Conference Session

Undergraduate Retention Activities

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Rose Marra; Cherith Moore; Mieke Schuurman; Barbara Bogue

program objectives and missions.This paper reports the first longitudinal results of a survey undertaken as part of the NationalScience Foundation-funded Assessing Women in Engineering (AWE) project. The instrument isdesigned to measure undergraduate women students’ self-efficacy in studying engineering. Self-efficacy is “belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the sources of action necessary tomanage prospective situations" 3. Prior work from Blaisdell4 has shown that feelings ofefficaciousness can be an important predictor in the success of women studying engineering. Inour project, we developed a survey instrument designed to measure self-efficacy in engineering,feelings of inclusion and outcomes expectations, and have collected

Conference Session

Knowing Students: Diversity & Retention

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

George Bodner; Deborah Follman; Mica Hutchison

their first engineering course. Results are presented from a mid-semester surveyadministered to freshman engineering students (n = 1387) enrolled in ENGR 106, EngineeringProblem-Solving and Computer Tools, at Purdue University. The survey incorporatedqualitative measures of student self-efficacy beliefs. Open-ended survey questions promptedstudents to list those factors affecting their confidence in their ability to succeed in the course.Gender trends emerged in student responses to factors that affect confidence in success. Thesetrends are discussed in light of the four categories Bandura1 has identified as sources of self-efficacy beliefs: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasions, andphysiological states. The results

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Ji Yeon Hong; Charla Triplett; Jenefer Husman

the middle of trying to balance personal needsor goals with professional ones. This study suggests that role conflict may create moreproblems for women who enter a non-traditional field such as engineering.SummaryAlthough many factors influence career goals, recent research in women’s career developmenthave focused on issues such as gender role attitudes, family issues, multiple role conflict, and theeffects of support and barriers (Hackett 1997). Social cognitive career development theoriesfocus heavily on self-efficacy beliefs. Hackett and Betz (1981) have suggested that women’sgender role socialization process does not provide them many opportunities to develop self-efficacy in tasks that are necessary for traditionally male

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

John Dantzler; James Richardson; Tan-Yu Lee; Robert Leland

mouse and determining its resolution (smallest detectablemotion), determining the weight of the bar on a see-saw using only measurements of distanceand peoples’ weights, determining the surface area of a soda can. Students also solved extendedproblems for a floppy disk drive and robot arm for which they saw the actual hardware involved.Despite the focus on pre-calculus mathematics, the course was not remedial, and the problemsaddressed were more difficult than those in a standard pre-calculus math class. Uri Treisman atBerkeley pioneered this approach of using hard problems, with good results20. A survey of MITgraduates listed one of the three main things they learned as undergraduates was to not be afraidof hard problems (self-efficacy

Conference Session

Engineering Education Research and Assessment III

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Daniel Bailey; Andrew Ricke; David Spurlock; Susan Murray

,intrinsic motivation to accomplish, and intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation.In addition, we selected six other personality traits to measure that seemed highly relevant in thiscontext: need for cognition (Cacioppo & Petty9, 1982), organization (International PersonalityItem Pool10, 2001), activity level (International Personality Item Pool10, 2001), socialconnectedness (Lee & Robbins11, 1995), social assurance (Lee & Robbins11, 1995), andgeneralized self-efficacy (Schwarzer & Jerusalem12, 1995). Need for cognition refers to the needto think, learn, and analyze. Organization refers to one’s tendency to plan, control, and orderone’s available resources to accomplish one’s goals. Activity level refers to one’s tendency

Conference Session

Understanding Engineering Design

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Gul Okudan Kremer; Madara Ogot

. 2. Measuring the effectiveness of industry-sponsored project selection on outcomes at both the individual and team level of analysis: a. Student and team motivation (self-efficacy and collective efficacy) b. Student learning c. Student and team performance d. Student retention in the engineering majorHowever, due to space limitations, the remaining sections of this paper will only include adiscussion of potential issues with industry-sponsored projects that impact appropriateness ofthe design project for first year students. These potential issues have been identified basedon literature and the preliminary evidence from an ongoing experimental work at ThePennsylvania State University (Penn State).2.0

Conference Session

Assessing with Technology

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Jonathan P. Mathews; David Morales

learn. Performance and Instruction, 26(8), 1-7. Retrieved December 28, 2004, from ERIC database.[11] Keller, J. M. (1987). The systematic process of motivational design. Performance and Instruction, 26(9- 10), 1-8. Retrieved December 28, 2004, from ERIC database.[12] Jackson, J.W. (2002). Enhancing self-efficacy and learning performance. The Journal of Experimental Education, 70(3), 243-254. Retrieved December 28, 2004, from ERIC database.[13] Gabrielle, D.M. (2003). The Effects of Technology-Mediated Instructional Strategies on Motivation, Performance, and Self-Directed Learning. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Florida State University.[14] Visser, J., & Keller, J. (1990

Conference Session

K-12 Poster Session

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert Sherwood; Stacy Klein-Gardner

, girls learn science better when the curriculumspecifically links mathematics, science, and technology to the real world and integrates thesetopics as well. Girls learn well when the coursework is collaborative and utilizes girls’ verbalskills. Literature has also shown that girls learn science well in classrooms that use hands-oninvestigations while encouraging girls to be experts and technology controllers. Thesecharacteristics help girls to have a feeling of self-efficacy necessary to combat negative attitudesand personal disbeliefs. Girls’ interest in physics can be stimulated by relating content to priorexperiences, encouraging discussion on the social importance of physics, and showing physics inrelation to the human body. While acting as

Conference Session

K-12 Programs for Women

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

John Glover; Frank Claydon; Stuart Long; Jennifer Ruchhoeft; Julie Trenor

participant has transferredher camp experience into her everyday life, particularly her self-efficacy about pursuing a careerin engineering or other STEM discipline. Since our program is relatively new, this data iscurrently limited. This assessment gauges continuing STEM interest levels, and the nature ofany increase or decrease in the girls’ level of interest in pursuing a career in a science,mathematics, engineering, or technology field. These assessments are accomplished throughtracking documents emailed to the former participants and also placed on the CoP website. The “Results” level of assessment is ultimately the “bottom line” in recruiting these femalesinto engineering or related fields. Our plan is to continue to track former GRADE

Conference Session

New Learning Models

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Scott Jiusto; David DiBiasio

study abroad research has shown that students can exhibitnegative changes in self-confidence and self-efficacy affecting their world view and resulting inquestioning their career path.11 We have observed this, anecdotally, in some WPI students. Howthis impacts SDLRS scores and how this might change over time, post sojourn is not known.The IDEA results show that study abroad students’ perception of progress on specifiedobjectives related to LLL is better than that achieved through on-campus projects and traditionalcoursework. This is after only 1 ½ courses of preparation work, prior to leaving campus.Expectations for writing, presenting, critical thinking, and developing research skills may begreater, on average, in the preparation course than

Conference Session

Outreach and Recruitment

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Abhijit Nagchaudhuri

, mathematics, and technology in instruction that combines subjectmatter and pedagogical knowledge. Evans[20] and Thomas, Cooper, and Ponticell[21]describe staff development programs for in-service mathematics teachers that useinquiry-based, science and mathematics classroom instruction. Instruction that integratesscience and mathematics process skills is common, but consistent integration of contentmaterial requires changes to current teacher development practices[22]. Increases inteachers’ mathematics and science self-efficacy beliefs have resulted from completingintegrated mathematics and science methods courses[23]. Integrated investigations provideteachers with opportunities to engage in the creative aspects of mathematics discoveryand exploration

Conference Session

Diversity: Women & Minorities in ET

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Joan Begolly; Jennifer Gilley

%) said that there was an even number of boys and girls in their math classes. Boys werepredominant in 30% of the FIRSTE group responses and 39% of the control group, and girlswere predominant in 13% of the FIRSTE group responses and .04% of the control group. Giventhe body of research stating that boys outperformed girls consistently at the high school level ofmath and science in the 1980s, this is a significant testament to the work that has been done atdeprogramming gendered tracks in high school. Numbers alone do not ensure equal treatment, ofcourse. One study of parents teaching their kids showed that even though “there were nodifferences between girls and boys in their grades, interest, or self-efficacy in science…there wasstrong indication

Conference Session

Real World Applications

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Francis Di Bella

engineering principals that must be learned. What’s more? You the Instructorcan not only entertain and enliven the class-room experience for the student but also beentertained and enlivened by the variety of news items that frequently abound withvignettes such as those noted in this paper. In both instances the self efficacy of thepractitioner (the student as well as the Instructor) is increased. Perhaps the qualatativeresults of this pedagogy can be measured by the absence of that refrain: “Where am Igoing to use this information again?”This pedagogy has an even more subtle result. Assuming that the student is requested bythe Instructor to find one or two similar CSIs and brings them to class; the student isforced to peruse the local newspapers

Conference Session

Curriculum: Ideas/Concepts in Engineering Education

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Randy Isaacson; Peter Goodmann

MentalMeasurement4. Hacker, D., Bol, L., Horgan, D., & Rakow, E. (2000). Test prediction and performance in a classroom context.Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(4), 160-170.5. Isaacson, R., & Fujita, F. (2001, April). The effects of goals,expectations, and self-efficacy on self-regulation and performance in college students. Presented at the Annualconference of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WashingtonAuthorsPETER E. GOODMANN, P.E. is an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology atIPFW. He earned his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and his MSdegree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. He has worked for 25 years in industry and

Conference Session

Engineering Education Research and Assessment III

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Ozgur Eris; Tori Bailey; Helen L. Chen

. Interpersonal Level of interpersonal confidence. The variable explores the relationship Confidence between self-efficacy and persistence in engineering education. Seymour identified “feeling discouraged/losing confidence due to low grades in early years” as a persistence factor [9,10].4. Confidence in Confidence in engineering knowledge and skills. Technical knowledge and Engineering skills refer to proficiency in science, critical thinking, real-world problem Knowledge & Skills solving, and computation. Professional knowledge and skills refer to (Technical, proficiency in business, communication and teamwork

Conference Session

Understanding Engineering Design

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Penny Hirsch; Ann McKenna

Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Educationconfidence, how that element can be related to the learning goals of EDC, and whether ourfreshman design course increases students’ confidence.Many researchers have focused on the role of confidence and motivation on learning. Forexample, Hynd and coworkers explain that persistence and effort are outcomes of motivatinginfluences such as “self efficacy, interest, a desire for good grades and a belief that theinformation is relevant and useful” (p. 55)2. Hynd and coworkers argue that, in order to supportlearning at the conceptual change level, students should be encouraged to engage in reflectionabout the role of their self-perceptions in

Conference Session

Accreditation

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Kenneth Brannan; Kevin Bower

permanently improve or affect their intrinsic motivation. It is also important toimprove the student’s attributional beliefs. Zimmerman and Schunk20 provide literature thatsupports the idea that a student’s motivation and self efficacy will improve if the student believessuccess can be obtained through harder work. Part of any evaluation process is to providepositive and constructive criticism to one’s performance. If the student evaluations arestructured such that more positive feedback is required than constructive criticism and thatcriticism is written in a manner focusing on additional effort in weak areas, then a student’smotivation to improve should increase.After reviewing the literature on self-regulated learning and how PBL can be related to

Conference Session

Women in IT Fields

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Steven P. Thomas

the development and achievement of more women to IT positions.Conceptual FrameworkMany new theories have been developed during the last two decades, which incorporatevariables that have been shown to influence women’s career development (Minor, 199234). Fivecareer development theories/models were used as the conceptual framework for this study.These five conceptual theories/models that are of specific relevance to women include: Hackettand Betz’s (1981)21 Self-efficacy Approach; Farmer’s (1985)11 Model of Career and Page 10.1264.3Achievement Motivation; Astin’s (1984)2 Sociopsychology Model; Gottfredson’s (1981)17 “Proceedings of the

Conference Session

Research On Student Teams

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Janet Schmidt; Jeannie Brown Leonard; Linda Schmidt; Paige Smith

underrepresented groups1,2,3,4,5. Both studentsand instructors recognize that high degrees of team cohesion and collective efficacy (i.e., teammembers’ beliefs about their ability to be effective at their task as a group) are related to goodteam performance6. At the opposite end of the spectrum, poor team experiences can leaveindividuals with adequate grades on their transcripts but low subject matter proficiency, poorcomprehension of the team process, and low self-efficacy. Both faculty and students will benefitfrom improved knowledge about enhancing team effectiveness.Engineering educators need more guidance on how to design team experiences for students thatmaximize their strengths as informal learning communities and minimize their weaknesses.There

Conference Session

College Engineering K-12 Outreach III

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

William Carlsen; Robin Tallon; Phil Henning; Nicola Ferralis; Leanne Avery; Daniel Haworth; Elana Chapman

interactions between Fellowsand IUP pre-service teachers to implement engineering concepts in K-12 classrooms. She teaches coursesin Biology and Education. Her research interests are in enhancing pre-service elementary teachers’ self-efficacy for science and science teaching.PHIL HENNING /HENNING GROUP, LLC.Phil Henning serves as the outside evaluator for the Penn State NSF GK12 GREATT Project and isprincipal of The Henning Group, LLC which provides consulting services in technical and scientificcurriculum development, evaluation and research. He has taught for 26 years at the Pennsylvania Collegeof Technology and holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems from Penn State.WILLIAM CARLSEN /PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITYBill is a Professor of Science

Conference Session

K-12 Poster Session

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

William Carlsen; Robin Tallon; Phil Henning; Leanne Avery; Angela Lueking; Daniel Haworth; Elana Chapman

of Engineering. Having over 20 years experience in vehicle- and safety-related transportationresearch at PTI, she has been involved in the NSF-sponsored GK-12 project focusing on advanced transportationtechnologies since its inception in 1999.LEANNE AVERY /INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIALeanne is an Associate Professor of Science Education in the Department of Biology at IUP. She providesprofessional development in education for Project Fellows and coordinates interactions between Fellows and IUPpre-service teachers to implement engineering concepts in K-12 classrooms. She teaches courses in Biology andEducation. Her research interests are in enhancing pre-service elementary teachers’ self-efficacy for science andscience teaching.PHIL

Conference Session

Systems Approach to Teaching ET

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Gary Masciadrelli; Nicholas Massa; Gary Mullett

students hone their skills and adapt their knowledge to new situations. For example, coursesyllabi typically include a list of learning objectives upon which students’ performance will bebased. The purpose for these learning objectives, however, is not often clear to students (e.g.,Why is this material important to know, how does it apply in the real world, and how will myprogress be evaluated?). Learning objectives in an electric circuits class, for example, may state,“Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:” followed by a list of items such as“measure voltage in a series circuit”, or “calculate current in a parallel circuit.” While learning tomeasure voltage and current are important skills to learn in an electric circuits