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Fast-Forward Program: PSVT:R Test Results and Analysis

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

Student Division Technical 3: Mixed - Research, Engineering Design, Design Thinking, and Curriculum Design

Page Count

11

DOI

10.18260/1-2--40633

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/40633

Download Count

170

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Paper Authors

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Lauren Fogg

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Lauren Fogg is a 2nd-year Ph.D. student in Engineering Education at Louisiana Tech University. She has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests are diversity, gender equity, retention, project-based learning, and cognitive models of problem-solving. She is also serving as the Project Coordinator for an NSF-funded S-STEM program.

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Allissa Gros Louisiana Tech University

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Allissa Gros (she/her) is a second year Computational Analysis and Modeling PhD student at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA. She has a bachelors in Mathematics with a minor in education UTeach. Allissa love puzzles, graph theory, diversity in education, and her wonderful dog, Apollo!

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Katie Evans Houston Baptist University

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Dr. Katie Evans is Professor of Mathematics and the Dean of Science and Engineering at Houston Baptist University (HBU). Prior to HBU, she was on faculty at Louisiana Tech University for 16 years in the College of Engineering and Science, where she served as Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives, Academic Director of Mathematics & Statistics and Online Programs, the Entergy LP&L/NOPSI #3 & #4 Professor of Mathematics, the Director of the Integrated STEM Education Research Center, and the Director of the Office for Women in Science and Engineering. Dr. Evans serves as on the Interim Executive Committee and as Chair of the New Programs Committee for the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, founded by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Morehead State University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics at Virginia Tech. After a postdoctoral position in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University, she joined Louisiana Tech, where she is now Professor Emerita. Dr. Evans’ current scholarship focuses on STEM Education.

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Marisa Orr Clemson University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-5944-5846

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Marisa K. Orr is an Associate Professor in Engineering and Science Education with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University. Her research interests include student persistence and pathways in engineering, gender equity, diversity, and academic policy. Dr. Orr is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award for her research entitled, ”Empowering Students to be Adaptive Decision-Makers.”

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Catherine Belk Clemson University

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I am a doctoral student in the Engineering and Science Education department at Clemson University. I received my B.A. degree in Religion and my B.S. degree in Physics from High Point University in 2012. I received my M.S. degree in Medical Physics from East Carolina University in 2014. I have taught introductory physics lab courses at Clemson University. My primary research focuses embodied cognition, spatial abilities and student gestures.

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Ethan Hilton Louisiana Tech University

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Dr. Ethan Hilton is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA, where he has been since September 2019 after receiving his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Hilton’s work focuses on Engineering Design and Engineering Education, focusing on design methodology, project-based learning, and hands-on learning in informal environments. He has also worked on Broadening Participation in STEM through studying barriers in and throughout Engineering curricula for underrepresented groups. He is a member of Louisiana Tech’s Integrated STEM Education Research Center (ISERC). He has assisted in developing and implementing numerous course projects throughout the College of Engineering and Science. He is passionate about making engineering design accessible to all by providing hands-on opportunities to connect engineering theory to real design problems and reducing barriers for students from any background to see the need for their perspective in any design problem.

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Mitzi Desselles Louisiana Tech University

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Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the spatial visualization curriculum: Developing Spatial Thinking, endorsed by ENGAGE, and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotation test results from participants in an NSF S-STEM-funded sophomore bridge program for engineering majors, known as the Engineering Fast-Forward Program. This paper also discusses the impact the spatial visualization curriculum has had on the students in the Fast-Forward program. The Fast-Forward program, which has been offered every summer from 2017 to 2021, is designed for students who have unmet financial needs which are determined by the financial aid office on campus. This program seeks to retain students in engineering programs as well as increase the number of people in the engineering workforce. Participants in the Engineering Fast-Forward Program take Statics and Mechanics of Materials, Calculus III, and Professional Planning with Spatial Visualization in the summer before their sophomore year. These classes normally taken in the Fall of their Sophomore years give the students an opportunity to get a head start in their Sophomore curriculum. Professional Planning with Spatial Visualization is a course where students are taught from the Developing Spatial Thinking curriculum as well as participating in other professional development activities such as resume building, mock interviews, and industry visits. The participants take the Purdue Spatial Visualization: Rotations (hereafter referred to as the PSVT:R) as a pre and post-assessment in the course. Statistical analysis is completed using the results from these tests including data from all five summers. The statistical analyses included: paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-tests, and repeated measure ANOVA tests. The goal of the analysis was to see if students from traditionally underrepresented groups (URG) had a higher level of improvement on the PSVT:R than students from non-underrepresented groups (non-URG). For the purpose of the statistical analysis of this work requiring similar sample sizes for the two groups, non-URG students are White and Asian males with URG students being the students from the cohorts identifying with any other demographic descriptions. The results of the statistical analysis show a statistical significance from pre to post results for all of the students. URG and non-URG students’ scores are increasing from pre- to post-test at the same rate. However, URG students start and end with lower scores than the non-URG students. We conclude that the Developing Spatial Thinking curriculum is improving the spatial visualization skills of all students, yet is unfortunately not closing the gap between the two groups.

Fogg, L., & Gros, A., & Evans, K., & Orr, M., & Belk, C., & Hilton, E., & Desselles, M. (2022, August), Fast-Forward Program: PSVT:R Test Results and Analysis Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40633

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