retention rates from 1998 through 2007 are shown in Figure 2. The one-yearretention rate graph reveals no overall improvement. It should be noted that the 2007 cohortshows about the same retention as the 2002 cohort (the final year of the graduation rate study inwhich the graduation rate was 33%). The two-year retention rate is also relatively flat from 1998through 2005 at about 50%. The 2006 cohort however, shows a significant increase to 68%. Itwill be interesting to see if this is reflected in future graduation rates. 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 1-year retention
, “students are forced to reflect . . . on the environment of decision making.”4 Doing soallows students to exercise critical thinking and ethical decision-making abilities. Because smallcases are so limited, instructors can spend more time focusing on these skill sets, as well asethical problem identification and moral deliberation.Finally, a consideration of our students’ career paths indicates that small cases may be morerelevant. Engineers, of course, have been involved in high-profile cases, but chances are that our Page 22.710.2students will probably face ethical challenges of the more mundane, garden variety. Furthermore,engineering ethicist
prepare them forreal-world industry experience, or perhaps for engineering Capstone programs. Indeed, recentresearch makes this argument, that college engineering Capstone programs would be even moresuccessful if students were exposed to project-based learning earlier in their schooling.18Despite the ambiguity that often occurs in open-ended, project-based assignments, we learnedfrom students and our reflections that instructors should do the following to minimizeambiguities: • Provide a clear time-line of expected deliverables and due dates. • Provide grading criteria up front. • Make available numerous examples of each deliverable. • And provide regular, substantive feedback throughout the process
participated in, werecompared between engineers and non-engineers in an effort to investigate whether engineeringand non-engineering students show differential rates of participation in Tech to Teaching. Thiscount of semesters in which students participated reflects a count of any semesters in which theyparticipated in one or more Tech to Teaching activities. The activity count is a count of the totalnumber of distinct Tech to Teaching activities in which they participated. Page 22.32.21 Figure 10. Count of semesters in which students participated – all Tech to Teaching students
useexperimental data to validate or rejecttheir hypotheses. In the assignment as Figure 1: Raw (R) and hardboiled (B) eggs after 24well, higher-level questions that hours of incubation in water (1), syrup (2) and energyelevate the critical thinking skills of drink (3).the students were given. For example,students were asked to explain why boiled and raw eggs behaved differently in transportingsolutions (Figure 1)? Answers should have reflected on the concepts of permeability and proteindenaturation at elevated temperatures. In their assignment too, students were asked to quantifythe diffusion across the cellular membrane as well as the ionic strength concentration of the innerenvironment of the egg using Fick’s law. Based on their
challenge the status quo.Primary Traits: A passing submission for this criterion must: 1. Describe the situation or current mode of operation (status quo) and perceived constraints. 2. Present one or more questions that challenge the status quo. 3. Explain how each question is a challenge to the status quo.Potential Artifacts: reflective essay, blog, journal, presentationAdditional Information: 1. Common approaches to this type of questioning include asking “Why?”, “Why not?”, and “What if?” For example, “Why is program accreditation done every six years?” 2. It can be helpful to imagine an opposing situation or viewpoint. For example, “What if program accreditation was done by employers rather than agencies
), with little effort required, is developedthrough practice. The Instructional Implications section of this paper presents ideas on how thisknowledge can be developed for thermodynamics.Conditional Knowledge Conditional knowledge refers to students’ knowledge of the situations in which particulardeclarative or procedural knowledge should be applied.4,31 This knowledge reflects the students’awareness of when, where, and why other knowledge should be used, and this awarenessunderlies cognitive control during problem solving. That is, a student who knows the conditionsunder which some other particular knowledge should be used is positioned to recognize thoseconditions when they are encountered and, consequently, select the appropriate
reflective behaviour thatis at the heart of the liberal endeavour. But they also illustrate how complex thebehaviour of groups, let alone individuals is. It is consoling, therefore, to find that manyyears after these relatively simple pieces of qualitative and quantitative (survey) research,(with the odd bit of psychometrics thrown in), and all its limitations, the researchpublished since 1990 particularly in the US persuaded Pascarella and Terenzini “morethan ever that students’ in- and out-of-class lives are interconnected in complex ways weare only beginning to understan.”[40, p 603].Notes and references[1] The description given here is simplified
the amount of faculty workload in, teaching and research8. Althoughvariation in faculty workload between teaching and research is healthy for ensuring qualityeducation in the classroom, as well as quality research productivity, variation in faculty rewardsdoes not reflect this variation in faculty workload8, 9, 10. When compared to the typical,quantitative reward system for research, which is based on funding and publication productivity,evaluation of teaching is difficult because of its qualitative and subjective nature and is oftenlimited to student course evaluations despite other available evaluation methods1, 4.In addition, „balancing‟ is an elusive and subjective concept. The balance between teaching andresearch can be defined and
method atthe appropriate time. Understanding the pros and cons of the lecture method is a helpful startingpoint.Lectures have a number of characteristics that does make them, for the right subject matter,desirable in the classroom (14) .It does, to a great extent, depend on the abilities and experience ofthe lecturer. An able and committed lecturer can accomplish the following: 1. Relate the material proficiently and effectively, in a manner that reflects lecturer’s personal conviction and grasp of the subject matter; 2. Provide students with a thoughtful, scholarly role model to emulate; 3. Supplement the subject matter with current developments not yet published, or interject lecturer’s own views derived from his/her own
Explain/Elaborate Question-Answer zoning out Look/Attend Justify/Reason Reciprocal teaching Underline/Highlight Connect/Integrate Argue/Challenge Gesture/Point Answer Questions Collaborate Summarize Reflect/Predict Peer tutoring Paraphrase Self-monitor/Regulate Monitor/Feedback Manipulate tape Compare
success that resonate with faculty and instructors.These approaches help transfer knowledge, skills, and attitudes about teaching and learningamong engineering faculty.Improving Quality of Teaching and LearningA key goal of Wendt Commons’ re-organization is to improve the quality of instruction Page 22.817.13across all departments and programs. This process is expected to be continuous anddynamic, reflecting the shifting technological and pedagogical landscape, as well as the ever-evolving needs of faculty as they embrace new and innovative methods.An essential starting point was to define quality as it relates to the teaching and learningexperience
Isometric sketching accuracy and ability.On-Going Plans and ChallengesThe curriculum used in the ASV seminar concentrated on skills which are frequently used inCAD (e.g., isometric views, rotation, reflection, Boolean operations). A sample of civil andmechanical engineering freshmen who took a CAD course in Fall 2010 will re-take the PVST:Rin Spring 2011 to see if there has been any improvement in performance. If so, the CAD classesmay be an excellent place to integrate spatial visualization instruction into the existing content.Incoming freshmen for the 2011-12 school year will be given the same PVST:R during Summerorientation to gather additional data about student skill level.The most significant challenge faced in the USC implementation was low
, and advocates.5.0 AcknowledgementThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under GrantsNos. 1025207 and 1025220. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendationsexpressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views ofthe National Science Foundation.6.0 References 1. ABET (2008). Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs Effective for Evaluations During the 2009- 2010 Accreditation Cycle, 21 pp., ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. www.abet.org 2. Aidoo, J., J. Hanson, K. Sutterer, R. Joughtalen, and S. Ahiamadi (2007). International senior design projects – more lessons learned, National Capstone Design Course Conference
the piston. As with the Newcomen pump, the balancing ofthe pump, piston and beam caused the piston to rise due to gravity. The cycle was repeated. Thefirst two strokes were operated manually. Then trips on the plug rod to the air pump controlled thevalve sequencing. A noteworthy feature included an air pump operated by the rocking beam thatdrew non-condensable gases out of the condenser. 25 Watt’s early engines worked on steampressures similar to Newcomen’s. Pressures higher than about 7 psi above atmospheric were rarelyused. 26 This situation reflects the state of boiler strength to avoid rupture and the ability of glandseals and piston rings to minimize leakage.Watt described the performance of an engine at Wheal Butson in 1792. This engine
commented on how they felt misinformed on what courses transferred, that thecurriculum transfer Web site at UNL didn’t appear to reflect current courses, and whetherspecific courses would transfer was not clearly stated. The STEP students indicated thataddressing this issue would improve the program. Other suggestions for improvement weresetting up a scholarship for STEP participants and also providing assistance for STEP students toline up an internship.Program Challenges Recruitment The CCs have an unresolved challenge in that it is difficult to recruit students to enter theSTEP project. It should not be surprising that the CCs have a different challenge than UNL-COE, although it manifests itself a bit differently. Neither UNL-STEP