Wang, S., & Obst, E., & Richards, B. (2024, July), (Full Paper) Enhancing Sense of Belonging in First-Year Engineering Students through Integrated Project-Based Learning and Communication Skills Development  Paper presented at 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE), Boston, Massachusetts. 10.18260/1-2--48582

\bibitem{asee_peer_48582}
  Wang, S., \& Obst, E., \& Richards, B. (2024, July), \emph{(Full Paper) Enhancing Sense of Belonging in First-Year Engineering Students through Integrated Project-Based Learning and Communication Skills Development}
  Paper presented at 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE), Boston, Massachusetts.
  10.18260/1-2--48582

Song Wang, Enrico Obst, and Beth Richards.  "(Full Paper) Enhancing Sense of Belonging in First-Year Engineering Students through Integrated Project-Based Learning and Communication Skills Development".  15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE), Boston, Massachusetts, 2024, July.  ASEE Conferences, 2024.  https://peer.asee.org/48582 Internet.  23 Jan, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_48582}
  Song Wang, Enrico Obst, and Beth Richards.
  "(Full Paper) Enhancing Sense of Belonging in First-Year Engineering Students through Integrated Project-Based Learning and Communication Skills Development".
  \emph{15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE), Boston, Massachusetts, 2024, July}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2024.
  https://peer.asee.org/48582 Internet.  23 Jan, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_48582
author = "Song Wang, Enrico Obst, and Beth Richards"
title = "(Full Paper) Enhancing Sense of Belonging in First-Year Engineering Students through Integrated Project-Based Learning and Communication Skills Development"
booktitle = "15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE)"
year = "2024"
month = "July"
address = "Boston, Massachusetts"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/48582}
number = {10.18260/1-2--48582}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Fostering a strong sense of belonging among first-year college students is paramount for engagement, academic success, and improved retention rates. This project focuses on enriching the sense of belonging for first-year engineering students at the University of Hartford by emphasizing project-based learning and communication skills development. The initiative was implemented within the first-year ES143 Engineering and Design class, where students actively participated in hands-on projects exploring diverse engineering disciplines and their practical applications. Throughout the semester, students engaged in weekly tasks involving technical reports, presentation slides, posters, and oral presentations. Surveys assessing sense of belonging and technical writing were conducted at the beginning and end of the semester. The assessments of weekly assignments demonstrate the project's efficacy in enhancing students’ academic achievement. The sense of belonging survey results, while not showing statistically significant changes, still reflect a practically meaningful impact on certain aspects of student’s social belonging and self-awareness. These findings also underscore the complex challenges faced by first year engineering students. 
AU  - Song Wang
AU  - Enrico Obst
AU  - Beth Richards
CY  - Boston, Massachusetts
DA  - 2024/07/28
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - (Full Paper) Enhancing Sense of Belonging in First-Year Engineering Students through Integrated Project-Based Learning and Communication Skills Development
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/48582
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--48582
ER  -