Rytikova, I., & Boicu, M., & Foxwell, H. J., & Liao, D., & Olesova, L. (2023, March), Cognitive Presence Learning for Graduate Engineering Education  Paper presented at ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Arlington, Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--44992

\bibitem{asee_peer_44992}
  Rytikova, I., \& Boicu, M., \& Foxwell, H. J., \& Liao, D., \& Olesova, L. (2023, March), \emph{Cognitive Presence Learning for Graduate Engineering Education}
  Paper presented at ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Arlington, Virginia.
  10.18260/1-2--44992

Ioulia Rytikova, Mihai Boicu, Harry J Foxwell, Duoduo Liao, and Larisa Olesova.  "Cognitive Presence Learning for Graduate Engineering Education".  ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Arlington, Virginia, 2023, March.  ASEE Conferences, 2023.  https://peer.asee.org/44992 Internet.  27 Apr, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_44992}
  Ioulia Rytikova, Mihai Boicu, Harry J Foxwell, Duoduo Liao, and Larisa Olesova.
  "Cognitive Presence Learning for Graduate Engineering Education".
  \emph{ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Arlington, Virginia, 2023, March}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2023.
  https://peer.asee.org/44992 Internet.  27 Apr, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_44992
author = "Ioulia Rytikova, Mihai Boicu, Harry J Foxwell, Duoduo Liao, and Larisa Olesova"
title = "Cognitive Presence Learning for Graduate Engineering Education"
booktitle = "ASEE Southeast Section Conference"
year = "2023"
month = "March"
address = "Arlington, Virginia"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/44992}
number = {10.18260/1-2--44992}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Graduate Engineering students need to understand and use the concepts and methods of applied research when they enter the engineering workforce. Using the principles of the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM) for such instruction can be effective in guiding such students in the research process to enhance their interest in and use of applied research methods. The PIM is a socio-constructivist approach that can enhance reflective thinking and collaboration to prepare them for their future workplace. To understand learning within the PIM, we examined students’ perceived cognitive presence during applied research activities. Cognitive presence consists of four levels including: triggering events, exploration, integration, and resolution. The majority PIM studies examined students' perceived cognitive presence in discussions in Education, Foreign Languages, or Professional Development. The field is still limited in research on how engineering students perceive cognitive presence in online courses. We believe that findings can fill the gap by providing more evidence about engineering students. 
This study developed and implemented a suite of customizable online learning modules to guide students in applied research. The learning modules were divided into three steps: research question, literature research, and conducting research using a generic template with the following sections: annotated open source learning materials, a  random knowledge test with a pool of case study questions, a discussion board for brainstorming which required students to post their draft ideas,  to comment on other students’ posts and integrate the comments in their submission, a self-reflection assignment to summarize the lesson learned, and a written assignment to organize their findings, make connections, elaborate ideas, and construct an argument based on their research.
The modules were implemented in five courses in the Master of Science in Applied Information Technology program and in the Master of Science in Data Analytics Engineering at the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University. A post-course self-assessment survey about the research modules was administered to the 167 enrolled students and 126 responses were received. The survey was the modified version of the Community of Inquiry survey and included 5-point Likert-scale questions assessing the students’ levels of perceived cognitive presence, satisfaction with components of the modules, including their interest in and curiosity about applied research, and their motivation to use what they had learned, resulting in an overall 86.2% responding Satisfied or Extremely Satisfied with the modules.  Subsets of the respondents, including online vs in-person instruction, individual courses, and programs of study, for example, showed similar results. While the sample size was small there was a strong indication that the modules were successful in promoting greater understanding and planned use of applied research concepts and methods.
Furthermore, the research modules may be applicable to general research education, in addition to applied research. The early and broad introduction of applied research instruction in the engineering curriculum may enhance efforts to increase STEM participation in future research employment opportunities and doctoral education, especially for underrepresented groups and first-generation graduate students.
AU  - Ioulia Rytikova
AU  - Mihai Boicu
AU  - Harry J Foxwell
AU  - Duoduo Liao
AU  - Larisa Olesova
CY  - Arlington, Virginia
DA  - 2023/03/12
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Cognitive Presence Learning for Graduate Engineering Education
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/44992
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44992
ER  -