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A Professional Development Survey for Engineering Undergraduates

D.M. Switzer‡, D.A. Bruce†, C.H. Gooding†, G.M. Harrison†, D.E. Hirt†, S.M. Husson†, S.M. Kilbey II†, R.W. Rice† † Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 / ‡ School of Education, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634

This article is the third in a series of ASEE proceedings covering the implementation and assessment of a hierarchical model of mental growth as the basis for developing critical thinking skills and engineering judgment in engineering undergraduates. Our assessment instruments track individual students, allowing us to monitor student growth and evaluate the effectiveness of these teaching and learning devices for populations with different exposures to experimental treatments. Here we detail the development and implementation of the Professional Development Survey for Engineering Undergraduates (PDS). The PDS reliably measures the students’ conscientiousness, perceived intellect, learning goal orientation, performance goal orientation, subject matter attitude, professional development attitude, and attitude toward the field of chemical engineering.

Introduction

Previously1,2, we introduced an approach to integrate a hierarchical mental growth model into an undergraduate engineering curriculum, described teaching and learning strategies to support that model, and presented preliminary results for the assessment of implementation of those strategies on student development. Briefly, the hypothesis that drives this work is this: Mental growth constitutes a progression through a hierarchy of cognition; the critical thinking and judgment required of engineers lies at an upper level in the hierarchy, and, to reach high levels, an individual must master cognitive skills and reorganize knowledge gained at lower levels.

Our overarching goal is to develop higher-level thinking skills in chemical engineering students before they reach their senior years. To reach that goal, we are applying the hierarchical mental growth model of Egan3 as the basis for developing teaching and learning devices that are used in core sophomore- and junior-level chemical engineering courses. Figure 1 describes the cognitive levels of the model and summarizes other key aspects of the program.

Proceedings of the 2004 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Rice, R., & Kilbey, S. M., & Husson, S., & Harrison, G., & Hirt, D., & Bruce, D., & Gooding, C., & Switzer, D. (2004, June), A Professional Development Survey For Engineering Undergraduates Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--12776