Self-Regulated Learning in First Year Engineering: Opportunities for Practical Implementation

Mohammed El Kihal; Cassie Wallwey; Juan David Ortega Álvarez; James Nathaniel Newcomer

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Conference: 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE)
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Publication Date: July 28, 2024
Start Date: July 28, 2024
End Date: July 30, 2024
Page Count: 9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--48632
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48632
Download Count: 84

Paper Authors

biography

Mohammed El Kihal Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Mohammed is a first year PhD student in Engineering education at Virginia Tech. He received his Bachelor of Science in General Engineering, BSGE degree from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco in 2017. Mohammed conducted research in the field of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics in Japan and China and has two years industry experience in Morocco. More recently, Mohammed served as an Adjunct Faculty member for one year at Al Akhawayn University, teaching courses within the General Engineering program. He then joined the Mechanical Engineering department at Virginia Tech to pursue a Masters degree. During his time in the Mechanical Engineering department, he decided to pursue a PhD degree in Engineering Education, as he became interested in using his engineering knowledge and experience to improve student learning.

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Cassie Wallwey Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University orcid.org/0000-0003-1318-1843

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Cassie Wallwey, PhD is a Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Her research interests include studying effective feedback in engineering and mathematics courses, improving engineering student motivation, engagement, and success, as well as promoting inclusion in engineering to fight its weed-out culture. Cassie has her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Ohio State University, where she worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Teaching Associate, primarily teaching first-year engineering and engineering mathematics. She also has both a B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Wright State, where she also worked as a Graduate Teaching Associate for an engineering mathematics course.

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Juan David Ortega Álvarez Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University orcid.org/0000-0001-6110-0791

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Juan David Ortega Álvarez is a Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech and a Visiting Professor of Process Engineering at Universidad EAFIT (Medellin, Colombia). Juan holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University and an M.S. in Process Engineering and Energy Technology from Hochschule Bremerhaven. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses for more than 10 years, Juan has over 6 years of experience as a practicing engineer, working mostly on the design and improvement of chemical processing plants.

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James Nathaniel Newcomer Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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I've been an Academic and Career advisor for first-year engineering students for nine years. I help first-year engineering students develop their career goals and set off on academic trajectories to help them achieve those goals.

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Abstract

This complete evidence-based practice paper discusses the challenges of teaching and helping first-year engineering (FYE) students practice self-regulatory skills and provides actionable recommendations for curriculum common across FYE programs.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) comprises critical skills for success in engineering education such as time management, study habits, and metacognition. The incoming FYE student landscape is growing and changing from previous decades as students enter with more diverse educational backgrounds and experiences (e.g. hybrid, online learning) than the field has previously seen. While this growth in engineering diversity is encouraging, it has also been observed by those who work with first-year engineering students (faculty, advisors, etc.) that many are struggling with the identification and development of SRL skills such as time management, learning strategies, and help-seeking, needed to succeed in an undergraduate engineering curriculum in their first year. While the literature on SRL in engineering education discusses the importance of SRL for students, it provides less actionable recommendations oriented toward the curriculum of FYE programs.

Through a strategic collaboration between first-year engineering instructors and academic advisors, the need for more explicit instruction and practice of self-regulated learning habits and skills was identified. The goal of the instructor-advisor collaboration was to more holistically facilitate students’ academic development as they transition to an environment in which they must be more independent learners.

This paper aims to summarize existing literature about SRL and intentionally tie foundational concepts of SRL to common curriculum elements within FYE programs. Additionally, we provide practical opportunities to weave the development of SRL skills—such as planning, goal setting, growth, reflection, and metacognition—into existing, already densely packed, FYE curriculum. In other words, we aim for practicality from the instructor’s perspective by making SRL-related outcomes transversal to the existing curriculum. Throughout these opportunities for integration, we discuss the importance of creating a learning environment that 1) considers students’ interest as a powerful motivator for learning; 2) prompts students to take responsibility for their learning and to seek out help when needed; and 3) helps students find motivation to learn and persist against challenges. These practical suggestions provide an example of how instructors can help FYE students develop SRL skills that foster their academic and professional success.

Citation
Format

El Kihal, M., & Wallwey, C., & Ortega Álvarez, J. D., & Newcomer, J. N. (2024, July), Self-Regulated Learning in First Year Engineering: Opportunities for Practical Implementation Paper presented at 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE), Boston, Massachusetts. 10.18260/1-2--48632

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This complete evidence-based practice paper discusses the challenges of teaching and helping first-year engineering (FYE) students practice self-regulatory skills and provides actionable recommendations for curriculum common across FYE programs.  

Self-regulated learning (SRL) comprises critical skills for success in engineering education such as time management, study habits, and metacognition. The incoming FYE student landscape is growing and changing from previous decades as students enter with more diverse educational backgrounds and experiences (e.g. hybrid, online learning) than the field has previously seen. While this growth in engineering diversity is encouraging, it has also been observed by those who work with first-year engineering students (faculty, advisors, etc.) that many are struggling with the identification and development of SRL skills such as time management, learning strategies, and help-seeking, needed to succeed in an undergraduate engineering curriculum in their first year. While the literature on SRL in engineering education discusses the importance of SRL for students, it provides less actionable recommendations oriented toward the curriculum of FYE programs. 

Through a strategic collaboration between first-year engineering instructors and academic advisors, the need for more explicit instruction and practice of self-regulated learning habits and skills was identified. The goal of the instructor-advisor collaboration was to more holistically facilitate students’ academic development as they transition to an environment in which they must be more independent learners.  

This paper aims to summarize existing literature about SRL and intentionally tie foundational concepts of SRL to common curriculum elements within FYE programs. Additionally, we provide practical opportunities to weave the development of SRL skills—such as planning, goal setting, growth, reflection, and metacognition—into existing, already densely packed, FYE curriculum. In other words, we aim for practicality from the instructor’s perspective by making SRL-related outcomes transversal to the existing curriculum. Throughout these opportunities for integration, we discuss the importance of creating a learning environment that 1) considers students’ interest as a powerful motivator for learning; 2) prompts students to take responsibility for their learning and to seek out help when needed; and 3) helps students find motivation to learn and persist against challenges. These practical suggestions provide an example of how instructors can help FYE students develop SRL skills that foster their academic and professional success. 
AU  - Mohammed El Kihal
AU  - Cassie Wallwey
AU  - Juan David Ortega Álvarez
AU  - James Nathaniel Newcomer
CY  - Boston, Massachusetts
DA  - 2024/07/28
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Self-Regulated Learning in First Year Engineering: Opportunities for Practical Implementation
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/48632
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--48632
ER  -