Conference Session

Research on The First Year II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Catherine Pieronek, University of Notre Dame; Kerry Meyers, University of Notre Dame; Sara Skiles, University of Notre Dame; Sean Kelly, University of Notre Dame; Leo McWilliams, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

at the end of first year to continue in an ABET-accredited engineeringdiscipline).The survey analysis yielded several broad conclusions. First, certain aspects of a student’s pre-college experiences and preparation are statistically significant predictors of retention into thesophomore year. Second, students who enter the program with settled plans to pursueengineering-related goals after college are much more likely to be retained in the program than arestudents with unsettled or non-engineering-related goals.These findings indicate the importance of prior experiences to continued engineering study, andindicate that exposure to pre-college programs that support or complement engineering, such asparticipation in science fairs, robotics teams

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

details will include the bridge specifications and criteria, and results of testing. In order to assess thesuccess of specifying the criteria, basic bridge designs will be presented. Finally, specific studentevaluation data and descriptions of successes and future implementation plans from the instructor’sviewpoint will be presented.IntroductionRecruiting engineering students has become a major challenge. Recent news about factories movingoverseas and the outsourcing of jobs may easily give high school students the perception that our nationalindustries are decaying, which makes the college of engineering a less attractive destination and a careerin engineering very unlikely.While recruiting engineering students is no easy task, retaining them is

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

development is the result of an evolving experience that began over 15 yearsago at Lafayette College. The introductory course, ES 101, was originally designed tohelp Lafayette recruit, retain, and inform our engineering students. Early versions of thecourse included a major design experience that included a multidisciplinary experienceinvolving mechanical, electrical and computer, civil, and chemical engineeringdisciplines2. The original plans for the course, though successful, proved costly andresource intensive. With the advent of ABET engineering criterion 2000 and theemphasis on outcomes driven curriculum, the engineering division identified threeimportant outcomes for this first year engineering course. These outcomes includecommunications

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

programming skills that the students acquire through the degree plans. This is morecrucial to the Electrical Engineering area where we proposed this intervention. There are severalfactors that negatively affect our students, including the methodologies used to teach computerlanguages. The Computer Science department developed an introductory course in programmingtitled “Computational CS-Zero” (CCS0) or also called “Introductory Computational Systems”ICS5 used in the entering program4 that has shown its effectiveness in the past8, 9, 10 . Therefore,we proposed the modification of our engineering course incorporating some modules from CCS0and adding more relevance by applying the assignments to the simulation of electric circuits orother physical

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

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First-Year Programs

Orleans levees in hurricane Katrina. As Associate Dean, he oversees curriculum, advising, career planning, study abroad, early engineering and other related initiatives.Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University NEERAJ BUCH is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University. He is also the Director of the Cornerstone Engineering and Engineering Residential Experience program at Michigan State University. He earned his M.S. degree in pavement engineering in 1988 from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his Ph.D. in pavement and materials engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, in 1995. Dr. Buch began his academic

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

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First-Year Programs

developed by a different group at Michigan Tech: ≠ Renewable Energy: Wind Power Generation, Undergraduate students under the direction of a faculty member ≠ Biomechanics: Doctoral candidate and undergraduate student under the direction of faculty members ≠ Water Resources: Aquaculture Facility, First-Year Engineering faculty membersEach group was provided with the implementation plan for the modules into the existingcurriculum described in Table 2 below. For each module, the data and designs generated inENG1001 were required to be used again in ENG1100. This will reinforce the ENG1001concepts and create linkages between the two courses. For example, the students will create aphysical model in ENG1001. Using the knowledge and

Conference Session

Mentoring First Year Students

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Rippon, Arizona State University; James Collofello, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the camp and how it differs from othercollege freshmen camps. The paper also presents the logistical challenges of planning andexecuting a camp for over 700 freshmen as well as the role of undergraduate student mentors andtheir recruitment and training. Since the successful camp experience also depends onengineering faculty involvement, the paper will describe the creation and deployment of theFreshmen Teaching Academy.Finally the paper will describe detailed assessment results from two years of camp experience.The paper will also detail data regarding student retention and the first year experience for thefreshmen population as a whole as well as for female and underrepresented minorities.BenchmarkingThe notion of a freshmen engineering camp

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

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First-Year Programs

Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.S. in Computer-based Management Information Systems from the University of the West Indies, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Planning, Governance, and Globalization from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Sate University. Page 15.945.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Peer Mentoring: Impact on Mentees and Comparison with Non-ParticipantsAbstractPeer mentoring programs are a method often implemented to help addressretention in engineering especially during the first and second years of study. Thisstudy examines the

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

an appropriate shift in Page 15.789.2focus) or common first-year curricula. The organizational syllabus for this class showing lecturetopics, lab topics, and assignment due dates is available in Appendix 1.Three companion papers give descriptions of our initial experiences with: the overall plan andgoals of the two-year program,4 the integration and spiraling of concepts and tools,5 andengineering communication skills.6 Those papers also indicate some of the modifications andchanges we have already made based on our initial experiences.Implementation of Interactive LearningMore than 140 students were enrolled in the first semester of this new

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

implement an on-going and schoolwide program to “improving the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students and to moreeffectively prepare them to contribute to society”1. The JB Speed School of Engineering hasdeveloped its plan and made progress towards its implementation. The alignment of criticalthinking improvement with ABET outcomes is also a motivating factor in the school ofengineering’s efforts to comply with the university’s QEP. The recently introduced freshmanexperience course, Introduction to Engineering, is an important component of the plan and itsimplementation. As the required introductory class for incoming engineering students, thecourse is ideally suited to provide students with explicit critical thinking instruction

Conference Session

Design in the First Year

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Bennett, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Will Schleter, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Forms Page 15.1063.8To facilitate grading in a large class, much of the feedback from the projects is obtained by theuse of online forms. Each student is required to fill out an online form as part of their grade.The online forms are used both for students to record their data, as well as to reflect on theirperformance as a team.The first team project that the students accomplish is usually an estimation project (e.g. Paint theJumbotron Orange). The feedback form for this project focuses on the performance as a team.The questions asked are:  List all the members of your team.  Did your team choose a leader?  Did your team make a plan

Conference Session

Innovations in First Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey Ringenberg, University of Michigan; Marcial Lapp, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

bebrought into the classroom and aid in the delivery of the course content.To further study the effectiveness of the competition, we intend to interview several focus groupscomprised of students from a variety of different backgrounds. Since the results of our initialsurveys indicate that the competition was an effective study tool, but was only marginallyenjoyable, it is our goal to make the competition more enjoyable by incorporating the feedbackthat we receive from these interviews.In addition, we plan to further refine our survey, such that we can improve the feedback processfrom the entire class instead of relying solely on the focus groups. A final area that we wouldlike to explore is whether or not the students that are presenting score

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

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First-Year Programs

by a leading waste management company.Table 1. Timetable of activities Week No. Milestones to Be Met 1 Initial meeting, start team formation 2 Information skills seminar 3 Define problem; Brainstorming for alternative designs 4 Development of alternatives completed 5 Critique alternatives, select final design 6/7 Report/poster outline. Parts sourced, construction plan made 8 Start assembly of prototype 9 Prototype ready 10 Final changes made to assembled unit 11 Performance testing of device 12 Report and poster submitted. Device display, judging by external experts & prize

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

attention on small and community wind projects. Throughthis learning process he developed a solid understanding of the wind industry especially in thearea of his interest (small and community wind). The extensive literature review he conductedallowed him to realize that no Decision Support System (i.e., expert system) had been developedto support decision making during the design, construction, and operation of small andcommunity wind turbines which represented an opportunity to make a relevant contribution tothe field.Sometime in the middle of the summer the student advised his mentor about his plan of Page 15.435.9developing an expert system to be

Conference Session

Potpourri of First-Year Issues

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Tools class weretaught in our computer classroom. This room took this traditional form with all rows facingfront with computer system units on desktop between students. Figure 1A shows the previouslayout of the classroom where the front of the classroom - with white boards, projector screensand instructor station - was on the left side of this floor plan. In this classroom instructors didgive brief presentations of material and then students would do some simple exercises. Thisarrangement has several disadvantages: 1. It is difficult for instructor to quickly see how well students were doing on exercises. 2. It is difficult to reach students down the narrow rows. 3. The system units on the desks tended to prevent student interaction

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

examinationexposed several shortcomings in the topics covered in the curriculum, and also revealed thatapproximately 45% of the coverage of FE topics took place during the freshman year. Thisresult was of concern since passing the FE exam had been deemed as an important goal forgraduates of the program.During the 2006-2007 year, curriculum revisions were planned. New courses in material andprocesses, statics, mechanics of materials, and engineering economics were placed in thesophomore and junior years. For the freshman year, a re-evaluation of the goals for freshman-level courses was necessary, and included a review of the freshman programs at otherinstitutions. The goals that were agreed to among program faculty included: ≠ retaining an early

Conference Session

Administering First-Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Caverly, Villanova University; Howard Fulmer, Villanova University; Sridhar Santhanam, Villanova University; James O’Brien, Villanova University; Gerard Jones, Villanova University; Edward Char, Villanova University; Frank Mercede, Villanova University; Pritpal Singh, Villanova University; Randy Weinstein, Villanova University; Joseph Yost, Villanova University

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First-Year Programs

• Understand what engineers do and know the professional organizations • Be self-confident about studying engineering • Understand the importance of independent learningProfessional Skills • Understand the planning and managing of engineering projects by example • Understand “real-life” constraints in engineering • Understand the importance of teamwork and conflict resolution skills Page 15.994.5Technical Skills • Have improved logical and critical thinking skills, including organizing and documenting solutions • Understand the process of engineering problem solving through the core course micro- projects and homework exercises

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

allow them to better visualize their design thanis possible with drawings or sketches; oftenthey are able to conduct some level offunctionality testing. The prototypes allowstudents to refine their product plans andincrease the likelihood their final product willwork.Mentors or consultants are available to guidestudents through the design process. Studentsare assigned mentors with backgrounds, skillsand experiences appropriate to the problemthey are trying to solve. These mentors bringpractical experience of what is likely to work;they offer guidance in design options, andmaterials choices. Assistance ranges fromproviding subassemblies to complete adesign, creating 3D drawings, and partfabrication. They have proved to be aninvaluable resource

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

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First-Year Programs

2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Convinced  Hopeful  Doubtful  Convinced  Hopeful  Doubtful  Convinced  Hopeful  Doubtful  Would Be  Would Be  Would Be  Would Be  Would Be  Would Be  Would Be  Would Be  Would Be  Helpful Helpful Helpful Helpful Helpful Helpful Helpful Helpful Helpful Plan to participate Leaning Toward Participating Leaning To Not Participate Changed Expectation

Conference Session

Administering First-Year Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Philip Parker, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

member, group of faculty members, or department had “ownership” of the course. While the course was taught in the General Engineering Department, most of the modules were created by professors in other departments. Additionally, the majority of the GE1030 sections were taught by faculty who had not developed any of the modules. • No one oversaw the course to ensure that the delivery to the students was consistent. • Faculty that taught the course organized the course in a way with which they were most comfortable. Some were following the original plan, while others were using six or seven short modules with more homework assignments and smaller or nonexistent

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

students the course objectives and how the course was structured to deliver thoseobjectives. In addition, course format and operation were more clearly explained to theincoming students, so that their expectations would be more in line with what they wouldexperience.The Donahue Institute will be conducting focus groups with this cohort of GPS students thisspring to identify the perceived impact of these courses a year later. These data will also beavailable in June.Assessment of 2009 Offerings: A similar set of assessments is planned for the most recentofferings of the GPS.ConclusionThe Great Problems Seminars were designed as an experiment to bring WPI first yearengineering students into meaningful contact with current events, societal problems

Conference Session

Research on The First Year II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Melissa Dagley-Falls, University of Central Florida; Michael Georgiopoulos, University of Central Florida; Cynthia Young, University of Central Florida

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, they must become socially and academically integrated into theuniversity44 and the associated communities found within. One area of research stemming fromthis concept has been the study of the relationship between student sense of community andintentionally planned learning communities. There are a number of studies supporting thebenefits of learning communities and the positive associated outcomes45-48. However, very littleresearch on STEM learning communities reported providing a residential component. For thosethat did boast residential learning communities (RLC), assessment on the residence portion wasminimal. Further, residential learning communities identified by Ohland and Collins49 and othersevolving since that time50-54, found

Conference Session

Research on the First Year I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rhonda Kowalchuk, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; Tarnisha Green, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; Robert Ricks, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; John Nicklow, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

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First-Year Programs

order to meet thisobjective the COE is focusing on improving retention rates at the freshman and sophomore levelsbecause the attrition rate is highest during the first two years. The COE is implementing aholistic program to address common reasons for students leaving the engineering program,including lack of academic preparation; financial difficulties; difficulty in adjusting to collegelife; lack of a community atmosphere; and disappointment at not being able to experienceengineering principles during the first two years. Following an initial planning period, the COElaunched seven major initiatives in 2007 to achieve project goals. These initiatives include (1) anEngineering Residential College that forms the foundation of a new living

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

the following web site: http://www2.onu.edu/~jestell/cheeseburgerAdditional resources available at this site include the lesson plans related to this video.ConclusionsThe majority of students did get the message that the instructors were trying to demonstrate withthe “Cheeseburger, Fries, and a Coke” video: presentation is just as important as content.Students also indicated that they found the video to be both effective and entertaining, and thatthe video held its own in these areas against a more polished video that was also presented to theclass. Through use of the OME presentations, there is also evidence that the message of the videowas retained, as the presentations made by the 2009 cohort (who saw the video

Conference Session

Potpourri of First-Year Issues

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Flores, UTEP; James Becvar, UTEP; Ann Darnell, UTEP; Helmut Knaust, UTEP; Jorge Lopez, UTEP; Josefina Tinajero, UTEP

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First-Year Programs

the beginning, thePLTL strategy has been recognized to reduce student anxiety and to build confidence12.Peer leaders are successful students who assist professors and serve as role models for freshmanand sophomore students. Peer leaders help with course planning, modeling course objectives,and implementation of course goals. A good peer leader serves as mentor, a bridge betweenstudent and professor, and a friend. In our program, every peer leader receives training thatincludes a pre-semester introduction session, weekly preview sessions, and an end of semesterdebriefing session. The introduction generally lasts three days and involves faculty engagingpeer leaders in cooperative-style learning and knowledge constructivism activities that

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

promoting racial understanding),self-efficacy, leadership, choice of a service career, and plans to participate in serviceafter college 2.In the past few years service-learning has become increasingly common pedagogy inengineering programs around the globe. One reason for its popularity is the industry’sdesire for individuals with the communication and collaboration skills who are betterequipped for working in a global context 3,4.In the United States, many different universities have also incorporated service-learninginto their curricula5. Perhaps the best well-known example is the Engineering Projects inCommunity Service (EPICS) program8 created by Purdue University in 1995 and now itincludes 18 universities. Under this program freshman to senior

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

work experiences include serving as the Director of Student Affairs and Diversity in the College of Education and Health Professions and Assistant Director of Admissions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master of science in health science, both from the University of Arkansas. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership. Her future plans include continuing to serve students in a senior leadership role at a four-year public land-grant university. Page 15.178.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Analysis of Freshman-to

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

: Since the implementation of the ENES 101 design project, which includesassigned design groups, students have consistently rated “cooperation with teammates” tobe amongst the highest rated course outcomes on the end of semester survey, andaccording to data from 2008 (see Table 1) the addition of this communication skillscomponent did not have a statistically significant impact on this rating. Nonetheless, Iwould argue that as long as the design project is sufficiently simple enough to alloweasily constructed designs this additional communication component should be effectiveat fostering further inter-group communication, which will certainly become relevant tostudents planning to work for large industrial companies. As part of the formal

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

don’tconcentrate that much. I go to the lectures and they go through things once and they gothrough it pretty fast. Not like high-school. Where they take one week to explain stuff youcan get it already. And you can get good results. So like I wasn’t that good last semester and Iam going to catch up. I don’t have a plan yet. But I just have to do all the work that they giveus. The work they give us today I will have to do it tonight.” The above comments reflect theimportance of students viewing themselves as their own teachers, building on and extendingtheir pre-existing knowledge, skills and approaches.Peer AssessmentAnother ‘way into’ the subject was through effective feedback from formative assessment. In

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

afrequency and time determined by their members.iCheckpoint and iExpoThe iCheckpoint meeting was held at midterm (14 October 2009). After a box-dinner meal, thewhole community assembled briefly and then was broken into two breakout presentationsessions where the teams presented their organization, plans, and progress regarding (1) identityand social networking, academics and advising and (2) the world of work and service. TheiTeams conducted various social and academic events. For example there were skating parties,movie nights, including a gathering to watch TED.com presentations, trips to corporate sponsors,travel to Silicon Valley conferences, international service projects, helping with Habitat forHumanity projects, and more.The iExpo meeting