Conference Session

Novel Entrepreneurship Programs

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert S. Crockett, California Polytechnic State University; Daniel W. Walsh, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

large,established companies, however, and has the potential to result in “safe” project topics that arenot of significant scope and relevance. For every company that is willing to work within theconstraints of the current mechanisms for funding student projects, there are likely a muchgreater number who would very much like to offer challenges to student teams, if there were astreamlined process that adequately protected their commercial interests, had a contractdeliverable that they were purchasing, and reduced the project risk to an acceptable level.Current Funding Mechanisms & LimitationsAt Cal Poly, there are three primary mechanisms for industry support of student projects: 1. As a donation to the College or Academic Department. 2

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship Courses and Outcomes II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica R. McCormick, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Beverly Radloff, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Nancy Lamm, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis; Terri L. Talbert-Hatch, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

. Page 22.1172.3The goal of this paper is to answer three research problems: 1) Identify if students are receivingeverything they need during school in order to enter the real world after graduation; 2)Determine if students from the dual degree program are more successful during their first timejob search than those in the traditional program; 3) Confirm that there is a need for engineers tohave a well-rounded education. If gaps are identified in either group which deserve attention,proper measures can be taken. If areas are identified as being useful with one group and lackingin the other, this can also be addressed.Literature ReviewDual DegreeSome research attention has been focused on traditional three-two programs orBachelors/Masters

Conference Session

Student Entrepreneurial Skills and Mindset I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Judith Giordan, National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA); Angela Shartrand, National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA); Joseph Steig, National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) and VentureWell; Phil Weilerstein, VentureWell

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

innovator's personal and professional aspirations.I. The innovation challengeOverviewOne of our hopes is that… there will be full employment, and that the production of goods andservices will serve to raise our standard of living… Surely we will not get there by standing still,merely by making the same things we made before and selling them at the same or higher prices.We will not get ahead in international trade unless we offer new and more attractive andcheaper products… There must be a stream of new scientific knowledge to turn the wheels ofprivate and public enterprise. -- Vannevar Bush, 1945 [1]The translation of basic scientific research to practical and deployable innovations that benefitpeople and the planet is as old as human history itself

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship Faculty Development

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nebojsa I. Jaksic, Colorado State University-Pueblo

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

couple of examples from Altshuller19.The ProblemThe problem consists of developing the pneumatic punch press system shown in Figure 1. Thesystem is to operate in the following manner: 1. When an operator presses two pushbuttons at the same time (pushbuttons not shown in Figure 1), the clamping plate pushes down clamping the part to be punched. 2. The punch ram punches through the clamped part and then retracts back to its original position. 3. When the punch ram is fully retracted, the operator releases the two pushbuttons, removes the punched part, inserts the next part, and repeats the process.A near “closed world” solution is desired, i.e. only minimal modifications to the hardwarespecification are allowed. This

Conference Session

Techniques to Enhance Environmental Engineering Courses

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Isaac W. Wait, Marshall University; Richard F. McCormick, Marshall University; Sydney M. Wait, Marshall University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

lab access inorder to take frequent measurements and make adjustments to growing conditions. Thus, it isclear that an alternative which eliminates these challenges would be an advancement towardsgiving students the opportunity to have hands-on experience with biological growth, and betterunderstand the factors that influence reaction kinetics.Kefir is a drink that originates from the Caucus region of Eurasia, and is similar in appearanceand taste to unsweetened, drinkable yogurt. The production of kefir depends on the presence ofkefir grains (see Figure 1), which are colonies of bacteria and yeast that live in jelly-like clustersand are placed into milk during kefir production1. The growth of kefir, wherein microorganismsconsume a substrate

Conference Session

Techniques to Enhance Environmental Engineering Courses

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Philip J. Parker, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

screencasts was a completely new field of study for me at the beginning of theFall 2010 semester. However, the learning curve was not particularly steep, and spending lessthan 1 hour watching tutorials from the Camtasia website was sufficient training.My method for recording the screencasts evolved over time. The first method was in essence tocreate a PowerPoint presentation and record the delivery of this presentation. The PowerPointslides contained a number of equations, with various algebraic manipulations and inserting ofgiven values. The details of unit conversions and numeric calculations were not includedexplicitly. I set the custom animations in PowerPoint such that each equation appeared one at atime on a mouse click. I continuously recorded

Conference Session

Introducing Sustainability into Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Brandes, Lafayette College, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

project was three-fold: (1) to address an existing runoff problem that was degrading a high-quality stream in the local community, (2) to involve undergraduate students in an integral way in the design process, system maintenance, and in performance monitoring, and (3) to use the project as a practical illustration of how sustainability constraints are incorporated into water resources engineering. The importance of ongoing partnerships with the local municipality, regulatory agencies, and watershed advocacy organizations is emphasized as key to sustaining multiple-year off-campus projects. Qualitative assessment suggests the project was highly motivational to many students; however, a drawback is that a given class of students

Conference Session

Techniques to Enhance Environmental Engineering Courses

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie Luster-Teasley, North Carolina A&T State University; Cindy Waters, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Problem Based Learning and Case Studies into an Environmental Engineering Lab Course Stephanie Luster-Teasley, PhD1 and Cynthia Waters, PhD2 North Carolina A&T State University 1 Department of Civil, Architectural and Agricultural Engineering 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering Greensboro, NC 27411Abstract An introductory Environmental Engineering course was re-designed to include newenvironmental laboratory modules based on Sustainability and Green Design. The goal of thecourse was to incorporate the skill sets taught in a traditional Environmental

Conference Session

Introducing Sustainability into Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jonathan Wiggins, University of Colorado, Boulder; Mary E. McCormick, Tufts University; Angela R. Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder; Christopher W. Swan, Tufts University; Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

systems to embrace sustainability gained worldwide attentionin 1987. As stated in the Brundtland Report: “[Sustainable Development] challenges cut acrossthe divides of national sovereignty, of limited strategies for economic gain, and of separateddisciplines of science . . . The changes in attitudes, in social values, and in aspirations that thereport urges [to achieve sustainable development] will depend on vast campaigns of education,debate and public participation”1. This report called for a change in the way we as humansinteract with each other and the planet. In the years since this report, campaigns for educationand public debate have occurred, albeit not to the vast extent envisioned by the BrundtlandCommission. Education is a deeply

Conference Session

What Else do Environmental Engineers Need to Know

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Powers, Clarkson University; Jan DeWaters, Clarkson University; Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University; Mary Margaret Monica Small, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

orengineering that would contribute to solving global climate problems. Qualitative assessmentresults indicated that students felt more confident in their ability to contribute to climate changemitigation through both their personal knowledge and professional career options.IntroductionThe scientific community now recognizes with a very high level of confidence that recentindustrial and agricultural activities are having a profound impact on Earth’s climate. 1 Therelease of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from these activities is causing a discerniblewarming and general instability of our planet’s climate. It is now time to help the broadercommunity understand the science of climate change, its potential implications, and the actionsrequired to

Conference Session

Mechanical and Architectural Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert McMasters, Virginia Military Institute; Ryan Taylor, Virginia Military Institute

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

1involving the model rocketry work is the “project” segment of the course, encompassing the finalfive weeks of the semester. By this time, the students have had previous exposure to all of themeasurement tools needed to perform the model rocketry experiment and, at this point, are askedto design their own experiments to accomplish the goal of predicting the maximum height of arocket.Previous work in this area has been done by Boyer et al. [1] which dealt primarily with anintroduction to aerospace engineering, using model rocketry as part of this introductory course,including the concept of impulse. Suchora and Pierson [2] use model rocketry as part of afreshman introductory course, primarily in order to generate interest among first-yearengineering

Conference Session

Pedagogical Innovations in Laboratory Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Murthy Kasi, North Dakota State University; Yaping Chi, North Dakota State University; G. Padmanabhan, North Dakota State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Lines LinesFigure 1. An example of a flownet(a)(b) Dam Cutoff Stream wall lines Equipotential linesFigure 2. Flow nets showing stream lines and potential lines for (a) a discharging well in anaquifer bounded by a stream parallel to an impermeable barrier (plan view) (slightly modified1), Page 22.1392.3and (b) groundwater flow beneath a dam with a cutoff wall (sectional view).Laboratory courseThe flownet experiment was

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chiu Choi, University of North Florida

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

number of references[1] through [11].  The reference designs described in this paper include an accelerometer, a digital compass, aninfrared distance sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor,and a Hall Effect sensor. Provided in each reference design are the description of the sensor,hardware interfacing techniques, circuit and wiring diagrams, code snippets in C language, andordering information.A website was developed for hosting the reference designs for students to download. Theinformation for the reference designs in the website is presented in a way that the students needto do extra work in order to use them in their projects. This prevents the students from copyingthem straight into their projects

Conference Session

ELOS Best Paper Nominations

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Li Tan, Purdue University, North Central; Jean Jiang, Purdue University North Central

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

in many DSPapplications. For example, a low sampling rate (100 Hz) is fast enough to process temperaturesignal, light intensity, air pressure, mechanical strain, or seismic signal. Meanwhile, a lowanalog-to-digital (ADC) resolution (8-bit data) in these applications may be sufficient. Hence, anadoption of a low-cost microcontroller instead of a digital signal processor with full capability isa cost effective choice. Considering these facts, using a microcontroller for a DSP course in thejunior year could offer the following benefits to ECET students: (1) a microcontroller can be analternative and cost effective solution when a DSP processor such as TMS320C67xx is notavailable; (2) students can save a significant amount of time for learning

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Graff, LeTourneau University; Paul R. Leiffer, LeTourneau University; Matthew G. Green, LeTourneau University; Joel Koblich, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

they get as areward, and are motivated instead in proportion to the large amount of learning they accomplish.Camaraderie is generated, and the night before the public presentation a large number of studentsspend all night in the lab adding last-minute details, drinking energy beverages, and eating pizza.The comment “if Professor Graff doesn’t teach Lab 3 [with Rube Goldberg] anymore, there’s noreason to come to [this] University” has been overheard on campus.The open-ended Rube Goldberg design project has six very intentional learning goals. Thesegoals include providing students with hands-on experience with: (1) teamwork, (2) publicpresentation, (3) creativity & innovation, (4) systems thinking, (5) energy transfer andconversions, (6

Conference Session

Pedagogical Innovations in Laboratory Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roger A. Beardsley, Central Washington University; Charles O. Pringle, Central Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

activities. Two of the lab activities analyze automotive transmissions. The twotransmission labs utilize a three-speed manual shift transmission and a planetary transmission.The three-speed transmission illustrates the operation of manual shift transmissions (withsynchros, sliding gears and collars, and dry plate clutch) while the planetary transmissionillustrates a simplified version of the operation of automatic transmissions (shifting using brakebands and a wet plate clutch). By "reverse engineering" these transmissions, many gear designconcepts make better intuitive sense to students.Gear design jargon can be complex. Over 80 terms are used to define gear geometry 1. Inanalyzing the transmissions in our lab, a number of the terms take on deeper

Conference Session

Pedagogical Innovations in Laboratory Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Chiou, Drexel University; Yongjin (James) Kwon, Ajou University; Robin Kizirian, Drexel University; Matthew Dordai; Bret Alan Davis, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

the PLC ladder logic in a virtualenvironment before it is run on a physical PLC. PLCStudio’s design process can be broken downinto three main steps; the component model, logical I/O model and cell model. These three stepsare performed in hierarchical phases to produce the final virtual model. Page 22.1073.3 Figure 1: Component ModelComponent 3D ModelThe first step in building a virtual cell is to design 3D solids to be used in a component model.The 3D solids can either be generated with PLCStudio’s CAD tools or imported from other CADapplications such as AutoCAD or SolidWorks. For devices with movable parts

Conference Session

ELOS Best Paper Nominations

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Loren Limberis, East Carolina University; Jason Yao, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

program outcomes is based on: 1) How well the studentscommunicate specific design aspects in the formal report; 2) How well they communicate theirlinearization methods using MATLAB; 3) A survey on how well the students believe they aremeeting the course objectives associated with the laboratory project; and, 4) the successfulcompletion of embedded questions in quizzes the final exam associated with the design project.IntroductionThe general engineering program at East Carolina University was started in 2004 to help supportthe need of broadly-skilled, general engineers for the regional industries and business located Page 22.1420.2among the small

Conference Session

ELOS Best Paper Nominations

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Ridgely, California Polytechnic State University; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

tooptimize financial results for the institution rather than learning outcomes for the students.Model Eliciting Activities, or MEA's, provide a framework which assists the design of projectswhich ensure that students meet learning outcomes associated with professional competence aswell as problem-solving and communication skills3. Projects designed as MEA's share many ofthe same characteristics as other Problem- and Project-Based Learning activities, such as theassignment of open-ended problems which are (or closely resemble) tasks performed inprofessional practice. However, MEA's are built upon six guiding principles that differentiatethem from PBL. The guiding principles of MEA's are as follows: 1) The Reality Principle: The task provided to

Conference Session

Innovative Teaching Methods and Learning Models

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Sugg, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division; John V Fishell, Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP) ; Arman Hovakemian, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

for Engineering Education, 2011 Navy Metrology Engineering Center STEM Outreach through the STEP Program: Challenges, Lessons Learned and Application to DoD StrategyBackground:The United States and especially the Department of Defense (DoD) has historically reliedheavily upon scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians to innovate, design, produceand maintain a technically superior capability to defend and advance the interests of the UnitedStates, both at home and globally. The United States maintained a leading edge technologicadvantage through and beyond World War II until it was stunned by the Soviet Union‟s launchof Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. Sputnik 1 was the first artificial

Conference Session

ELOS Best Paper Nominations

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Debra J. Mascaro, University of Utah; Stacy Bamberg, University of Utah; R. Roemer, University of Utah

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

-basedrobotic/mechatronic design projects. We expect that the integrated laboratory experiences in ourfirst-year mechanical engineering classes will improve the students’ understanding and retentionof fundamental engineering principles through the coupling of hands-on laboratory learning withdesign-based learning. We will assess this outcome by comparing final exam scores acrosssemesters (i.e., before and after the curricular changes). We also anticipate increased studentretention, which will be assessed by tracking which students eventually register for theMechatronics course in the junior year of the program.1. IntroductionOur overall curriculum has a very strong “hands-on” component at all levels with semester-longdesign projects in both semesters

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mustafa G. Guvench, University of Southern Maine; Derek Richardson, Fairchild Semiconductor

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

rotary vane vacuum pump capable of reaching milliTorr ultimate vacuum.The system built is portable on wheels, and employs two Rotameter flow meters with fine needlevalves to control gas pressure and composition fed into the process chamber. Pressure ismonitored with a digital thermocouple vacuum gauge. Uniform plasma is obtained at operatingpressures of 100-1000 milliTorr range.Currently the microwave plasma system built is being used to plasma treat the gold bonding padsof package and MEMS chips to facilitate organics free surfaces and improve the quality in wirebonding. However, such a system can easily be adapted to serve as plasma assisted dry etcher.1. IntroductionThe project reported here comprises the design and development of a microwave

Conference Session

ELOS Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Curtis Brackett, Bradley University; David Zietlow, Bradley University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

model using the system curve developedexperimentally. This design project incorporates many goals that an educator wants to accomplish in alab-based class. Involving engineering economics in this project is a great way to bring the realworld into the class room. The optimal design of a pump and piping system lab is a great way toincorporate numerous classes into one piece of work.Pump and Pipe Apparatus For this project it is necessary to build a system that is capable of allowing students tochoose from a variety of pump and piping sizes and allow the students to demonstrate their finaldesign for the commissioning. A system schematic is contained in Figure 1. T F

Conference Session

Mechanical and Architectural Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hamadou Saliah-Hassane, University of Quebec, Montreal; Maarouf Saad, Ecole de Technologie Superieure; Willie K. Ofosu, Pennsylvania State University, Wilkes-Barre; Karimou Djibo, LICEF Research Center; Hassane Alzouma Mayaki, UCAD and LICEF Research Center, Montreal, Canada.; Mamane Moustapha Dodo Amadou ing., École de technologie supérieure

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

, has become a major issue for education and research institutions.It is therefore necessary to manage all the constraints to delocalized learners. In thiscontext, distance education is an asset that has already proven itself. Consideringengineering education, the constraints are even greater. Learning resources are no longerlimited to electronic files or electronic multimedia documents. In many laboratories,students carry out practical work with very expensive equipment. For over a decade, wehave proposed and demonstrated the validity of remote laboratories in ElectricalEngineering [1], an approach that has since made its way into numerous educationalinstitutions and research centers.The goal was to create a positive learning environment that

Conference Session

Innovative Teaching Methods and Learning Models

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean-Claude Thomassian, State University of New York, Maritime College; Risa Kumazawa, Duquesne University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

the outcome of a survey and the feedback concluded by students thatsupported their outlook toward a media-based tutorial used in the instruction of Electronics andNetwork Analysis. The paper also presents an educational effort to improve student retention byengaging them in their studies. The assessment of this paper is in agreement with othercomparable studies done on media- based instruction and student engagement. For example,Chen et al.1 found that enhancing student engagement is an important step to increase studentretention, accomplishment and outcomes. Cohen et al.2 also found that students learned morefrom media based instruction compared to traditional modes of instruction. Likewise, Powell etal.3 explored this topic further and

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Poster Session

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kirsten A. Davis, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

every other CM course, whether they are formal prerequisites or not.Students are often not prepared for the amount of self-directed studying they must do to besuccessful in this type of course, particularly as freshmen in college. To assist students in moreaccurately gauging their readiness for an exam, no-stakes (optional) quizzes were implementedwithin the Blackboard course management system in a freshman level CM materials andmethods course, giving students an opportunity to practice their new language with no grade-related consequences.This paper presents preliminary results of that effort and illustrates the effects of this no-stakes(optional) quizzing. Specifically, this paper evaluates (1) whether the quizzing helps students tobetter

Conference Session

FPD X: First-Year Design with Projects, Modeling, and Simulation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Naomi C. Chesler, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Cynthia M. D'Angelo, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Golnaz Arastoopour, University of Wisconsin, Madison; David Williamson Shaffer, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

design-build-test cycles in the simulation; instead the emphasis is on managingconflicting client requirements, making trade-offs in selecting a final design and justifyingdesign choices. This paper describes the design of the simulation and preliminary results from itsinclusion in a first-year Introduction to Engineering course at our institution.Introduction:First year engineering curricula offer a critical window of opportunity to retain students inengineering disciplines and provide a strong foundation for future success. Incorporating designinto these first year courses, often referred to as cornerstone design (in contrast to seniorcapstone design)1, has been promoted as a way to give students some insight into theprofessional practice of

Conference Session

FPD 3: Research on First-year Programs and Students, Part I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Whalen, Northeastern University; Beverly K. Jaeger, Northeastern University; Susan F. Freeman, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

studentswere frequent cell phone users during class and which students were friends and work partnerswithin the class. The instructor then divided the class in a way such that two friends or workpartners were in different groups, enabling us to have one group text the other with someknowledge that they had phone numbers of members of the other group. Group 1 was in classwhile Group 2 had a breakfast meeting with the instructor to discuss a class project. Group 2 wastold the class was split since no food is allowed in the computer classroom and the onlyconference room available could only accommodate half the class. Back in the classroom, thepresenter (also a professor who teaches the course) gave a 15-minute presentation that wasrelevant to the course

Conference Session

FPD 3: Research on First-year Programs and Students, Part I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Holly M. Matusovich, Virginia Tech; Brett D. Jones, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech; Jacob Preston Moore, Virginia Tech; Deirdre-Annaliese Nicole Hunter, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

their motivation in the course.Importantly, the goal of this study is not to provide a direct comparison between the groups, butrather to better understand the ways students perceive faculty roles and how those perceptionscorrelate to student motivation.BackgroundProblem-Based LearningProblem-Based Learning (PBL), as defined in the literature, emerged first in medical educationand is grounded in theories of constructivist learning and cognitive development.1 In recentyears, however, PBL has emerged as a useful approach to engineering and science education(e.g.,2-12).In PBL, students are provided with an ill-structured problem that they work collaboratively toaddress. Under the guidance of faculty who function as facilitators rather than

Conference Session

FPD IX: Research on First-Year Programs and Students, Part II

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rachelle Reisberg, Northeastern University; Joseph A. Raelin, Northeastern University; Margaret B. Bailey, Rochester Institute of Technology; Jerry Carl Hamann, University of Wyoming; David L. Whitman, University of Wyoming; Leslie K. Pendleton, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

retention among undergraduate students in engineering.BackgroundThe field of cooperative education and internships has proposed the use of the concept of self-efficacy as a promising avenue to link practice-oriented learning processes to learningoutcomes.2 Self-efficacy is defined as an individual’s perceived level of competence or thedegree to which she or he feels capable of completing a task. Self-efficacy is a dynamic trait thatchanges over time and can be influenced by experience. Self-efficacy expectations areconsidered the primary cognitive determinant of whether or not an individual will attempt agiven behavior. Bandura3 identified four sources of information that shape self-efficacy: (1)performance accomplishments, (2) vicarious experience