The Impact of a Multidisciplinary Service-Learning Project on Engineering Knowledge and Professional Skills in Engineering and Education Students

Stacie I. Ringleb; Pilar Pazos; Francisco Cima; Isaac Koduah Kumi; Orlando M. Ayala; Krishnanand Kaipa; Jennifer Jill Kidd; Kristie Gutierrez; Min Jung Lee

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 11: Project and Research-Based Learning Environments
Tagged Division: Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)
Page Count: 15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44457
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/44457
Download Count: 105

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Stacie I. Ringleb Old Dominion University

visit author page

Stacie Ringleb is a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University and a fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics. Dr. Ringleb received a B.S. in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, a M.S.E. from Temple University, a Ph.D. from Drexel University, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.

visit author page

biography

Pilar Pazos Old Dominion University orcid.org/0000-0003-4348-7798

visit author page

Pilar Pazos is an Associate Professor at Old Dominion University’s Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering. Her areas of research expertise are team-based work structures, performance management, quality management, research methodology, and engineering education.

visit author page

biography

Francisco Cima Old Dominion University

visit author page

Francisco Cima is a PhD student of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University. He obtained his Masters in Business Planning and Regional Development from the Technological Institute of Merida. His areas of interest are innov

visit author page

biography

Isaac Koduah Kumi Old Dominion University

visit author page

Isaac K. Kumi is a Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student at Old Dominion University. He has a B.Sc in Biomedical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, and an M.E. from Old Dominion University in Mechanical Engineering. His research interests are in biomechanics and biomechanical modeling and simulation.

visit author page

biography

Orlando M. Ayala Old Dominion University orcid.org/0000-0003-0604-8606

visit author page

Dr. Ayala received his BS in Mechanical Engineering with honors (Cum Laude) from Universidad de Oriente (Venezuela) in 1995, MS in 2001, and Ph.D. in 2005, both from the University of Delaware (USA). Dr. Ayala is currently serving as Associate Professor in the Engineering Technology Department at Old Dominion University. Prior to joining ODU in 2013, Dr. Ayala spent 3 years as a Postdoc at the University of Delaware where he expanded his knowledge on simulation
of multiphase flows while acquiring skills in high-performance parallel computing and scientific computation. Before that, Dr. Ayala held a faculty position at Universidad de Oriente where he taught and developed courses for a number of subjects such as Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, Multiphase Flows, Hydraulic Machinery, as well as different Laboratory courses. Additionally, Dr. Ayala has had the opportunity to work for a number of engineering consulting companies, which have given him an important perspective and exposure to the industry. He has been directly involved in at least 20 different engineering projects related to a wide range of industries. Dr. Ayala has provided service to professional organizations such as ASME, since 2008 he has been a member of the Committee of Spanish Translation of ASME Codes. Dr. Ayala has published over one hundred journal and peer-reviewed conference papers. His work has been presented in several international forums in Austria, the USA, Venezuela, Japan, France, Mexico, and Argentina. Dr. Ayala has a 42.80 average of citations per year of all his published work.

visit author page

biography

Krishnanand Kaipa Old Dominion University orcid.org/0000-0002-8095-938X

visit author page

Dr. Krishnanand Kaipa is an Assistant Professor and director of the Collaborative Robotics and Adaptive Machines (CRAM) Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Old Dominion University. Dr. Kaipa received his BE (Hons.)

visit author page

biography

Jennifer Jill Kidd Old Dominion University

visit author page

Dr. Jennifer Kidd is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Old Dominion University. Her research interests include engineering education, computational thinking, student-authored digital content, classroom assessment, especially

visit author page

biography

Kristie Gutierrez Old Dominion University orcid.org/0000-0002-9339-7574

visit author page

Dr. Gutierrez received her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001, M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education in 2005 from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Ph.D. in Science Education in 2016 from North Ca

visit author page

author page

Min Jung Lee Old Dominion University

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

A multidisciplinary service-learning project that involved teaching engineering to fourth and fifth graders was implemented in three sets of engineering and education classes to determine if there was an impact on engineering knowledge and teamwork skills in both the engineering and education students as well as persistence in the engineering students. Collaboration 1 paired a 100-level engineering Information Literacy class in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a 300-level Educational Foundation class. Collaboration 2 combined a 300-level Electromechanical Systems class in Mechanical Engineering with a 400-level Educational Technology class. Collaboration 3 paired a 300-level Fluid Mechanics class in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a 400-level Elementary Science Methods class. Collaborations 1 and 3 interacted with fourth or fifth graders by developing and delivering lessons to the elementary students. Students in collaboration 2 worked with fifth graders in an after-school technology club. While each collaboration had its unique elements, all collaborations included the engineering design process both in classroom instruction and during the service learning project. Quantitative data were collected from both engineering and education students in a pretest/posttest design. Teamwork skills were measured in engineering students using a validated teamwork skills assessment based on peer evaluation. Each class had a comparison class taught by the same instructor that included a team project, and the same quantitative measures. Engineering students who participated in collaboration 1 were evaluated for retention, which was defined as students who were still enrolled in the college of engineering and technology two semesters after completion of the course. Engineering students also completed an evaluation of academic and professional persistence. For the engineering students, none of the assessments involving technical skills had significant differences, although the design process knowledge tests trended upward in the treatment classes. The preservice teachers in the treatment group scored significantly higher in the design process knowledge test, and preservice teachers in collaborations 1 and 3 had higher scores in the engineering knowledge test than the comparison group. Teamwork skills in the treatment group were significantly higher than in the comparison group for both engineering and education students. Thus, engineering and education students in the treatment groups saw gains in teamwork skills, while education students saw more gains in engineering knowledge. Finally, all engineering students had significantly higher professional persistence.

Citation
Format

Ringleb, S. I., & Pazos, P., & Cima, F., & Kumi, I. K., & Ayala, O. M., & Kaipa, K., & Kidd, J. J., & Gutierrez, K., & Lee, M. J. (2023, June), The Impact of a Multidisciplinary Service-Learning Project on Engineering Knowledge and Professional Skills in Engineering and Education Students Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44457

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - A multidisciplinary service-learning project that involved teaching engineering to fourth and fifth graders was implemented in three sets of engineering and education classes to determine if there was an impact on engineering knowledge and teamwork skills in both the engineering and education students as well as persistence in the engineering students. Collaboration 1 paired a 100-level engineering Information Literacy class in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a 300-level Educational Foundation class. Collaboration 2 combined a 300-level Electromechanical Systems class in Mechanical Engineering with a 400-level Educational Technology class. Collaboration 3 paired a 300-level Fluid Mechanics class in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a 400-level Elementary Science Methods class. Collaborations 1 and 3 interacted with fourth or fifth graders by developing and delivering lessons to the elementary students. Students in collaboration 2 worked with fifth graders in an after-school technology club. While each collaboration had its unique elements, all collaborations included the engineering design process both in classroom instruction and during the service learning project. Quantitative data were collected from both engineering and education students in a pretest/posttest design. Teamwork skills were measured in engineering students using a validated teamwork skills assessment based on peer evaluation. Each class had a comparison class taught by the same instructor that included a team project, and the same quantitative measures. Engineering students who participated in collaboration 1 were evaluated for retention, which was defined as students who were still enrolled in the college of engineering and technology two semesters after completion of the course. Engineering students also completed an evaluation of academic and professional persistence. For the engineering students, none of the assessments involving technical skills had significant differences, although the design process knowledge tests trended upward in the treatment classes. The preservice teachers in the treatment group scored significantly higher in the design process knowledge test, and preservice teachers in collaborations 1 and 3 had higher scores in the engineering knowledge test than the comparison group. Teamwork skills in the treatment group were significantly higher than in the comparison group for both engineering and education students. Thus, engineering and education students in the treatment groups saw gains in teamwork skills, while education students saw more gains in engineering knowledge. Finally, all engineering students had significantly higher professional persistence. 
AU  - Stacie I. Ringleb
AU  - Pilar Pazos
AU  - Francisco Cima
AU  - Isaac Koduah Kumi
AU  - Orlando M. Ayala
AU  - Krishnanand Kaipa
AU  - Jennifer Jill Kidd
AU  - Kristie Gutierrez
AU  - Min Jung Lee
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Impact of a Multidisciplinary Service-Learning Project on Engineering Knowledge and Professional Skills in Engineering and Education Students
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/44457
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44457
ER  -