Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program Challenge-based Instruction Curriculum Development and Implementation (RTP, Strand 5)

Stephen W. Crown; Ana Alanis; Jose Luis Chavez; Joel Guadalupe Montemayor; Ricardo Montemayor; Haidy Enid Soto

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Conference: 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Seattle, Washington
Publication Date: June 14, 2015
Start Date: June 14, 2015
End Date: June 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50180-1
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Technical Session: Pedagogical Strategies and Classroom Techniques for Teaching Assistants
Tagged Division: Student
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 11
Page Numbers: 26.1505.1 - 26.1505.11
DOI: 10.18260/p.24842
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/24842
Download Count: 644

Paper Authors

biography

Stephen W. Crown University of Texas, Pan American

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Dr. Crown is a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas - Pan American. He is the director of the Edinburg Texas Pre-Freshman Engineering Program and the director of the outreach component on a Department of Defence grant supporting the STEM Center of Excellence at UTPA.

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biography

Ana Alanis University of Texas, Pan American

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Student of the Civil Engineering program at The University of Texas-Pan American.

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biography

Jose Luis Chavez Jr. The University of Texas, Pan-American

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Jose Luis Chavez Jr. is a senior Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Texas Pan-American. He has been working with TexPREP for about a year. His main contribution to the program was the development of the Systems Modeling course. His professional interests lean towards the automotive industry.

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Joel Guadalupe Montemayor University of Texas, Pan American

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Mechanical Engineering student at University of Texas Pan American

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Ricardo Montemayor University of Texas, Pan-American

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Student of the Mechanical Engineering Program at The University of Texas Pan-American

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Haidy Enid Soto University of Texas, Pan American

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Haidy E. Soto is a former mechanical engineering graduate student from the University of Texas- Pan American. She was hired through a Department of Defense Education grant to oversee the development of Tex PREP curriculum written by undergraduate students. Her fields of interest include Engineering Education, Nanotechnology, and Materials Engineering.

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Abstract

Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program Challenged Based Instruction Curriculum Development and Implementation (RTP, Strand 5)The Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program (TexPREP), founded in 1979, is a 7 week-long, 4year summer program that provides academic training, mentorship, and hands-on experience formiddle and high schools students that are interested in pursuing STEM careers. A series of newcourses that are to be offered as standardized courses at participating TexPREP institutionsthroughout the state are being developed by undergraduate engineering students.Nine undergraduate students majoring in mechanical and civil engineering and computer sciencewere hired to write the TexPREP course curriculum with the idea that students would be able todevelop course content that the participants could easily relate to. Following development of thecurriculum undergraduate students actively participated in the implementation and reviewprocess. The primary teaching methodology of the courses is Challenge Based Instruction (CBI)because of its proven effectiveness over traditional lecturing. The course subjects developedincluded Water Science, Computer Aided Design (CAD), and Systems Modeling. All threecourses were administered to returning TexPREP fourth year students.At the beginning of each course, students were given the challenges of building a Stirling engineusing items that can be found at home, designing and constructing a solar car, and creating awater theme park for the Systems Modeling, Computer Aided Design (CAD), and Water Sciencecourses respectively. They were then guided through a series of lectures, mini projects, andassessment exercises to help them obtain the necessary knowledge to complete their challenges.The interactive and appealing nature of the courses and their respective challenges was expectedto result in increased participation, improved academic performance, and greater self-motivationof the participants compared to their overall performance during the prior three years ofparticipation in the program. Students and instructor surveys were used to help determine theeffectiveness of the curriculum and pedagogy. The paper discusses the impact on the TexPREPand undergraduate students involved in curriculum development and the process for successfulimplementation.

Citation
Format

Crown, S. W., & Alanis, A., & Chavez, J. L., & Montemayor, J. G., & Montemayor, R., & Soto, H. E. (2015, June), Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program Challenge-based Instruction Curriculum Development and Implementation (RTP, Strand 5) Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24842

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -                            Texas Pre-freshman Engineering                        Program Challenged Based Instruction                            Curriculum Development and                           Implementation (RTP, Strand 5)The Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program (TexPREP), founded in 1979, is a 7 week-long, 4year summer program that provides academic training, mentorship, and hands-on experience formiddle and high schools students that are interested in pursuing STEM careers. A series of newcourses that are to be offered as standardized courses at participating TexPREP institutionsthroughout the state are being developed by undergraduate engineering students.Nine undergraduate students majoring in mechanical and civil engineering and computer sciencewere hired to write the TexPREP course curriculum with the idea that students would be able todevelop course content that the participants could easily relate to. Following development of thecurriculum undergraduate students actively participated in the implementation and reviewprocess. The primary teaching methodology of the courses is Challenge Based Instruction (CBI)because of its proven effectiveness over traditional lecturing. The course subjects developedincluded Water Science, Computer Aided Design (CAD), and Systems Modeling. All threecourses were administered to returning TexPREP fourth year students.At the beginning of each course, students were given the challenges of building a Stirling engineusing items that can be found at home, designing and constructing a solar car, and creating awater theme park for the Systems Modeling, Computer Aided Design (CAD), and Water Sciencecourses respectively. They were then guided through a series of lectures, mini projects, andassessment exercises to help them obtain the necessary knowledge to complete their challenges.The interactive and appealing nature of the courses and their respective challenges was expectedto result in increased participation, improved academic performance, and greater self-motivationof the participants compared to their overall performance during the prior three years ofparticipation in the program. Students and instructor surveys were used to help determine theeffectiveness of the curriculum and pedagogy. The paper discusses the impact on the TexPREPand undergraduate students involved in curriculum development and the process for successfulimplementation.
AU  - Stephen W. Crown
AU  - Ana Alanis
AU  - Jose Luis Chavez Jr.
AU  - Joel Guadalupe  Montemayor
AU  - Ricardo Montemayor
AU  - Haidy Enid Soto
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program Challenge-based Instruction Curriculum Development and Implementation (RTP, Strand 5)
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/24842
DO  - 10.18260/p.24842
ER  -