Conference Session

Potpourri of First-Year Issues

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rod Paton, University of Auckland; Chris Smaill, University of Auckland; Gerard Rowe, University of Auckland

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Page 15.587.9this context, the theme that emerged was the use of both self- and peer-assessment in group-work projects and assignments. One important initiative here was the implementation in 2009of peer-assessment exercises. These were conducted fortnightly in tutorials. Prior to “peer-marking tutorials”, students were asked to write solutions to specified questions. At the startof the tutorial these solutions were collected by the tutor who re-distributed them amongst thestudents. A detailed marking scheme was then displayed and the tutor guided the studentsthrough it as they marked the work of one of their peers. The markers were required to awardmarks, write short explanatory notes where marks had been lost, and also write their name

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy Hinds, Michigan State University; Thomas Wolff, Michigan State University; Amanda Idema, Michigan State University; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Carmellia Davis-King, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

skills.The development of the MSU Engineering Residential Experience includes much more than justthe physical housing of first-year engineering students in a single residence hall. It also includes Page 15.589.3delivery of student service operations, including career services, freshman academic advisingand peer-led tutoring sessions. Another aspect of our co-curricular program includes thedevelopment of a faculty speaker series and alumni panels. These activities are intended tocompliment the social events offered through residence hall programming.A comprehensive approach to integrating a first-year academic program with a living-learningcommunity

Conference Session

Research on the First Year I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Cassady, University of Arkansas; Gigi Secuban, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

communicating their solutions to engineering problems, ≠ meaningful experience on diverse teams in applying the engineering design process and Page 15.178.2 communicating their designs, ≠ the essential and motivating information about the engineering disciplines so that they make an informed choice about their engineering major, are capable of functioning on multi-disciplinary engineering teams, and appreciate the role of engineering in modern society, and ≠ proactive and high-quality academic advising, professional development opportunities, peer mentoring, and peer tutoring,and we strive to produce a large

Conference Session

Innovations in First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Lewis, University of Louisville; Jeffrey Hieb, University of Louisville; David Wheatley, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

approaches undertaken since 2008, in Introductionto Engineering, to introduce freshmen engineering students to critical thinking. Also presentedare recent 2009 revisions to the components of the course, such as the reworking of the casestudies in an effort to encourage students to demonstrate critical thinking. Explicit discussionswith the students regarding the reasons for time and effort being spent on case studies and criticalthinking were also added to the course. The number of critical thinking assignments wasincreased, expanded, and further clarified from the previous year and some assignments werealso redesigned to allow for some peer reinforcement during intermediate stages. Statisticalanalysis of a pre and post assessment of critical

Conference Session

Research on the First Year I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

characteristic and map it to student success.4 However, first we will discussthe benchmark predictors which are in current use.Conventional Predictors of SuccessAs educators we have all too often seen intelligent students who lack desire and ambition, thesestudents sometimes will generate only average or even poorer quality work than peers ofseemingly less talent. Conversely, we relish the students who might be described as less giftedfor learning who triumph over their limitations to produce stellar work because they work hardand aspire to be the best. There has been a significant amount of research done attempting toqualify and quantify success in education, life, and career. This is a clear indicator of thecomplexity of the problem at hand and it is

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

and more guidance is provided on the requirements for the compilation of reports andposters. Weeks eight to ten focus on device assembly while technical performance is evaluated inthe penultimate session. A panel of external technical experts visit the University in the finalweek to meet the students, mentors and faculty and to view a display of the devices andaccompanying posters in the main Engineering building. The assessment criteria includeteamwork, minimization of expenditure, device design, innovation, operational safety, systemperformance, project journal submission, report writing, poster presentation and appropriate useof biological and recycled materials. Prizes are awarded to the top teams. Students receiveindividual academic

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

simulations on higher order control problems. Furthermore,he/she was able to take the HJB equations and find Riccati equations and a corresponding linearcontroller. This is paramount, as further studies of this work will be to extend the results to fourcumulants and possibly other players instead of just a controller.The program continued in the fall semester, though on a limited basis. The main goal for thesemester was for the student to formalize and write a conference paper detailing the technicalresults from the summer. Since there wasn’t as much time to do detailed research and thesummer research was a combination of our work, it was important for the student to write andformalize his/her thoughts and results. The conference paper was one way of

Conference Session

Potpourri of First-Year Issues

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; Kenneth Reid, Ohio Northern University; Laurie Laird, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

AC 2010-112: CHEESEBURGER, FRIES, AND A COKE: IT'S ABOUT THEPRESENTATIONJohn K. Estell, Ohio Northern University John K. Estell is Chair of the Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Department, and Professor of Computer Engineering and Computer Science, at Ohio Northern University. He received his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His areas of research include simplifying the outcomes assessment process, first-year engineering instruction, 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.Kenneth Reid, Ohio Northern

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Dinehart, Villanova University; Joseph Yost, Villanova University; Shawn Gross, Villanova University; Aleksandra Radlinska, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)analysis of the undergraduate program. The analysis collected data from the following CoEVUconstituents: faculty, staff, administration (deans and chairmen), undergraduate students,graduate students that matriculated from VU, and other alumni. The SWOT also consideredinput from university faculty members and administrators outside of the CoEVU, advisoryboards, and peer schools. An outcome of this thorough analysis was that while the existing twocourse freshman engineering experience had improved in recent years there existed significantopportunities for improvement. Faculty and undergraduate students agreed that the currentformat and content should be improved.A committee was formed to investigate

Conference Session

Mentoring First Year Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Goodwin, Iowa State University; Amy Brandau, Iowa State University; Deb DeWall, Iowa State University; Bing Du, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

avoidance of relating to others1,6. It is estimated that 20% to 28% of people have insecureattachments and with that comes maladaptive forms of coping with problems under stress.Students need to have positive coping skills to deal with the challenges they will face in theclassroom and outside of it. These coping skills include seeking help when faced with emotionalor academic difficulties7,8. Without these skills students will tend to avoid or deny theirproblems9, 10, 11,12,13.College faculty and advisors know that there are always a certain percentage of students whenconfronted with doing poorly in their classes who do not reach out to people who could helpthem such as their instructor, an advisor, or even their peers. Therefore, the challenge for

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

Research on The First Year II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacy Bamberg, University of Utah; Debra Mascaro, University of Utah; Robert Roemer, University of Utah

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

student response systems("clickers") to enhance small group interactive discussions and peer-based learning; CAE/CAMsoftware and rapid prototyping technology to allow students to design and manufacturesophisticated components without overwhelming our machine shop resources; in-classdemonstrations of engineering principles with oversized components and associated interactivestudent team discussions and clicker responses; inverting the lecture/homework paradigm byproviding lectures on YouTube and using in-class activities to work on homework/exampleproblems in small groups in class; elimination of some textbooks when lecture material cansuffice in order to save the students money; hands-on laboratory experiments using inexpensive,mass-produced

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

communication).As part of a National Science Foundation CCLI Phase 1 grant, DUE: 0836861, three designactivities are being developed and incorporated in the first-year engineering program at MichiganTech. For this project, three groups (undergraduate, graduate and faculty) with differenteducational backgrounds developed learning modules. The student groups were selected to helpwith the development because it would give a fresh perspective on the design projects. Theundergraduate students would gain some ownership in the education of their peers. The graduatestudent would learn more about teaching through the development of a design project. Theutilization of the student groups to develop design projects would permit more design projects tobe available

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

asexperimentally (the part done in and for the engineering class). The students, working in smallgroups, must create a solution as well as write a technical report and present the problem andtheir solution to the class.Approximately 130 students participated in these joint math-engineering projects. Theirperformance, primarily in calculus, was measured and compared to historical performance dataas well as to calculus classes without the joint projects. Preliminary data suggests that theseprojects result in improved grades in calculus. Additionally, the student enthusiasm for thesehands on projects has increased as well.* Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:This material is based upon work supported by the NASA WV Space Grant Consortium, NASA Training Grant

Conference Session

Mentoring First Year Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dan Budny, University of Pittsburgh; Alaine Allen, University of Pittsburgh; Jeremy Tartt, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the university. We use our summer orientation programs to address these items, and also help studentsbecome aware of the changes that are taking place in their lives and begin the transition in thestudent's immediate family structure by introducing professional counselors and advisors duringthe summer registration program [10 – 12]. This expansion of their family is continued in thefall semester, in our seminar course ENGR0081 and introduction to Engineering courseENGR0011, as peer mentors and faculty are added to their family structure. Mentoring is often thought to be a lot like coaching. In fact, many mentors do find that theirrole as mentor takes on the task of coaching the students through the various difficult transitionsfrom

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

15.1221.3  peer assisted learning (PAL) for undergraduate COE students who study in targeted gateway core courses  course cross linkages, wherein concepts in problem sets and assignments are linked among target pre-engineering coursesThe fourth arm of the retention program is directed at increased faculty connections withentering students, primarily through designated Connector Faculty.Of the four retention efforts, the Connector Faculty (CF) program is the only one targeting theentire freshman intenders (FI), but is specifically aimed at the student who chooses to go toanother discipline even though academic achievement is not an issue. These “leavers” werestudied extensively by Seymour and Hewitt1, with a major conclusion

Conference Session

Administering First-Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Russell Korte, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; David Goldberg, University of Illinois, Urbana

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Page 15.1130.4often overlooked important social and systemic influences on the newcomer’s learning process.Socialization is a complex process comprising multiple actors and interactions.19, 20, 21, 22, 23Wanous also noted that the interactions among newcomers, insiders (peers and faculty), and thesituation (context) are important sets of factors influencing the socialization process. He foundthat increasing the level of interactions between the newcomer and his or her environmentincreased the success of socialization. 10 However, it seems reasonable that the quality of theinteractivity is important—not just the frequency of activity. Increasing the wrong kind ofinteractivity may promote the wrong kind of learning, thereby decreasing the

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

AC 2010-197: ADDRESSING THIRD WORLD POVERTY IN FIRST-YEARENGINEERING CAPSTONE PROJECTS: INITIAL FINDINGSJohn K. Estell, Ohio Northern University John K. Estell is Chair of the Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Department, and Professor of Computer Engineering and Computer Science, at Ohio Northern University. He received his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His areas of research include simplifying the outcomes assessment process, first-year engineering instruction, 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

Conference Session

Administering First-Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rick Williams, East Carolina University; William Howard, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

meeting at the end of every semester. Also, program outcome assessmentdata is collected and evaluated by an outcome coordinator, and presented to all faculty membersat an annual assessment workshop.9 At these meetings, the faculty determines whether eachoutcome is being adequately and efficiently assessed. Often, these meetings lead to adjustmentsin the assessment plan.The creation of new courses and the writing of course level objectives to achieve specific ABEToutcomes can be a challenging task, especially for first year program courses where there is nouniversal agreement of the content and topics. Felder and Brent10 describe the effort required tocreate a course to achieve specified outcomes in three domains as: planning (identifying