bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Classification System for Engineering Student Characteristics Affecting College Enrollment and Retention
Authors: Li Qing , Swaminathan Hariharan , Tang Jiong
Published: January 2013

Background

In engineering education, a considerable amount of research effort has been dedicated to study the impacts of student characteristics on their college enrollment, major selection, and college retention. However, there is no standardized categorical classification system of engineering student characteristics in the current literature. Different researchers tend to focus on specific characteristics within the scope of their research interests. This study provides a comprehensive review and analysis of the existing research on the measurement of the characteristics of engineering students.

Purpose

The study addressed the three questions: (1) what engineering student characteristics have been measured; (2) how do engineering student characteristics impact their educational outcomes; and (3) what measurement and analysis methods have been applied in current studies? A standardized classification system for engineering student characteristics involving external, cognitive, affective, and demographic categories is also proposed.

Scope/Method

The study focused on engineering education. Representative research regarding common characteristics of students from majors of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics were also included. The review covers major academic journals, research books, conference proceedings, and government reports in the areas of science and engineering education for the past two decades.

Conclusions

The review analysis indicated that students with certain characteristics are more likely to choose engineering as a profession and that those characteristics are either correlated or causally related with one another. However, many research conclusions based on basic statistical analyses fail to model the interaction effects. More advanced measurement techniques are needed that can model the characteristics interactively and concurrently in a complete framework.
Relationship Between TOEFL Score and Academic Success for International Engineering Students
Authors: Wait Isaac W. , Gressel Justin W.
Published: January 2013

Background

Tests that classify English ability, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), are often the only application metric common to international applicants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. As such, these test results are sometimes used beyond their intended scope to predict student academic success.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

This study evaluated relationships between TOEFL scores and several measures of academic success for students at an American university abroad. Characterizing these relationships helps assess the scope of the TOEFL score's use in admissions decision making.

Design/Method

Linear and logistic regression were used to evaluate TOEFL score relative to overall grade point average (GPA), GPA for courses in engineering and in humanities, rate of passing a Comprehensive Assessment Examination (CAE), and graduation rate. High school GPA, gender, and nationality were also included as independent variables.

Results

A positive, statistically significant relationship was identified between TOEFL score and GPA, although weaker for engineering students than students in other fields, and for engineering courses than non‐engineering courses. TOEFL score was also statistically significant in logistic regressions of CAE pass rate and graduation rate, indicating increasing probability of success with increasing TOEFL score. However, model goodness‐of‐fit measures were relatively low, indicating many students whose performance defies general trends.

Conclusions

In spite of correlations between TOEFL score and academic performance, TOEFL scores should not be used in admissions beyond assessing individual students' English proficiency. Additional research is warranted to investigate trends that were identified related to gender effects and engineering‐specific student learning styles.
Mapping the Cultural Landscape in Engineering Education
Authors: Godfrey Elizabeth , Parker Lesley
Published: January 2013

Background

Calls for culture change as key to systemic reform in engineering education implicitly assume the existence of common elements of a distinctive culture. The landscape for engineering education studies that invoke the concept of culture is complex and multi‐faceted, yet still ill‐defined and incomplete.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

The aim of this study is to develop a conceptual framework of cultural dimensions that has the potential to guide the understanding of culture in the context of engineering education to demonstrate “where we are” and “how to get where we want to go.”

Design/Method

Ethnographic methods within an overarching interpretivist research paradigm were used to investigate the culture of engineering education as manifested in one institution. Adapting Schein's cultural framework, the data were collected and analyzed to distil from observable behaviors and practices the essence of the culture in the form of tacitly known cultural norms, shared assumptions, and understandings that underpinned the lived experience of staff and students.

Results

The findings are discussed within six cultural dimensions which emerged from the data as: An Engineering Way of Thinking, An Engineering Way of Doing, Being an Engineer, Acceptance of Difference, Relationships, and Relationship to the Environment.

Conclusions

The detailed findings from this study, combined with evidence from other studies, support the view that the proposed six dimensions have the potential to be transferred to other institutions as a practical tool for evaluating and positioning the culture of engineering education.
The Effect of Social Presence on Affective and Cognitive Learning in an International Engineering Course Taught via Distance Learning
Authors: Mackey Katherine R.M. , Freyberg David L.
Published: January 2013

Background

Distance learning course formats can alter modes of information exchange and interpersonal interaction relative to traditional course formats.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

To determine the effect of a distance course format on the knowledge acquisition (cognitive learning) and satisfaction (affective learning) of students, we investigated student learning responses and social presence during a graduate‐level engineering course taught via traditional (i.e., professor present in the classroom) and synchronous distance‐learning formats.

Design/Method

Direct quantification of participation, academic performance assessment based on homework and exam scores, and survey‐based assessments of student perceptions of the course were collected. Based on these data, cognitive and affective learning responses to different technological and interaction‐based aspects of the course were determined for each course format.

Results

We show that while affective learning decreased for students in the distance format course relative to the traditional format, cognitive learning was comparable. Our results suggest that loss of satellite connection and audio losses had a stronger negative effect on student perceptions than video disturbances, and that participation was the most important factor influencing affective learning.

Conclusions

While our findings do not suggest that cognitive learning is strongly affected by social presence, implementing strategies to enhance social presence may improve the overall learning experience and make distance learning more enjoyable for students.
Lessons Learned: Implementing the Case Teaching Method in a Mechanical Engineering Course
Authors: Yadav Aman , Shaver Gregory M. , Meckl Peter
Published: January 2013

Background

Case studies have been found to increase students' critical thinking and problem‐solving skills, higher‐order thinking skills, conceptual change, and their motivation to learn. Despite the popularity of the case study approach within engineering, the empirical research on the effectiveness of case studies is limited and the research that does exist has primarily focused on student perceptions of their learning rather than actual learning outcomes.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

This paper describes an investigation of the impact of case‐based instruction on undergraduate mechanical engineering students' conceptual understanding and their attitudes towards the use of case studies.

Design/Method

Seventy‐three students from two sections of the same mechanical engineering course participated in this study. The two sections were both taught using traditional lecture and case teaching methods. Participants completed pre‐tests, post‐tests, and a survey to assess their conceptual understanding and engagement.

Results

Results suggested that the majority of participants felt the use of case studies was engaging and added a lot of realism to the class. There were no significant differences between traditional lecture and case teaching method on students' conceptual understanding. However, the use of case studies did no harm to students' understanding while making the content more relevant to students.

Conclusions

Case‐based instruction can be beneficial for students in terms of actively engaging them and allowing them to see the application and/or relevance of engineering to the real world.
Measuring Engineering Design Self‐Efficacy
Authors: Carberry Adam R. , Lee Hee‐Sun , Ohland Matthew W.
Published: January 2013

Background

Self‐concept can influence how an individual learns, but is often overlooked when assessing student learning in engineering.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

To validate an instrument designed to measure individuals' self‐concepts toward engineering design tasks, three research questions were investigated: (a) how well the items in the instrument represent the engineering design process in eliciting the task‐specific self‐concepts of self‐efficacy, motivation, outcome expectancy, and anxiety, (b) how well the instrument predicts differences in the self‐efficacy held by individuals with a range of engineering experiences, and (c) how well the responses to the instrument align with the relationships conceptualized in self‐efficacy theory.

Design/Method

A 36‐item online instrument was developed and administered to 202 respondents. Three types of validity evidence were obtained for (a) representativeness of multi‐step engineering design processes in eliciting self‐efficacy, (b) the instrument's ability to differentiate groups of individuals with different levels of engineering experience, and (c) relationships between self‐efficacy, motivation, outcome expectancy, and anxiety as predicted by self‐efficacy theory.

Results

Results indicate that the instrument can reliably identify individuals' engineering design self‐efficacy (α = 0.967), motivation (α = 0.955), outcome expectancy (α = 0.967), and anxiety (α = 0.940). One‐way ANOVA identified statistical differences in self‐efficacy between high, intermediate, and low experience groups at the ρ < 0.05 level. Self‐efficacy was also shown to be correlated to motivation (0.779), outcome expectancy (0.919), and anxiety (—0.593) at the ρ < 0.01 level.

Conclusions

The study showed that the instrument was capable of identifying individuals' self‐concepts specific to the engineering design tasks.
Pre‐College Engineering Studies: An Investigation of the Relationship Between Pre‐college Engineering Studies and Student Achievement in Science and Mathematics
Authors: Tran Natalie A. , Nathan Mitchell J.
Published: January 2013

Background

The U.S. has experienced a shift from a manufacturing‐based economy to one that overwhelmingly provides services and information. This shift demands that technological skills be more fully integrated with one's academic knowledge of science and mathematics so that the next generation of engineers can reason adaptively, think critically, and be prepared to learn how to learn.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) provides a pre‐college curriculum that focuses on the integration of engineering with science and mathematics. We documented the impact that enrollment in PLTW had on student science and math achievement. We consider the enriched integration hypothesis, which states that students taking PLTW courses will show achievement benefits, after controlling for prior achievement and other student and teacher characteristics. We contrast this with alternative hypotheses that propose little or no impact of the engineering coursework on students' math and science achievement (the insufficient integration hypothesis), or that PLTW enrollment might be negatively associated with student achievement (the adverse integration hypothesis).

Design/Method

Using multilevel statistical modeling with students (N = 140) nested within teachers, we report findings from a quantitative analysis of the relationship between PLTW enrollment and student achievement on state standardized tests of math and science.

Results

While students gained in math and science achievement overall from eighth to tenth grade, students enrolled in PLTW foundation courses showed significantly smaller math assessment gains than those in a matched group that did not enroll, and no measurable advantages on science assessments, when controlling for prior achievement and teacher experience. The findings do not support the enriched integration hypothesis.

Conclusions

Engineering education programs like PLTW face both challenges and opportunities to effectively integrate academic content as they strive to prepare students for college engineering programs and careers.
Classes That Click: Fast, Rich Feedback to Enhance Student Learning and Satisfaction
Authors: Chen John C. , Whittinghill Dexter C. , Kadlowec Jennifer A.
Published: January 2013

Background

Our goal is to improve student learning in foundation engineering courses. These courses are prerequisite to many higher‐level courses and are comprised of critically needed concepts and skills.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

We hypothesize that learning is improved by providing rapid feedback to students on their understanding of key concepts and skills. Such feedback also provides students with insight into their strategies for learning.

Design/Method

In two consecutive years, we conducted this study in two sections of a lower‐level engineering mechanics course, Statics. One author taught both sections and a crossover design of experiment was used. In a crossover design, one section was randomly chosen to receive feedback with handheld computers (the “treatment” group) while the other received the “control,” which was either a feedback system using flashcards (in year 1) or no feedback (year 2). After a certain period, the two sections swapped the treatment and control. Student performance on a quiz at the end of each treatment period provided the data for comparison using an analysis of variance model with covariates.

Results

Findings from year 1 showed that there was no significant difference using either rapid‐feedback method. In year 2 we found a significant and positive effect when students received feedback.

Conclusions

This is a noteworthy finding, albeit within the constraints of the environment in which we conducted the study, that provides more evidence for the value of rapid feedback and the currently popular “clickers” that many professors are employing to promote classroom interaction and student engagement.
A Comparison of Engineering Students' Reflections on Their First‐Year Experiences
Authors: Meyers Kerry L. , Silliman Stephen E. , Gedde Natalie L. , Ohland Matthew W.
Published: January 2013

Background

The introduction of a mentoring program at the University of Notre Dame in which upperclass engineering students serve as a resource to first‐year students was the focus of this study. A retrospective survey was administered to classes of sophomores and juniors.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

The survey was focused on impressions of the first‐year engineering experiences motivated by a desire to assess the new program. This assessment was used to address research questions relating to students' comfort approaching faculty/upperclass students and transition.

Design/Method

The survey was first administered during January 2006, prior to program introduction, and again in January 2008, after the program was in place for two years. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression models for statistically significant differences.

Results

Findings indicate: (1) students are more comfortable approaching upperclass students than faculty for advice in many situations, (2) no measurable student benefit could be concluded as a result of the mentoring program introduction, (3) gender differences exist in terms of a student's comfort with their decision to stay in engineering, and (4) gender was not a statistically significant factor in predicting adjustment to engineering.

Conclusions

Results support continued focus on increasing academic confidence in women and men entering engineering programs to support the adjustment to engineering. The affinity of students for obtaining advice from more experienced students rather than faculty suggests that support programs such as mentoring should aide that adjustment, yet it is clear that the success of such programs is sensitive to conditions that are not easily controlled.
Multiple Perspectives on Engaging Future Engineers
Authors: Adams Robin , Evangelou Demetra , English Lyn , De Figueiredo Antonio Dias , Mousoulides Nicholas , Pawley Alice L. , Schiefellite Carmen , Stevens Reed , Svinicki Marilla , Trenor Julie Martin , Wilson Denise M.
Published: January 2013

Background

Engaging future engineers is a central topic in everyday conversations on engineering education. Considerable investments have been made to make engineering more engaging, recruit and retain aspiring engineers, and to design an education to prepare future engineers. However, the impact of these efforts has been less than intended. It is imperative that the community reflects on progress and sets a more effective path for the future.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to map a new innovation landscape for what it means to engage future engineers. This is a theoretically grounded divergent‐thinking effort to enable a broader space of high impact innovations for engaging future engineers.

Scope/Method

A multiple perspectives methodology drawing from innovation, cross‐disciplinary, and boundary work frameworks was used to make visible multiple facets of engaging future engineers. Scholars from diverse communities of thought and discourse were selected to present interparadigmatic perspectives, act as boundary agents, challenge and transform current ways of thinking, and illustrate new opportunities for engineering education innovation.

Conclusions

A new innovation landscape for engaging future engineers is needed, one that emphasizes epistemological development and social justice, new configurations on engineering thinking and connecting to the formative years of development, the entwinement of engineering knowing and being, and mutually informing consequences for opening up a broader space for innovation. We also need to adopt strategies and tools for using a multiple perspectives approach to better understand complex engineering education problems.
Engineering Education and the Development of Expertise
Authors: Litzinger Thomas , Lattuca Lisa R. , Hadgraft Roger , Newstetter Wendy
Published: January 2013

Contributors

Michael Alley, The Pennsylvania State University; Cindy Atman, University of Washington; David DiBiasio, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Cindy Finelli, University of Michigan; Heidi Diefes‐Dux, Purdue University; Anette Kolmos, Aalborg University; Donna Riley, Smith College; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University; Maryellen Weimer, The Pennsylvania State University; Ken Yasuhara, University of Washington

Background

Although engineering education has evolved in ways that improve the readiness of graduates to meet the challenges of the twenty‐first century, national and international organizations continue to call for change. Future changes in engineering education should be guided by research on expertise and the learning processes that support its development.

Purpose

The goals of this paper are: to relate key findings from studies of the development of expertise to engineering education, to summarize instructional practices that are consistent with these findings, to provide examples of learning experiences that are consistent with these instructional practices, and finally, to identify challenges to implementing such learning experiences in engineering programs.

Scope/Method

The research synthesized for this article includes that on the development of expertise, students' approaches to learning, students' responses to instructional practices, and the role of motivation in learning. In addition, literature on the dominant teaching and learning practices in engineering education is used to frame some of the challenges to implementing alternative approaches to learning.

Conclusion

Current understanding of expertise, and the learning processes that develop it, indicates that engineering education should encompass a set of learning experiences that allow students to construct deep conceptual knowledge, to develop the ability to apply key technical and professional skills fluently, and to engage in a number of authentic engineering projects. Engineering curricula and teaching methods are often not well aligned with these goals. Curriculum‐level instructional design processes should be used to design and implement changes that will improve alignment.
Emerging Research Methodologies in Engineering Education Research
Authors: Case Jennifer M. , Light Gregory
Published: January 2013

Background

Methodology refers to the theoretical arguments that researchers use in order to justify their research methods and design. There is an extensive range of well established methodologies in the educational research literature of which a growing subset is beginning to be used in engineering education research.

Purpose

A more explicit engagement with methodologies, particularly those that are only emerging in engineering education research, is important so that engineering education researchers can broaden the set of research questions they are able to address.

Scope/Method

Seven methodologies are outlined and for each an exemplar paper is analyzed in order to demonstrate the methodology in operation and to highlight its particular contribution. The methodologies are: Case Study, Grounded Theory, Ethnography, Action Research, Phenomenography, Discourse Analysis, and Narrative Analysis. It is noted that many of the exemplar papers use some of these methodologies in combination.

Conclusion

The exemplar papers show that collectively these methodologies might allow the research community to be able to better address questions around key engineering education challenges, such as students' responses to innovative pedagogies, diversity issues in engineering, and the changing requirements for engineering graduates in the twenty‐first century.
Race, Gender, and Measures of Success in Engineering Education
Authors: Ohland Matthew W. , Brawner Catherine E. , Camacho Michelle M. , Layton Richard A. , Long Russell A. , Lord Susan M. , Wasburn Mara H.
Published: January 2013

Background

Concern for workforce needs, social justice, and the diversification of the engineering profession make it critical to understand how different metrics may overestimate or underestimate the success of various race‐gender populations in engineering.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

While earlier work found that women in nearly all racial groups persist to the eighth semester at rates comparable to men, results vary in studies that use other measures of success, providing an incentive to compare multiple measures of success in the same population.

Design/Method

The eight‐semester persistence and six‐year graduation rates are compared for various race‐gender populations using a longitudinal, comprehensive dataset of more than 75,000 students matriculating in engineering at nine universities from 1988–1998.

Results

Gender differences in persistence of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, and White students are far outweighed by institutional differences. Racial differences are more pronounced, however, revealing some patterns that transcend institutional differences.

Conclusion

Our work demonstrates that trajectories of persistence are non‐linear, gendered, and racialized, and further that higher education has developed the way in which persistence is studied based on the behavior of the majority, specifically the White, male population. Even if institutions were to treat all students equally, the outcomes will not necessarily be the same because various populations respond differently to the same conditions. Using eight‐semester persistence may result in a “systematic majority measurement bias.” Therefore, multiple measures may be needed to describe outcomes in diverse populations.
Looking Toward the Real World: Student Conceptions of Engineering
Authors: Dunsmore Katherine , Turns Jennifer , Yellin Jessica M.
Published: January 2013

Background

This paper contributes to the growing body of scholarship on engineering students' conceptions of core concepts in engineering, including their conception of engineering itself. Understanding how students view engineering practice can provide guidance into student responses to course features such as collaborative projects.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

The research question addressed in this study is: What do student portfolios reveal about student constructions of engineering?

Design/Method

Texts from portfolios created by mechanical engineering undergraduates were analyzed qualitatively using concepts drawn from discourse analysis. This approach makes it possible to examine conceptions through close reading of linguistic structure of a body of writing.

Results

Students conceived of engineering practice as “the real world,” with most students not conceiving school experiences as integral to practice. Students conceived of engineering practice in terms of strongly contrasting elements rather than as a system of intrinsic elements. Two major aspects in student conceptions were present in the portfolios: values in engineering practice and the role of other people. Largely missing also from the student discourse was the sense that engineering is inherently collaborative.

Conclusion

Student conceptions formed continua which bear further study to more completely characterize student views. Conceptions of engineering leaders and engineering educators deserve greater attention as well as contrasts and models for comparison to student conceptions. The benefits of understanding conceptions more completely include understanding student resistance to exercises, predicting student difficulties with exercises, and understanding the distance between what educators are trying to teach students and what students are “hearing.”
The Impact of Mathematics Anxiety on the Performance of Students of Electromagnetics
Authors: Leppävirta Johanna
Published: January 2013

Background

Although the negative effects of academic anxiety on students' learning performance have long been recognised, the consequences of mathematics anxiety on the performance of engineering students have not yet been widely studied.

Purpose(Hypothesis)

This study examined how the perceived mathematics anxiety of engineering students can be related to their performance in electromagnetics.

Design/Method

The data were collected from an undergraduate Static Field Theory course at the Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. Mathematics anxiety was evaluated with the Electromagnetics Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (EMARS), which consists of five qualitatively different components: usefulness, mathematics confidence, interpretation anxiety, fear of asking for help, and persistency. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

The study showed a significant relation between mathematics anxiety and the students' performance in electromagnetics. Individuals with high mathematics anxiety were significantly less successful in the examination and the concept test when compared with individuals with low mathematics anxiety. However, students with high mathematics anxiety performed relatively well in the concept test when compared to their performance in workout problems, often even better than individuals with medium mathematics anxiety.

Conclusion

The study suggests that in curriculum design and in assessment practices, there could be more emphasis on conceptual understanding, which is shown to arouse less anxiety among low‐achieving students in this particular group.
The Socially Responsible Engineer: Assessing Student Attitudes of Roles and Responsibilities
Authors: Lathem Sandra A. , Neumann Maureen D. , Hayden Nancy
Published: January 2013

Background

A state university's Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) programs initiated curricular reform efforts that incorporated systems thinking and service learning as part of a National Science Foundation Department Level Reform (DLR) grant.

Purpose(Hypothesis)

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in students' perceptions of engineers' social responsibilities and technical knowledge that were influenced by the programs' DLR curricula reforms. A secondary goal was to test the validity and reliability of a student attitude survey.

Design/Method

A longitudinal, concurrent, mixed method study was implemented over a four‐year period. A survey was developed and administered to 125 graduating CEE seniors. Qualitative analyses included open‐ended survey responses and interviews with faculty, students, and focus groups.

Results

Student attitudes declined during the first two years of implementation with students citing dissatisfaction with course changes. Yet, no statistically significant difference was found for students' self‐reported technical knowledge and social responsibilities by graduating class or major. Female students, however, showed a positive statistically significant difference in their self‐perceptions of increased technical knowledge and engineers' social responsibilities. Adoption of new language was noticeable for students in the Class of 2009, indicating that concepts of systems thinking and service learning were beginning to be assimilated. The student attitude survey was determined to be a valid and reliable instrument.

Conclusion

Students caught in the middle of program reform are likely to resist change and express dissatisfaction. Assessments of student attitudes allowed implementers to evaluate their reform efforts' successes and shortcomings and enabled them to adapt and modify their strategies accordingly.
Using Paper‐and‐Pencil SOlutions to Assess Problem Solving Skill
Authors: Taraban Roman , Craig Curtis , Anderson Edward E.
Published: January 2013

Background

Problem solving practice involving paper‐and‐pencil solutions is a common activity in undergraduate engineering training. This paper addresses three questions: What indicators of problem‐solving skill are available in paper‐and‐pencil solutions, beyond a simple accuracy measure? Can these indicators distinguish between problem solvers in terms of their skill level? How can these indicators be used to improve the effectiveness of instructor feedback to problem‐solving exercises?

Purpose(Hypothesis)

Based on the published literature on cognition and problem solving, several indicators were hypothesized to signal knowledge and skill: an accurate free‐body diagram, specification of assumptions, accurate expansion of key principles, strategic (forward) inferences, and checking equations and solutions.

Design/Method

A mixed experimental methodology was applied that combined qualitative and quantitative analyses. The qualitative data was comprised of paper‐and‐pencil solutions and video recordings of participants while they solved problems. Frequency counts of skill indicators and grader‐assigned scores comprised the quantitative data.

Results

Statistical tests confirmed that the hypothesized indicators were associated with individuals' level of skill. However, reliable evidence for these indicators was only partially found in the paper‐and‐pencil solutions and could only be firmly established by including data from the video recordings.

Conclusion

The results show that paper‐and‐pencil solutions can be diagnostic of the strengths and weaknesses of problem‐solvers. However, to provide useful and reliable feedback to students, these solutions must be supplemented with additional input, possibly through regular structured sampling throughout a course, or through more extensive use of computer resources.
Student Perceptions of Learning in the Laboratory: Comparison of Industrially Situated Virtual Laboratories to Capstone Physical Laboratories
Authors: Koretsky Milo , Kelly Christine , Gummer Edith
Published: January 2013

Background

This study compares students' perceptions of key cognitive processes and specific content afforded by an industrially situated virtual laboratory project and two physical laboratory projects.

Purpose(Hypothesis)

1. How do students' perceptions of the nature of cognition, experimental design, and ambiguity compare across selected virtual and physical laboratory experiences? 2. In what ways do students perceive the virtual and physical laboratories as an authentic experience that is reflective of real‐life engineering?

Design/Method

Three, free‐response survey questions were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. Content analysis was used to establish categories to group the responses, and the coding process had an interrater reliability of 0.90.

Results

Student responses showed statistically significant increases in categories of Experimental Design, Critical Thinking, and Ambiguity in the virtual laboratories and in Lab Protocol and Specific Content in the physical laboratories. Additionally, more overall High Cognition statements were observed in the virtual laboratory. Student perceptions of ambiguity shifted from ambiguity in the instruction to an ambiguity in the experimental process itself, and many students were able to suspend disbelief in the virtual laboratories and demonstrated psychological presence, leading to the potential for a rich learning experience.

Conclusion

The industrially situated virtual laboratories reported in this paper provide affordances for substantially different student thinking about their thinking than the physical laboratories in the same course. This conclusion does not suggest that the differences are a direct result of the medium of the laboratory (virtual vs. physical) but rather the opportunities that the instructional design of each type of laboratory affords.
Constructing Professional Portfolios: Sense‐Making and Professional Identity Development for Engineering Undergraduates
Authors: Eliot Matt , Turns Jennifer
Published: January 2013

Background

While previously researching the educational impacts of single‐course and cross‐curricular portfolios, investigators noted that student participants described their portfolio activities as positively impacting their growing identities as engineering professionals. These impacts were seen particularly in studies regarding cross‐curricular portfolios. 

Purpose (Hypothesis)

This study was designed to explicitly investigate identity‐related impacts of cross‐curricular portfolios and to explore the processes students employed during portfolio construction to identify themselves as budding engineers and as future professionals.

Design/Mscethod

Engineering undergraduate students attended four weekly workshops where they wrote a professional statement, selected artifacts that demonstrated their engineering abilities, and wrote annotations that explained how the artifacts served as concrete examples of their claims for professional standing. Online surveys were administered at each workshop asking participants about their ongoing experiences of creating their portfolios and sharing these portfolios with their peers.

Results

Analysis of the survey responses revealed that participants had two primary frames of reference for the construction of professional identity during portfolio creation. The external frame of reference focused on students' understanding of the expectations of potential employers and recruiters. The internal frame of reference, which accounted for twice as many responses as the external frame coding, focused on students' emerging realizations of their own values and interests as professional engineers.

Conclusions

As engineering educators, we often support the external frame of reference in terms of building professional identity. We need to provide students with opportunities to engage the internal frame of reference with which our participants were particularly concerned.
The Relationship Between Team Discourse, Self‐Efficacy, and Individual Achievement: A Sequential Mixed‐Methods Study
Authors: Purzer ŞEnay
Published: January 2013

Background

While much research has been conducted to study the effect of teaming on student learning and attitudes, few studies have explored the nature of team discourse and how these discussions support or hinder student learning and self‐efficacy.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

This study investigated the relationship between verbal exchanges, self‐efficacy, and individual student achievement. Results are discussed through the lenses of two frameworks: Bandura's social cognitive theory and Vygotsky's social constructivist theory.

Design/Mscethod

Twenty‐two first‐year engineering students participated in this study. The verbal exchanges of these students were recorded and then coded into 35 discourse moves and six discourse actions. Data on students’ pre and post self‐efficacy were also collected. Correlations between discourse actions, self‐efficacy scores, and individual student achievement were computed.

Results

Students engaged in six types of discourse actions: task‐oriented, response‐oriented, learning‐oriented, support‐oriented, challenge‐oriented, and disruptive. Results indicated no direct correlation between support‐oriented discourse (verbal persuasions) and achievement. However, there was a moderate positive correlation between post self‐efficacy and the extent to which a student engaged in support‐oriented discourse. Engaging in challenge‐oriented or learning‐oriented discourse did not reveal correlations with self‐efficacy or achievement.

Conclusions

Finding that self‐efficacy and achievement are related confirms Bandura's self‐efficacy theory. Furthermore, the low self‐efficacy of under‐performers was evident in their grades, as well as in the conversations of team members. However, contrary to theory, supportive comments (verbal persuasions) received were not correlated with self‐efficacy. The scarcity of challenge‐oriented discourse (argumentation) is a concern and should be addressed in future research.
Self‐Efficacy for Cross‐Disciplinary Learning in Project‐Based Teams
Authors: Schaffer Scott P. , Chen Xiaojun , Zhu Xiumei , Oakes William C.
Published: January 2013

Background

While research indicates that self‐efficacy is related to learning on discrete tasks, less is known about self‐efficacy for learning in complex, ill‐structured learning environments. A measure of self‐efficacy for design teams provides grounding for the design of learning support.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

This study aims to determine the usefulness of a measure of self‐efficacy for cross‐disciplinary team learning (CDTL) within a multi‐disciplinary, project based setting. Research questions include: (1) Does student efficacy for CDTL change over the course of the semester? (2) What is the effect of (a) task complexity; (b) prior learner experience; (c) team composition; and (d) personal factors on efficacy for CDTL?

Design/Method

Efficacy for CDTL while working on multi‐disciplinary team projects was assessed using a 16‐item Selfefficacy for CDTL scale. A total of 112 undergraduates from 34 teams in a service learning program completed both pre and post project questionnaires.

Results

A statistically significant increase in pre‐post semester self‐efficacy was found across three team learning factors: identification, recognition, and integration. Individual GPA and year in college were related to higher levels of improvement in the identification factor, while the completion of multiple design phases in team tasks was related to lower levels of improvement in the identification factor.

Conclusions

This study contributes to our knowledge of individual self‐efficacy and the design of learning environments involving multi‐disciplinary teams. It is an important step toward the development of theory and evidence that can help higher educational institutions to better understand if and how students learn to collaborate while working on team design projects.
Development of the Heat and Energy Concept Inventory: Preliminary Results on the Prevalence and Persistence of Engineering Students' Misconceptions
Authors: Prince Michael , Vigeant Margot , Nottis Katharyn
Published: January 2013

Background

Students frequently hold a number of misconceptions related to temperature, heat and energy. There is not currently a concept inventory with sufficiently high internal reliability to assess these concept areas for research purposes. Consequently, there is little data on the prevalence of these misconceptions amongst undergraduate engineering students.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

This work presents the Heat and Energy Concept Inventory (HECI) to assess prevalent misconceptions related to: (1) Temperature vs. Energy, (2) Temperature vs. Perceptions of Hot and Cold, (3) Factors that affect the Rate vs. Amount of Heat Transfer and (4) Thermal Radiation. The HECI is also used to document the prevalence of misconceptions amongst undergraduate engineering students.

Design/Method

Item analysis, guided by classical test theory, was used to refine individual questions on the HECI. The HECI was used in a one group, pre‐test‐post‐test design to assess the prevalence and persistence of targeted misconceptions amongst a population of undergraduate engineering students at diverse institutions.

Results

Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Kuder‐Richardson Formula 20; values were 0.85 for the entire instrument and ranged from 0.59 to 0.76 for the four subcategories of the HECI. Student performance on the HECI went from 49.2% to 54.5% after instruction. Gains on each of the individual subscales of the HECI, while generally statistically significant, were similarly modest.

Conclusions

The HECI provides sufficiently high estimates of internal consistency reliability to be used as a research tool to assess students' understanding of the targeted concepts. Use of the instrument demonstrates that student misconceptions are both prevalent and resistant to change through standard instruction.
Learning in Graduate Engineering Research Groups of Various Sizes
Authors: Crede Erin , Borrego Maura
Published: January 2013

Background

Engineering graduate education, particularly at the doctoral level, relies heavily on mentored research experiences often conducted in a research group.

Purpose (Hypothesis)

The purpose of this study is to understand how and under what conditions research groups foster successful learning and professional development for graduate engineering students, and how these findings can be used to inform management of engineering research groups to optimize student learning, productivity, and intent to complete the degree.

Design/Method

This study utilizes a sequential exploratory mixed methods design, with nine months of ethnographically guided observations and interviews used to develop an online survey instrument. Data reported in this paper include results from the ethnographic analysis and survey responses from over 800 students at four institutions.

Results

Key findings from the ethnographic analysis indicate that group size directly influences the mechanisms of student learning. Survey results confirm the prevalence of engineering graduate research groups, as well as several elements common across research groups from different universities and academic departments, including: interactions and communication, access to resources, and role of the advisor.

Conclusions

An understanding of the mechanisms for learning in research groups can be used by engineering administrators, faculty members, and graduate students to create an environment that fosters successful learning and professional development. We also recommend practices for ensuring positive experiences for all graduate students, which may ultimately reduce attrition from engineering graduate programs.
Evidence that a transcription factor regulatory network coordinates oxidative stress response and secondary metabolism in aspergilli
Authors: Hong Sung‐Yong , Roze Ludmila V. , Wee Josephine , Linz John E.
Published: January 2013

The mycotoxin aflatoxin is a secondary metabolite and potent human carcinogen. We investigated one mechanism that links stress response with coordinate activation of genes involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus parasiticus. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that AtfB, a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor, is a master co‐regulator that binds promoters of early (fas‐1), middle (ver‐1), and late (omtA) aflatoxin biosynthetic genes as well as stress‐response genes (mycelia‐specific cat1 and mitochondria‐specific Mn sod) at cAMP response element motifs. A novel conserved motif 5′‐T/GNT/CAAG CCNNG/AA/GC/ANT/C‐3′ was identified in promoters of the aflatoxin biosynthetic and stress‐response genes. A search for transcription factors identified SrrA as a transcription factor that could bind to the motif. Moreover, we also identified a STRE motif (5′‐CCCCT‐3′) in promoters of aflatoxin biosynthetic and stress‐response genes, and competition EMSA suggested that MsnA binds to this motif. Our study for the first time provides strong evidence to suggest that at least four transcription factors (AtfB, SrrA, AP‐1, and MsnA) participate in a regulatory network that induces aflatoxin biosynthesis as part of the cellular response to oxidative stress in A. parasiticus.
One‐stage Resection for Bismuth Type IV Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma with High Hilar Resection and Parenchyma‐preserving Strategies: A Cohort Study
Authors: Tan Jing Wang , Hu Ben Shun , Chu Ya Juan , Tan Yun Chang , Ji Xu , Chen Ke , Ding Xiang Min , Zhang Aiqun , Chen Fei , Dong Jia Hong
Published: January 2013

Background

Bismuth type IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC) tumors are usually considered unresectable. The strategies of high hilar resection while preserving liver parenchyma can achieve potentially one‐stage curative resection for this condition. The aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of available strategies.

Methods

Fifty‐one consecutive patients with bismuth type IV HC who underwent one‐stage resection were retrospectively reviewed with regard to curative resection rate, remnant liver volume, morbidity, mortality, and survival time.

Results

The total median survival time was 29 months. The R0 (curative resection) rate was 57.8 %. The ratio of the remnant liver volume (RLV) to the standard liver volume (SLV) ranged from 35.0 to 60.6 %, with a mean of 44.5 %. The in‐hospital mortality and morbidity rates were 3.9 and 37.2 %, respectively. In the R0 patients’ survival, there was not a significant difference between bilioenteric anastomosis and hepatoenteric anastomosis (P = 0.714).

Conclusions

Combined caudate lobe and high hilar resection (CCHR) is technically safe and oncologically justifiable and could be adopted with a high cure rate as a one‐stage resection procedure for most patients with Bismuth type IV HC whose total bilirubin level is less than 20 mg/L and whose direct bilirubin is more than 60 % of total bilirubin.