Chemical Skills and Reasoning [4 cr] English: Basic Writing (if required based on placement) [4 cr] Engineering: Introduction to the Engineering Profession [2 cr] Bridge Mentorship Program (ad hoc) – fall and winter semesterStudents who placed out of beginning algebra, basic writing, or the introductory chemistrycourse, based on standard University placement tools, were not required to complete the firstcourse in these subject areas. The Engineering Bridge advisor works closely with these students,who are in the minority, to select the appropriate courses to round out their schedules.Students were expected

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

• organize, participate in, and document team meetings • participate as a contributing team member in the design and problem solving processes Page 12.1432.4They should also understand and be able to • apply graphical 2-D and 3-D drawing principles • use a 3-D drawing software package • use the principles of good oral communications to effectively communicate ideas • use Microsoft PowerPoint software to aid oral presentations • use Microsoft Project for creating a simple Gantt Chart • use principles of good technical writing to effectively communicate major ideasThe IED Culminating ProjectThe goal of the IED team project is to

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

Indicator on incoming collegestudents. These results show that 60% of the students have a practical rather than theoreticalorientation toward learning, and that this percentage is growing. Other research has shown thatstudents prefer concrete active learning activities to abstract reflective learning by a ratio of 5 to112. The general conclusion is that active modes of teaching and learning create the best matchfor today’s students. These can include: small-group discussions and projects, in-classpresentations and debates, experiential exercises, field experiences, simulations, and case studies.Silberman also discusses the social side of learning, “[Students] tend to become more engaged inlearning because they are doing it with their peers. Once