Collection

2008 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Paul G. Ranky

learner back to a variety of revisionsolutions, so that the missed material can be learned, and the test re-taken. The 4assessment questions address exciting engineering, management, andcomputing science / IT (Information Technology), biomedical engineering, andother issues, and in many cases document best practices. This approach helpsdistance learners as well as educators to work with the material in real-worldclassroom and/or virtually web-networked teams.The cases are object-oriented and self-contained, nevertheless can beintegrated/ grouped into different classes of objects in a lean and flexible way(the same way as a modern software program, or a modern

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Asad Yousuf, Savannah State University; Claire Cynthia Lehman, Bill's Robotic Solution; Mohamad A. Mustafa, Savannah State University; Mir M Hayder, Savannah State University

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

State University Dr. Hayder is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology at savannah State University, GA. He received PhD in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University, Canada in 2009. His research interest lies in the areas of fluid-structure interaction, flow-induced vibrations, syngas and blended fuel combustion, nanofluids, concentrating solar power technologies, and flow and structural simulations. Page 26.1024.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 Introducing Kinematics with Robot Operating System (ROS)AbstractThe study

Conference Session

Empathy and Human-Centered Design 1

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Cristian Eduardo Vargas-Ordóñez, Purdue University at West Lafayette; Morgan M. Hynes, Purdue University at West Lafayette

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

engineering, social justice isa practice that invites to create in and for the real social problems, such as poverty. It means, theknowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics should transcend thehypothetical realm to articulate themselves as engines for defeating this problem. And for that,design is one possible transversal component in STEM areas through which the creation ofsolutions can materialize this idea according to the needs of each population. However, it seemsthat these professionals are not prepared for this task. How can education help with this? This systematized literature review seeks to explore the following questions to clarify onepart of this problem: What type of studies have been conducted to integrate

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Education and K-12

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles S. Wasson, Wasson Strategics, LLC

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering

domain-baseddesign such as electrical, mechanical, software, et al with a minimal or no level of SE concepts,principles, and practices required to effectively and efficiently perform system development.System development, especially for moderate to large, complex systems, adds a new dimensionof complexity beyond domain-centric engineering concepts. It requires education and training inthe “engineering of systems” – i.e., Systems Engineering. Where voids exist in this knowledge,the organization’s ability to “engineer systems” is typically characterized as ad hoc, chaotic, anddysfunctional rather than efficient and effective.In response to these operational needs, this paper explores the ad hoc, chaotic, and dysfunctionalnature of Systems

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dira Delpech, The Ohio State University; Emily Dringenberg, The Ohio State University

of completing the interview helps her feel more secure in her ability to speakingknowledgably and convincingly about why minoritization happens in engineering education:I think it's been helpful to see that I know more about it than I always feel confident talkingabout. So, I feel like it's nice to have that reinforced because it is part of my job and I really careabout it. - EllenMoving forward, this insight is shifting our motivation for the project. Initially, we had an ideaof surfacing deeply-held beliefs to change them to align with findings of systematic research. Weare still interested in surfacing deeply-held beliefs as a key mechanism for disrupting inequity,but we are now hypothesizing that making explicit the need for different

Conference Session

Two-Year College Potpourri

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah L. Rodriguez, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Paul Charles Bigby, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Antarjot Kaur, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Two-Year College Division (TYCD)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering Education, where he serves as a graduate research assistant. Paul also earned his Bachelor’s from Virginia Tech in Mechanical Engineering, and Master’s degrees from both the University of Michigan and Indiana University. His research interests are in broadening participation in engineering with a systemic or institutional focus.Antarjot Kaur, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Antarjot Kaur is currently a Ph.D. student situated in the Engineering Education Department at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Antarjot has received her B.S. and M.S. in Bioengineering from George Mason University with

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Lyle McCurdy; William Drake; Douglas Walcerz

how effective it was forcontinuous course improvement based upon the newly-mandated TAC/ABET criteria. Inparticular, this study will address the following hypothesis statement: The EnableOA software tool will provide a mechanism that is substantially better than existing methods for developing instructor intentions, garnering student input, presenting results a real-time graphical format, and providing for continuous course improvement, all while utilizing the eleven TAC outcome criteria. Page 6.125.3 Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition

Conference Session

Strategies to enhance student learning

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marybeth Lima P.E., Louisiana State University; Ann D. Christy P.E., Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Biological & Agricultural

references, and other materials used by localenvironmental consultants. The results were a series of design reports which were delivered tothe township (Christy et al., 2000).Senior capstone design course: International humanitarian engineering design projects. Atthe Ohio State University (OSU), the Department of Food, Agricultural and BiologicalEngineering expanded the senior capstone design experience to begin at the junior year and toinclude the option of international design projects. For three weeks during the summer betweentheir junior and senior years, teams of students would travel to South Africa to meet withcommunity groups and define design needs. The student teams then returned to the US andworked on year-long capstone design projects

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) Technical Session - Effective Teaching 2

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacqueline Jenkins, Cleveland State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL)

and assumes a background in geometry, algebra, calculus and physics.Admittedly, this course is the source of much angst for both students and instructors. I was toldto expect students to be unhappy with the amount of work the course entails and that they wouldcomplain. I was also told to expect a relatively high DFW rate (percent of students earning D andF grades or withdrawing from the course) and a relatively low teaching evaluation.The first year went as expected. Most of my preparation had been spent relearning the material,as I hadn’t studied statics in well over twenty years. That meant I ended up relying on theprepared PowerPoint decks provided by the publisher. I did deviate from the historical twomidterms and final exam structure of

Conference Session

Advancing Educational Technologies: VR, AR & Simulation

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Bosman, Purdue University; Ebisa Wollega, Florida Polytechnic University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering Division (IED)

virtual Comparisons and Productivity game mechanics in VR.During Weeks 1-3, a cross-over design was used to balance for order effects such as fatigue orlearning progression, the students were divided into two groups: • Group A started with VR lessons on Tuesdays and switched to PPT on Thursdays. • Group B started with PPT on Tuesdays and switched to VR on Thursdays.This AB/BA counterbalancing minimized order effects while maintaining the integrity of thewithin-subject comparison. The analysis focused on individual-level data rather than groupcomparisons, isolating the impact of the instructional modality itself. Attendance was recordedfor each lesson to ensure that only participating students were included in the analysis

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Monday Cornucopia (Classroom Innovations)

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Duncan Davis, Northeastern University; Jimmy Gitming Lee, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

controlled throughArduino (Zoltar is a famous brand of mechanical fortune tellers). An example of one traditionalescape room is shown in ​Figure 2​. The introduction to the project and the milestone assessments are done during class time,while construction of the projects are done outside of class. Students construct their projects intheir own creative vision. Materials, electronics, and methodology are all decided by thestudents, with the instructor available for advice or troubleshooting on particular parts.Generally, students gravitate toward cost-efficient materials like plywood and acrylic. Manygroups use Arduino hardware and sensors to add an electrical component to their project.Woodworking was done using either a CNC mill, a laser

Conference Session

Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies Division Technical Session 5: Remote, Hands-On Laboratories

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmet Sabuncu, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kerri Thornton, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

mechanical engineering. For instance, at theInstitute of Forming Technology and Lightweight Materials at TU Dortmund studentsexperiment with a remote-controlled robot arm that handles specimens for cupping, tensile, andcompression testing [1]. A remotely operated industrial-scale Flowloop test was developed forteaching multi-phase fluid mechanics at the Clausthal University of Technology [2]. In anotherstudy, students program control algorithms for operating mobile remote-controlled robots [3]. Apilot study reports the use of IoT for remote control and monitoring of a 3D printer as anacademic exercise [4]. While the infrastructure for creating remote-controlled experiments withIoT is at a good maturity level, there are a very limited number of case

Conference Session

Project-Based Learning Enhanced through Instrumentation

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David R. Loker, Pennsylvania State University, Behrend College

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation Division (INST)

mechanism to single step and debug Python programsrunning on the Pico. During development, programs can be saved onto the PC or the Pi Pico. Ithas a script area for writing code and a Python Shell for running programs. A simple example isshown in Figure 1. This program prints the value of a variable called “resistor” to the console. Figure 1. Python print commandMicroPythonMicroPython is a subset of the Python standard library, and it is optimized to run onmicrocontrollers (e.g., Pi Pico, etc.) for embedded applications [7-8]. The interface to its hardwareI/O is accomplished via functional specific libraries. Some examples include Bluetooth, machine,and network communication. The machine module implements specific

Collection

ASEE-NE 2022

Authors

Brian Bartelo, Student; Sean W Bartelo

Tagged Topics

Diversity

father is an aerospace and material science engineer. My dad teaches the mathematics as wellas how to throw a baseball. I have additional elective teachers and mentors who help me toexpand my STEAM knowledge. I meet with them on a regular basis who challenge me to deepdive into amazing, fun rabbit holes of learning.The popular television program, Young Sheldon, highlights the struggles and the triumphsassociated with academically accelerated students who tackle more challenging course loads,well before their classmates. I am one of those accelerated students, albeit more socially skilledas I feel collaboration is very important. Despite being in many online friend groups ofaccelerated students across the country, the depiction of Sheldon is

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Programs and Courses Session 5

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael (Mick) J. Bates, Waynesburg University; Donald Ken Takehara, Taylor University; Hank D. Voss, Taylor University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

gasification, and wind turbine reliability/optimization. Previous to Taylor, Don was at Dow Corning Corporation for 16 years as a technology leader, project leader, and Expertise Center Leader in the R&D of processes and products for silicon containing materials. Don is currently a consultant for university-industry partnerships, grantsmanship, research development, partnership development, engi- neering, project management, and science education. Don received his PhD and MS in Chemical Engi- neering at Northwestern University and his BS in Chemical Engineering at Purdue University.Dr. Hank D. Voss, Taylor University Dr. Hank D. Voss received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of Illinois in 1977.He then

Conference Session

Mathematics Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Doug Bullock, Boise State University; Janet Callahan, Boise State University; Jocelyn B. S. Cullers, Boise State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

Paper ID #18474Calculus Reform - Increasing STEM Retention and Post-Requisite CourseSuccess While Closing the Retention Gap for Women and UnderrepresentedMinority StudentsDr. Doug Bullock, Boise State University Doug Bullock is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Boise State University. He is currently serving as Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences and has worked in other administrative roles for the last decade. His educational research interests include impacts of pedagogy on STEM student success and retention.Dr. Janet Callahan, Boise State University Janet Callahan is Chair and Professor of Materials Science and

Collection

2024 CIEC

Authors

Nancy Sundheim

can benefit fromexperiences that communicate the value of adhering to the guidelines.The purpose of this paper is to describe two activities that have been effective in raising studentappreciation of the importance of adhering to the guidelines for manufacture. These classactivities have also been adapted for use as a recruiting tool. They are effective at engagingstudent interest when used with presentations to prospective students.BackgroundWhile attempting to move a manufacturing engineering technology program to the hyflexdelivery mode, a grant was received to explore the conversion of traditional in-lab experiences toat-home options. The goal was to use inexpensive, readily available parts and materials tosimulate the in-lab experience

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division (GSD) Technical Session 7: Developing Graduate Students' Competencies and Identities

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelli Cargile Cook, Texas Tech University; Fabiola Liliana Carrion-Anampa, Texas Tech University; Diego Alejandro Polanco-Lahoz, Texas Tech University; Jennifer A. Cross, Texas Tech University; Mario G. Beruvides P.E., Nanyang Technological University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies Division (GSD)

, and engineering education.Dr. Mario G. Beruvides P.E., Nanyang Technological University Dr. Mario G. Beruvides is the AT&T Professor of Industrial Engineering and Director of the Laboratory for Systems Solutions in the Industrial Engineering Department at Texas Tech University. He is a regis- tered professional engineer in the state of Texas. He holds a BS in mechanical engineering and an MSIE from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida and a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Applying User Experience (UX) Methods to

Conference Session

2-Year College Division: Transferring and Smoothing Transitions

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

David Reeping, Virginia Tech; Dustin Grote; Lisa D. McNair, Virginia Tech; Thomas Martin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Two-Year College

, however, itis redundant.Another metric that can be used is the ‘degrees of freedom’ of the curriculum, an allusion to thestatistical and mechanical concepts relating to the number of components or variables allowed tovary in a system. In the complexity measure, the degrees of freedom quantity refers to the totalnumber of unique ways a curriculum can be rearranged term-by-term while keeping logicalprerequisite structures [14]. This measure provides insight into how much flexibility studentshave in designing their plans of study, such as delaying a certain course to a later semester thatthey deem to require more attention or allowing space to retake courses they failed. Curriculawith few long prerequisite chains tend to have higher degrees of

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wei Zheng, Jackson State University; Yanhua Cao, Jackson State University; Himangshu Shekhar Das, Jackson State University; Jianjun Yin, Jackson State University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

instructional framework has been implemented in two engineering courses: CIV222 Engineering Mechanics and CIV 320 Structural Analysis in the Fall of 2013 with totalstudent number of ninety-six. The students in each class were randomly selected to form four-member teams for collaborative learning assignment through online discussion. The onlinediscussion was carried out through group e-mails due to unexpected technical issues in usingother online platform. Students were assigned with problems or course project as they usuallyreceived in normal courses. However, the selected problems or course project were required tobe carried out by student teams through the collaborative learning. The requirements for thecollaborative learning and grading criterions

Conference Session

Industrial Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Enas Aref, Western Michigan University; Tycho K. Fredericks, Western Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering

Paper ID #34953A New Course Development in Usability Engineering: Hands-On LearningBased on Research WorkMrs. Enas Aref, Western Michigan University Mrs. Enas Aref is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Industrial Engineering Department at Western Michigan University. Mrs. Aref served as an instructor of several Engineering courses at the Graduate and Under- graduate levels. Mrs. Aref has a Master’s Degree in Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management , a BSc. Mechanical Engineering, and is a certified Associate Ergonomics Professional Mrs. Aref has a 10+ years of experience in several engineering areas including

Collection

2024 ASEE PSW Conference

Authors

Zhen Yu, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Kai Noah Arellano, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Daniel Keenan Paek, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Steven Kent Dobbs, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

management, and battery storage. This aids in designing power circuits, like in Figure 5,and other parts prior to fabrication. Students on the team are trained to use AMESIM for systemsengineering applications which is a unique experience for undergraduates and will serve themthroughout their engineering careers. Figure 5: AMESIM Four Motor Configuration Model Schematic3. NetworkingIn such a competitive industry, the most important step to beginning a full-time career inengineering is knowing where to look for job opportunities. BANSHEE UAV introducesstudents to a variety of major and minor companies across aerospace, mechanical,manufacturing, and electrical engineering fields through workshops, research, and sponsorships.The club also

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FYP) - WIPS 4: Projects

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Daniel Winfrey, Middle Tennessee State University; Lei Miao, Middle Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs Division (FYP)

-left of Figure 1. Figure 1. Examples of student projects: soccer match (top-left), color sensor dog (top-right), robot reading color to play music (bottom-left), and user-controlled crane to pick up materials (bottom-right)Student teams also considered usage of drastically different robot designs. One team utilized akeypad movement scheme on the Lego Mindstorm computer module to control a custom cranethey designed from the included parts in the Lego Mindstorm kit as shown by the bottom-right ofFigure 1. This crane utilized the included motors to allow for movement in both the horizontaland vertical directions, rather than utilizing the motors in a traditional wheeled vehicle design.The crane could be lowered

Collection

2014 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Hussain A. Alhassan; Christian Bach

using Embedded Linux operating systempaper." pp. 474-478. 357.[22] L. Xing, L. Yan, C. Mian et al., "The Testing and Evaluating System for [46] L. Huan, L. Hang, and Y. Xia, "Access control technology research in the Security Operating System Based on the Mechanism of Keyword- embedded operating system." p. 7 pp. Driven." pp. 471-474. [47] H. Momeni, O. Kashefi, and H. Sharifi, "How to Realize Self-Healing[23] H.-y. Zhou, F. Wu, and K.-m. Hou, "An event-driven multi-threading Operating Systems?." pp. 1-4. real-time operating system dedicated to wireless sensor networks." pp. [48] M. Jasiunas, A. Chakraborty, and D. Kearney

Conference Session

Engagement in Practice: Bridging Engineering Education and Community Impact through Collaborative Design and Construction

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald W. Welch, The Citadel; Simon Thomas Ghanat P.E., The Citadel; William J. Davis P.E., The Citadel

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Community Engagement Division (COMMENG)

Paper ID #45968Engagement in Practice: A Case Study in Construction Engineering PracticumCourse at University ”X”Dr. Ronald W. Welch, The Citadel Ron Welch (P.E.) received his B.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Military Academy in 1982. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1990 and 1999, respectively. He taught at The United States Military Academy during his 25 year military career. After retiring form the military he has taught at the University of Texas at Tyler and The Citadel, where he was the Dean of Engineering for

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Cornucopia

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Cassondra Wallwey, The Ohio State University; Tyler Milburn, The Ohio State University; Brooke Morin, The Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Engineering at Ohio State University, teaching First- Year Engineering for Honors classes in the Department of Engineering Education. Brooke earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Ohio State. Her interests include implementing and assessing evidence-based practices in the first-year engineering classroom. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2021 Scaffolding Technical Writing within a First-Year Engineering Lab ExperienceIntroductionAlthough the education of engineers has been an ever-changing process that has developed overtime based on the needs of society [1], in more recent years the

Conference Session

ERM: Mental Health and Wellness

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Catherine Spence, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Luke Nyberg; Justine Chasmar, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Jodi Nelson, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Marissa Tsugawa, Utah State University - Engineering Education

communitycolleges across the nation. For four semesters, students complete technical, professional, anddesign coursework while working as paid engineering interns. As part of their coursework,students regularly complete reflections on technical, professional, and design topics.The reflections of 24 undergraduate engineering students on health, wellbeing, andbelongingness were analyzed using an open coding, thematic approach. Each student hascompleted 3 reflections on health, wellbeing, and belongingness. The results identify stressorsand coping strategies utilized by engineering co-op students. Strategies such as establishing astable routine is identified as a critical coping mechanism. Further connections of wellbeing andbelonging are described. Students

Conference Session

Works in Progress: Curricula and Pathways

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alma H. Rosales, Colorado State University; Andrea M. Leland, Colorado State University; Olivera Notaros, Colorado State University, ECE Department; Richard F. Toftness, IEEE High Plains Section; Thomas J. Siller, Colorado State University; Michael A. De Miranda Ph.D., Colorado State University; Alistair Cook, Colorado State University; Melissa D. Reese, Colorado State University; Zinta S. Byrne, Colorado State University; James Warren Weston, Colorado State University; Anthony A. Maciejewski, Colorado State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

college has used different types of instruments to evaluate andassess the program. In 2010, it received a grant from the Engineering Information Foundation todevelop tools to assess learning outcomes of the PLI. Because initial results indicated that therewere no statistically significant differences between students regardless of the level of exposureto the PLI, the end phases of the project evolved to include focus group research with studentswho had participated in the PLI program. Among the recurring themes were concerns withcontent, delivery mechanisms, and lack of interactivity in the PLI sessions. 27 Comments fromthe 2010 focus groups included: “Just sitting and listening in a PLI seminar does not promote learning.” “More field

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Marilyn Dyrud

learning.Despite the diversity and number of articles, most tend to fall into one of the themes explainedbelow: enhanced learning, course applications, group formation, interpersonal skilldevelopment, and assessment.Enhanced LearningMost of the articles that detail positive experiences with group work note an important sidebenefit: students tend to learn more in groups because the members develop what Johnson andJohnson have dubbed a “positive interdependence,”22 resulting in enhanced “short-term memory,long-term retention, understanding of course material, critical thinking, and problem solvingskills.”34A 1996 study by Jones and Brickner compared two sections of a sophomore basic mechanicscourse, one traditional lecture and the other cooperative learning

Conference Session

NSF Grantees’ Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christine Andrews Paulsen, Concord Evaluation Group; Monica E Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Tamecia R. Jones, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Marisa Wolsky, WGBH Educational Foundation

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

  17​mathematics scores and high school grade point averages.​  The study also found that qualitative measures like self­reported mathematical ability (self­efficacy) and computer skills were also good indicators of those students who planned to major in STEM.   Another key contextual variable is parental influence. About three quarters of the member engineers of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers surveyed in the “Why Engineering?” survey say most often a parent (46%) or a teacher (29%) influenced their  18​childhood interest in engineering.​  Strutz (2008) also found that parents were major influencers for both college students studying engineering and engineers who had completed an