Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 3: Diversity and Multicultural Influences in the First Year

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chirag Variawa, Northeastern University; Susan F Freeman, Northeastern University; Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Kris Jaeger-Helton, Northeastern University; Courtney Pfluger, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

them a wealth of learning and experiencethat may reflect their diverse backgrounds. Similarly, faculty may also bring new knowledgeinto their role as instructors, often borne from their international experiences. With the potentialfor so many differences in knowledge and perspective, the prospect for learning barriers to affectthe inclusivity of classroom instruction is high. Accordingly, the richness of perspectives may belost if effective efforts are not made to create a safe environment with a sense of belonging andcollective ownership.2As a first step toward investigating the effects of diversity on the interface between students,instructors and the learning environment, a group of instructors at Northeastern University inBoston

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 11: Curricular and Program Innovations

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marisa Exter, Purdue University; Iryna Ashby, Purdue University; Mark Shaurette, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

parents’ expectations, what appealed to them most, and what they were mostconcerned about.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with faculty at mid-semester. These interviewsaddressed faculty’s experience with students and other faculty, and their beliefs about what wasgoing well and what could be improved for next time. Researchers also attended and took notesat faculty reflection sessions. Finally, class observations were conducted to inform ourunderstanding of the other data sources.Data AnalysisDescriptive statistics were used to summarize closed-ended survey data. Qualitative data frominterviews and open-ended survey items were analyzed using the constant comparative methodfor naturalistic inquiry [27], to discover themes related to

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 12: Teaching and Advising Students in that Critical First Year

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carmela Cristina Amato-Wierda, University of New Hampshire; Robert M. Henry P.E., University of New Hampshire; Ernst Linder, University of New Hampshire (UNH)

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

, and in a variety of domains, such as:mathematics,21 reflective judgment,22 and conceptions of density.23 Dynamic skill theoryintegrates over 100 years of research in cognitive development, extending from Baldwin’s24pioneering theory that intellectual development happened in stages, to Piaget’s25 theory ofconstructivism, which has made an enormous impact on science education.26 Fischer, known as aneo-Piagetian, advanced Piaget’s theories by recognizing the hierarchical pattern of ideas thatemerge as a person’s understanding grows with time.The central feature of dynamic skill theory is a scale that describes the progression of increasingcomplexity of ideas that a person uses to think about a concept as their understanding grows withtime

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 5: Using Video, Games, and More in the First Year

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel D. Anastasio, University of Connecticut; Malgorzata Chwatko, University of Connecticut; Daniel D. Burkey, University of Connecticut; Jeffrey Ryan McCutcheon

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

teammates improve the quality of their sections, which will in turn help all students in thegroup.Quizzes have been replaced with homework, which are one or two simple problems that givestudents additional practice with course concepts beyond the projects. These homeworkquestions allow students to practice with information given during lectures and assist studentswith exam preparation. The way homework is graded reflects an aspect of game-based learningallowing students to customize their experience. There are 200 points available from homeworkin a semester, but students can only earn a maximum of 160 points. This system allows studentssome leeway in their homework assignments, as points lost on an earlier assignment can be madeup by completing a

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 1: It's All About Teams and Teamwork

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jess W. Everett, Rowan University; Jenahvive K. Morgan, Rowan University; Kaitlin Engle Mallouk, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

(%) Treatment B 40 30 20 10 0 0 1 2 3 4 >4 Lab Periods Student was Leader Figure 1: Laboratory Session LeadershipOver 50 % of Treatment B students never led a lab. Surprisingly, almost 25 % of Treatment Astudents also never led, indicating that this requirement should be emphasized more in the future.This was reflected in one of the focus groups for Treatment A in which students noted “We werenot as successful at sticking to just our roles

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 3: Diversity and Multicultural Influences in the First Year

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Maritza Paz, The University of Texas at Austin, Cockrell School of Engineering; Margo Cousins, University of Texas, Austin; Cindy D. Wilson, University of Texas, Austin; Mia K. Markey, The University of Texas at Austin

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

technicalities such as spelling or grammar. Instead, focus your writing process on your personal reflections. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will be glad to assist you.The first page of the activity listed 12 broad values not directly related to academic performance:being good at art; creativity; relationships with family and friends; government or politics;independence; learning and gaining knowledge; athletic ability; belonging to a social group(such as your community, racial group, or school club); music; career; spiritual or religiousvalues; and a sense of humor. The instructions asked students to circle 2-3 values that are ofpersonal importance.Page 2 of the activity asked students to write a few sentences

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 7: The Transition from High School to College

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Caitlin Cairncross, University of Portland; Sharon A. Jones P.E., University of Portland; Zulema Naegele, University of Portland; Tammy VanDeGrift, University of Portland

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Finally, the authors thank Dr.Julie Kalnin for conducting the focus group and overall program evaluation.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under awardnumber DUE - 1317238 and is supported in part by funds given to the National ScienceFoundation by the Intel Foundation and the GE Foundation. Any opinions, findings, andconclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do notnecessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.References 1. American Society for Engineering Education. 2012. Going the Distance: Best Practices and Strategies for Retaining Engineering. Engineering Technology, and Computing Students. http://www.asee.org/retention

Conference Session

Interactive Panel on Improving the Experiences of Marginalized Students on Engineering Design Teams

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lorelle A Meadows, Michigan Technological University; Denise Sekaquaptewa, University of Michigan; Marie C Paretti, Virginia Tech; Alice L. Pawley, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Shawn S. Jordan, Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus; Debbie Chachra, Olin College of Engineering; Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education, Electrical and Computer, Engineering Libraries, First-Year Programs, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Minorities in Engineering, Student, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering, Women in Engineering

distinct from sex. Connellnotes that gender is not a supposedly biologically-obvious division between men and women, butinstead the way human society collectively makes relevant these reproductive distinctions Page 26.1007.5between human bodies in a social context. For us, the context is engineering education. In its  simplest form, gender reflects the set of characteristics, behaviors, and practices that we think ofas “feminine” or “masculine” – characteristics that any individual biological male or female mayor may not embody.Race, like gender, is not a biological category but a social one. And unlike sex, race has nobiological basis, despite a

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 9: Focus on Student Learning, Lifelong Learning, and the Whole Student

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nikitha Sambamurthy, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Catherine G. P. Berdanier, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Monica Farmer Cox, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Jing Lv; Yukiko Maeda, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Syafiah Mahfuzah Johari, Engineering Education Department, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

modifyobservation parameters prior to the start of a class or lab. The observer function records real-timeinstructional data as code strings during a class or lab. The student function assesses students viaLikert scale survey items for formative or summative use for the class or lab. The instructorfunction allows instructors to explore their pedagogy after a class or lab via reflective items. Last,the researcher function compiles the data collected by the other G-RATE functions. Previous papers have traced the evolution of the G-RATE through its development andinitial pilot test3,4. Representing large quantities of the captured rich classroom data in ways

Conference Session

First Year Programs Division Poster Session: The Best Place to Really Talk about First-Year Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicole Lynn Larson, University of Calgary; Genevieve Hoffart, University of Calgary; Tom O'Neill, University of Calgary; Marjan Eggermont, University of Calgary; William Daniel Rosehart P.Eng., University of Calgary; Bob Brennan, University of Calgary

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

), this tool offers a unique advantage because rather than assessing how each individualis functioning within the team, it focuses on how the team is functioning together as an entireunit. Offering feedback at the group-level allows teams to reflect on and discuss their currentnorms, climate, and team processes. In contrast, other tool typically have team members rateeach others teamwork skills, and this process may lead to tension, animosity, and increasedconflict within a team. Furthermore, research has shown that team-level feedback can improvemembers attitudes toward the team resulting in greater cohesion.In the following section we provide information regarding technical aspects of the scalesencompassed in the Team CARE model. We then

Conference Session

First Year Programs Division Poster Session: The Best Place to Really Talk about First-Year Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Todd R Hamrick, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

and German in 1987, and returned to academia after a 22 year engineering career in industry. During his career Dr. Hamrick served in a broad range of positions including design, product development, tool and die, manufacturing, sales, and management. His teaching style brings practical, innovative, experience based learning to the classroom, where hands on projects that reflect real world applications are valued by students. Since 1998 he has mentored and lead youth organizations including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, and First Robotics, with youth ranging in ages from first grade through high school. He was named a Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Outstanding Teacher for 2013-14

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 5: Using Video, Games, and More in the First Year

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angel Ari Perez-Mejia, Quinnipiac University; John E. Greenleaf P.E., Quinnipiac University; Priscilla C Fonseca P.E., Quinnipiac University; Chris Hakala, Quinnipiac University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

situation. For example, music may workwell to engage students for a hands-on pedagogical approach, while it may be counter-productive for other activities that may be more reflective in nature.Although the results of this study were inconclusive, the effects of music on learning is anarea that should be researched further. The abundance of anecdotal evidence from instructorsindicate that it is a topic of interest among the educational community. The effects of pre-class activities may be elucidated by following the framework presented this study with alarger sample size and detailed observation of pre-class activities. These observations shouldseek to further categorize the presented options (i.e. what type of music specifically wasplayed, whether

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 11: Curricular and Program Innovations

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Caroline Liron, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ., Daytona Beach; Heidi M Steinhauer, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ., Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

seeking a Mechanical, Civil, or Aerospace Engineering degree. As the SLC students have been presented with multiple approaches to solving problems, it was expected that these students’ understanding, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills would be improved. These students are, therefore, expected to perform better in their subsequent fundamental core courses. Table 4 and Table 5 present the pass/fail rates of both fall 2013 and spring 2014 cohorts. All students were not combined into one cohort to be able to reflect the fact that some students from the fall cohort have taken a course (Calculus I, Physics I, or both) multiple times to pass the class while students from the spring 2014cohort are doing so in the current

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 5: Using Video, Games, and More in the First Year

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Warren Bucks, University of Cincinnati; Kathleen A. Ossman, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Mean Change Z SignificantProblem Deviation Deviation 2013 2014 In Mean Value α = 0.01 2013 2014 P3 8.90 2.37 9.32 2.18 +0.42 4.06 YES P6 10.09 2.64 10.75 2.08 +0.66 5.77 YES P7 9.89 3.04 10.76 2.20 +0.87 6.56 YES P8 7.17 3.13 8.27 2.75 +1.1 8.09 YESTable 4 lists the topics covered in each exam problem and reflects the increased emphasis anarrays and loops

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 9: Focus on Student Learning, Lifelong Learning, and the Whole Student

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Krista M. Kecskemety, Ohio State University; Jacob T Allenstein, Ohio State University; Robert B. Rhoads, Ohio State University; Clifford A Whitfield, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

the characteristics thatlifelong learners would possess.Mourtos7 developed a different strategy for looking at the definition of lifelong learning and itsrelationship to the ABET student outcome. In his work, he divided the ABET outcome into thetwo parts of: • recognizing the need for lifelong learning and • the ability to engage in lifelong learning.Mourtos7 developed 14 attributes to measure lifelong learning in students in both of thesecategories. These measures were then used in course design to ensure that lifelong learning wasincluded and assessed in the curriculum. The methods of assessment included student work,student course reflections, and student surveys. Mourtos7 recognizes that the 14 attributes oflifelong learning

Conference Session

First Year Programs Division Poster Session: The Best Place to Really Talk about First-Year Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica E S Swenson, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach; Marya H Schnedeker, Center for Engineering Education and Outreach, Tufts University; Sarah Marie Coppola, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach; Leonardo Andres Madariaga, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach / Federico Santa Maria Technical University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

 predict the work students will likely produce. This information will provide helpful insights in how to present problems to best educate future engineers.   Acknowledgements  The authors would like to acknowledge funding and support from Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach, Tufts University Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Center of Science and Mathematics in Context at the University of Massachusetts Boston, USAID and ​ The Sampoerna University​ . This work was also supported by the National Science Foundation DRK­12 program, grant # DRL­1020243, and grant # DRL­1253344. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 4: The Best of the All: FPD Best Papers

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chao Wang, Arizona State University; Jennifer Mott, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Table 1. Grading Scheme Individual Individual Readiness Assurance Test (iRAT) 10% Quizzes and Exam 20% Journal Reflection 20% Team Team Readiness Assurance Test (tRAT) 5% Design Project 45% Total 100%Two peer evaluations were conducted using CATME. One was around week 9 into the semesterand the other was at the end. The peer evaluation let the students evaluate both themselves andother members on

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 10: Paying Attention to Retention

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steffen Peuker, California Polytechnic State University; Nova Alexandria Glinski Schauss, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-19 Volume 3, 20023. Veenstra, Cindy P., Dey, Eric L., Herrin, Gary D., "A Model for Freshman Engineering Retention", AEE, Volume 1, Issue 3, Winter 20094. Meyers, Kerry L., Silliman, Stephen, E., Gedde, Natalie, L., Ohland, Matthew, W., "A comparison of engineering students’ reflections on their first year experiences.", J. Engineering Education, April 20105. Hutchison, Mica A., Follman, Deborah K., Sumpter, Melissa, Bodner, George M., "Factors influencing the self- efficacy beliefs of first year engineering students", J. Engineering Education, January 20066. Landis, R. B., "Student Development: An Alternative to 'Sink or Swim'", Proceedings of 1994 ASEE Annual Conference, June 19947. Lotkowski, Veronica A., et al. "The Role of

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 4: The Best of the All: FPD Best Papers

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Genevieve Hoffart, University of Calgary; Nicole Lynn Larson, University of Calgary; Tom O'Neill, University of Calgary; Matthew James Walter McLarnon, University of Western Ontario; Marjan Eggermont, University of Calgary; Bob Brennan, University of Calgary; Bill Rosehart, University of Calgary

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

negatively with team performance at ρ = -.21. Additionally, teams perceivedsignificantly higher levels of innovation efficacy, meaning they believed they could create moreinnovative solutions to the problems they were presented in lab. Furthermore, the significantincrease in team cohesion reveals the improvement in team relationships that were formed duringthe team experience. While team cohesion reflects the enjoyment of a teamwork experience,meta-analyses have also demonstrated that it is positively related to team performance24, 25.Collectively, the results shown above highlight the effect of the SUIT training frameworkwhereby all team dynamic variables were influenced in the desired direction.Despite the positive trends highlighted above, the

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 4: The Best of the All: FPD Best Papers

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William H Guilford, University of Virginia; Anna Stevenson Blazier, University of Virginia; Alyssa Becker, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

engineering pedagogy. A brief examination of syllabi, course descriptions, andpedagogical objectives shows that we often inadvertently also define psychological constructsand objectives. For example, the posted description for the introductory course herein describedcontains phrases including: “the role of creativity” “requiring a balance” “a significant, hands-on, case study “cultural, political and other project” considerations” “fun and challenging”Each of these has strong psychological components; after all, what is “fun?” At what level ofdifficulty does an individual find a task “challenging?” Some of these are reflected in

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 2: Design in the First Year: Challenges and Successes

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

DeLean Tolbert, Engineering Education, Purdue University; Monica E Cardella, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

adjusted his design. See figure 2 for a frame of Peter sketching adesign solution. He initially generated a list of ideas and in general did not discard his idea. Heoften modified his current idea to meet a newly found or newly understood constraint. Page 26.1079.6Tabitha: Methodical Process which led to Early Integration of Mathematical and DesignThinkingTabitha began the playground task by statingassumptions about the layout of the lot and theregional location. She reflected on herchildhood and remembered playing on themerry-go-round. She did not spend timegenerating ideas rather she first completelydesigned and thought about what would

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 12: Teaching and Advising Students in that Critical First Year

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shelley Lorimer P.Eng., MacEwan University; Jeffrey A Davis P.Eng., Grant MacEwan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

not expected since it was anticipated that therewould be a strong correlation between problem difficulty and problem score. It is possible thatthe subjectivity in the classification scheme for problem difficulty and complexity haveinfluenced the results obtained.We were not able to find a correlation amongst high school averages, our math assessment scoresand first-year GPAs. It is plausible that the math advisory exam may not be a reliable predictorof math readiness of our students, or that the high school grades are not consistent with thestudents’ skills in the various subject areas. Students that enter our first-year program are able toupgrade their high school marks, and these upgraded marks may not necessarily reflect theirachievement

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 1: It's All About Teams and Teamwork

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James E. Lewis, University of Louisville; Gerold Willing, University of Louisville; Thomas D. Rockaway, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

previous shortcomings are somewhat reflected in observed changes to the class gradedistributions. The data from the summer 2012 course (114 students) was compared toconglomerated course data from 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 (325 students) from the sameinstructor at the same class time. The historical trend for the course is for approximately 27% ofthe students to earn A’s, 33% earn B’s, 23% to earn C’s, 8% to earn D’s and 9% to earn F’s(Figure 1). For the 2012 class, there appeared to be a dramatic shift within the gradedistributions from the historical trends. As shown in the Figure, 42% earned A’s, 16% earnedB’s, 7% earned C’s, 26% earned D’s and 9% earned F’s. Data were also compiled for the sameStatics class in the summer of 2013 (148 students

Conference Session

First Year Programs Division Poster Session: The Best Place to Really Talk about First-Year Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary E. Goodwin, University of South Florida; John Pharo Morgan III, University of South Florida; Yan Wang, University of South Florida; Michelle King, University of South Florida College of Engineering; Blake A Burton, University of South Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

157% Dec 330 369 534 718 218% Total 2229 2598 3614 4862 218%Written information was collected from the learning teams twice a semester along with a finalevaluation. All students were asked to turn in two reflection papers, one at four weeks in and thesecond one at 11 weeks. The questions asked on the first paper were the following:  Please write in a few sentences about your biggest challenges to date concerning adjusting to the University.  Describe the positive experiences you have had and what has helped you to adjust.  Please describe your comfort level with your course work to date.  What courses have been the most difficult and what courses do you feel you need further

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 16: That Important Decision - Which Engineering Major?

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Héctor Enrique Rodríguez-Simmonds, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; Juan David Ortega-Alvarez, Universidad EAFIT, Medellin, Colombia - Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; S. Zahra Atiq, Purdue University; Stephen R Hoffmann, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

by FYE students as useful in deciding theirengineering major. The figure only shows the results where the word count was greater than 2.“Presentations” and “homework” occur in the context of ENGR131, whereas “research”emerged spontaneously in the list, something we were not expecting to see. Upon reflection andobservation of survey responses to this question, we realized that while the question was askingstudents about the activities in ENGR131, they reported doing some research on their own whichhelps them make a decision regarding their major.Figure 2 shows that the activity students find most helpful are the presentations. However, anadditional finding can be highlighted from these results: After the activities occurring in thecontext of

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 1: It's All About Teams and Teamwork

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Leslie, New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering (formerly Polytechnic University); Gunter W. Georgi, New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering; Alyssa Marie D'Apice, New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

impact of our teamwork skits. As seen in Figure 4, weasked our audience what they would do if their team starts to encounter difficulty. Anecdotally,we hear from students that they do not like working on teams because they end up doing all ofthe team’s work; this is reflected in the pre-skit response of 30% of our students, who respondedthat they would simply take over the project. About 15% of the students before the skit said theywould talk to the teacher or stop working. After the skits, a full 15% more of the class said theywould call a team meeting if they noticed they were having trouble, equaling a 15% drop in thenumber of students who said they would take over the project. The number of students who said

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 10: Paying Attention to Retention

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William John Palm IV P.E., Roger Williams University; Charles R Thomas, Roger Williams University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

post-secondary institutions, the study university has implemented several programs tohelp first-year students transition to college. Three such programs relevant to this study include: 1. First Year Seminars (FYS) – special sections of a three-credit core curriculum course. Compared to other sections of the core courses, FYS include only first-semester students, are limited to an enrollment of eighteen students per section, are taught by a full-time faculty member (instead of adjunct faculty), and include additional learning outcomes intended to develop academic habits of mind (i.e., reflection, explanation, etc.). 2. RWU Experience (RWUXP)41 – a non-credit course meeting one hour per week. Led jointly by a faculty

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 6: Hands-on Projects and Spatial Skills

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Ocif Love, Northeastern University; Susan F Freeman, Northeastern University; Kris Jaeger-Helton, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

need or want to go there”. In summary, the small percentage ofstudent respondents who knew the Learning Center existed but did not visit felt that they didn’tneed the Learning Center’s resources, probably because they had their own tools or foundresources elsewhere (at home, for example).DiscussionThe survey data along with our own observations and reflections enable us to summarize ourthoughts on what needed to be improved, what worked, what we changed, and what could beconsidered accomplishments. As for what needed to be improved, we identified the number ofopen lab hours per week, communicating the open lab hours, our initial inventory of tools,training for the graduate student Lab Supervisors, and more computers as areas that wereaddressed

Conference Session

First-year Programs Division Technical Session 16: That Important Decision - Which Engineering Major?

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Frank Blubaugh, Purdue University; Joyce B. Main, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. Therefore, we examine studentmusic genre preference in the context of self-efficacy to reflect multiple aspects of the studentexperience.With  the  nation’s  call  for  more diverse engineering professionals, engaging music preferencemay provide a unique approach to broadening participation in engineering. Therefore, weexplore whether music preference plays a role in engineering discipline choice. Our researchfindings have the potential to inform how diversity in experiences and preferences may play a Page 26.347.2role in student choices. The findings therefore may have implications for how key stakeholders,instructors, academic