, clothing, hospital equipment, electronic air defense simulations, missiles, and many others. He is married and has two daughters. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 GIFTS: Dangerous Toys Project, by Daniel Harbowy This Great Ideas For Teaching (and Talking With) Students paper details aproject-based pedagogy for students taking “Introduction to Engineering.” There arefive motivating factors for this project. First, there lacked a central element tocoalesce the coursework taught in the first engineering class students take. Second,getting new students to understand the engineering process is an important element of their firstengineering class. Third, students with extremely diverse
ProjectsAbstractThis evidence-based practice paper provides engineering educators teaching first-yearintroductory courses, who are new or looking to update their courses, inspiration with diverseproject ideas. The active learning via project-based, activity-based, and service-based courseswithin the first-year engineering curriculum has proven effective for students not only to becomemore engaged and motivated but also to experience increased learning and retention. Generally,first-year engineering courses are meant to create student experiences that are meaningful, open-ended, and hands-on in addition to being an introduction to working and communicatingeffectively within teams. Whether one is an experienced educator or not, looking for projectideas to adapt
©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Work in Progress: A Case Study on Large-Course First-Year Engineering Design ProjectsAbstractThis work-in-progress paper outlines an approach to project-based learning (PBL) in a first-yearengineering design course for all students in the school of engineering at a large researchuniversity. Compared to the previous version of the course, emphasis is placed on workingthrough uncertainty in the design process, making the course more appealing to indigenous andNew Zealand students, and more directly connecting topics to second-year discipline-specificdesign classes. The course presents a generic design process from problem understandingthrough to testing and documentation
Paper ID #37596Work in Progress: Integrating Engineering Design Projects into EarlyCurricular Courses at a Hispanic-serving InstitutionDr. David Hicks, Texas A&M University-Kingsville David Hicks is an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Before joining TAMU-K he served as Associate Professor and Department Head at Aalborg University in Esbjerg, Denmark. He has also held positions in research labs in the U.S. as well as Europe, and spent time as a researcher in the software industry.Dr. Michael Preuss, Exquiri Consulting, LLC Michael
Paper ID #42826Augmenting Introductory Engineering Courses to Include a CollaborativeLearning by Design Project: Assessment of OutcomesDr. David Hicks, Texas A&M University, Kingsville David Hicks is an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Before joining TAMU-K he served as Associate Professor and Department Head at Aalborg University in Esbjerg, Denmark. He has also held positions in research labs in the U.S. as well as Europe, and spent time as a researcher in the software industry.Dr. Michael Preuss, Exquiri Consulting, LLC Michael
Paper ID #43374Exploring Engineering Technology: A Multi-Disciplinary, Project-Based Introductionto Engineering TechnologyDr. Benito Mendoza, New York City College of Technology Benito (Ben) Mendoza is an Associate Professor in the Computer Engineering Technology Department at New York City College of Technology (City Tech), part of the City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Mendoza was the (2020-2021) Chair of the Middle Atlantic Section of the American Society for Engineering Education. He is the co-founder and steering member of the City Tech HSI Steering Committee, which seeks to promote awareness of City Tech’s
Paper ID #41708Work in Progress: Project-Based, Multilevel Teamwork for First-Year EngineeringProgramDr. Fayekah Assanah, University of Connecticut Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, 260 Glenbrook Road, Unit 3247, Storrs, CT 06269-3247. Dr. Fayekah Assanah is an Assistant Professor in Residence in the Biomedical Engineering Department. She is the team leader for ENGR 1166: Foundations of Engineering. As the course lead, she has developed and implemented service-learning projects and project-based lessons for all first-year engineering students. Assanah’s research focuses on synthesizing
Respectful, Equitable Teamwork in a First- Year Design CourseAbstractThis Work In Progress paper describes the initial implementation of activities aimed to enhanceteamwork in a first-year design course. Teamwork plays a central role in the experience ofstudents in many first-year engineering design programs. The first-year design class at DukeUniversity revolves around student teams (typically four or five members) working on aspects ofa client-based project. Although most teams in the course function reasonably well, there existareas for improvement: respectful communication among team members and ensuring that theperspectives and skills of all group members are appropriately valued. Each year, a few groupshave problems in
PreCalculus course as Problem-Solving with Brooks and was also afforded the opportunity to lead an impactul Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Principles of Engineering (PoE) course, a project-based learning survey of the engineering discipline. Since the Summer of 2015 I have been privileged to work with the Texas A and M Sketch Recognition Lab (TAMU SRL) to evaluate a couple of online tutorial tools (Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS)) cur- rently under development, Mechanix and Sketchtivity, that provide immediate constructive feedback to the students and student-level metrics to the instructors. I presented on this work at the state and national PLTW Conventions and at CPTTE in 2016. I also spent 5 semesters beginning the
Paper ID #38922Impact of Inclusion of Makerspace and Project Types on Student Comfortwith Additive Manufacturing and Three-Dimensional Modeling in First-YearEngineering ProgramDr. Andrew Charles Bartolini, University of Notre Dame Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Notre Dame Coordinator, First-Year Engineering Program, University of Notre DameSimran Moolchandaney, University of Notre Dame Simran Moolchandaney is a class of 2023 undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame major- ing in Computer Science and minoring in Bioengineering. Outside the classroom, Simran is an NCAA Division 1 Fencer, and an active
Paper ID #38369WIP: Designing disciplinary projects in an honors first-year engineeringcourse to improve retention and participation of first-year students.Dr. Joseph A. Lyon, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) Dr. Joseph A. Lyon is a lecturer in the College of Engineering at Purdue University. He holds a Ph.D. in engineering education, an M.S. in industrial engineering, and a B.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Purdue University. His research interests include models and modeling, computational thinking, and computation in engineering education.Dr. Jacqueline Callihan Linnes, Purdue University at West
Design Process to First-Year Students with a Project Focused on Offshore Wind EnergyAbstractThis is a complete evidence-based practice paper. In 2019, a new semester-long course projectwas developed for our university’s first-year engineering program that aimed to introducestudents to the engineering design process (EDP) in an engaging and relevant way. Students inour small undergraduate-only engineering program earn Bachelors of Science degrees inEngineering, with a specialization in civil, computer, electrical, environmental, mechanical, or acustom area. Offshore wind energy was chosen as the project topic both for its relevance to theuniversity’s coastal location and because it touches upon many of the subareas of
physicsprior to enrolling in project-based engineering courses. This pathway works well for somestudents but excludes many. Rather than serving as a gatekeeper, our integrated human-centeredengineering pathway will serve as a gateway, thus increasing retention and attraction toengineering, among all students but particularly among those currently struggling to find a placein engineering. We will furthermore develop a sense of community and professional identityamong students through a comprehensive approach that includes advising, mentoring,internships, research opportunities, outside speakers, and more.Our work is guided by four main research questions:1. Are we better able to retain students in engineering on a Human-Centered Engineering pathway?2
dedication to student suc- cess, her innovative approach to program design, and her collaborative spirit, Sahar Mari is a true asset to the field of student support services.Ms. Sara AlBanna, SLB Sara AlBanna is a recent graduate from Texas A&M University at Qatar with a degree in petroleum engi- neering. She currently works as an field engineer at SLB. As a dedicated engineer, she is passionate about creating positive change in the industry. Her diverse undergraduate research projects, ranging from the impacts of migration on education to the development of multilateral wells, reflect her interests in multi- disciplinary pursuits. AlBanna is a multifaceted individual, identifying as an author, artist, and petroleum
racism.Collaborative problem-solving experience is a key quality sought by most employers. It is welldocumented that effective teamwork can facilitate career progression, often leads to moreinnovative solutions, and has the potential to increase job satisfaction. Throughout theirundergraduate education, students are tasked with team-based projects to provide this requiredexperience, however they are rarely provided with the skills to be a successful team member andleader. Ambrose et al. [3] highlight that in addition to content knowledge, teamwork furtherrequires higher-order qualitative skills such as task delegation, conflict resolution, and contentsynthesis. Furthermore, research shows that stereotypes and biases towards women and studentsof color can
of belonging within engineering. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Concept Mapping the Entrepreneurial Mindset in a First-Year Engineering Design Course: How Students' Perceptions ShiftAbstractThis complete evidence-based practice paper looks at a concept mapping activity that was usedin a first-year engineering design course. Students created concept maps of the EntrepreneurialMindset before their design project started and then they were asked to iterate on the map afterthey completed their design project. This study examines the concept maps and uses anautomated scoring tool to complete traditional and categorical scoring. The results show that thecomplexity of the maps did increase
address the various skill levels of the students at regional campuses and support studentsand faculty with a variety of academic needs.IntroductionTraditionally, First-Year Engineering Experience involves two semesters’ worth of coursework.During these two years, students explore a variety of engineering disciplines in order to makeinformed decisions about the field they are interested in pursuing their Bachelor’s degree.Engineering is considered a practical and challenging degree that involves applied math andscience coursework. In addition, there are hands-on labs and open-ended projects in the first-yearcurriculum that provide students with critical thinking, problem-solving, and project management
incorporates more generic skills of building, designing, crafting, andproblem solving. These spaces in which “making” occurs can be commonly referred to as“makerspaces.” Makerspaces on college campuses serve as physical locations for students todesign, fabricate, and make both for class and personal projects [7], [8]. On a deeper level, thesespaces allow for students to network, bond, help each other with homework, and strengthen theirengineering identities [7].Makerspaces are varied across universities. Some makerspaces are only accessible while staff ispresent, whether it be student workers, support staff, or both [7]. Others are swipe accessible tostudents so that they have 24/7 unsupervised access to the space [8]. Some makerspaces
©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Experienced Teaching Assistants’ Perceptions of a Simulated Environment for Facilitating Discussions with Individual Student Avatars from a Design Team in ConflictIntroductionThis Complete Research paper describes the outcomes of using a simulated environment forteaching assistants (TAs) to practice managing conflicts on teams of undergraduate studentsengaged in a design project. Team-based projects are frequently used in engineeringundergraduate courses, especially in introductory engineering courses. In addition to technicalcompetence, team-based design projects support the development of collaboration andcommunication skills and engage novice engineers in higher
University of Puerto Rico, MayagA¼ez Campus. She has a M.S. in Clinical Psychology from the Caribbean Center of Advanced Studies in Puerto Rico [today the Carlos Albizu University] and a Ph.D. in EducationDr. Aidsa I. Santiago-Roman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus Dr. Aidsa I. Santiago-Rom´an is a Professor and Former Chair in the Engineering Sciences and Materials (CIIM) Department at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayag¨uez Campus (UPRM). Dr. Santiago earned a BS and MS in Industrial Engineering from UPRM and Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University. Dr. Santiago has over 20 years of experience in academia and has been successful in obtaining funding and publishing for various research projects
an engineering identity early in theirmatriculation can be significant drivers of attrition from technical fields. Previous researchsuggests that project-based learning builds students’ engineering/computing identity by piquingand developing student interest in engineering topics. Literature on the sense of belonging inengineering suggests that experiencing camaraderie within course-based teams, and particularlyhaving a clear purpose or role within the team, can promote that sense of belonging. The currentresearch project sought to implement evidence-based practices to enhance first-year students’identity and sense of belonging in engineering and computing, in the context of a two-semesterintroductory course sequence that integrates students
engineering courses. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023Lessons Learned: Implementing Equitable Teaming Practices in first-year GE CoursesBackground and MotivationAspiring engineering students at Virginia Tech initially enroll in a General Engineering programduring their first year of the curriculum. In this program, students are expected to develop, alongwith other skills, professional teamwork strategies in an engineering setting through asemester-long team project. These types of team projects have been shown to influence students'sense of belonging as they begin their studies, something that can be a factor in retention andsuccess in an engineering program. Many instructors
to traditional CS courses, is its project-basednature, where students learn programming concepts and directly apply them to real roboticsprojects. This work primarily focuses on the imperative of introducing a dedicated first-yearprogramming course into the RBE curriculum, designed specifically for robotics, whilehighlighting WPI RBE’s pioneering role in robotics education and the project-based approachthat sets it apart. We aim to enhance the educational experience and preparedness of our students,ensuring that they are well-equipped to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving field of robotics.The pedagogical theory and approach underpinning this course will be presented, and theexpected outcomes will be discussed, along with methods of
projects [1]. Well supportedacademic makerspaces provide students with open access to resources that help them developtheir problem-solving skills, provide opportunities for collaboration, increase self-efficacy, anddevelop sense of belonging [2] [3]. Sense of belonging generally relates to self-perceptions of fitwithin a given context [4] [5] and has the ability to positively impact academic achievement andpersistence in STEM [6] [7] [8]. There is evidence to suggest that the presence of a non-intimidating, informal community established within an academic makerspace can potentiallybenefit student sense of belonging [9].Creating an inclusive community within a makerspace that promotes belonging requirespurposeful considerations. Research has
belonging, identity, inclusion, privilege, power, oppression, and allyship as well astechnical topics such as 3D visualization, design process, orthographic projection, and the role offailure in design. This paper presents the course model, shares learning objectives, details theunique features of the course, and shares research findings related to the course. Courseassignments make use of a flexible grading structure that allows students to tailor their learningto align with their prior knowledge and educational goals. The paper discusses how the authorsblend the social and technical to create continuity and connection between the course topics tohelp students develop a sociotechnical mindset. A student survey was developed to assess theimpact of
: Overview of a Financial Literacy Course for Incoming Engineering Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution”AbstractThis Work in Progress paper discusses a financial literacy course offered in an introductory engineeringcourse to prepare freshman students on personal finance and money management. The Yes, SHE Can!program from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) developed the financial literacy course, whichgenerally consists of an introduction module, five learning modules on key topics related to financialliteracy, and a final project. Students were exposed to finance and money management related topics suchas cash flow, budgeting, savings accounts and strategies, investments, retirement accounts, and work-forcebenefits. Access to
and in college in general [7]. Our projectbuilds on the existing two-course first-year engineering sequence at WCC that we have offeredsince Fall 2017. The first course, ENGR 101: Introduction to Engineering, explores the academicand career options within engineering through hands-on projects that strengthen students’academic preparation for future courses by exploring basic science and math concepts along withproblem solving strategies. Activities also encourage goal setting, develop academic skills, andintroduce students to the social context of engineering. ENGR 101 generally includes a multi-week service-learning project in which students design and deliver STEM outreach activities forlocal children and their families. Participation in
Paper ID #38381Examining first-year engineering programs’ impacts on sense of belongingacross genderDr. Joseph Arthur Brobst, Old Dominion University Joe Brobst holds a BS in Biological Sciences, MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and Ed.D. in Edu- cational Leadership, all from the University of Delaware. Formerly a high school biology teacher, he is now an educational research and program evaluation specialist with experience on a broad range of projects funded by NSF, US Department of Education, ONR, and NIH and with participants ranging from elementary school to higher education. Much of his work focuses on broadening
reported adding realistic projects or case studies that are morehands-on or industry related into the course design [34]–[39]. Other studies talked about addingrealistic components to a curriculum as a whole rather than just in project work in a particularclass [24], [27]. Other studies took this step further into actually interfacing with industrythrough the use of industry mentors [23] or work-integrated learning where students worked inthe field [30]. However it was done, there was a clear emphasis on real-world experiences thatseemed prevalent to high-achieving and honors populations.Bridging topics and disciplines: One interesting finding was the emphasis on learning that wasinterdisciplinary or that bridged multiple topics together. For
, and yet are reasonably inexpensive. The selected devices do not have to be new anddo not actually have to work although it would be preferred if they did, so students candemonstrate they successfully reassembled them. Note that this is not a project, where studentsresearch, analyze, design, and build something. While projects are very valuable in thedevelopment of good engineers, freshmen engineering students need intimate exposure to typicalequipment designed by engineers.IntroductionIt was not uncommon in years past for first-year engineering students to have significant hands-on experience related to engineering, prior to starting college. For example, some worked onmachinery used on a farm, while others worked on their cars or motorcycles