The Wright State Model For Engineering Mathematics Education: Highlights From A Ccli Phase 3 Initiative
- Conference
- Location
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Louisville, Kentucky
- Publication Date
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June 20, 2010
- Start Date
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June 20, 2010
- End Date
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June 23, 2010
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Page Count
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15
- Page Numbers
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15.1264.1 - 15.1264.15
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--16675
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/16675
- Download Count
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374
Paper Authors
Nathan Klingbeil Wright State University
Nathan Klingbeil is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Wright State University. He is the lead PI for WSU's National Model for Engineering Mathematics Education. He has been the recipient of numerous awards for his work in engineering education, including the ASEE North Central Section Outstanding Teacher Award (2004) and the CASE Ohio Professor of the Year Award (2005). He also held the university title of Robert J. Kegerreis Distinguished Professor of Teaching from 2005-2008.
Byron Newberry Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts
Byron Newberry is Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma Christian University. He also serves as Director of the Master of Science in Engineering at OC. He is the lead PI for OC’s implementation of Wright State's National Model for Engineering Mathematics Education. His interests include engineering education, stress analysis, dynamic systems, and engineering design.
Anthony Donaldson California Baptist University
Anthony Donaldson is the founding dean of the School of Engineering at California Baptist University. One of the four focus areas he established for the school is having an outstanding undergraduate engineering curriculum. In addition to this NSF effort in mathematics, he has promoted the development of inquiry based physics, and an introduction to chemistry for engineers. He is developing and teaching a pilot introduction to the major course at CBU and an introduction to engineering design course. He previously directed the engineering programs at Seattle Pacific University where he led a successful accreditation effort and was responsible for numerous innovations in curriculum and facilities.
Joan Ozdogan Chantilly High School Academy
Joan Ozdogan is a Career Experience Specialist in Career and Technical Education at Chantilly High School Academy, Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax, Virginia. Ms. Ozdogan has been responsible for pre-collegiate engineering new program development resulting in Engineering Math (upper level math elective); Girls Exploring Engineering - GE² (an all-girls engineering class); and Independent Research – Engineering (senior capstone research internships). She recently served as a STEM Expert at the Race to the Top Briefing in Baltimore, Maryland.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
The Wright State Model for Engineering Mathematics Education: Highlights from a CCLI Phase 3 Initiative
Abstract
The inability of incoming students to advance past the traditional first-year calculus sequence is a primary cause of attrition in engineering programs across the country. As a result, this paper will describe an NSF funded initiative at Wright State University to redefine the way engineering mathematics is taught, with the goal of increasing student retention, motivation and success in engineering. Since its inception in Fall of 2004, the WSU model has had an overwhelming impact on the retention and success of engineering students at Wright State University. As part of a 2008 NSF CCLI Phase 3 initiative, various aspects of the WSU model are now under pilot adoption and assessment at a total of 15 institutions across the country. This paper will provide a brief overview of the WSU model for engineering mathematics education, followed by year one highlights from a subset of these collaborating institutions.
Introduction - The WSU Model for Engineering Mathematics Education
The traditional engineering curriculum requires at least one full year of calculus as a prerequisite to core sophomore-level engineering courses. However, only about 42% of incoming students who wish to pursue an engineering or computer science degree at Wright State University have traditionally advanced past the required first-year calculus sequence. The remaining 58% either switch majors or leave the University. This problem is not unique to WSU. Indeed, the inability of incoming students to successfully advance past the traditional first-year calculus sequence plagues engineering programs across the country. As such, there is a drastic need for a proven model which eliminates the first-year mathematics bottleneck in the traditional engineering curriculum, yet can be readily adopted by engineering programs across the country. A nationwide expansion and assessment of precisely one such model is the focus of this work.
The WSU model for engineering mathematics education involves three primary components: 1) The development of EGR 101 "Introductory Mathematics for Engineering Applications," a novel freshman-level engineering mathematics course. 2) A large-scale restructuring of the early engineering curriculum, where students can advance in the program without first completing the traditional freshman calculus sequence. 3) A more just-in-time structuring of the required math sequence.
The WSU model begins with the development of EGR 101, a novel freshman engineering mathematics course. Taught by engineering faculty, the EGR 101 course includes lecture, laboratory and recitation components. Using an application-oriented, hands-on approach, EGR 101 addresses only the salient math topics actually used in the core sophomore-level engineering courses. These include the traditional physics, engineering mechanics, electric circuits and computer programming sequences. More importantly, the EGR 101 course replaces traditional math prerequisite requirements for the above core courses, so that students can advance in the engineering curriculum without first completing the required calculus sequence.
Klingbeil, N., & Newberry, B., & Donaldson, A., & Ozdogan, J. (2010, June), The Wright State Model For Engineering Mathematics Education: Highlights From A Ccli Phase 3 Initiative Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16675
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