using the Fink Model of Backwards Design10 we focused on helping faculty tothink differently about course design and instruction by going to the end of instruction, settingoutcomes, and working backwards to design the course. This faculty development workshop alsoincluded the component of social aspect of learning with other faculty in a learning community,21where they learned new content and strategies, observed demonstrations of new strategies andthen integrated what they learned, and taught a brief excerpt of a lesson to their peers andreceived feedback from the community of learners. Also used as an assessment tool for thisworkshop is an instrument called the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM),22,23 to measurehow workshop participants
slides Journal Communication topics - writing skills, other speaking styles Week 3 The problem with Power Point... EA sample talk. Reflective Journal EA Purpose - TED Talks- Audiences Critique Session Week 4 Training-Content: Story & Engaging the Practice (Workshop) Reflective Journal Audience Organization & Analogies Week 5 Training-Visual Aids: Assertions Practice - Slides Reflective Journal Supporting Evidence Feedback Week 6 Training-Elocution: Poise & Elocution PRESENT 2 Presentation Training
piece of information onthe bottom of the card as shown in Figure 1.They then had to use solely oralcommunication – no drawing or writing – toexplain the symbols on their card and gatherfeedback on what their card was meant torepresent. This meant that they had to listenclosely to their peers to ensure that they weregetting the description of a symbol theyneeded. They also had to be careful in how Figure 1. Sample ROYGBIV game cardthey described their symbol so that it wouldnot be misinterpreted. To get the necessary information to solve their code, students needed tospeak to a lot of different students in the class, not just their peer group as each student was onlyprovided with the one piece of information at the bottom of their card
ADHD and the shortcomings of the current education system that puts thispopulation of students with significant potential for innovation at a substantial risk of academicfailure and disinterest in pursuing higher education. Overall, the major observations from thisREU were that: given the right environment, i.e. niche, students with ADHD can thrive;engineering research can be a stimulating and ideal environment for students with ADHD; andthe opportunity to learn and interact with peers with ADHD can provide a rich and meaningfulexperience and help their confidence and ability as learners. It was noted that the educationsystem needs to move from the idea of ‘accommodating’ for some, to differentiating for all.Dissemination of these impactful
computer aided learningpackages to promote enquiry-based learning by assigning tasks relevant to industry. Studentsreported improved conceptual understanding, teamwork abilities, and peer/self-assessment skills(Glassey and Novakovic, 2013).Researchers Grant and Dickson (2006), on the other hand, looked at personal skill developmentin graduates to meet employer requirements through two surveys. Their findings were thatchemical engineering graduates and their employers did not see entry-level engineers as meetingworkforce requirements in transferable skills, but did have more than sufficient chemicalengineering principles knowledge and subject-specific skill development. Grant and Dicksonwent on to suggest helping students develop transferable
following topics: assessment of GTApreparation to grade writing assignments, determining the relationship between studentmathematics placement scores and their achievement in core classes in their major, andinvestigating effects of a peer review component in laboratory reports. After the first year, one ofthe GTAs finished his/her project and presented the results at a conference. Other students wereat the stage of data collection and data analysis.During the second year of the SIMPLE group, much of the meeting time was dedicated todiscussing curriculum development for a new concentration in the department. The GTAs tookpart in those discussions, though the level of their involvement varied. One of the students choseto conduct another educational
become a primary focus at the University of economic backgrounds, and prior knowledge among studentsTexas at Arlington (UTA). UTA conducted a study that at UTA, ENGR 1300 utilizes the Student-Centered Activefound students were ill-equipped in the areas of problem Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogiessolving, professional writing, and computer (SCALE-UP) method. This method, developed at NC Stateprogramming. Therefore, UTA has recently created a University [1] and now utilized in many universities [2],new first year engineering course focused on improving focuses on creating a highly active and collaborativethese specific skill areas using the Student-Centered
% believe it encouragesdeeper understanding. Q The majority also perceived improvements in students’ effectivenessin working in small groups, their communication skills, and positive peer-to-peer relationships.The greatest obstacle to adopting POGIL was time (both preparation time and classroom timerequired). 71% believed that a closer community (e.g. face-to-face meetings with mentors orcolleagues) would be somewhat, very, or extremely helpful to new POGIL adopters, and forregular users of POGIL this percentage increases to 87%. [16]IntroCS-POGIL Objectives & ActivitiesThe 2017 NSF IUSE IntroCS-POGIL project focuses on introductory courses because they:enroll the most students (across STEM majors) and have the biggest impact on retention
/coding, computer aided design, laser cutting, and 3D printing. Through ASPIRE,students are able to engage with their peers, form networks, and gain a sense of community. Inthe past two summers, 41 students have participated in the program. This paper provides detailson the design and evaluation of the ASPIRE program.IntroductionThe STEM “pipeline” that is imagined to guide Science Technology Engineering and Math(STEM) students from middle school into successful STEM careers has sprung leaks atessentially every junction. In its most common configuration, it implies a single path that oftenrequires students to develop an interest in STEM by middle school, choose particular math andscience courses in middle- and high-school, and gain experience and
Construction Management, and offers a B.S.in Engineering with specializations in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, and Computer Engineering.Students may also define a custom specialization. In 2012, when the STILAS grant was awarded,women constituted 12% of the graduating engineering class, while underrepresented minoritystudents constituted 4%. As of this writing, approximately 18% of engineering students arewomen, and 8% are underrepresented minorities.Description of the STILAS ProgramThe original intent of the STILAS program was to build on the university’s existing InterculturalLeadership Ambassadors (ILA) program to support more STEM students. Started in 2007, the ILAprogram works to recruit and retain underrepresented and first-generation students
techniques in academic areassuch as writing/composition, science education, and geography instruction. The areas of designand technology have proven to be especially effective topics for ACJ assessment, and are ofspecial interest to the authors.This introductory paper examines the fundamental principles of comparative judging andadaptive comparative judging, and discusses some of the most recent and relevant research onthis topic. Key web-based ACJ tools and products are briefly reviewed—especially as they relateto academic settings. Applications in the areas of portfolio evaluation, graphics assessment, andpeer critiquing are also explored.Adaptive comparative judging has proven to be a method or assessment tool that is relativelystraightforward to
strong data that could indicate best practices, and which do not? Format of Final Product: The team would spend one (or if desired, two) semester(s) developing a set of critical areas for further investigation, culminating in an article suitable for a peer-reviewed journal.additional references, each, to clarify their portion of the outline. To share his or herfindings, each student used a 5-slide PowerPoint presentation to explain what he or shehad learned. The DoS participated via teleconference in the instructor-facilitateddiscussion. Then, for four weeks, each student worked independently to write a five-page, singled-spaced, draft document with a minimum of fifteen references, each, thatclarified his or her
approach to teaching engineering inother commonly taught K-12 disciplines [18-20]. Another common argument is that engineeringskills should now be considered for all students, much as reading, writing and mathematics [21,22], and this is sometimes positioned as an early recruitment tool, with the idea that studentsmust be recruited prior to losing interest in STEM.Figure 1. A synthesis of common high level motivations for, desired outcomes of, barriers to,strategies for, and measures of K-12 engineering education.This paper synthesizes literature on formal and informal engineering education in K-12 settings.Specifically, we focus on outcomes related to (1) developing interest and/or identities inengineering, including in (2) engineering careers
. Finally C is introduced to complement the basic programming skills developed with Python andMATLAB. C offers insights into more advanced computer science concepts such as explicit data typing,pointers and memory allocation. Further, it provides more control of hardware like obtaining data fromsensors and regulating motors connected to embedded control systems. Teams also use RobotC withMindstorm mechatronic systems during their second semester term projects. Introducing first year engineering students to multiple programming languages may seemdaunting. To meet this challenge the instructional model for this course leveraged the benefits ofproblem based learning, peer instruction and studio learning to provide students with an effective
to students and pointed out, “it would have been good to see more interrogating of student ideas and less noting.” Formative assessment also influenced the game’s design because it provides teachers opportunities to metacognitively examine their ideas and goals, helps students reflect on their learning, and develop the agency of other students as instructional actors (e.g., through peer to peer learning) [7][8] . Teachers Students 1. The game sparks conversations that allow for a focused
learn” remains to be one of the biggestchallenges college students face in their first year, especially when we take nation-wide readinglevels into consideration (US Department of Education, NAEP, 2015). In Fall 2015, a “MindDump” pedagogical strategy was implemented to encourage students to read the class material forpre-exposure. The students have 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence in class to write downeverything they can remember from their reading (Whitman, 2015). Mind Dumps are used as cheatsheets during exams. The same procedure with the addition of guided reading questions wereadapted for the Spring 2016 semester. Aggregated survey results from the first two semesters(N1=78, N2=75) showed that about one third of the students Agreed
program and unique approaches relative tosimilar programs at peer institutions. We seek a broad systems perspective on addressingenvironmental issues, with a focus on ecological interactions and resilient designs that take intoaccount complexity and connectivity between systems. In the undergraduate curriculum, thisphilosophy drives the early focus on systems thinking and systems understanding and leads tothe inclusion of significant course requirements in ecology, sustainability, and industrial ecology.These course requirements are in addition to those typically found in Environmental Engineeringprograms at peer institutions. A complete list of the program objectives, student outcomes anddetails about the EEE degree requirements are included in
challenges students’ understanding and reinforces their knowledge.A key learning approach implemented in this method is collaboration, where students work withtheir peers to complete the required tasks, as opposed to working individually. The effectivenessof collaborative learning compared with individual learning has been established in other studies.In a meta-analysis of 168 studies, Johnson et al. [7] found that collaborative learning activitiesimproved academic achievement, quality of interpersonal interaction, improved self-esteem, andimproved perceptions of greater social support. Similarly, Springer et al. [8] found thatcollaboration improved academic achievement, student attitudes, and retention in academicprograms. The peer learning that
freshmen: Introduction to Sustainability, Rhetoric andComposition, and Introduction to Design. To faculty, the interconnections of these classes areclear and essential to the domains of sustainability, sustainable engineering, and sustainabledesign. In the first three years of the HERE program, however, students tended to see these coursesas only tangentially related. Having students write a proposal to improve sustainability, for 1instance, was seen by students not as an essential engineering skill, but as a composition taskunrelated to “doing something,” which uses engineering skills. As the mismatch betweenobjectives on syllabi and comments on
to utilize the tool. Therefore, the logistics ofclassroom integration are greatly reduced. Figure 3.1 depicts the interface with a whiteboard(left) and a chat window (right). In GLASS, the whiteboard is used by the team to collaborativelyconstruct the solution to a given Challenge Problem. The chat window is used by team membersto share resources, discuss their approach to the problem, and reach a consensus when ready tosubmit for grading. Although Google Docs has been adopted in teaching and learning in higher Figure 3.1: Etherpad text-based collaboration tool depicting integrated Whiteboard and Chat windows.education for group projects, collaborative writing, peer review, and others in various disciplines[26-28], Etherpad added increased
conducted in 2016by the University of Washington (UW) Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equityfound that awardees “found the grant writing process to be beneficial in helping them refineand package their ideas, build relationships with mentors, and develop literature reviews.Some of the grantees found themselves using parts of their proposal for federal grantproposals.” The UW evaluation also identified the following career impacts from theawardees: Internal and External Collaborations Strengthened, Mentorship by Grant Mentorsand Peers Benefitted Grantees; Increased Confidence in Expertise and Dissemination ofWork; Value and Influence Manifested as Respect, Credibility, and Leadership Potential;Leadership Experience Built Tangible Skills
priorities. Second, most students wanted toimprove their academic writing skills, but few took ownership to write on their own. This is notunusual for busy graduate students, however programs exist to assist graduate students withbecoming better academic writers so a decision was made to include such as effort. To that end,a graduate student writing consultant, one that has been trained in supporting graduate studentsin the writing process, has been brought in to conduct weekly writing sessions with cohort 2where various topics are discussed and writing is peer reviewed. Students are required to engagein both the learning community and writing community in the future. We will continue tooptimize the interdisciplinary graduate education program as we
students to weigh trade-offs betweenresponsiveness and excessive motion. In order to assess the value of collaboration in thesequizzes, we contrast student gains on one scenario-based quiz completed individually to thosecompleted collaboratively. We evaluated pre-test performance and conceptual growth using avalidated concept inventory [1]. Students also completed a pre/post measure of their abilities toco-regulate their work as members of a group. We found that students showed improved co-regulation abilities, performed lowest on the individually completed quiz, and that the studentswho began with the lowest scores on the concept inventory had comparable outcomes to theirhigher-scoring peers. Collaborative quizzes are well aligned to active
intentionalinvestment over the summer to orient and prepare new faculty members prior to their firstinstructional class with students. This strategy of integrating new faculty into the institution andof developing a classroom training environment has paid dividends with instructors havinggreater success during their first semester of teaching. New faculty members are given theopportunity to understand their role in the larger institutional outcomes, to learn best practicesand techniques, and to practice teach with their peers and mentors, allowing for refinement,before their first class. The department’s faculty development strategy has been recognized bythe Dean and shared with other departments as an exemplary approach to preparing faculty toteach. Written
Accessibility Caucus, Purdue’s Student ASEE Chapter, andGeorgia Institute of Technology’s Lean In Chapter will present their ideas on what helps create asuccessful graduate community. The common findings of all organizations are consolidated intocategories of funding, recruitment, evaluation of success, and best practices for graduate studentorganizations.Tulane University: Women+ in Science and EngineeringBackground and DevelopmentTulane University’s Women+ in Science and Engineering (WISE), a graduate student andpostdoctoral fellow initiative, will conclude its first full year in June 2017. At the ASEE 2016conference, two graduate students and a Tulane Assistant Professor identified a critical need forgraduate student and postdoctoral peer
, student-organization offices, informal spaces, etc. — should be thoughtof in terms of whether they allow students, no matter their focus within engineering,to develop boundary-spanning abilities like experimenting, writing, speaking, andcollaborating. Then they should be connected in a way that maximizes these functions.At Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as VirginiaTech, the SmithGroupJJR-designed Institute for Critical Technology and AppliedScience II is organized expressly around the concept of interdisciplinary research. The42,189-square-foot building completed in 2010 includes state-of-the-art laboratoriesand auxiliary spaces that support both applied and fundamental research. Oakland University School of
needs in their areas.BackgroundCreating a wellness culture, connection, community, and professional sense of belonging arevital elements to all graduate students from the most well-adjusted and engaged to the mostdisenfranchised and fragile. Sense of belonging includes fit in the academic discipline, beingrespected and valued by peers, in the research group, by the faculty, and program representatives.Wellness initiatives not only lead to more engaged and productive students, the initiatives areassociated with increased retention and completion rates (Okahana, H., Allum, J., Felder, P.P., &Tull, R.G. 2016). Creating a thriving culture also enhances recruitment and increases enrollment.Mind, body, and spirit are integral to both health and
increased the score to pass the Calculus 1 readiness test in summer2015.)A. Voluntary Pre-First-Year Six-Week Academic Summer BridgeTarget Audience: Entering first-year students who did not pass the Calculus 1 readiness test. All42 eligible students invited, but participation was optional. In the only year offered (2014), ninestudents participated.Cost for Students: meals, insurance, booksCost for the University: faculty stipends, student housing, 20-hour per week peer mentor,transportation for field tripsAcademic Integration Component: Students complete Pre-calculus II so that they can begin thefall semester on track with their cohort. They also complete a second course within theUniversity’s core curriculum.Social Integration Component: Ice
introductory engineering course required by multiple programs in the College ofEngineering [Kunberger and Geiger, 2015, Kunberger, Geiger and Reycraft, 2016]. One aspect,the addition of Mentor TAs, was intended to develop informal near-peer mentor experiences,considered a “practice-based” mentoring initiative [Packard, 2016]. These students would servenot only as a traditional TA in providing feedback on course deliverables, but would also serveas a mentor within this first course in engineering in order to increase retention and promote amore inclusive culture in the college.The most recent evolution of the introductory engineering course added a summer trainingworkshop for course Mentor TAs. This 30-hour workshop took place over a one-week period
learning canstrengthen academic performance as well as provide social benefits (Gafney and Varma-Nelson2007, Haidet, Kubitz et al. 2014, Talbot, Hartley et al. 2015, Van Dusen, Langdon et al. 2015),particularly for low-performers (Conway, Johnson et al. 2010, Haidet, Kubitz et al. 2014). Inaddition, team-based learning is relevant to the development of interpersonal, communication,and leadership skills that are in high demand in the engineering industry (Kumar and Hsiao2007). In cooperative learning, students can create a network amongst their peers and develop anincreased sense of confidence, encouraging participation in class discussions (Astrachan, Duvallet al. 2002).In an effort to shift to an active learning culture, the classroom environment