an Introductory Computing Course Stephanos Matsumoto smatsumoto@olin.edu Olin College of EngineeringAbstractIn this paper, we conduct a qualitative study to describe how focusing more on softwareengineering skills, code quality, and reflection on programming practices in an introductorycomputing course has led to improvements in students’ experience and learning outcomes. Ourwork took place during the summer and fall of 2020 at Olin College of Engineering, a small,undergraduate-only engineering college in Massachusetts. We describe how, motivated bydifficulties in developing and assessing code quality in students work, we
robotics competition. To execute, thementors engaged in alternating weekly activities throughout the semesters, comprising (1)internal development meetings where they gathered to brainstorm on subjects that include basictechnical skills (CAD, 3D-printing, microcontroller, coding), additional topics relevant to thecompetition (engineering notebook, fundraising, outreach), as well as to reflect on the lessonslearned from the previous workshop at the high school, and (2) workshop series where theyvisited the high school robotics club to deliver the workshops. At the end of the firstimplementation, the outcome of soft skill development for the mentors was evaluated throughsurveys and interviews. Among the ten soft skills assessed, four were identified
, makingthem to see themselves as entrepreneurially minded individuals [7, 8]. Storytelling, throughwhich students share specific work or school situations that might represent a wide variety ofethical concerns [9] also constitutes ways to enhance and to extend the ethics learning outside atypical classroom setting.The integration of informal peer assessments provides additional opportunities for students toengage with academic content vicariously and to learn from their peers’ stories. The informalassessment process lowers the stakes, focuses on students’ learning as reflected in each story’snarrative, and encourages participation and creativity. Moreover, the processes of generating andsharing stories and the peer assessment process connect to
conditional statementsusing IF. . . THEN structures.” This is perhaps not surprising given that these skills live outside ofthe particulars of Python, which was a new programming language for the majority of students.Skills that were more specific to the precise syntax and language of Python were ranked lower.For example, students expressed the least confidence in the statement “I can manipulatedictionaries to add/remove items, retrieve values,” with only 6 (of 19) students saying theystrongly agree, 11 somewhat agree, and 2 somewhat disagree. The statement “I can manipulatestrings using library methods” received almost identical ratings with 7, 11, 1 student in therespective categories.The survey also provided an opportunity for students to reflect
of the profession - throughmultimedia simulation, role-playing games, case-based learning, and review of other, fictionalizedcases - can give them opportunities to reflect on the need to identify complex situations in futuresettings, as well as a safe environment in which to explore, make mistakes, and discuss theramifications of various decisions in authentic contexts. Ultimately the goal is to better prepareyoung engineers to tackle current and future challenges that have tended to be underemphasizedin traditional engineering curricula.The overall research question for this project is “In what ways can experiential, game-basedapproaches to engineering ethics improve students' ethical reasoning skills?” The authors havedeveloped a suite of
three courses. Approximately 91% (75out of 83) of the invited students in CE 3110, 33% (21 out of 64) in CE 3220, and 37% (29 out of80) in CE 3510 responded to the surveys.Students responded to a series of questions to reflect on their learning experience such as if theprojects enabled them to use their strengths/talents, enhanced the skill of applying theirknowledge to real life examples, and if they used their creativity. It was investigated if thetimeline, the instructions, and the feedback system were appropriate for the projects. Finally, aquestion on the accessibility and approachability of the instructors and teaching assistants wasasked. The results of the surveys are described below.Figure 1 shows that a majority of the respondents (69
engineering. 5.1 Increased my awareness of job opportunities in engineering. 5.1 Equipped me with knowledge and skills to advance towards my career… 4.9 Exposed me to engineers who reflect my identity (e.g. gender,… 4.8 Expanded my industry network 4.8 Assissted me in acquiring a position 4.6 Figure 6. Info SessionMentorship Assessment Assessment (Arranged by Mean) Arranged by Mean
reflected on the limitations of neural networks, and realized that many generalissues apply here.For example, a known difficulty in machine learning is predicting the minority class. Due to theintrinsic ratio nature of probability, it is naturally easier to predict the majority class with higheraccuracy than the minority class. Predicting the minority class is therefore a known difficulty inmachine learning. As we are attempting to predict attrition, and attrition is the minority class, theneural network was having difficulty. In addition, there is no strong signal in the available data.As shown in Figure 2, all groups for most independent variables are retained. A neural networkrequired to make a binary prediction based on any individual variable
successful in the interaction with the diverse workplace. TheNational Center for Science and Engineering Statistics 2021 report highlighted that recentundergraduate and graduate enrollment trends reflect the increasing diversity of the U.S. collegeand graduate-school populations. For example, the study highlighted that Hispanic or Latinoundergraduate students increased from 18.9 percent in 2016 to 20.2 percent in 2018. In 2018,underrepresented minority students received 24.0 percent of all Science and Engineering (S&E)bachelor's degrees awarded to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 22.1 percent of S&Emaster's degrees, and 13.6 percent of all S&E doctoral degrees. Underrepresented minoritieshave earned an increasing share of degrees
, communication, collaboration, andparticipation, issue negotiation and resolution, and reflection and self-assessment) werediscussed as major factors impacting the productivity of a team. While a team possesses uniqueaspects, and each aspect imposes a different effect on the structure, processes, feedback loop, andoutputs of the team, it is vital to consider major common characteristics when developing a teamto perform tasks or, on a larger scale, a project. Koolwijk et al. [2] explored the effects of a no-blame culture on the effectiveness of project-based design teams across different project deliverymethods in the construction industry. They concluded that project managers should determinethe level of teamwork and encourage collaboration within a
communications.Learners can access sims (i)-(iii) from anywhere with an internet connection and a standardcomputer to practice the process steps in a safe, repeatable, and effective manner.K7-8 Acculturation: Augmented Reality GamesOur most recent exploration of non-conventional learning tools includes the creation of an ARGgame [23] designed to introduce young-learners (8th grade focus) to the ray optics phenomena ofrefraction, total internal reflection, and light-guiding via straight and curved waveguidecomponents (see Fig. 8). The ARG has been designed as a miniature narrative, which a middle-school educator can independently deploy, instead of requiring specialized game designer staff tooversee. This purposeful ARG-in-a-box methodology is intended to enhance
Paper ID #39231Work in Progress: Creating Effective Prompts for ”Teaming” SessionsDr. Jennifer A. Turns, University of Washington Dr. Jennifer Turns is a full professor in the Human Centered Design & Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at the University of Washington. Engineering education is her primary area of scholarship, and has been throughout her career. In her work, she currently focuses on the role of reflection in engineering student learning and the relationship of research and practice in engineering education. In recent years, she has been the co-director of the Consortium to Promote
from strengthening their problem-solving skills, exposing engineeringstudents to such coding experience confers attributes of systems thinking, creativity and deeperunderstanding of processes on students [10]. Additionally, such exposure enhances researchcapabilities of graduate students as it offers the opportunity to experiment new ideas.Pedagogically, computer program scripts written for teaching and learning purposes could bedeployed as tools to engage learners in simulation-based reflection on their performance in manualcomputations [11]. The teaching and learning of reservoir simulation, as a petroleum engineeringcourse module, stands to benefit a lot from this workflow coding approach. The reservoirsimulation body of knowledge is
engineering education research and practice, theories reflecting the experiences ofmultiply marginalized students remain elusive in engineering education. Oftentimes, multiplymarginalized students’ experiences are explored through identifying particular marginalizedidentities within study participants and applying theories of engineering education to theirexperiences. Other approaches situating certain standpoint theories emerge from single-identitytraditions that identify specific identities and deepen understandings of only those facets ofidentities relevant to those theories. While these approaches are often immensely helpful indeveloping new knowledge about the experiences of marginalized students, they often do notaccurately reflect the unique
vacuum evaporator system with the old students are asked to fully completethe laboratory exercise from data collection through lab report submission. The graded outcomesof the submitted lab reports are compared with a sample of those from previous semesters todetermine any statistically significant variance between the fulfillment of learning objectives.Second, to determine perceptions of the student-built nature of the apparatus, food sciencestudents complete surveys that provide self-reported reflections about their experience during themock laboratory assignment. Students are asked to compare the effectiveness of the apparatus(ease-of-use, quality of measurement devices, etc.) to previous laboratory experiments they haveperformed. Students
pandemic, the projectwas not evaluated. In 2022, the “evaluation laboratory” tool of Open LMS was added to theproject in design thinking methodology. Using this tool, students can submit the initial seminarplanning to be evaluated by teachers and at the same time do peer review of other groupsactivities. They can ask questions and make reflections about other groups activities sodeveloping critical thinking during this process before submitting the final seminarpresentation. The project has attended expectations, resulting in better academic performance,as well as contributing to the development of the competencies and skills that were aimed tobe developed.IntroductionThe Physics subject is applied to the First-Year students of the Engineering
institution andthe community college. The number of students was small because the mechanical engineering program isrelatively new and many students had internships. There were two women and several first generationstudents in the pilot class. All the students were engineering students, mostly rising juniors and seniors. We selected wave energy for our research focus since the project did not require any prior knowledge that would create prerequisite barriers. We worked hard to find institutional funding to supplement student fees, particularly for community college students. Key topics in the course included: ● Design process and iteration ● Construction of multiple prototypes ● Literature review ● Reflective research journals
minutes in length, before attending class. During class, the algorithms were reinforced through demos. ii. Encouraging student engagement with the material through in-class discussions and demos. iii. Promoting student reflection by asking them to answer warm-up questions related to the video lectures at the beginning of each class.Furthermore, we employed short accountability quizzes to evaluate students' comprehension andencourage them to complete the video lectures prior to class meetings. These quizzes consistedmainly of multiple-choice questions and were administered through the course managementsystem, Canvas, enabling students to receive immediate feedback on their performance.Programming homework assignments were
including communication, teambuilding techniques, and team identity. Burchfield et al.[12] evaluated teamwork in undergraduate engineering courses where they offered interpersonaland intercultural communication-based teamwork training. By embedding interculturalcommunication notions into their course activities, they minimized the number of dysfunctionalteams compared to prior experiences and gained positive feedback from students. They alsoconducted a qualitative analysis of students’ self-reflections which revealed an emphasis on theimportance of diversity in engineering and teamwork.Huang et al. [13] explored how teamwork can be improved by using a team process framework.They employed an exploratory case study research approach to evaluate
theories.Constructivism Learning Theory:Constructivism - a theory based on observation and scientific study about how people learn. Thetheory states that through experience and reflection on various experiences, individuals areguided to construct their understanding and knowledge of the world [11]. Experiment-centeredpedagogy integrates problem-based activities and constructivist education by allowing studentsto actively engage in the learning process by drawing on their prior experiences andunderstanding to generate new information or understanding.According to constructivism, learning takes place under the following four assumptions: 1. Learning involves active cognitive processing. 2. Learning is adaptive. 3. Learning is subjective, not objective
the joint space and access toverbally and non-verbally communicate in the group [24]. As a result, social and cognitiveregulating factors are also an important determinant for a group of individuals to effectivelyengage in discourse (and thereby co-construct).Self-Regulation and Co-RegulationPrior to co-regulation, one or more individuals co-constructing must engage in at least some self-regulation. Self-regulation, as described by Zimmerman [25], [26] is a cyclical processcomposed of three phases: forethought (including analyzing the task, and acting according togoals/motivation), performance (including deploying strategies and making intermediate stepsobservable), and reflection (including evaluating the processes and results, and
Reflecting Apprenticeship and Industry Need. 2022ASEE Middle Atlantic Section Fall Conference, Penn State, Harrisburg, PA.[4] Krutsch, E. (2022, December). Computer Science Education Week: Explore In-Demand ITJobs. Computer Science Education Week: Explore In-Demand IT Jobs | U.S. Department ofLabor Blog (dol.gov)[5] Jarvis, D. (2023 August). Tech Talent Is Still Hard To Find, Despite Layoffs In The Sector.Deloitte Insights. Tech talent gap | Deloitte Insights[6] Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Leaning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation.Cambridge University Press.[7] Lave, J. (2011). Apprenticeships in Critical Ethnographic Practice. University of ChicagoPress.Appendix ICompany A - Production Support Analyst Degree MapTerm: Fall 1 Course
genderor race matching in mentoring does not significantly impact academic outcomes [16]. However,students also indicate the importance of having mentors with whom they share gender or racialidentity [16]. The mentoring constructs examined in this study include maintaining effectivecommunication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, fostering independence, andpromoting professional development, which might not fully reflect or describe all the constructsthat mentors who mentor racially marginalized students might need to be competent in. Forexample, mentors who are engaged in cross-race and cross-gender mentoring might not alwaysfully understand the racial and gendered experiences of their mentees who are of another raceand/or gender
graduate study, whetherthe student’s family will be supportive of graduate study, and when the student might attendgraduate school. There was also a related query about the highest degree the student planned toobtain. Six of the queries employed a ten-point rating scale while the other two were multiple-choice questions from which one response was to be selected. Summaries of the responses ineach topic area follow.The differences between the IRAP and R2R cohorts are clearly reflected in the ratings submittedfor the queries that used ten-point scales (Table 4). The R2R group submitted higher ratings forevery query which reflects their status as upperclassmen and proximity to graduate study.While increases in means existed from pre- to post
fromboth majors choose in-major electives from the same pool of courses, but the similarity wouldnot be reflected in degree requirements. The clustering of majors in departments can be extendedto programs jointly offered by multiple departments. A degree jointly offered by twodepartments would be similar to other majors offered by the two sponsoring departments, even ifthe majors from the sponsoring departments differed from each other. For example, GeorgiaTech’s degree in Computational Media is jointly offered by the College of Computing and theSchool of Literature, Media, and Communication. Computational Media is similar to bothComputer Science and to Literature, Media, and Communications, but Computer Science is notnecessarily similar to
for a lesser cost [11].Some textbooks have the option of renting a digital version as well. Students may also be piratingtextbooks online. Nonetheless, this continual increase in textbook cost has resulted in decreasedtextbook purchases. A survey of 1,067 students in 2016 found 66% of students claiming they didnot purchase the required textbook for a given class [12]. Another study from 2020 yielded similarresults with 65% of students claiming they did not buy a required textbook for class due to costs[7]. Cost may not be the only issue at fault, as there is still a lack of usage from students who doacquire the required textbook.Lack of textbook usage is reflected in a 2008 study where undergraduate finance students weresurveyed on the
interest, and this discrepancy isfurther reflected during the college application process. This mismatch cultivates a system ofexclusion for minoritized students: students are led to think they can succeed during outreach,only to be told they are not allowed in during recruitment.Holloway et al. [44] listed 11 major factors used to admit or deny students during the collegeapplication review process by IHEs in the years 2006-2010: (1) “subject matter expectations (thenumber of semesters of math, science, English, social studies, and foreign language that eachstudent is required to have taken in high school), (2) overall high school grade point average(GPA) (3) core high school GPA (English, math, science, foreign language, and social studiesclasses
) capabilities with social relationships & networks adistant second (0.05). Again this is not surprising since these are values that overlap with achievingquality in production or service. The finer grained analysis showed that certain elements of ABETcriteria and Walker’s capabilities had little overlap within these broader categories. For exampleWalker’s capability of practical reason includes ‘being able to construct a personal life project in anuncertain world’ which includes the element of knowing what to do, the medieval concept of synderesis[40]. The overlap of this element of Walker’s practical reason capability with ABET was much less, only0.04 f, and reflects the fact that the quality of a defined product or service does not include
in the number of units and modes of instruction for individual courses. • There are many university level committees making decisions (common courses committee, university conversion committee, undeclared majors committee, calendar committee) that effect the program. Get faculty to serve on those committees. • There was no formal methodology used. The program did prepare a reflection report looking at five other programs before starting.Our a priori expectation was that this is a parallel process and a once-in-a-generation opportunityto take a fresh holistic look at the curriculum. It was surprising that both programs interviewedtold us not to do that. There was not time in the conversion schedule to do that
conference papers, rather than including manydifferent types of sources. The rubric scoring criteria were revised to reflect this emphasis, andall scores for that outcome were updated to reflect the updated rubric (see Appendix A).The final ratings were then combined into a total rubric score. Course scores for each report, as apercentage of the total possible score, and the percentage of graduate students on each team werecomputed as well in order to compare the final data from the two semesters in the sample. Two-sample t-tests assuming unequal variances were used to look for statistical differences betweenoutcomes for the Summer 2021 and Summer 2022 data. As no significant differences wereidentified, average scores for each rubric outcome were