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Students’ changing perceptions of programming skills in Materials Science and Engineering

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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

Materials Division Technical Session 2

Page Count

13

DOI

10.18260/1-2--41093

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/41093

Download Count

176

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Paper Authors

biography

Susan Gentry University of California, Davis

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Dr. Susan P. Gentry is an Associate Professor of Teaching Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Davis. In her current position at UC Davis, she is integrating computational modules into the undergraduate and graduate materials curriculum. One of her interests is in students’ computational literacy and life-long learning of computational materials science tools.

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biography

Rachel Altovar

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Rachel Anne Altovar earned her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Davis in 2021. Currently, she is an MBA Candidate in the Online MBA program at Santa Clara University.

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Abstract

Computational skills are integral to the materials science and engineering (MSE) curriculum and workforce preparation, as supported by several surveys of industry and faculty. However, prior studies have shown that students’ motivations to complete programming assignments do not always align with the instructor’s design. This paper reports on a survey of two recent graduating cohorts of MSE students. These students utilized programming skills in at least two required courses, and many opted to use these tools in other classes. When reflecting on their undergraduate careers, most respondents indicated that computational skills should be taught more frequently, similar to other findings from literature. Furthermore, respondents felt they valued these skills more as graduates than when completing their undergraduate coursework. The relevance of these skills for post-graduate careers was split between alumni who utilized these tools and those whose jobs did not require these skills. These respondents also reflected on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic since it was expected to be a confounding factor in this project. As anticipated, several students noted this effect, such as the shift to remote activities when in-person work is not permitted. Although the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and industry careers are still unknown, this study highlights the need to follow student perceptions beyond a single course and into their post-graduate careers.

Gentry, S., & Altovar, R. (2022, August), Students’ changing perceptions of programming skills in Materials Science and Engineering Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41093

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