Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Session 2353

The Freshman Engineering Experience At West Virginia University

Kristine Craven, Scott Wayne, and Al Stiller West Virginia University

Abstract

The freshman year of most engineering programs is confounded with mathematics and chemistry courses. The students are rarely in contact with actual engineering situations. Therefore, students in the College of Engineering do not develop an understanding of the engineering profession during their freshman year. Since most students entering the university have unsophisticated backgrounds, it is felt that introducing rigorous design projects at this early stage in their careers is not effective. Many freshman engineering programs consist of a one hour course where the student gets only a superficial exposure to the various engineering disciplines taught at that university. At West Virginia University, our freshman students are required to complete two, three-hour freshman engineering design courses which are modeled after the traditional Guided Design concept developed by Dr. Charles Wales 1,2. The primary focus of the courses is on the engineering problem solving method with added emphasis on computer software usage and computer language programming.

Freshman engineering courses can serve a multitude of important functions including the development of good study skills and academic survival strategies, orientation to the engineering disciplines, and the development of team working skills. The primary goals of freshman courses at West Virginia University are to develop problem solving and decision making skills and to develop skills in oral, written and mathematical communication. The Freshman Engineering Program recently implemented a number of changes both in and out of the classroom. A Live and Learn Program was developed in which students live on the same floor of the residence hall and attend classes together. Based on the success of this program, it has been expanded into a university wide program. Social events and seminar presentations are organized to enhance the students contact with the College of Engineering and to introduce students to the engineering disciplines. Preliminary evaluations indicate an increase in retention of students within the engineering programs from 66% to 75% 3.

Introduction

As with many engineering programs, the first year at West Virginia University is spent building the science and mathematics background needed for a successful career in any engineering field. Unfortunately, this may mean that the engineering students have little or no contact with the faculty and facilities of the College of Engineering. At West Virginia freshman students become involved in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources by including in the curriculum two freshman engineering courses. Each is a three-hour course and they are taken sequentially during the first year. These courses include many important and exciting programs 4 that aid

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Wayne, S., & Stiller, A., & Craven, K. (1999, June), The Freshman Engineering Experience At West Virginia University Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--7686