Conference Session

Experiences of Underrepresented Students in Engineering

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Indhira María Hasbún, Florida International University; Alexandra Coso Strong, Florida International University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

FIU after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech’s Center for the En- hancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and three years as a faculty member at Olin College of En- gineering in Massachusetts. Alexandra’s research aims to improve the design of educational experiences for students by critically examining the work and learning environments of practitioners. Specifically, she focuses on (1) how to design and change educational and work systems through studies of practicing engineers and educators and (2) how to help students transition into, through and out of educational and work systems. American c Society for Engineering Education

Conference Session

New Developments in ECE

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Branimir Pejcinovic, Portland State University; Melinda Holtzman, Portland State University; Phillip Wong, Portland State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

this problem has been the introduction of a two-quarter coursesequence in the sophomore year: ECE 211 Introduction to Design Processes and ECE 212Introduction to Project Development. For brevity, we will call this sequence the Cornerstonecourses. We have provided an introduction to these courses in [1], but at that time we were stillin the middle of our first implementation. In this work we will focus on the details of the coursedesign, assessment used, and lessons learned from the first three offerings of the courses.In the following sections we will discuss: I. Overall ECE curriculum at our university (to provide proper context), II. more detailed course learning outcomes and descriptions, III. assessments used and results, and IV

Conference Session

Active and Cooperative Learning in ECE

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Marnie Wong, Arizona State University; Lindy Hamilton Mayled, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Conference Session

Growing and Maintaining Graduate Enrollment

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Adrienne K. Scott, University of Colorado, Boulder; Madalyn D. Kern, University of Colorado, Boulder; Julie E. Steinbrenner, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

ofanalysis, so we have presented the data that has been collected to date, but also recognize there aremany contributing variables. We will continue to collect and analyze data to assess the impact ofthe various initiatives of the Lead TA more concretely.IntroductionThe attrition rate of doctoral students is approximately 50% [1], [2]. Although retention ofundergraduate students has been well studied, the recruitment and retention of graduate students,specifically doctoral students, is less understood [3]. Research suggests that contributing factorsto high attrition for doctoral students include: unclear expectations, conflicting requirements,lack of consistent supervision, conflicts with an advisor, coursework and inadequate funding [4],[5

Conference Session

Inquiry, Inclusivity, and Integration

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Ilgin Guler, Pennsylvania State University; Stephanie Cutler, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Sarah E Zappe, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

roadways.Transportation engineering education can be improved by redesigning classes such that activeparticipation becomes a major component in learning. Transportation engineering is especiallywell-suited for active or inquiry-based learning since students have a daily personal experiencewith traffic and transportation [1]. However, this advantage is rarely leveraged in the educationof transportation engineering topics. Only a limited number of works have considered activeteaching methods in transportation [2-7]. Both Karabulut-Ilgu et al. [5] and Kondyli et al. [6]tried a flipped classroom approach in a junior level transportation engineering class. Both studiesfound that students were overall satisfied with the flipped classroom. Additionally, Kondyli et al

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Unique Projects & Pedagogies

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Michelle M. Blum, Syracuse University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

question portion, indicating that they comprehendedthe IBL lessons. Initial exam comparisons indicated that the IBL approaches support increasedstudent learning of the conceptual aspects of technical concepts.IntroductionMany educational experts recommend that a fundamental paradigm shift needs to occur inengineering education [1]. Both students and teachers need to acquire and implement pedagogicalskills that currently are not prevalently found in college teaching of engineering. This work aimsto address the following problems; first, the majority of university engineering classes are stilltaught in an archaic presentation lecture style [2]. Second, most students are unaware of thebenefits of inductive learning and think that they prefer

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Professional Development and Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Alexander James Carroll, Vanderbilt University; Joshua Daniel Borycz, Vanderbilt University; Julianne Vernon, Vanderbilt University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

survey of the different potential pathways for anengineering career, students increasingly are expected to complete meaningful design projectswithin these programs. This change creates opportunities to introduce first-year engineeringstudents to the complexities of the engineering information landscape via information literacyinstruction.Background on problem being addressedThe engineering education and library science literature suggest several best practices forcreating information literacy instructional (ILI) interventions. ILI interventions are mosteffective when contextualized to the specific needs of learners [1], [2] through integratinginformation literacy into the curriculum [3] and establishing the relevance of information literacyby

Conference Session

ENT Division Technical Session: EM Across the Curriculum II

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Walter W. Schilling Jr., Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

project, andprovide student observations on the success of this approach.Introduction “The hardest single part of building a software system is deciding precisely what to build. No other part of the conceptual work is as difficult as establishing the detailed technical requirements, including all the interfaces to people, to machines, and to other software systems. No other part of the work so cripples the resulting system if done wrong. No other part is more difficult to rectify later.” [1]Teaching software requirements represents a fundamental aspect of any software engineeringprogram. Students enrolled in a software engineering program are generally very savvy from atechnical standpoint and have a good ability to solve problems

Conference Session

Sense of Belonging and Diversity in Engineering Programs, Courses, and Teams

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Carmen M. Lilley, University of Illinois at Chicago

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

development of leadership skills is key to a successfullong-term career and has been highlighted by both the profession, academia and governmentfunding agencies as a critical need. Increasing diversity and inclusion in leadership is also criticalfor technology companies as they become global enterprises. Yet, there is a gap in knowledge ofleadership views, experiences, and skills for a diverse population of engineering students that areconsidered to be millennial students to frame how to construct a logic model that identifies thefactors that influence a student’s perseverance in pursuing leadership experience [1]. Traditionaldefinition of leadership development based on predominantly White males are based on theframework of input-environment-output

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Design in the First Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Keyanoush Sadeghipour, Temple University; David Brookstein, Temple University; Shawn Fagan, Temple University; Cory Budischak, Temple University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

” the EAC states “Engineering design involvesidentifying opportunities,….”. Below is a diagram which shows the flow of changes made toEAC student outcome criteria associated with engineering design. Fig. 1 Flow of Changes Made to ABET/EAC Student Outcome CriteriaIn view of the current ABET Student Outcome 2, our institution is beginning to infuse theconcept of Design Thinking in many of our undergraduate engineering program curriculum. Weare basing this infusion on a concept that has been promulgated by MIT, - 10 Steps to DesignThinking. Blade Kotelly, a senior lecturer at MIT and co-instructor of the MIT ProfessionalEducation course “Mastering Innovation & Design Thinking” explains that “design thinking is aframework that helps

Conference Session

Cognitive Skills Development

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Bria M. Booth, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Elif Miskioğlu, Bucknell University; Kaela M. Martin, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

participant survey, students took the engineering identitysurvey which asks the participants to rate how well they agree with thirteen given statements ofidentity affirmation on a scale of 0-6 (strongly disagree to strongly agree). These rankings wereall averaged to give the student’s Total Engineering Identity Score. Godwin categorizes thethirteen questions into three categories: Recognition, Interest, and Performance/Competence(Godwin, 2016). The rankings in each section were averaged to give the student’s categoryspecific scores. The student’s engineering identity scores and GPA can be found in Table 1.Scott, Dave, and John 1 are all high achieving engineering students. Their first-semester GPA’sreflect their success in their first 5-7 university

Conference Session

Improvements in ECE Circuit Analysis

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Kun Yao, University of Georgia; Adel W. Al Weshah, University of Georgia; Nathaniel Hunsu, University of Georgia

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Problem 1 examined students understanding of theinternal resistance of voltmeter/ammeter and short circuit, shown in Fig.1. Problem 2focused on series/parallel connection, shown in Fig.2. Lastly, Problem 3 focused onohm’s law. Besides, each item also included a confidence rating for student to choosehow confident they felt about the option they chose. The confidence rating scaleranged between 1 (being “Very unsure”) to 5 (being “very sure”).Sample of ProblemsSample 1Conceptual Content: Which circuit is most likely to make thepower supply and ammeter damaged? _______________Confidence Rating Scale: How sure (confident) are you when answering the above question? (Tick the box.) Very unsure Fairly In doubt

Conference Session

Postgraduate Pathways and Experiences

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Russell Korte, George Washington University; Saniya Leblanc, George Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

power utility as they began new jobs. The study is based on an inductive,qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with 12 newly hired engineers.A major milestone in the professional formation of engineers is the transition from student topractitioner—typically via employment into commercial/industrial organizations or other formsof employment [1]. Transitioning into a new job from school is an experience akin to crossing adistinct cultural boundary requiring one to transfer and/or translate one’s current knowledge andskills and learn new knowledge and skills [2]. For engineers transitioning from one engineeringjob to another the experience requires learning new cultural, social, political, and practical normswhich vary more or less

Conference Session

Sense of Belonging and Diversity in Engineering Programs, Courses, and Teams

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Sandra M. Way, New Mexico State University; Stephanie M. Arnett, New Mexico State University; Jeremy J. Brown, New Mexico State University; Miquela K. Gorham; Lorissa Humble, New Mexico State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

researchdesign will follow students over time to model changes in social psychological factors, thepreliminary analysis presented in this paper is limited to exploring how cross-sectional measuresof engineering identity, sense of belonging and career commitment captured early in anengineering student’s academic career are related to each other and to early educational successincluding retention to the next semester and cumulative GPA.Engineering identity, sense of belonging and commitment to careerThough identity has increasingly been theorized as a predictor of postsecondary STEM students’success and persistence, only recently have researchers begun to directly measure students’engineering identity [1]. Informed by Gee [2], Carlone and Johnson [3

Conference Session

Community Engagement Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Margaret Pinnell, University of Dayton; Kellie Schneider, University of Dayton; Leanne Petry, Central State University; M. Suzanne Franco, Wright State University; Malcolm W. Daniels, University of Dayton; Amy Anderson, University of Dayton; Marjorie Langston, Hamilton Township High School ; Megan Shepherd; Madeline Mock

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Community Engagement Division

-serviceteachers in a variety of engineering research opportunities through one the University ofDayton’s Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities for Service-Learning (ETHOS)Center which focuses on engineering and community engaged learning. This paper willsummarize the project, present observations from the spring participant sessions, and discuss theunique opportunities and challenges associated with involving teachers in internationalcommunity engaged learning.Introduction It is well established that the United States (US) has a need for enhanced participation aswell as increased racial and gender diversity in the Science, Technology, Engineering andMathematics (STEM) fields, particularly engineering [1-4]. Farinde, Tempest and

Conference Session

Capstone Pedgagogy

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

C. Richard Compeau Jr., Texas State University; Austin Talley P.E., Texas State University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

two semesters, andIE for one. While student feedback has been positive it was neither formalized nor quantified,which is the intent of our study.Background (of mentorship)Famous American philosopher William James exemplified his belief in mentorship with thestatement “act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”(1). Capstone course is aboutproviding the student the learning opportunity to experience engineering in a culminatingexperience. Many program Capstone courses involve formal and informal faculty to studentmentoring. This has been shown to have positive effects on the students(2-5). Multiple studieshave identified faculty mentorship of capstone teams as an key element of capstone experience(6-8). Student peer to peer mentoring

Conference Session

Work in Progress: Hands-on Activities

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Ilhem F. Hakem, Carnegie Mellon University; Richard Tang, Carnegie Mellon University; Michael R. Bockstaller, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

-degree-of-freedom haptic interfaces have beendeveloped [1]. Because of cost consideration, these technologies have only found sporadic use ineducational research, for example, to demonstrate concepts in electromagnetism [2]. However,progress in the electronics and entertainment industry has led to the emergence of low-cost haptictechnologies such as 3D force feedback joysticks that are commercially available for about $300.With force capabilities exceeding 2 lbs and a refresh rate exceeding 1 kHz, these devices provideadequate performance to explore the application for educational purposes [3].Polymer science provides a particularly suitable context for the application of force feedbacktechnologies to improve learning. Polymer materials – when

Conference Session

Computers in Education Division Technical Session 3: Digital Learning Part I

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Edward E. Anderson, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

on knowledge organization. A knowledge network based on theannotated graph approach to the organization of knowledge is presented in this paper. A bruteforce approach to tutoring learners with mastering a knowledge domain is also described. Theresults of student node tracking are also reported.Constructivist theory of education is to assist students with the construction of their ownunderstanding of a knowledge domain. Bruner [1] considered knowledge of a domain to beembedded in a structure and “grasping the structure of a subject is understanding it in a way thatpermits many other things to be related to it meaningfully. To learn structure, in short, is to learnhow things are related.” As stated by Montfort, et al. [2] these structures are

Conference Session

Curricular Advancements in ECE

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Shiny Abraham, Seattle University; Kenneth A. Connor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

underlying goal of this work is to combine thetraditional knowledge-based curriculum with skills-based experiences to broaden students’horizons, while helping them develop transferable knowledge and skills. Skills-based learningalso opens up opportunities for hands-on learning in which experimentation plays a key role –also known as Experiment Centric Pedagogy. This is based on the idea that engineeringeducation should have plenty of activities that enable students to act like engineers.IntroductionEmerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Augmentedand Virtual Reality (AR and VR), and Autonomous Vehicles, among many others, haveincreased the global demand for skilled workers [1]. However, recent graduates

Conference Session

Capstone Design Practices

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Valerie Vanessa Bracho Perez, Florida International University; Anilegna Nuñez Abreu, Florida International University; Ameen Anwar Khan, Florida International University; Indhira María Hasbún, Virginia Tech; Alexandra Coso Strong, Florida International University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

engineering from MIT (2007) and a master’s degree in systems engineering from the University of Virginia (2010). Alexandra comes to FIU after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech’s Center for the En- hancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and three years as a faculty member at Olin College of En- gineering in Massachusetts. Alexandra’s research aims to improve the design of educational experiences for students by critically examining the work and learning environments of practitioners. Specifically, she focuses on (1) how to design and change educational and work systems through studies of practicing engineers and educators and (2) how to help students transition into, through and out of educational and

Conference Session

Teaching Assistants, Supplemental Instruction, and Classroom Support

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Barukh Ben Rohde, University of Florida; Elliot P. Douglas, University of Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

assistant labor can be the difference between positive and negativestudent experience [1]. In these courses in this department, most undergraduate TAs have beenobserved to volunteer many more hours than those for which they are paid. Some courses in thisdepartment have adopted the practice of having their undergraduate TAs volunteer for their firstsemesters before being promoted to paid positions. We present a pilot study consisting of five in-depth interviews with former undergraduate TAs, most of whom volunteered for at least onesemester, from an Introduction to Signal Processing course. The data collection is ongoing;therefore, our results are not complete. Some preliminary results have been identified throughmultiple readings for the axes of

Conference Session

Postgraduate Pathways and Experiences

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Brent K. Jesiek, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Aditya Johri, George Mason University; Cory Brozina, Youngstown State University; Russell Korte, George Washington University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

and implement an innovative first year engineering program. Additional research in- terests include theory, philosophy, social science, workplace learning and performance, entrepreneurship, socialization, professional education, and organization studies. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Work-in-Progress: Novel Ethnographic Investigations of Engineering Work PracticesIntroductionThere remains a limited amount of research on professional engineering work practices [1]. Thisdeficiency is troubling because engineering education is organized and reorganized based onclaims and assumptions about what professional

Conference Session

International Research Experiences Intl Div Tech Session 8

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Gloria J. Kim, University of Florida; Yong Kyu Yoon, University of Florida ; Jin-woo Choi, Louisiana State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

International

and neurovascular unit on a microfluidic device for complete model of brain tissueIn addition to lab work and weekly virtual and in-person cohort meetings to discuss researchprogress, IRiKA students have the opportunity to visit Korean government research institutionsand global leaders in the tech industry such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. The GlobalEngineering Center for Engineers in Korea (GECE) has committed to coordinate additionalenriching cultural activities.The schedule of the program is shown in Table 1.Professional DevelopmentOne of the distinguishing features of IRiKA is the professional development components tailoredfor both its US participants and Korean partners and the availability of follow-on projects tofoster continued

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Focus on Students

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Matthew Cavalli, Western Michigan University; Anetra Grice, Western Michigan University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

based on promising results in the literature related to thepotential impacts of various personality traits on engineering student success.A variety of personality tests and inventories are available to characterize individuals. Mosthave strong proponents as well as detractors. The Big Five personality inventory [1] appears tobe one of the most well-received, in large part because it does not classify respondents intospecific ‘boxes’ but assigns them a score along continua of behavior. Multiple studies haveinvestigated the potential links between personality traits and student success (e.g., [2-7]). Foruniversity students and engineering students, in particular, two of the five factors mostcommonly identified as related to student success are

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Cornucopia #2

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Brooke C. Morin, Ohio State University; Krista M. Kecskemety, Ohio State University; Kathleen A. Harper, Ohio State University; Paul Alan Clingan, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

scrambled out of order [1]. Students are tasked with placing the codesegments in order to recreate the original program. Research on Parsons Problems has suggestedthat completing these activities may have the same learning gains as writing code from scratch[2],[3], but with a reduced cognitive load that leaves room for learning [4]. They allow studentsto focus on the structure and logic of a program independent of the particulars of syntax. Someauthors have presented variations on the Parsons Problems, such as including incorrect orunnecessary code segments, called distractors [1]; providing a framework for the generalstructure of the code [5]; and using custom software to provide real-time feedback [6], [7].However, the use of Parsons Problems in

Conference Session

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Rachel Ibach, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Jennifer Keshwani, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Deepak R. Keshwani, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Sydney E. Everhart, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Leah Sandall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

mentoring period. Skill development throughtraining and practice in the Cultivate ACCESS program provides industry partners overview ofcontent included in Cultivate ACCESS mentor training is provided in Table 1. Table 1: Overview of Mentor Training Module 1: Mentoring for 1. Key features of mentoring relationships Leadership Development 2. Mentoring versus coaching 3. Expected outcomes/impacts from mentoring relationships Module 2: From Mentoring 1. Investment relationships model to Investing 2. How to identify mentee’s talents 3. Impacting mentee self-concept through self-fulfilling

Conference Session

Computers in Education Division Technical Session 11

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

James C. Squire P.E., Virginia Military Institute; Gerald Sullivan P.E., Virginia Military Institute; Tom McCormick, Virginia Military Institute

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

Institute 30 Years of service with the US Army. Retired as COL. 37 Years of services with the Federal Gover- ment. Retired as a Senior Excutive. Sevred as a sytems enginner. Focued on special operations and counterterrorism. Currently teaching Electrical Enginerring at VMI. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Pedagogical Effectiveness of Continuous vs. Discrete User Interaction with Computer Demonstrations (Work In Progress)BackgroundComputer demonstrations and simulations are well-researched tools for teaching; resources suchas The Guide to Simulation Games for Education and Training have existed for half a century [1]and numerous

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Professional Development and Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Olukemi Akintewe, University of South Florida; Jonathan Elliot Gaines, University of South Florida; Anna Maria Bateman, University of South Florida; Lynn Chisholm, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students successfully completingthe CRBP, it is anticipated that these students will continue to earn one badge per semesterachieving all eight NACE competency skills before graduation. Ultimately, the opportunities forstudents to develop soft skills in conjunction with a curriculum that instructs engineering corecompetencies is important for success in the professional realm.IntroductionUniversities are revamping their first-year engineering curriculum to feature high impactactivities promoting professional development (PD) [1–5]. Oftentimes, this comes in the formof long-term design project assignments or real world case studies [1–4, 6]. Even whenlogistical challenges are vast [7, 8], as in large lecture course (> 60), it has been of

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Design in the First Year

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Demetris Geddis, Hampton University; Brian Aufderheide, Hampton University; Herman W. Colquhoun Jr., IBM Canada Ltd.

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

active speaker, facilitator, teacher and advocate for both general and minority interests in STEM, customer empathy, innovation and design. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Work in Progress: Project and Design-Based Introductory Engineering Course using Arduino Kits Demetris Geddis1, Brian Aufderheide1, Herman Colquhoun Jr.2 1 Hampton University, USA 2 IBM Canada LtdAbstractThis research is a “Work in Progress.” Currently, the retention rate for engineering

Conference Session

First-year Programs: Research and Spatial Skills

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Emily J. Schiavone, Viterbo University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

SemesterEngineering CourseIntroductionSpatial visualization skills are linked to success in chemistry, computer science, engineering, andmathematics [1,2]. Studies found that females, independent of racial and ethnic background,consistently lag behind males in measures of spatial skills[3]. Brus et al. found that femalestudents entering an engineering program report less confidence than male students in threecategories: career choice, scientific preparation, and their preparation of using graphical tools[1].The combination of a lack of confidence upon entry into an engineering program and low spatialvisualization skills, in comparison to male peers, may hurt retention efforts in the case of femaleengineering students[1,2]. Studies also found that students