Work in Progress: Students Find Active Learning Beneficial in Intro Programming Course

Tonya Whitehead

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: First-Year Programs: Cornucopia #2
Tagged Division: First-Year Programs
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--35686
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/35686
Download Count: 461

Paper Authors

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Tonya Whitehead Wayne State University orcid.org/0000-0003-2750-0913

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Dr. Tonya Whitehead is Associate Director of the Office for Teaching and Learning and Adjunct Faculty in the College of Engineering at Wayne State University. At the Office for Teaching and Learning, she focuses on STEM Pedagogy and teaching development programs for graduate students. Supported by the WSU WIDER program, she has implemented several evidence-based pedagogies in her basic engineering courses. These efforts led to her being honored with the 2017 Garrett T. Heberlein Endowment Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Whitehead began her training as an instructor while a King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellow, by attending active learning and problem based learning boot camps at Lawrence Technological University. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University. Before coming to Wayne State she received a Master of Science in Manufacturing and Engineering Management and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering at Michigan State University. She is an active member of the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network, International Consortium for Education Development (ICED), American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Society for Women Engineers (SWE), and Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society.

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Abstract

This work in progress paper will present preliminary results from a study investigating students’ engagement and satisfaction following implementation of multiple active learning strategies in an introductory programming course for engineers. An introduction to programming course is one of the requirements for many engineering programs nationwide. At our institution this course is structured as a large lecture with 70-100 students across six different engineering disciplines per section. In this format students were often disengaged and had difficulty relating the material to their specific area of study and future coursework. We have implemented several active learning strategies including flipped classroom structure, small group work, polling, peer-instruction and a self-directed project into our first-year programming course to improve student outcomes and satisfaction. Two pilots of the course including the self-directed project occurred in Fall 2016 and Winter 2017. The instructors used assessment and reflection to improve the structure of the project and the implemented additional student-centered active learning activities in the course. Following the pilot course offerings, data was collected from students over subsequent semesters (Fall 2017, Winter 2018, Fall 2018, and Winter 2019). Data included student surveys, outcomes, and retention data. The beginning of the semester survey for the course included questions from GRIT-S questionnaires and self-assessment of engineering skill. The end of semester survey included Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) questions, a repeat of the self-assessment of engineering skill, and impressions of the benefits of the various tools used in the class and the structure of the project. This paper focuses on the relationship between student demographics groups, specifically those that are underrepresented, and how they perceived the benefits of the various aspects of the course. Future analysis will include looking at student outcomes (final grades), GRIT-S scores, IMI scores and self-assessed engineering skills in comparison to the benefit they perceived for different active learning and support aspects of the course. The results of this project and materials created will be shared in open-access repositories for use elsewhere. The analysis of how different groups perceive the various aspects of the course will direct the redesign of other entry level engineering courses to increase engagement and ultimately retention overall, but especially for those that are currently underrepresented in engineering.

Citation
Format

Whitehead, T. (2020, June), Work in Progress: Students Find Active Learning Beneficial in Intro Programming Course Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35686

TY - CPAPER
AB - This work in progress paper will present preliminary results from a study investigating students’ engagement and satisfaction following implementation of multiple active learning strategies in an introductory programming course for engineers.
An introduction to programming course is one of the requirements for many engineering programs nationwide. At our institution this course is structured as a large lecture with 70-100 students across six different engineering disciplines per section. In this format students were often disengaged and had difficulty relating the material to their specific area of study and future coursework.
We have implemented several active learning strategies including flipped classroom structure, small group work, polling, peer-instruction and a self-directed project into our first-year programming course to improve student outcomes and satisfaction. Two pilots of the course including the self-directed project occurred in Fall 2016 and Winter 2017. The instructors used assessment and reflection to improve the structure of the project and the implemented additional student-centered active learning activities in the course. Following the pilot course offerings, data was collected from students over subsequent semesters (Fall 2017, Winter 2018, Fall 2018, and Winter 2019). Data included student surveys, outcomes, and retention data. The beginning of the semester survey for the course included questions from GRIT-S questionnaires and self-assessment of engineering skill. The end of semester survey included Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) questions, a repeat of the self-assessment of engineering skill, and impressions of the benefits of the various tools used in the class and the structure of the project.
This paper focuses on the relationship between student demographics groups, specifically those that are underrepresented, and how they perceived the benefits of the various aspects of the course. Future analysis will include looking at student outcomes (final grades), GRIT-S scores, IMI scores and self-assessed engineering skills in comparison to the benefit they perceived for different active learning and support aspects of the course. The results of this project and materials created will be shared in open-access repositories for use elsewhere. The analysis of how different groups perceive the various aspects of the course will direct the redesign of other entry level engineering courses to increase engagement and ultimately retention overall, but especially for those that are currently underrepresented in engineering.
AU - Tonya Whitehead
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Work in Progress: Students Find Active Learning Beneficial in Intro Programming Course
UR - https://peer.asee.org/35686
DO - 10.18260/1-2--35686
ER -