Conference Session

Graduate Student Experience

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine E. Winters, Virginia Tech; Holly M. Matusovich, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies, Student

investigate the experiences of GTAs in engineering by exploring howGTAs' feelings of autonomy relate to the types of teaching decisions they make. Teachingexperiences in graduate school may influence graduate students' career paths, so exploringmotivation and decision making can allow universities to better support graduate students.This study aimed to answer the following research questions: 1. How autonomous do graduate teaching assistants feel in their teaching duties? 2. How do graduate teaching assistants‟ descriptions of their teaching decisions relate to their perceptions of autonomy?Background and Situation in the LiteratureThe employment of graduate teaching assistants, or GTAs, has been largely motivated by thedesire to allow

Conference Session

Methods, Techniques, and New Programs in Graduate Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diane L. Peters, University of Michigan; Shanna R. Daly, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

interdisciplinary contexts. Page 22.1431.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 The Challenge of Returning: Transitioning from an Engineering Career to Graduate SchoolWhile many graduate students have progressed directly from their undergraduate education tograduate school with little or no time passing in between the two, many graduate students havenot followed this pathway. Because of these experiences, “returning” students are different inmany ways from “direct-pathway” students, and these differences can enrich the graduateexperience both for the returning

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experience

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adam R. Carberry, Arizona State University; Daniel P. Bumblauskas, University of Missouri, Columbia; Alexandra Emelina Coso, Georgia Institute of Technology; Ana T. Torres-Ayala, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies, Student

Page 22.1340.4Thomas, personal communication, December 14, 2010). Planning is already in process to boostthese numbers for the 2011 Midwest region meeting at Arkansas Tech in Russelville and the2012 meeting at the Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla.Beyond student chapters, SCC, and region meetings, ASEE has continued to promote studentinvolvement in engineering education through the creation of the “Bring-A-Student” program,which allows students to attend the ASEE Annual Conference without an ASEE membership.Engineering education departments at institutions such as Virginia Tech have organizedworkshops to provide opportunities for graduate and post-doctoral students to explore positionsin academia. In addition, faculty

Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students, Diversity, and Assessment

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joy L. Colwell, Purdue University, Calumet; Jana Whittington, Purdue University, Calumet; Carl F. Jenks, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies, Minorities in Engineering

. Page 22.1714.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2011 Writing Challenges for Graduate Students In Engineering and TechnologyAbstractGraduate education for most students is the move to deeper exploration of knowledge throughpersonal involvement, primarily through research and writing. By thesis or directed project,many graduate programs in engineering and technology incorporate substantial written research-based projects into the master’s level curriculum to prepare graduates for professional careers orfor further study at the doctoral level. Students in the engineering and technology fields faceseveral challenges in moving to written projects of