Conference Session

FPD9 - First Year Learning & Assessment

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary Halada, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

instructors and students,must include specific examples related to the skill set the course is intended to provide. Ibelieve that student responses to these skill set-specific examples also reflect students’ beliefin their abilities to learn and solve problems in areas beyond traditional engineeringapplications. 2. Course Design to enhance student self-belief in learning ability:There are many references regarding the value of problem-based, active learning environmentsfor improvement of student comprehension and engagement.9,10,11 The results of a recent studyby Braxton, et al., suggest that development of an active learning approach in courses directlyenhances student perception of learning gains, which in turn helps students to view

Conference Session

FPD9 - First Year Learning & Assessment

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jim Chamberlain, Clemson University; Lisa Benson, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

approaching the exit surveys, we were especially interested in the hand-writtencomments that were made to these latter two questions. All students were asked torespond to the first question. Responses to the second question tended to be either furtherelaborations of the first question response or incidental comments, both positive and Page 13.643.4negative, about the General Engineering program or other engineering programs withinthe college. In both cases it can be assumed that students were not given, and did nottake, much time to think through reasoned, reflective responses. Rather we assume thatwe are reading first-impression, instinctive reactions that

Conference Session

FPD7 - Global Warming & Sustainability for First-Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair Rowley, Wright State University; Kumar Yelamarthi, Central Michigan University; Thomas Bazzoli, Wright State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

limited to 60 watts. The use a compact florescent lamp whose light output exceeds that of a 60 watt light bulb would not be recommended. _____ 7. My car gets 34 mpg on the highway. That hybrid car also gets 34 mpg on the highway. So, my car’s contribution to global warming is about the same as the hybrid. _____ 8. My elected officials are familiar with global warming issues. _____ 9. Global warming will cause spreading of disease. _____10. A good investment would be a vacation/retirement home on the coast of Florida. ____11. The most common greenhouse gas emitted from human activities is methane. _____12. Greenhouse gases are not good for humans. _____13. Cutting down trees contributes to global warming. _____14. Greenhouse gases reflect

Conference Session

FPD9 - First Year Learning & Assessment

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Whalen, Northeastern University; Susan Freeman, Northeastern University; Beverly Jaeger, Susan Freeman and Beverly Jaeger are members of Northeastern University's

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Engineering Design course6. These activities related tothe following recognized dimensions of learning styles presented by Felder and Brent4: (1) sensing(concrete, practical, oriented to facts) versus intuitive learners (conceptual, innovative, oriented to theory);(2) visual (pictures, diagrams, etc) versus verbal learners (written and spoken); (3) active (tries things out,works with others) versus reflective learners (learns by thinking through, works alone); and (4) sequential(linear, orderly, learns in steps) versus global learners (holistic, systems thinkers, learns in large leaps).There were over 20 learning modes assessed in both the student and faculty surveys. These modes havebeen described in detail in the previous papers5,6, and are again

Conference Session

1553 FPD3 - Computer & Programming Tools in First Year Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Robertson, Arizona State University; Sarah Roux, Arizona State University; Vivek Ramanathan, Arizona State University; Mark Rager, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Changes Reflections Priorities Multiple perspectives Figure 4. Course planning process.The standard process of the Department has been adapted to provide more scope for reflectionsbased on the advantages reported by other educators 2. Soliciting multiple perspectives leddirectly to the combination of authors for this paper.The planning process led to the following course objectives: 1. Introduce freshmen to each other and the subject 2. Initiate a positive educational experience at the

Conference Session

FPD2 - First-Year Advising and Transition

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Romkey, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the program left for reflecting”Student ExpectationsInstructors expressed surprise, and frustration, with the students’ expectations of theirinstructors: “People will email in ways that will make it seem like I’m serving at McDonald’s rather than serving as a professor. I’ll get a message like “this assignment is marked incorrectly. Correct it at once!”.” Page 13.1228.7 “They want solutions to things, practice exams, bulletin board, email response, TA's in the lab – if they’ve ever gotten it in the past, than they want it in your course.” “consumer mentality of education also plays a part. They have expectations that I don’t yet

Conference Session

FPD5 - Teaming and Peer Performance

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jon Carson, Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

assigned task. The project isevaluated and graded based on meeting the criteria or objectives in the problem statement.Grades assigned to each individual depend on the expectations of the instructor. The simplestapproach is to assign the same grade to all members of the group regardless of the individual’scontribution to the project. Assigning grades that reflect an individual’s effort requiremeasurement and assessment of criteria to allow differentiation within the group.If one of the educational objectives is learning to work in groups, then evaluation of team skillsshould be part of the grading process. Techniques, skills, and methods of working togethershould be incorporated into the group project. Measurement of the student’s application of

Conference Session

FPD2 - First-Year Advising and Transition

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig Gunn, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

acclimatizing themselves to the university usually find that discovery process to be aself-motivated activity. They wander about finding whatever they happen to be interested in ormanage to accidentally encounter. These novices move about the university without anyoneproviding them any direction in their search. The problem with this method is that it simplybecomes an activity that is hit or miss in allowing students to discover what the university reallyprovides in the way of interesting pursuits and helpful means to accomplish one’s final focus forcareer pursuit. Students reflect that when told to go places and find pertinent information aboutthe location or the people who exist there, they comply with the assignment and in many casesfind interests

Conference Session

FPD5 - Teaming and Peer Performance

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arlisa Labrie Richardson, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

beliefs. Encouragement and verbal support from others will increase one’s effortand persistence to accomplish a task. People who have been persuaded that they lack thecapabilities to accomplish a certain task will often avoid that task. It is more difficult to increaseself-efficacy beliefs by verbal persuasion alone than it is to undermine it. The fourth and theleast influential source of self-efficacy is physiological arousal, where people interpret theiremotional states as a reflection of their capability to accomplishing a given task or goal 3.Self-efficacy is domain-specific; it must be considered in terms of a specific situation. Thereforewhen referring to “tinkering” self-efficacy in an engineering design class, only the skills

Conference Session

FPD2 - First-Year Advising and Transition

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean Kampe, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Whitney Edmister, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Christi Boone, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Bevlee Watford, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. For fall 2006 and 2007, there is a stronglink between the course and the peer mentoring program counts.Course Evaluation Data summarizing evaluation of EngE2984 for both runs are presented in Table IV.Those items preceded by an asterisk are student response items that were extracted from theusual SPOT (Student Perception of Teaching) course evaluations administered on the last day oflecture. The values reported for these items are response averages for the fall 2006 and thesummer 2007 runs. The last four items in Table IV reflect actual student success in the course. Page 13.1297.8Table III. A summary of fall participation in the NETS peer

Conference Session

1553 FPD3 - Computer & Programming Tools in First Year Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

W. David Harding, University of New Haven; Samuel Daniels, University of New Haven

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Figure 1: Format for Schedule Development in Microsoft ExcelThe students evaluate the weekly schedules by comparing the actual recorded activities with thescheduled activities. The schedule is then adjusted to better reflect the actual priorities andschedules and the process is repeated. After a one-month period of self-assessment, studentshave completed the Success4Students program and have refined their schedules for the semester.In the final two weeks of schedule adjustments, the students use the schedules as a basis forestablishing teams. Those with similar free time for scheduled meetings are grouped togetherand Outlook is introduced.Managing Individual Student’s SchedulesIndividual students can create and manage their schedules within

Conference Session

1553 FPD3 - Computer & Programming Tools in First Year Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jess Everett, Rowan University; John Chen, Rowan University; Stephanie Farrell, Rowan University; Jennifer Kadlowec, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, business andcomputer science. In the K-12 settings, they again find positive evidence of effectiveness inmiddle- and high-school mathematics, physics and chemistry, as well as in reading throughoutprimary and secondary education. The authors attribute these results to three factors: Increaseduse of formative assessment for feedback, which stimulates student reflections on their learning;building conceptual understanding using contrasts, both similar and different, and discussion;and motivating students to adopt mastery of learning as a goal, while avoiding theembarrassment of poor performance. Page 13.297.3More recently, Fies and Marshall11

Conference Session

FPD8 - Early Intervention & Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joyce Lee, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Jacob Marszalek, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Annel Medina, California Polytechnic State University; Susan Linnemeyer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

happened during SAGE and reflects onwhat must be improved upon.IntroductionThe underrepresentation of minority students in science, technology, engineering andmathematics (hereafter STEM) has been an enduring crisis in U.S. education. Decrying suchinequity, efforts increased from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s to educate and train minoritystudents in the technical fields. To that end, one would be hard pressed to find a higher educationinstitution that had not developed some sort of program to support minority students’ STEMparticipation1. Though the rate at which students seek to study STEM is increasingly comparableby race/ethnicity, the rate of students graduating with STEM degrees is still disparate2 3 4. Thechallenge remains to continue and

Conference Session

1553 FPD3 - Computer & Programming Tools in First Year Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Illig, Clarkson University; John Hrynuk, Clarkson University; Matthew Pennington, Clarkson University; John P. Dempsey, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the grading system used in the course.Several students commented in the “short answer” on quizzes and exams that they felt there were“obscure references” to the textbook present in some questions. This may be more reflective ofthe number of students who did not use the textbook than an actual problem with quiz and examquestions.15 Students also felt that some quiz and exam questions were “poorly worded,” but theydid not provide examples nor did they point out these problems at the time that the given quiz orexam was presented.5. Overview of Changes for Spring 2008 Based on Student Feedback from Spring 2007Several changes were made for the Spring 2008 offering of ES100 based on student feedbackfrom Spring 2007. Budgetary constraints prevented

Conference Session

FPD8 - Early Intervention & Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mukul Shirvaikar, University of Texas at Tyler; David Beams, University of Texas at Tyler; Sagun Shrestha, University of Texas at Tyler

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

from fall 2005 (95) to fall 2006 (73), but theprogram has graduated 11 more electrical engineers. This performance was not in line with thetargeted enrollment increases. The EE enrollment was significantly impacted by low enteringnumbers, which are based on recruitment. This reflects the general trend in the state of Texas andthe nation. The percentage of women and minority EE majors increased in the same timeframe:from 8.4% to 12.3% for women, 9.5% to 11.0% for BNH (black, non-Hispanic) and 4.2% to6.9% for A/PI (Asian/Pacific Islander) students.Encouraging women and minorities is a goal of B2B, and 2006-2007 tutoring records show 8women (17%) and 4 minority students (8.5%), 3 of whom were minority women. B2B tutors inthe 2006-2007 academic

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Swanbom; David Hall, Louisiana Tech University; Kelly Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation’s Course,Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program under Award No. 0618288. Anyopinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those ofthe authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.References1. Splitt, F.G., “Systemic Engineering Education Reform: A Grand Challenge.” The Bent of Tau Beta Pi, Spring 2003.2. Sheppard, S. and Jenison, R., “Examples of Freshman Design Education.” International Journal of Engineering Education, 13 (4), 1997, 248-261.3. Weggel, R.J., Arms, V., Makufka, M. and Mitchell, J., “Engineering Design for Freshmen.” prepared for Drexel University and

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phil Schlosser, Ohio State University; Michael Parke, Ohio State University; John Merrill, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

software (Autodesk Inventor 2008©). They then develop initial energy models oftheir coasters using Excel, use their results to find design problems, and revise their design. Oncethey have approved revisions, they begin to build their coasters. Upon completing the coasterrequirements, students document their final design, including a revised Excel energy model. Inorder to validate their designs, students use eight custom-made speed sensors that they attach tothe coaster track to measure the speed of the coaster car at critical locations along the track.Speed measurements are captured in LabVIEW, analyzed, and submitted in a final report asevidence of how well the Excel design model reflected the actual behavior of the roller coaster.The project

Conference Session

FPD1 - Early Success and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alicia Boudreaux, Louisiana Tech University; Kelly Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University; James Nelson, Louisiana Tech University; Galen Turner, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

transition in student attitudes and perspectives from the beginning of thesummer term to the end of the summer. The following comments reflect some of this transition. After the First Week: There is a sink or swim adjustment to time management. I do like this program; however, it takes a little while to get comfortable with it. I’m exhausted! I think this program is very good and is a great idea except for the fact that the students have no free time to just relax because we’re in class all day and we’re doing homework all night. End of the Summer: The past few weeks I’ve had a blast. I have made so many memories and have grown as a person… I got the chance to get a handle on the campus, teachers, and college life. I am glad that I did

Conference Session

FPD1 - Early Success and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jale Tezcan, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; John Nicklow, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; James Mathias, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Lalit Gupta, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Rhonda Kowalchuk, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

meets three times a week forfifty minutes. The course content is a well-balanced combination of informative and engaginglectures, hands-on projects, and distinguished guest speaker seminars. While the objectives andpriorities of each discipline determine the breadth and depth of the course contents,recommendations from the industrial advisory board, faculty, and students are reflected in thefinal format of the course. The course has three main components: lecture, laboratory and guestspeaker seminars.Lecture Component:The lecture component makes up 20% of the course. This component introduces the students todifferent engineering disciplines and exposes them to the interdisciplinary nature of real-lifeprojects and the importance of teamwork and

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Montgomery, University of Michigan; Rodney Johnson, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

in the body of the report they submit. A meeting with course stafffollows to provide teams with feedback on their plans.Typical errors seen in team Gantt charts include failing to divide the work between members, or,at the opposite extreme, assigning tasks so atomistically that a coherent overall vision is lost.These typically are symptomatic of deeper problems—wanting to work together on all aspects ofthe project, for example, often comes from a lack of trust and confidence in one another, whereastotally compartmentalizing the project between team members may reflect a generalunwillingness to lead on the part of individual team members. In these cases, the project plan canserve as a diagnostic for team problems and a reason to

Conference Session

FPD4 - Teaching Methods for First Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J. Roger Parsons, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; Rachel McCord, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; J. Elaine Seat, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; Thomas Scott, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. There are sixteen four-letter MBTI types. Example descriptionsof two of the sixteen types follow:ISTJISTJ is the most common type among practicing engineers. They are usually quiet andcan appear withdraw because of the I, but most of them make good use of their quiet timeby thinking of ideas and how facts go together. As S’s, they concentrate on executing thejob at hand, using logic (a T trait) to figure out the solution. Their J preference enablesthem to schedule and plan ahead, and they don’t like to have to adapt and change oncethey start down a path. ISTJs are dependable, organized, goal-oriented, and focused onthe facts.INTJINTJs combine their love of personal reflection with a structured and logical assembly ofendless possibilities. They

Conference Session

FPD7 - Global Warming & Sustainability for First-Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alex Friess; Carol Briam, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University; Linda Thompson, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University; Hemdeep Dulthummon, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

allowed to present as part of their team, but ratheronly as an individual. While this change in the grading did not meet general enthusiasm,especially by the students who were relying on their peers’ efforts, it was welcome by themajority of the class. The final results are indicative of the success of this arrangement, as thewinners clearly reflect the students who have excelled in their team environment, as well asin their individual technical research efforts.Summative assessmentThe summative project assessment took the form of a faculty and advisory panel debriefing,and a student survey evaluating their impressions.Student surveysThe following charts depict the student survey results when grouped under the respectiveheadings, which correspond

Conference Session

FPD8 - Early Intervention & Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robin Hensel, West Virginia University; J. Ryan Sigler, West Virginia University; Andrew Lowery, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University.Acknowledgement and DisclaimerThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.0525484. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in thismaterial are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NationalScience Foundation. Page 13.256.16

Conference Session

FPD4 - Teaching Methods for First Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Hall, Louisiana Tech University; Stan Cronk, Louisiana Tech University; Patricia Brackin, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Mark Barker, Louisiana Tech University; Kelly Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

theorywith practical project-based experience to courses throughout the engineering disciplines.Acknowledgement and DisclaimerPartial support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation’s Course, Page 13.855.17Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program under Award No. 0618288. Anyopinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those ofthe authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.Bibliography1. Splitt, F.G., “Systemic Engineering Education Reform: A Grand Challenge.” The Bent of Tau Beta Pi, Spring 2003.2. Sheppard, S. and Jenison, R

Conference Session

FPD10 - Freshman Engineering Introduction to Design

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Silas Bernardoni, University of Wisconsin- Madison; Amit Nimunkar, University of Wisconsin - Madison; John Murphy, University of Wisconsin- Madison; Sandra Courter, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

breadboard. The Appendix III provides in more detail the implementation of these specialized trainingsessions and the topics covered.Practical tips for implementation of Supplemental Training/Curriculum During planning and implementing our training sessions, we integrated the three coreideas from the Delta Program which are Teaching-as-Research, Learning-through-Diversity andLearning Community [9]. Through the Teaching-as-Research approach, we were able to involvesystematic and reflective use of research methods into the design of our SupplementalTraining/Curriculum. We studied the TQM model which has been successfully implemented intothe industrial management practices. We tried to draw a parallel between thebusiness/management

Conference Session

FPD4 - Teaching Methods for First Year Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; Laurie Laird, Ohio Northern University; John-David Yoder, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

assessment of their presentation by using theRSVP rubric. The results of this self assessment, along with reflection as to how to improve the Page 13.518.5student’s specific oral presentation skills, were then submitted as a memo to the instructor.5. ResultsThe results of this research are divided into four reporting categories: the ability of students torecall the names of famous engineers and to associate them with their artifacts, the students’awareness of engineering, additional post-activity survey results, and the effectiveness of theRSVP rubric.5.1. Engineering Personalities and ArtifactsIn both the pre- and post-activity surveys, students