Full Paper: Assessing Achievement of Course Objectives in an Introductory Engineering Design Course

Jenahvive K. Morgan

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Conference: 2021 First-Year Engineering Experience
Location: Virtual
Publication Date: August 9, 2021
Start Date: August 9, 2021
End Date: August 21, 2021
Page Count: 7
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--38383
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/38383
Download Count: 187

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Paper Authors

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Jenahvive K. Morgan Michigan State University

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Dr. Jenahvive Morgan is the instructor for EGR 100 - Introduction to Engineering Design and Academic Director of the First-Year Engineering CoRe Experience at Michigan State University. She is also currently the Director of Positions for the ASEE Women in Engineering Division, as well as an ASCE ExCEED Fellow. Dr. Morgan has a PhD and MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University. Her interests include innovative laboratory experiments for undergraduate instruction, engineering design for first-year students, and encouraging women to study engineering. For the three years prior to teaching at Michigan State University, she taught freshman and sophomore engineering courses at Rowan University. While at Rowan University she was Co-Director of RILED (Rowan Instructional Leadership and Educational Development), the advisor for the student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and given the ASEE Campus Representative Outstanding Achievement Award. Her teaching experience also includes work as a graduate student facilitator and engineering teaching consultant at the University of Michigan.

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Abstract

Students in an introduction to engineering design course completed a survey to assess whether the course achieved the fulfillment of the main course objectives. These objectives were to develop the students’ ability to work in teams, solve open-ended problems, understand the engineering profession and curriculum, and improve their communication skills. This introduction to engineering design course involves both a lecture and lab, and two main design projects throughout the semester. Students learn about the main course objectives in the course through lecture, and practice this knowledge in solving the design projects in lab. Each design project requires that the students work on multidisciplinary teams of four, and complete two reports within their teams to communicate their design results. The focus of this introduction to engineering design course was to prepare the students for their future academic and professional careers, and to provide the foundation needed for success on both of these future paths. The survey of the achievement of the course objectives was conducted at the end of six semesters over three academic years. The results for this survey were analyzed to assess if there have been significant changes in the feedback from the students on whether the course objectives were achieved over the six semesters, and to also examine which of the objectives received favorable feedback, and which ones are signaling a need for improvement.

The course objectives of developing the ability to work in teams and understand the engineering profession and curriculum were found to be achieved by the students in the course. The course objectives of developing the ability to solve open-ended design problems and improve their communication skills were still found to be achieved, but to a lesser degree and needing improvement. Overall, there was not much change in the results over the six semesters, with the students each semester providing a similar assessment of the course objectives.

Citation
Format

Morgan, J. K. (2021, August), Full Paper: Assessing Achievement of Course Objectives in an Introductory Engineering Design Course Paper presented at 2021 First-Year Engineering Experience, Virtual . 10.18260/1-2--38383