the ways first-year engineering students develop their identity.Research on first-year students suggests the first semester plays a major role in student retention,particularly in fields such as engineering, as many students know whether or not they willcontinue studying engineering by the end of the fall semester and few students transfer intoengineering after the first year.1 Motivational psychologists such as Deci (1995) have argued thatautonomy is essential to student identity development, as well as lifelong learning.In this study researchers investigated how first-year students spent six hours of free time as partof a first year, first semester course at a small engineering college. The instructor designed thesesix hours to encourage
of Education (HCDE), and the Southeast TennesseeDevelopment District (SETDD). The holistic approach taken by the partnership addresses allaspects of workforce development: recruiting high school students into the power sector careers;training the next generation of technicians, engineers, and managers; and instructing the existingworkforce in new technologies.UTC is ideally situated for collaborations with the power industry. Situated less than a mile fromboth TVA’s operations center and from the headquarters of EPB, the local power distributorwhich was a recipient of a $112 million DOE smart grid grant 1, UTC regularly pulls from theseorganizations for adjuncts and research partners. In 2006, UTC gathered a group of leaders fromthe local
(continues, ordinals, and dichotomous ones) based on detailed information aboutstudent grades in their first-year courses. Among these variables we included ratio ofpassed versus enrolled credits, variation of grades from first to second semester in bothpassed and failed courses, and difference between the final grade and the minimum gradefor passing, which in this case is 4, where 1 is the minimum and 7 the maximum of thescale. The decision about how much academic data to include in the model deserves somediscussion. In our case, a consecutive failing can only happen in the second semester. Theearlier we are able to detect those likely to fail a course twice in a row, the better. On theother hand, with more time to capture academic data
with advisors and mentors, and provided brainstorming and support to help negotiatethese relationships. The assessment data were hand-coded to identify common themes2 and theresults include some striking perspectives of graduate women in STEM (Science, Technology,Engineering, Math) and suggestions of ways to better support members of this group throughco-curricular programs.IntroductionIn 2013, the College of Engineering at Michigan State University (MSU) was awarded a mini-grant to support a co-curricular program for graduate students that used the best-selling book,Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead 1 as a framework for promoting professionaldevelopment and community building. “Lean In” encourages both men and women to examinethe
count of the tons of recycled steel used during thecurrent calendar year. Currently, Nucor (in conjunction with two foreign-owned steel companies)operates a facility in Crawfordsville, Indiana that continuously casts sheet steel directly frommolten steel without the need for heavy, expensive, and energy-consuming rollers. The processknown as Castrip30, if successful, would allow an entire mill to be built in 1/6 the space of a'mini-mill' and at 1/10 the cost of a traditional integrated mill. They call this concept a 'micro- Page 26.137.6mill'. Also, Nucor has two pilot projects, one in Western Australia and one in Brazil, which aredeveloping low
(STEM) disciplines. Across all groups, womenparticipate at lower levels than their co-ethnic male counterparts.1-3 Most activities to rectifysuch a deficiency in STEM disciplines have focused on K-16 initiatives to address lack ofpreparation, inability to balance coursework and external commitments, self-efficacy, andfinancial limitations.4-6 However, there has been minimal focus on issues faced by graduatestudents or the need for effective mentoring of post-docs and new faculty in engineering toattract and retain them in academic careers. This is alarming as one approach to increase thenumber of underrepresented minorities who graduate with a STEM degree is to use hierarchicalmentoring, i.e., undergraduate mentor to faculty mentor.7 This is a
of aeronautics to their major. They madeconnections between aeronautics and their major where previously they thought none existed.This had the effect of changing their attitude towards the course and the material, a positiveoutcome.IntroductionWith the implementation of EC2000 requirements for the assessment of engineering programs,the Criterion 3 Student Outcomes a-k have become an important part of any engineering majorand are essential for accreditation.1 Several of these criteria, listed below, present challenges to Page 26.598.2any program: The program must have documented student outcomes that prepare graduates to attain
Page 26.1100.3industry mentors who advise each team on technical and professional issues.These multi-disciplinary, multi-university AerosPACE teams have demonstrated many of theadvantages of learning in such an environment. They have also identified some specificchallenges and opportunities that academic institutions and industry partners must be aware of.The end of the paper contains a “Looking Back” section where former undergraduate studentswho have spent 1-3 years in industry provide their feedback on how effective this DBF projectwas at preparing them to succeed professionally.Projects SummaryIn order to better understand the student experiences and impact, it is important to review thevarious student activities in the context of their
collected from thirty-five student interviews, we developed aconceptual framework for CCD progression. The Culturally Contextualized Design frameworkrepresents three levels of sophistication – novice, aware, and informed – for each of the fiveCCD aspects: (1) human-centered, (2) collaborative, (3) intentional, (4) open to flexibility andambiguity, and (5) invested and committed. The goal of this paper is to present the examples ofthree engineering students with different backgrounds and experiences and to map theirdevelopment within the framework. We also discuss the potential utility of this new frameworkto understand how engineering students learn to integrate culture and design and to assess theimpact of educational practices.Introduction and
become,engaged in a motorcycle fuel economy challenge design project?Theory & Methods Page 26.1606.3Student engagement is one of the biggest issues in engineering education. If you can engagestudents they will persist4 .It was decided that using a student motivation model such as the MUSIC model5 would be agood theoretical foundation upon which to build this project and to answer the research questionsposed above.The 5 key principles of the MUSIC model are that students are more motivated when theyperceive that: (1) they are eMpowered, (2) the content is Useful, (3) they can be Successful, (4)they are Interested, and (5) they feel Cared about
revealed.Question 1 - With respect to the webinar format versus a traditional classroom format – are youfinding that your learning is more effective than a traditional classroom, less effective than atraditional classroom, or about the same as a traditional classroom? Why? Table I. Results for Question 1 More Same Less 2012 7 9 7 2014 5 6 6Four of the “less” responses in 2012 and one in 2014 indicated that their learning was only a“little less” effective. Four of the “less” responses in 2012 and
. Students were evaluated on performance of the design (based onquantitative results), cost, creativity of design, and craftsmanship and aesthetics. Deliverables forthis project included a project schedule, project definition and requirements, a design proposalpresentation and report, design prototype presentation with demonstration, and a final designreport.ResultsThe first three questions in the survey instrument requested information about the academic statusof the student population, and their level of college experience. Figure 1 shows that the surveyedpopulation is primarily composed of students with freshman level academic standing and fewupper level students. 200 180
engineeringdesign processes to solve the problem. The community-based problems selected by theparticipants in the first year of the study are shown in Table 1. All the names are pseudonyms toprotect the identity of the participants.The community-based problems were characterized as ill-structured problems because they were“not constrained by the content domains being studied in classrooms.” 21 For example, thecommunity-based problems selected by the students were dynamic, required collaboration,involved multiple solutions, and the constraints, both engineering and non-engineering, wereidentified by the students themselves.21, 22 The main objective was to observe how students usedengineering design processes, how they perceived engineering, how those
, 2016 From Problem Solvers to Problem Seekers: The Necessary Role of Tension in Engineering EducationIn this paper it is proposed that the current focus on problems in engineering education andtechnological literacy may be more constructively reframed by focusing on tensions. PriyanDias claims engineering has an identity crisis that arises from tensions inherent in: 1) theinfluence of the profession on society, 2) the role engineers play, and 3) what constitutes validknowledge in engineering. These are ethical, ontological, and epistemological tensionsrespectively, which Dias frames as a tension between identities of homo sapiens and homo faber.Beyond the tensions in engineering there are additional tensions that arise
, particularly amongunderrepresented groups, and considers their effectiveness in enhancing students’ self -efficacy asengineers.IntroductionAs a land grant university [1] and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), The University of Arizonaaims to serve a diverse student population and to engage the community in programs thatincrease awareness and access to post-secondary programs. The College of Engineering (COE)’slong-running dual enrollment and summer camp programs, Engineering 102 in High School(ENGR 102HS) and Summer Engineering Academy (SEA), focus on pre-college access toengineering with the goal of inspiring students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering andMath (STEM) careers after high school.In this paper, we examine ENGR 102HS and SEA. We
inengineering.IntroductionUnderrepresented minorities (URMs), especially women, remain significantly underrepresentedamong tenured and tenure-track faculty in engineering departments, despite earning more PhDsin these fields. Women often lack role models due to small faculty representation, and URMfaculty percentages remain far below their presence in the general population, with female URMfaculty nearly absent in some engineering departments [1]. Women engineering faculty faceisolation and lack networking opportunities [2]. Therefore, efforts to promote DEI in theengineering professoriate have gained increased attention, with higher education institutionsrecognizing the need to cultivate a more representative and inclusive academic workforce. Overthe last five years, support for
teaching and learning of STEM subjects can be enhanced withthe incorporation of IKS [1]. Incorporating a local knowledge system within engineeringeducation will not only help engineering students from non-Western societies to learnengineering better, but they will also be able to use their engineering skills in the localcontext more efficiently.Background of Engineering Education in IndiaThe origin of engineering education in India dates back to the British, majorly forinfrastructural development [2]. During the colonial rule, ‘the superintending engineers weremostly recruited from Britain from the Cooper's Hill College, and this applied as well toforemen and artificers; but this could not be done in the case of lower grades - craftsmen,artisans
, encouraging students to consider howdesigns and technologies meet human needs. This emphasis on empathy empowered studentsto see themselves as problem-solvers capable of making a difference in their communities.For many, the program was their first introduction to engineering, sparking new careeraspirations and showing them that STEM is not only accessible but also an exciting avenue forcreativity and innovation.A Brief Outline of the ActivitiesWeek 1: Electrical Circuits and Electrical EngineeringActivity: Students built simple circuits using batteries, wires, and light bulbs.Purpose: This activity introduced the basics of electricity and the role of electrical engineers indesigning the systems that power our modern lives. It helped students
provides students with a strong foundation in applyingmathematical concepts to real-world scenarios. As they progress, students can take on moreadvanced challenges, such as modifying object properties, further deepening their understandingof computer vision algorithms like OpenCV. By combining hands-on experience with effectiveteaching strategies, this approach accelerates learning and prepares students for higher-levelopportunities in computer vision research. By sharing both technical insights and teachingmethodologies, this paper empowers instructors to introduce undergraduates to computer vision,paving the way for impactful contributions to autonomous technologies. 1. Introduction Along with the rise of natural language processing
aims to build a more comprehensive understanding ofdoctoral-level ethics education.Research Aims and QuestionsThe primary goal of this study is to illuminate how doctoral students interpret and applyethical principles in engineering and to identify critical gaps in ethics education. Theinvestigation is guided by the following research questions: 1. How do doctoral engineering students at the Thayer School of Engineering conceptualize ethics within the context of their training and future careers? 2. In what ways do these conceptualizations shape their approach to professional decision-making? 3. What challenges and gaps in ethics education are perceived by doctoral students, and where might curricular or
further developed their teamwork and leadership skills. Lastly, the multiple benefits thatengineering students reported on leadership development by participating in these types ofprojects could help change the current engineering curricula, benefiting students in their role asfuture professionals.Background The first hint of an engineering contest dates to the 19th century when the Army Corps ofEngineers improved inland river navigation by considering suggestions from the public [1].Later, in 1932, the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) was created tooversee the education, accreditation, regulation, and professional development of engineeringprofessionals and students in the United States [2]. With the creation of
. The project culminates in Week 10 with a multi-media presentation evaluating aspects of the cumulative impacts of 150 years of developmentand alteration of an engineered shoreline. For the history portion, students do original research atthe regional archives to identify changes to the landscape over time and evaluate historicalsources to determine the causes of these alterations. In the process, students develop historycourse outcomes, including (1) analyzing primary and secondary sources to evaluate historicalarguments for credibility, position, perspective, and relevance; (2) locating sources in theirhistorical context; and (3) identifying the ways political economy have shaped land and resourceuse in the region. The blending of
programs, etc.) haveimpacted the success of these women, it was important to have distinct research sites so that Icould examine the effects of various policies and procedures on the careers of the researchparticipants within the context of each institution’s programs and policies.Population and Sample I interviewed women faculty who have their primary appointment in the engineeringschool each campus (since some faculty have dual appointments). The objective for each site was to interview at least fifty percent of the faculty so that my sample would reflect the variedexperience of tenured women faculty at each site. Table 1-1 describes the population and sampleat each research site and Table 1-2 provides employment and demographic
literacies on the part ofemployees and employers. The use of communication technology can be found among thefour ‘mega trends’ that Shuman et al.[1] specifically identify for the field of engineering,alongside changes forced by the fragile world economy, student and professional mobility,and the increasingly loud voice of the social imperative. This poses challenges foreducational institutions which, beyond helping students become subject experts, need to takethe responsibility for preparing them to ‘deal with global communicative practices online, inall their complexity’[2]. This trend toward developing skills needed to fully operate in highlyglobalised and cross-cultural settings as a necessary top-up to ‘technical core competencies’[3]has become
Learn how things work. Aladdin Effect reverse engineering. Oral and Logbook, meetings, written Good communication skills. innovation contests. communication Table 1. Approach used in the Para didactic Laboratory.Failure managementThe typical student comes to university from a school tradition that penalizes mistakes andfailures, and this is a heavy burden on his/her ability to take risks. It is an interesting paradox, thestudent
"biological clock" that imposes genuine constraints when women bear children. As anexample, Assimaki et al.’s 1 study of issues that affect the retention and professionaldevelopment of female faculty in Electrical and Computer Engineering in universities in Greecenoted that there are difficulties related to “the demands of an academic career due to the paralleldemands of the role of the woman as wife and mother.” Similarly, women’s perceptions andprofessional issues in Civil Engineering include concerns with the level of commitment that anacademic career requires in comparison to their family obligations.10 Females also take careerbreaks due to their partner’s relocation or to take care of an elder family member.11 Researchsuggests that some females
an introductory course for mechanical engineering majors.IntroductionEvery college of Engineering faces the challenge of recruiting and retaining students in theirmajors. 1 Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) face additional constraints,opportunities, and challenges in the form of a strict requirement to complete their course work infour years as well as myriad other demands on their time and attention.The Naval Academy uses an application process to select 2,500 highly qualified rising highschool seniors to participate in Naval Academy Summer Seminar (NASS) for a week-longimmersion in the unique requirements and academic opportunities available to our students. Theirtime on the Yard includes athletic, academic, leadership
for the globalworkforce is a national priority in the U.S.1 In order to address this need, educational institutionshave made great efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of students in engineering andimprove students’ professional skills through engagement in educational purposeful activities.Involvement in out of class activity has been believed as an effective way of promoting students’cognitive, affective, and career development in higher education.2, 3 The Final Report for theCenter for the Advancement of Engineering Education posits that research on student experienceis fundamental to informing the evolution of engineering education.4 College impact researchsuggests that focusing on what students do during college, both inside
theirexperiences in engineering.Figure 1: Model of Achievement Goal Theory41.Figure 1 presents AGT as conceptualized by Wentzel and Wigfield41. The two elements of Page 26.1291.6mastery and performance are bridged to create a framework consisting of four overallachievement goals: mastery-approach (MAp), mastery-avoidance (MAv), performance-approach (PAp), and performance-avoidance (PAv)41. When a MAp goal is adopted, individualstry to build upon their competence by striving to master the skill. Approach and avoidance arefundamental distinctions applied to various types of goals. In educational psychology, thecommon goal used is achievement goal, which
Instructor Implements Project-Based Learning 1. Introduction & Objectives In the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba, Canada, a novice instructor with more than a decade of industry experience in consulting engineering practice re-designed a third-year structural engineering design course around a project- based instructional method. The impetus for changing the course was twofold: his own industry experience that drove his desire to educate students with the engineering knowledge and skills, and foster in them the engineering mind-set to succeed in industry; as well as the fact that the structural course that he was charged with teaching had