Conference Session

Mental Health of Graduate Students

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Sarah Jane Bork, University of Michigan; Joi-lynn Mondisa, University of Michigan

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

literature points to aspects of the student’s social environment, such as feelings ofconnectedness, a sense of belonging, social self-efficacy, and social support, influencingstudents’ reported mental health measures in addition to lasting academic impacts. It is stillunclear, however, to the extent which of these concepts are present in current surveys used toassess graduate student mental health. The research question guiding this study is, Whatunderlying factors are important when looking at the mental health of science, engineering, andmathematics graduate students?This study will look specifically at the Healthy Minds Study (HMS), conducted by the HealthyMinds Network (HMN): Research on Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health group, to tryand

Conference Session

Graduate Student Writing and Communication

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Juan M. Cruz, Virginia Tech; Mayra S. Artiles , Virginia Tech; Holly M. Matusovich, Virginia Tech; Gwen Lee-Thomas, Quality Measures LLC; Stephanie G. Adams, Old Dominion University

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

intended to imply a degree of severity or sequential progression. The first obstacle categorywas the task of writing the dissertation. Students facing this obstacle were commonly in the veryfinal stages and described experiencing ‘writer’s block’ or inability in expressing their researchresults in writing. The second category was students who believed they lacked motivation.These students expressed a lack of self-efficacy in being able to commit to the work necessary tocomplete the degree. They described often procrastinating because they no longer wanted toconduct the research (or related activities), and in more advanced cases, inability to communicateclearly with the doctoral advisor. The third category was students that struggled in

Conference Session

Developing Teaching and Mentoring Skills

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hyun Hannah Choi, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Yuting W. Chen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; A. Mattox Beckman Jr., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Lucas Anderson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Blake Everett Johnson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Matthew D. Goodman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Chris Migotsky, University of Illinois; Nicole Johnson-Glauch

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Diversity

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Graduate Studies

join our GTA training.Program EvaluationAligned with the goals of the program to improve teaching ability and based on the assumptionthat students may not see the connection between teaching and transferable professional skills,this program evaluation was designed to: 1) measure changes in students’ perceptions of theirconfidence in teaching and 2) estimate changes in students’ viewpoints toward teaching as anopportunity to enhance transferable professional skills. To these ends, we administered twosurveys before and after the course: the STEM GTA Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale 5 and a modifiedskills perception inventory. 6 This section discusses the demographics of the students whoparticipated in this evaluation and their responses to the

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Chi-Ning Chang, The University of Kansas; Guan Kung Saw, Claremont Graduate University; Uriel Lomelí-Carrillo, The University of Texas at San Antonio; Mingxia Zhi, Northside Independent School District; Kahlí Romano, Claremont Graduate University ; Ryan Culbertson, The University of Texas at San Antonio

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Diversity

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Graduate Studies

, to estimate the expected total numberof delayed months, including: 1-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-9 months, 10-12 months, and morethan one year. In terms of the career outcome, we evaluated students’ job search self-efficacy byasking three questions [25]: “Since the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, how confident have youbecome in finding (1) the job for which you are qualified? (2) a job in a company/institution thatyou prefer? (3) the job for which you are prepared?” The 5-point Likert scale was from -2 (muchless confident) to 2 (much more confident). The Cronbach’s alpha for these three job search self-efficacy items is .906. The measure for mental health outcome, which focused on symptoms ofdepression and anxiety, asked students if in the last 7

Conference Session

Improved Pathways to Graduate Studies

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacques C. Richard, Texas A&M University; So Yoon Yoon, Texas A&M University; Maria Claudia Alves , Texas A&M University; Vikram K. Kinra, Texas A&M University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

experiences, and overall program experiences.The format of the measures varied, including open-ended questions, ranking, and seven-pointLikert scales, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Among several measures,we analyzed four common measures in both pre- and post-surveys, aligned with the NSF REUprogram objectives, such as (a) career goals after graduation, (b) self-efficacy in decision-makingtoward graduate school, and (c) perceptions of research knowledge, skills, and engineeringcareer paths, and (d) research expectations and experiences that enabled us to explore thedifferences of the impact of the REU programs on national versus international students.D. Data AnalysesFirst, we applied descriptive statistics for frequency

Conference Session

Developing Teaching and Mentoring Skills

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph C. Tise, Pennsylvania State University; Kirsten S Hochstedt, Pennsylvania State University; Sarah E. Zappe, Pennsylvania State University; Esther W. Gomez, Pennsylvania State University; Manish Kumar

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

, and 2) to study the impactof the mentorship experience on the graduate student and postdoctoral mentors. The specific research questions explored included the following: 1) How did participationas a mentor impact mentors’ self-efficacy in research, leadership, or mentorship?; 2) Didworking with an REU student increase the mentors’ perceived research productivity, teachingskills, or communication skills?; 3) What types of approaches did the mentors utilize to superviseand mentor the REU students?; and 4) What challenges related to mentoring and/or the REUprogram did mentors report?Methods The study took place at a large mid-Atlantic research university. The REU program,funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was in its

Conference Session

Teaching & Learning in Graduate Programs

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Branimir Pejcinovic, Portland State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

it requires critical thinking and writing skills, which are difficult toexplain in a traditional classroom setting. In prior work, it was found to be among the mostmentally demanding for novices.6 Performance in this stage could be improved by smallerwriting assignments along the way, which we plan to implement in the future.From our surveys, it was possible to measure the shift in student self-efficacy in performing Page 26.1685.9iSLR and its perceived usefulness, as shown in Table 4. Shift is measured by assigning unitchange if the answers changed between neighboring categories. For example, change fromNeutral to Strongly agree gives a “+2

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Audrey Rorrer, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; David K. Pugalee, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Praveen Ramaprabhu, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Mesbah Uddin, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Harish P. Cherukuri, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Terry Xu, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Deep Prajapati, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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Diversity

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Graduate Studies

developed to capture studentbeliefs in their academic and professional abilities, with the following constructs of interest: Self-Efficacy scales developed specifically for engineering [11] and for entrepreneurship [12];Innovation scales to measure creativity, teamwork, initiative and networking [13]. Additionaltracking includes participation in Bootcamps, use of Ventureprise Center Modules, and attainmentof Entrepreneurship Certificates, along with learning outcomes measures within each.Formative evaluation measures such as pulse-check polls, are deployed periodically amongstakeholders: faculty advisors rate the approach, students rate their experiences, and projectleaders and Advisory Board members provide pulse checks about the process, progress

Conference Session

Graduate Student Support

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ellen Zerbe, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Catherine G.P. Berdanier, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

scales included in the survey, the Inventory of Graduate Writing Processes and theGraduate Concepts of Academic Writing surveys developed and validated by other researchers.Inventory of Graduate Writing Processes [26]. The Inventory of Graduate Writing Processesscale asks multiple questions using a Likert scale regarding the student’s approach to the writingprocess. Results from the questions were sorted into their factors and averaged with the other in-factor items to find each student’s primary and secondary approaches. The factors are describedbelow.  Elaborative—writing is a personal investment and part of knowledge creation  Low Self-Efficacy—lack of confidence in ability to articulate thoughts  No Revision—avoids or resists

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Teaching Preparation in Graduate Programs

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Kara Danielle Fong, University of California, Berkeley; Shannon Ciston, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

often report low levels ofconfidence in a wide range of teaching skills, from facilitating group discussions to handlingstudent cheating. 2,3 In light of these issues, it is crucial to establish effective programs to train andsupport new GSIs in developing both pedagogical knowledge and practical teaching skills.There exists substantial evidence suggesting that semester- or year-long courses aimed towardtraining GSIs are effective in increasing GSI self-efficacy. 2,3,4 The benefits of these coursesinclude improvements in GSI competency that persist years after the course is completed. 5Numerous works have been published in recent years detailing best practices andrecommendations for the development of these graduate student teaching courses

Conference Session

Preparation for Graduate Research

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Bala Ram P.E., North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; Tobin N. Walton, North Carolina A&T State University; Stephanie Teixeira-Poit

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

are unrelated to pastacademic achievement and ability, but are instead cultural, social, and psychological impediments thatresult from students’ experiences within STEM programs and society at large (see Godwin et al., 2016 &Steenbergen-Hu et al., 2018). The construct of Identity has become one of the most useful tools forunderstanding and assessing the experiences of students from underrepresented groups withinundergraduate and graduate STEM programs. Indeed, a strong STEM identity has been shown to bepowerfully related to a students’ interest in STEM fields, beliefs about their own capabilities withinSTEM (i.e., self-efficacy), and motivation to persist to graduation (Collins, 2018). However, research hasalso shown that incompatibility

Conference Session

Improved Pathways to Graduate Studies

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol S. Gattis, University of Arkansas; Manuel D. Rossetti P.E., University of Arkansas; Kim LaScola Needy P.E., University of Arkansas; Edgar C. Clausen, University of Arkansas; Wenjuo Lo, University of Arkansas

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

experience cannotbe required, but it is encouraged. SIIRE workshops focus on performing research and on how tocommunicate research. In addition, SIIRE supports students as they perform their graduatestudies, which often includes a thesis.Borrego et al. [20] apply social cognitive career theory to examine the underpinnings of whyengineering students choose graduate school. They developed constructs aligned with socialcognitive career theory such as self-efficacy, outcome expectations, supports, barriers and choiceactions. These constructs present a more holistic view of the many factors involved in makingthe choice to attend graduate school. For example, Borrego et al. [20] used self-efficacy torepresent “a person’s beliefs about their ability to

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Purdue University at West Lafayette; Soohyun Yi, Texas Tech University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Unique interdisciplinary courses offered through SFEWS 4.00 0.71 4.00 1.22 4.67 0.58 Professional development offered through SFEWS 3.40 0.55 3.80 0.84 4.00 0.00 Interaction with industry 3.00 1.22 2.80 0.84 3.33 1.15 Learning Outcomes. Participants’ perceived self-efficacy for aspects of professionaldevelopment was measured with a 5-point scale (Table 4). Overall, participants agreed that they wereconfident about research-related tasks and ethics (e.g., responsible conduct of research, lab safety, labmanagement, presentations); and their confidence overall increased slightly over time. Their

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Anne Marguerite McAlister, University of Virginia; Sarah Catherine Lilly, University of Virginia; Jennifer L. Chiu, University of Virginia

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

students,specifically, are often told to prioritize their research role over their educator role [61], despitethe demonstrated benefits of being in the educator role. For example, the experience of teachingleads to higher self-efficacy and effectiveness as an educator [62]–[65]. Additionally, graduatestudents’ experimental design and hypothesis generation skills improved from teaching aboutinquiry [61]. The benefits of serving in an educator role may be attractors to the educatoridentity. Graduate students serving in the role of an educator through involvement in scienceeducational outreach has been examined (e.g., [66]–[72]), with demonstrated benefits for K-12student participants, such as increased interest and positive views of science

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Liesl Klein, Purdue University at West Lafayette; Greg J. Strimel, Purdue University at West Lafayette

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

permission to work with PhD Balance and their posts for this project. Werecognize her support and assistance in moving this project forward.Bibliography[1] Nature Editorials, “Being a PhD student shouldn’t be bad for your health,” Nature, vol. 569, no. 7756, pp. 307–307, May 2019.[2] K. Levecque, F. Anseel, A. De Beuckelaer, J. Van der Heyden, and L. Gisle, “Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students,” Res. Policy, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 868–879, May 2017.[3] C. Liu et al., “Prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among doctoral students: the mediating effect of mentoring relationships on the association between research self-efficacy and depression/anxiety,” Psychol. Res

Conference Session

Aligning Graduate Programs with Industrial Needs

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Priyesh Uday Mehta, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Catherine G.P. Berdanier, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

their self-efficacy. Another paper from the group [12] investigates the importance of timing in effectiveness of DFAM education. An important observation is made that introducing DFAM concepts at an earlier stage improves students perceiving utility. A valuable take away from their work is that introducing Additive manufacturing education at an early-career level proves to be advantageous and aids in effective learning. Additional potential overarching research questions the Engineering Education research community could contribute to solving include  How can online, remote, or virtual educational environments be designed to harness best practices in active learning developed for residential

Conference Session

Growing and Maintaining Graduate Enrollment

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Shannon Barker, University of Virginia; Amy Clobes, University of Virginia; Jasmine D. Crenshaw, University of Virginia

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

better indicators ofgraduate school success. Measures of self-efficacy, perseverance, motivation, and belonginghave all been linked to completion of degree and achievement, as well as passion for researchand prior research experience [23,35-40].These data and others were used to directly inform the development and implementation of anentirely holistic approach to graduate admissions, one that aims to level the playing field forapplicants from all backgrounds and experiences. After gaining a thorough understanding ofbest practices in graduate admissions, and recognizing faculty need for a relatively efficientmeans of reviewing large volumes of applicants as fairly as possible, the Holistic PhDAdmissions Rubric was developed. This rubric is

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Shannon Barker, University of Virginia; Amy Clobes, University of Virginia

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

been proven again and again to bepoor indicators of success in graduate school, particularly in research-based degree programs;and instead, are better predictors of gender and race/ethnicity. Likewise, research tells us that astudent’s GPA is a result of a wide variety of factors in addition to academic potential, includinggender, race, first generation status, and socioeconomic standing [24-29].Alternatively, several better indicators have now been correlated with graduate school success inresearch-based degree programs, including self-efficacy, perseverance, motivation, and a passionfor research and prior research experience [30-34]. A holistic application review process thatfocuses on these evidence-based metrics of success with a de

Conference Session

Mental Health of Graduate Students

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Amanda C. Arnold, Arizona State University; Kerrie G. Wilkins-Yel, University of Massachusetts Boston; Jennifer M. Bekki, Arizona State University; Bianca L. Bernstein, Arizona State University; Madison Natarajan, University of Massachusetts Boston; Ashley K. Randall, Arizona State University ; Roxanna Francies, Arizona State University; Chinwendu Elyse Okwu, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

; Kanagui-Munoz, 2015; Navarro, Flores, Lee, &Gonzalez, 2014). The key predictive elements in SCCT include self-efficacy (confidence inone’s ability to successfully perform a task), outcome expectations (beliefs about theconsequences of performing specific behaviors), and contextual factors (environmental supportsand barriers). Regarding the latter, contextual factors, SCCT posits that these factors can eitherenhance or constrain educational and career progress (Lent, Brown & Hackett, 2000). To date,limited attention has been given to examining the impact of barriers such as institutionalstructures and STEM departmental climate on the mental health of women in STEM and in turnon STEM persistence. The advancement of women in STEM hinges on