GIFTS: Project-Based Service-Learning for First-Year Engineering Students
- Conference
- Location
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Portland, Oregon
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2024
- Start Date
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June 23, 2024
- End Date
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July 12, 2024
- Conference Session
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First-Year Programs Division GIFTS: Great Ideas For Teaching Students
- Tagged Division
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First-Year Programs Division (FYP)
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/47503
Paper Authors
Fayekah Assanah University of Connecticut
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, 260 Glenbrook Road, Unit 3247, Storrs, CT 06269-3247.
Fayekah Assanah is the team leader for ENGR 1166: Foundations of Engineering, a core course for all first-year engineering students at the University of Connecticut, consisting of over 400 students. She has designed, developed, and implemented multiple design projects and service learning project through the “Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes” for all first-year engineering students at the University. Assanah's research focuses on synthesizing hydrogels to mimic the mechanical behavior of the brain matter and investigate the cellular response to injury.
Kristina Wagstrom University of Connecticut
Dr. Kristina Wagstrom is an associate Professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. She specializes in applying chemical engineering principles to study atmospheric chemistry and air pollution with an emphasis on human and ecosystem health impacts. She is also interested in studying the impact of different educational approaches in engineering with a focus on experiential learning and career readiness.
Daniel D. Burkey University of Connecticut
Daniel Burkey is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and the Castleman Term Professor in Engineering Innovation in the College of Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1998, his M.S.C.E.P and Ph.D., both in Chemical Engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000 an 2003, respectively, and his M.A.Ed with a focus in Research Methods, Measurement, and Evaluation from the University of Connecticut in 2023.
Marina A. Creed APRN, FNP-BC, MSCN University of Connecticut
Marina Creed is an Instructor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and practicing Neuroimmunology Nurse Practitioner in the Multiple Sclerosis Center at UConn Health. She has been engaged in translational public health efforts throughout the COVID19 pandemic to improve outcomes for her immunosuppressed patients by reducing exposure to infectious and non-infectious air pollution in public schools and community spaces throughout the State of Connecticut. She founded and is the director of the UConn Indoor Air Quality Initiative, a cross-campus, multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians studying low-cost air purifiers in both laboratory and real-world settings.
Abstract
This Great Ideas for Teaching Students (GIFTS) paper describes a Project-Based Service Learning (PBSL) opportunity recently implemented in a first-year engineering course. PBSL is a vital instructional approach in contemporary engineering education. It encourages students to deepen their understanding while forging meaningful community ties. PBSL experiences are student-centered (yet tailored to the course objectives and community needs). They foster collaboration, nurture creativity, and build analytical skills while applying practical engineering solutions to real-life issues. This paper describes a short-term PBSL that we used in a core first-year engineering course (for all engineering majors across the University) to give them an experience of how they could contribute to the community using their engineering skills and knowledge. The activity involves the building and testing of Corsi-Rosenthal (C-R) boxes (DIY Air Purifiers) that trap ~60% of particles in indoor environments to improve indoor air quality. Students carried out the project in small groups (3-4 students) in the First-Year Design Laboratory for two to four weeks. At the end of the project, we distributed the C-R boxes to local elementary schools, housing for multiple-sclerosis patients, and veterans. We have implemented this project for three years allowing over 1200 students to participate in this PBSL. In their final portfolios, students highlighted how this learning experience helped them meet the course objectives. This GIFTS paper describes this project and our implementation strategies to allow others to similarly implement the project. We also include an analysis of the student perceptions towards this PBSL.
Assanah, F., & Wagstrom, K., & Burkey, D. D., & Creed, M. A. (2024, June), GIFTS: Project-Based Service-Learning for First-Year Engineering Students Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47503
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