servicelearning. The management of teams class syllabus had planned a semester’s study of teamtheory, observation of team influence and roles and analysis of team performance in films. Theclass made a decision to radically restructure the learning experience to respond to their needs toactively work for a positive outcome from a tragic event.This article talks about how the changed class format helped students to integrate skills from abroad college experience—marketing, accounting, writing, management, leadership, graphics,public relations, facilities planning, project management and research. The learning cyclechanged from observation and reflection, abstract concepts, testing in new situations andexperiencing (Kolb & Fry)1 to one of creating
Michigan Technological University (MichiganTech). This paper details the course objectives and design, the educational modelsinfluencing its form, and some preliminary outcomes.Learning PreferencesThere are several methods to assess learning preferences1. One method applicable toscience and engineering students is the Index of Learning Styles2. This forty-fourquestion assessment is easily administered via a web-based questionnaire3. In this methodlearning preferences are determined with results along a spectrum of four learningpairings: sensing-intuitive, global-sequential, active-reflective, and verbal-visual. No twostudents learn exactly alike. Learning style is simply a preferred way of learning – oftenthe way(s) that knowledge “sticks” most
theyencounter reflect work in the engineering world. The questions that require reflection on the level ofengineering performed by the student can bring out a whole spectrum of valuable experiences, butthey also may reflect a more elementary experience that may not be acceptable to some members ofthe faculty. If these faculty members are evaluating the reports, bias may slip into the process.Students carefully relating their experiences may discover negative responses that defyunderstanding. If an experience is very mundane, students have difficulty in making it more than itis. Here the coordinators of the program can step in to provide a supplementary avenue that willprovide the technical direction for the faculty member and another valuable
of a single course. It’s a bit likeinvestigating dark matter; one can hypothesize without seeing it that it exists because of radiationsignals observed when particles collide, but not really understand what it’s composed of or howit holds galaxies in the universe together. Our goal in this project is to provide student writerswith a means to jumpstart their understanding of writing as compositional decision-making byequipping them with the means to quickly, and literally, “see” their composing decisions.To help students notice and reflect on composition decisions in their writing, our team of writingresearchers, educators, and statisticians is piloting use of a suite of computer-aided learning toolsfor corpus-based text analysis in core
be integrated into engineering and computer scienceclasses at all undergraduate levels. They consist of independent work done via online lessonsthat include video and readings, along with reflective exercises and quizzes.At the University of Cincinnati, we deployed the module on developing an elevator pitch in asenior capstone design course. The online module consists of four lessons. The first two lessonsintroduce the concepts of stakeholders and value propositions, while the latter two introducedeveloping a pitch and recovering from a failed pitch. We split the four lessons into two halves,two to be completed at the beginning of the semester and the remaining two at the end. Therationale for doing so is that students collect voice-of
assessment survey that sought to identify pain points for theprogram, growth trajectories, and desired outcomes, initial offerings of this course used aProject-based Learning (PBL) approach to provide sophomore-level exposure to authenticdocuments. PBL-approaches to teaching feature opportunities for reflection, knowledgescaffolding, and confronting the boundaries of one’s knowledge [15]. Studies in STEM-specificPBL approaches suggest that low- and intermediate-performing students, as well as minoritystudents, demonstrate statistically significant performance gains when provided with anexperiential teaching approach, but the reasons for this success are not well understood [16].Students’ work culminated in four projects submitted throughout the
feedback from a first implementation offered in Fall 2017. This second moduletook students to a city-wide recycling processing center to observe the sorting processes thatmaterials undergo once they are discarded. Through this field trip, students were able torecognize some of the challenges of current waste disposal and recycling practices. The thirdmodule welcomed a guest expert to share experiences with the global impact of waste disposaland the relative privileges that persist in developed countries. The fourth module asked studentsto critically assess materials for use in a commercial product, inspired by the regional and globalchallenges they were previously exposed to in the course. Following each activity, studentscompleted a reflective
] revised the DMCI to better map to theSRMDM and revealed a three-factor model addressing the elements of the decision-makingprocess for engineering students. Factor one contains questions relating to the generation andevaluation of options phases of the SRMDM and many of the original DMCI questions. Factortwo contains questions that reflect the lack of a decision-making process or impulsive decisionmaking. Factor three contains questions that relate to reflection in the decision-making process.These factors more accurately map to the original SRMDM phases and are a valuable addition tothis study because they allow specific aspects of decision-making to be isolated for predicting achange in major. Students were asked to rate statements relating to
are required to reflect and indicate wherethey have seen this connection type outside of the classroom. The demos are followed by four3D examples where students work in their pairs to draw the FBD. A survey conducted in fivestatics courses taught by the authors found that 75.3% of student respondents (n = 78) indicatedthis activity was helpful in their understanding of support reactions with only 9.1% saying it hadno impact and 15.6% indicating it was only a little helpful.IntroductionThe ability to accurately solve statics problems is critical for engineers in a wide variety of fieldsincluding civil, mechanical, aerospace and bio-engineering. Fundamental to determiningstatically correct solutions is the accurate determination of support
game design mechanicswere also taught via weekly board game sessions conducted inside and outside of class wherestudents both played and deconstructed the mechanics of the games experienced. In the latterpart of the course, a major course project was assigned in which four teams of students inconjunction with graphic design students developed unique games meant to teach others aboutclimate change and civilization collapse. Specific game mechanics were not prescribed; instead,student teams were encouraged to explore a variety of mechanics and design elements that bestsuited their chosen audience and game theme. In addition to this final board game product,students wrote a reflective paper to (a) explain how the board game accomplished the goal
with ARC officers and the courseinstructor. After the training students formed teams of three and visited homes in the most fireprone neighborhoods of Philadelphia to install smoke alarms, replace alarm batteries and helpresidents make home fire escape plans. The students also provided education and materials onhome fire preparation. In the past five years they distributed materials and provided informationto over ten thousand people in homes and on the streets of the city.The students were required to submit a technical report about the behavior of steel under hightemperatures (i.e., home fires). The report also required a two-page reflection on the service.“The Environment” class was taught 23 times from Fall 1991 through SP 2013. An
School of Nursing,, retirement community, & a lactation-consultant communication app. Westminister VillageeEnvironmental Develop sustainable projects within the community and the Indiana Veterans’Improvement University. Current projects include an energy audit and design of a Home, NorthviewInitiative reflection pool and the design of an outdoor recreation facility. Church Developing alternative energy solutions to provide power to remote University ofGlobal Alternative rural villages and underserved urban communities in Colombia Antioquia, Medellin
participation. The diversityof the participants reflects the diversity of the local community. Over half of the participants arefemale, the majority are immigrants themselves or children of immigrants, and members of thegroup speak over twenty different languages. Currently 24% of participants are Latino/Hispanic,18% are Asian/Pacific Islander, 14% are South East Asian, 12% are African American, and 10%are West Indian.Conducting the participatory action researchDuring this twelve-month project, researchers and program leaders worked with a cohort of eightNew York City public high school and early college students who were already working for thescience museum as docents with a focus on a major exhibition about design engineering. Theseyoung people
comparing sample student budgetsfrom different institutions, be certain to consider the following factors: How many semesters or months are reflected in the sample budget? Does it cover school breaks and/or the summer months, or do I need to budget for those separately? Is the tuition rate reflected in the sample budget an accurate reflection of what I would pay, based on my residency and program level (Master’s, PhD, etc.)? Are there additional fees for students in the graduate program that I’m considering that are not included in the sample budget? Does the sample budget include expenses for a vehicle? Does the housing estimate in the sample budget accurately reflect the typical rents I can
behavior. Structure and The way an object is shaped or structured determines many of its Function properties and functions. Stability and For both designed and natural systems, conditions that affect stability Change and factors that control rates of change are critical elements to consider and understand. Table 1 NGSS Crosscutting ConceptsHow crosscutting concepts are implemented and assessed alongside core ideas and practicesraises exciting opportunities to deepen student motivation and learning. Rich resources includingNSF funded, University of Washington’s online STEMteachingtools.org provide a frameworkfor asking deep reflection questions [3
could enhance student learning of the subject particularly in computer programming.To this end, programmable robots could be utilized to supplement programming activities thatencourage and motivate students to apply their creative thinking and programming skills todevise solutions for real-world problems. Since developing a computer program to instruct arobot provides an immediate feedback as whether the program has accomplished its job, itengages students in both learning and reflection processes.This paper presents the application of an affordable programmable robot in three computerprogramming classes; namely, Computer Science and Information Systems: An Overview (CS0),Programming I (CS1), and Programming II (CS2). Also, the survey results
reform to impact graduate education: a case studyAbstractFor more than a decade, American industries have complained that the skills of engineersentering the workforce are not sufficient to meet the challenges of a high-performance workplace[1]. In addition, ABET has recently changed the student outcomes required for engineeringgraduates to reflect many of the skills lacking in undergraduate training [2]. Additionally,national studies suggest the preparation of US graduate students is too narrowly focused onacademic research skills, at the expense of professional skills such as communication, teamwork,mentoring, and leadership [3]. In response to these studies, many departments are trying toradically change their
groups were presented with an Owl’s Dilemma at the beginningof each week or Concept. The dilemma was presented in an inquiry-based fashion for Group Aand required that they share their thoughts about the dilemma. Group B, on the other hand wasjust presented with the dilemma and not asked to comment on it. Both groups were asked toreflect on Owl’s Solution at the end of each week or Concept. Figure 10 shows the percentage oflearners in each group who reflected on Owl’s Solution. Group A learners were consistentlymore likely to reflect on Owl’s Solution than Group B learners. In weeks 5 and 6, 12.9% and15.4% more learners from Group A reflected on Owl’s Solution than learners from Group B.This indicates that Group A learners were more engaged with
learners receive and process information. The FSLM incorporates someelements of the Myers-Briggs model and the Kolb’s model. The main reasoning for its selection inthe DLMS evaluation is that it focuses on aspects of learning that are significant in engineeringeducation.The FSLM consists of four dimensions, each with two contrasting learning styles: Processing(Active/Reflective); Perception (Sensing/Intuitive); Input (Visual/Verbal); and Understanding(Sequential/Global). The details of the dimensions can be found in Ref.6. In order to determine anindividual’s specific learning style, Felder and Soloman13developed the Index of Learning Style(ILS) survey. Each of the 44 questions within the survey is designed to place the learner’spreference within
students directly,and also the faculty indirectly – resulting in a more inspiring classroom environment. Simplystated by Harold Hongju Koh, “Theory without practice is as lifeless as practice without theory isthoughtless 15.”It is well researched and documented that problem based learning is well suited for engineeringprograms for students to engage in complex, ill-suited, and open-ended problems to fosterflexible thinking and support intrinsic motivation 16. These characteristics in turn can increaseopportunities for group discussion over potential solutions, provide opportunity for criticalinstructor feedback, and essential self-reflection of the learning.A. Kolb and D. Kolb define Experiential Learning Theory as the “process whereby knowledge
Synchronistic presentations to other classCurrent ApproachWithin each course, the interdisciplinary approach included four parts: a brief introduction to theother field; science fiction reading assignments that include the theme of nanotechnology’simpact on society; a project that involves synchronistic interaction of the students from eachclass where the students teach the other students about principles from their class and writtenstudent reflections about their experience in presenting to the other class.Table 2. Key interdisciplinary activities included in the courses. Key Interdisciplinary Activities When Activity Activity Description (Week of 10 week course) Week 1-2 Brief • Nanotechnology professor
also typical of engineering fields, although a bit high for thisinstitution (the freshman engineering class at this university was 18% female). As expected, 76%of respondents were first year students, while 14% were transfer students. Participating facultycame from a range of engineering programs including Biosystems, Chemical, Industrial andSystems, Mechanical, Polymer and Fiber, and Computer Science and Software Engineering.Instruments A battery of attitude scales was assembled for the purposes of this study from theliterature. The first 17-item scale assessed students’ Beliefs about Engineering, with half of theitems reflecting beliefs related to engineering as a helping or communal profession (e.g.,“Engineers are helping to solve
given a problem statement framed in a way that didn’t encourage anyparticular type of solution. The students were asked to generate solutions to the problem usingvisual and verbal depictions. Subsequently, they were given a second problem framed either toencourage practical solutions based on pre-existing designs or framed to encourage radicalsolutions not based on pre-existing designs. Ideas were coded as either paradigm-preserving orparadigm-modifying. We identified students whose ideas shifted from more of one type to moreof another from their first ideation session to their second, as well as students whose ideasremained consistent. We analyzed their generated idea sets and reflection questionnaires todescribe the influence of the framed
for college levelengineering instructors implementing the flip classroom technique based upon his experiencesand anecdotal evidence. The key to success was found in increasing student participation inclass, building a rapport with students, defining clear objectives through a well-structuredcontent.2 Dringenberg et. al. reported reflections from faculty regarding their motivation andexperiences in the one week workshop. Authors also proposed several recommendations fordeveloping reflective practices to new educators. Authors propose SAID (Situation, Affect,Interpretation, and Decision protocol for new faculty reflection.3 Shepard et. al. published theirexperiences from early faculty years and suggested how to handle several academic and
Science Foundation S-STEM (Scholarshipsin Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grants on undergraduate minorityengineering transfer student retention and development during the period 2007-13 in the Collegeof Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The programs were designed toovercome known barriers to persistence of transfer students from community college, includinglack of engagement on campus, underdeveloped professional work ethic and goals, deficientstudy habits, fewer opportunities to gain practical competence/reflection on learning, andworking for pay. The elements of the programs included cohorting, team-building, mentoring,tutoring, and advising, as well as monetary support in the form of scholarships
involved in the experience. 2. Reflective Observation: The student groups meet with the faculty advisor every other week to provide an update on what they have done so far. One of the topics during discussion is what topics that they learnt in class used and how that is impacting the social issue. 3. Abstract Conceptualization: The students are collecting data from the agency and also making templates to get already existing data. They are using this data to apply models that they have learnt in various classes. Coming up the right data to use in itself is a great learning experience. 4. Active Experimentation: The students are able to put two different methodologies together to come up with a solution to
skills and critically reflect on their own learning experiencesThe next section of the paper describes the implementation of the spatial visualization skillsintervention during the course labs along with pre and post-test data.Spatial Visualization Skills InterventionIn order to obtain a measure of spatial ability, the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test ofRotations (PSVT:R) was administered to all students who were in attendance during the firstlecture of the semester. One hundred and twenty (120) students completed the pre-test. Theresults for this are detailed in Table 4. As this test was administered during the first week ofsemester 1, it is valid to compare with the scores reported
Biomedical Engineering CoursesResearch highlights the benefit of student reflection and frequent, formative feedback. One suchmethod is the Muddiest Point exercise where students reflect after instruction about both unclearand interesting points. Then, instructors analyze student feedback for the most popular conceptsand select those central to the learning objective. Previously, our work has shown that studentsfeel favorably about the interest, utility, and “cost” associated with this exercise in a one-credit,junior level Statistics course. This work compares student attitude in other courses to discern ifthe Muddiest Point exercise strategy is universally favorable.The previously validated, reliable Student Value Survey of Muddiest Points Survey
developed reflective questionnaires for each block ofassignments (training exercises, business games), asking students to answer questions thatreveal the level of cohesion of the group, the presence and influence of the positive socio-psychological climate on the performance and the willingness to work in this group, thepresence of barriers in interactions. In addition, each student had the opportunity to expresstheir opinion about the work accomplished individually or in collaboration with others,describe their classroom experience and emotions during interaction within the team, etc. It should be noted that the reflection was carried out after the completion of each exerciseand at the end of a class. A content analysis of an exercise or class
as fairness” made famous in the 20th century by the philosopher John Rawls. 12 On the contractarian view, there is a strong “publicity” requirement for airing of differences of opinion about norms of conduct within any practice that hopes to become more just. The same can be said of science and engineering: the opportunity to negotiate better norms of practice first requires a publicizing of differences. After, by means of a process that Rawls called “reflective equilibrium,” practitioners are able to converge on an improved understanding of a norm. And, importantly, they will have done so through an exercise of “public reason” and