bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New Practices for Administering and Analyzing the Results of Concept Inventories
Authors: Steif Paul S. , Hansen Mary A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractConcept inventories can be refined and honed into informative assessment tools to serve instruction. The present paper suggests new practices for administering and analyzing the results of concept inventories. Web‐based administration enables broader participation across universities and colleges, and ensures the retention of the full set of data necessary to conduct other analyses. Issues related to the provision of meaningful concept level information are addressed, as are the benefits of making direct comparisons with other measures of performance. The value of administering inventories as pre‐tests is examined, and the potential for offering misconception diagnosis based on inventories is explored.
Understanding Our Students: A Longitudinal‐Study of Success and Failure in Engineering With Implications for Increased Retention
Authors: Bernold Leonhard E. , Spurlin Joni E. , Anson Chris M. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn spite of considerable research about the poor retention rate of undergraduate engineering students, we still have an inadequate understanding of the factors that affect students' decisions to remain in engineering programs and their ability to perform well enough to be retained. Although continued study is needed of external factors such as curricular requirements, admissions criteria, and test scores, we also need to know much more about the relationships between curricular experiences and students' learning styles, habits, and attitudes. The work presented in this paper was designed to enhance educators' understanding of the factors that underlie the concern about student retention in engineering. By observing 1,000 engineering students during their first three years in college, the research team generated a large database on the students' academic and non‐academic characteristics as well as their successes and failures. The traits discovered not only support many findings from previous studies but also reveal some new relationships that could prove essential to designing an educational environment that will prepare engineers for success in the future.
Does Faculty Research Improve Undergraduate Teaching? An Analysis of Existing and Potential Synergies
Authors: Prince Michael J. , Felder Richard M. , Brent Rebecca 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAcademicians have been arguing for decades about whether or not faculty research supports undergraduate instruction. Those who say it does—a group that includes most administrators and faculty members—cite many ways in which research can enrich teaching, while those on the other side cite numerous studies that have consistently failed to show a measurable linkage between the two activities. This article proposes that the two sides are debating different propositions: whether research can support teaching in principle and whether it has been shown to do so in practice. The article reviews the literature on the current state of the research‐teaching nexus and then examines three specific strategies for integrating teaching and scholarship: bringing research into the classroom, involving undergraduates in research projects, and broadening the definition of scholarship beyond frontier disciplinary research. Finally, ways are suggested to better realize the potential synergies between faculty research and undergraduate education.
Considering Context: A Study of First‐Year Engineering Students
Authors: Kilgore Deborah , Atman Cynthia J. , Yasuhara Ken , Barker Theresa J. , Morozov Andrew 
Published: January 2013

AbstractHigh‐quality engineering design requires an understanding of how the resulting engineered artifact interacts with society, the natural environment, and other aspects of context. This study examines how first‐year engineering undergraduates approached two engineering design tasks. We focused on how much students considered contextual factors during problem‐scoping, a critical part of the design process. As part of a larger, longitudinal study, we collected data from 160 students at four U.S. institutions. Students varied in their consideration of each design task's context, and women's responses were more likely to be context‐oriented than men's. Overall, context‐orientation was positively correlated between the two design tasks, despite differences in data collection and analysis. Having found that beginning engineering students, particularly women, are sensitive to important contextual factors, we suggest that efforts to broaden participation in engineering should consider legitimizing and fostering context‐oriented approaches to engineering earlier in the curriculum.
2006 Bernard M. Gordon Prize Lecture*: The Learning Factory: Industry‐Partnered Active Learning
Authors: Lamancusa John S. , Zayas Jose L. , Soyster Allen L. , Morell Lueny , Jorgensen Jens 
Published: January 2013

AbstractOn February 21, 2006, the National Academy of Engineering recognized the achievements of the Learning Factory with the Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education. The co‐founders were commended “for creating the Learning Factory, where multidisciplinary student teams develop engineering leadership skills by working with industry to solve real‐world problems.” This paper describes the origins, motivation, philosophy, and implementation of the Learning Factory.The specific innovations of the Learning Factory partnership were: active learning facilities, called Learning Factories, that provide experiential reinforcement of engineering science, and a realization of its limitations; strong collaborations with industry through advisory boards, engineers in the classroom, and industry‐sponsored capstone design projects; practice‐based engineering courses integrating analytical and theoretical knowledge with manufacturing, design, business concepts, and professional skills; and dissemination to other academic institutions (domestic and international), government and industry.
A Theme‐Based Seminar on Environmental Sustainability Improves Participant Satisfaction in an Undergraduate Summer Research Program
Authors: Grimberg Stefan J. , Langen Tom A. , Compeau Larry D. , Powers Susan E. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractWe analyzed seven years of pre‐program and post‐program survey data to evaluate the Clarkson University Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program in Environmental Science and Engineering, and evaluated whether our program was successful at meeting the intended outcome of increasing participants' likelihood of attending graduate school and pursuing a career in science or engineering research or education. We also evaluated how participant satisfaction in the program changed with the addition of a weekly seminar on environmental sustainability that was intended to improve participants' understanding of the societal value of their research projects. Participant satisfaction in the Clarkson REU Program was high, and increased after the addition of the sustainability seminar. Participants' intention to attend graduate or professional school increased after participating in the program, but their intention to pursue a career in science or engineering research declined. Over 60 percent of participants eventually attended graduate or professional school.
Characteristics of Successful Cross‐disciplinary Engineering Education Collaborations
Authors: Borrego Maura , Newswander Lynita K. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis article employs theory to demonstrate the characteristics of successful cross‐disciplinary engineering education collaborations. Specifically, we analyzed data from interviews with 24 recent Journal of Engineering Education authors from engineer‐nonengineer teams. Theoretical frameworks from education and psychology are used to ground the results and contribute to broader research on collaboration across technology and social science disciplines. The data suggest that the way an individual understands and appreciates the nature of knowledge affects the way he or she collaborates with colleagues in different academic disciplines, especially when the disciplines are fundamentally different. Although the literature criticizes engineers for not understanding or respecting other viewpoints, we found that nine engineers and eight nonengineers articulated awareness of their collaborators' perspectives, worked to integrate these into the research, and noted increased satisfaction and quality of work as a result. Recommendations for fostering this type of interdisciplinary integration in engineering education are offered along with suggestions for future research.
Providing a Voice: Qualitative Investigation of the Impact of a First‐Year Engineering Experience on Students' Efficacy Beliefs
Authors: Hutchison‐Green Mica A. , Follman Deborah K. , Bodner George M. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis qualitative study explored the engineering self‐efficacy beliefs held by students enrolled in their first engineering course at Purdue University. Findings from the thematic analysis of one‐on‐one interviews with 12 students enrolled in the course are presented. Results demonstrate the susceptibility of first‐year engineering students' self‐efficacy beliefs to the influence of performance comparisons based on the speed with which students were able to perform various tasks, the degree of contribution they were able to achieve when working with others, how much material they had mastered, and their grades. Gender differences were also identified in the way in which men and women were influenced by these experiences. Descriptions of how students made performance comparisons, including the logical progression from a specific experience through the modification of confidence in success, are offered.
Assessing the Impact of Engineering Undergraduate Work Experience: Factoring in Pre‐work Academic Performance
Authors: Schuurman Mieke K. , Pangborn Robert N. , McClintic Rick D. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper examines how undergraduate work experiences affect engineering graduates' post‐graduation starting salary, their cumulative grade point average upon graduation, and their likelihood of receiving a job offer prior to graduation. This study contributes to the field of undergraduate work experiences uniquely by taking into account academic performance prior to work experience, including the exact number of work experiences, and examining how gender interacts with work experience to affect the measured outcomes. The results show that more experience results in a higher post‐graduation starting salary and an increased likelihood of a job offer prior to graduation. Increases in cumulative GPA upon graduation were only marginal. Furthermore, undergraduate work experience affected female and male students as well as students from different majors similarly.
Looking Beyond Content: Skill Development for Engineers
Authors: Redish Edward F. , Smith Karl A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractCurrent concerns over reforming engineering education have focused attention on helping students develop skills and an adaptive expertise. Phenomenological guidelines for instruction along these lines can be understood as arising out of an emerging theory of thinking and learning built on results in the neural, cognitive, and behavioral sciences. We outline this framework and consider some of its implications, such as developing a more detailed understanding of the specific skill of using mathematics in modeling physical situations. This approach provides theoretical underpinnings for some best‐practice instructional methods designed to help students develop this skill and provides guidance for further research in the area.
Ethics Teaching in Undergraduate Engineering Education
Authors: Colby Anne , Sullivan William M. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper asks how undergraduate engineering education supports students' ethical development, broadly defined, in a diverse sample of U.S. engineering schools and offers an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of those efforts. The paper draws on observational case studies that were based on site visits to undergraduate mechanical and electrical engineering programs at seven universities or engineering schools in the U.S. It begins by proposing professional codes of ethics in engineering as a useful framework for thinking about the goals for student learning in the area of ethics and professional responsibility. The paper then discusses how and to what degree these goals are being addressed in the case study schools, with additional context provided through reference to published research in the field. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening the teaching of engineering ethics and professional responsibility.
Advancing Engineering Education in P‐12 Classrooms
Authors: Brophy Sean , Klein Stacy , Portsmore Merredith , Rogers Chris 
Published: January 2013

AbstractEngineering as a profession faces the challenge of making the use of technology ubiquitous and transparent in society while at the same time raising young learners' interest and understanding of how technology works. Educational efforts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (i.e., STEM disciplines) continue to grow in pre‐kindergarten through 12th grade (P‐12) as part of addressing this challenge. This article explores how engineering education can support acquisition of a wide range of knowledge and skills associated with comprehending and using STEM knowledge to accomplish real world problem solving through design, troubleshooting, and analysis activities. We present several promising instructional models for teaching engineering in P‐12 classrooms as examples of how engineering can be integrated into the curriculum. While the introduction of engineering education into P‐12 classrooms presents a number of opportunities for STEM learning, it also raises issues regarding teacher knowledge and professional development, and institutional challenges such as curricular standards and high‐stakes assessments. These issues are considered briefly with respect to providing direction for future research and development on engineering in P‐12.
Utilizing Instructional Consultations to Enhance the Teaching Performance of Engineering Faculty
Authors: Finelli Cynthia J. , Ott Molly , Gottfried Amy C. , Hershock Chad , O'Neal Christopher , Kaplan Matthew 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAlthough many kinds of data can be used to guide instructional consultations, research comparing the efficacy of such data is scant, especially in engineering. In this study, multiple modes of assessment were used to evaluate the impact of consultations informed by different kinds of data. This study illuminates two key aspects of instructional consultations: (1) their efficacy varies depending on the kind of data used to guide them, with student feedback from a Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) having the largest positive impact, and (2) the instructional consultant plays a key role in helping both interpret the available data and identify strategies for improvement. These findings suggest three implications for practice: (1) whenever possible, SGID‐based consultations should be offered systematically and proactively for engineering faculty, (2) data for other kinds of consultations should be tailored to the needs of the individual instructor, and (3) instructional consultants should be available to collaborate with faculty to enhance their teaching, thereby building an engineering culture that actively supports teaching and learning.
Competencies Beyond Countries: The Re‐Organization of Engineering Education in the United States, Europe, and Latin America
Authors: Lucena Juan , Downey Gary , Jesiek Brent , Elber Sharon 
Published: January 2013

AbstractFor over two centuries, the competencies that engineers have been expected to gain from engineering education have been associated with countries. Increased mobility in the workplace is generating pressure to expand competencies beyond countries. A key indicator of changing expectations is found in efforts by engineering education organizations to extend themselves beyond countries. This article compares the transformation of engineering education organizations in the United States with those in Europe and Latin America. In the U.S., organizations are attempting to expand directly from the country to the globe, relying upon prior acceptance of a redefinition of required competencies. In Europe, the redefinition of engineering competencies is taking longer to develop as participating organizations have worked first to define a new regional identity in terms of continental mobility and economic competitiveness. Finally, in Latin America, the redefinition of competencies awaits a resolution of a competition between alternative models of the region. This study of the expected competencies of engineers contributes to the research area of engineering epistemologies. Overall, the contemporary re‐definition of competencies in engineering education is not a universal phenomenon but depends upon success in defining identities that extend beyond the country.
Is Modeling of Freshman Engineering Success Different from Modeling of Non‐Engineering Success?
Authors: Veenstra Cindy P. , Dey Eric L. , Herrin Gary D. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe engineering community has recognized the need for a higher retention rate in freshman engineering. If we are to increase the freshman retention rate, we need to better understand the characteristics of academic success for engineering students. One approach is to compare academic performance of engineering students to that of non‐engineering students. This study explores the differences in predicting academic success (defined as the first year GPA) for freshman engineering students compared to three non‐engineering student sectors (Pre‐Med, STEM, and non‐STEM disciplines) within a university. Academic success is predicted with pre‐college variables from the UCLA/CIRP survey using factor analysis and regression analysis. Except for the factor related to the high school GPA and rank, the predictors for each student sector were discipline specific. Predictors unique to the engineering sector included the factors related to quantitative skills (ACT Math and Science test scores and placement test scores) and confidence in quantitative skills.
Teaching Communication in Capstone Design: The Role of the Instructor in Situated Learning
Authors: Paretti Marie C. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractCalls for engineers to communicate more effectively are ubiquitous, and engineering education literature includes numerous examples of assignments and courses that integrate writing and speaking with technical content. However, little of this literature examines in detail how engineering students develop communication skills and how those learning mechanisms influence classroom practice. To address this gap, this article synthesizes research on communication learning in college from the fields of composition and technical communication and illustrates its relevance to the engineering classroom with a case study of a capstone design course. The principles of situated learning and activity theory, in particular, provide strong evidence that the ways in which course instructors and students interact around communication tasks play a significant role in helping students develop transferable communication skills.
Using Writing Assignments to Improve Self‐Assessment and Communication Skills in an Engineering Statics Course
Authors: Hanson James H. , Williams Julia M. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis study explores the use of writing as a tool for metacognition in the engineering classroom. We used the “explain‐a‐problem” type of assignment in the Engineering Statics course for four terms. The objectives associated with the assignments were grouped under student self‐assessment, student communication, and administration. Performance on each of four grading criteria for each assignment was tracked throughout the terms. The data indicate that explain‐a‐problem does help students achieve the self‐assessment and communication objectives, although the impact on overall course performance was not as significant as hoped. The assignment evolved to the point that the administrative objectives were also met.
Biases in Interpersonal Communication: How Engineering Students Perceive Gender Typical Speech Acts in Teamwork
Authors: Wolfe Joanna , Powell Elizabeth 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis research investigates differences in how engineering and non‐engineering men and women perceive common speech acts in team settings. Participants completed surveys asking them to rate the speakers of three male typical and three female typical speech acts. Male engineering students were significantly harsher than other groups on female typical speech acts in which the speaker conceded weaknesses, even if this concession was for strategic purposes such as trying to help another teammate “save face.” This bias against female typical speech was consistent regardless of the speaker's gender, suggesting that students were reacting to speech patterns rather than to biological gender. These findings provide hope that women may be able to help manage perceptions of their everyday team interactions by avoiding statements that imply weaknesses, even if such speech is normal in other situations.
The Role of Collaborative Reflection on Shaping Engineering Faculty Teaching Approaches
Authors: McKenna Ann F. , Yalvac Bugrahan , Light Gregory J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractOver the last several years, engineering faculty and learning scientists from four universities worked in collaboration to develop educational materials to improve the quality of faculty teaching and student learning. Guided by the How People Learn (HPL) framework, engineering faculty worked in collaboration with learning scientists to develop learner‐centered, student‐focused instructional methods. In consultation with learning scientists, engineering faculty carried out educational inquiry in their classrooms aimed at investigating student learning and enhancing instruction. In this paper we discuss the extent to which faculty engaged in these collaborative endeavors and how their teaching approaches differed as a result of their level of engagement. Study findings reveal the role that collaborative reflection plays in shaping teaching approaches. Results from this study provide insights for researchers and other practitioners in engineering and higher education interested in implementing engineering faculty development programs to optimize the impact on teaching.
Optimizing Worked‐Example Instruction in Electrical Engineering: The Role of Fading and Feedback during Problem‐Solving Practice
Authors: Moreno Roxana , Reisslein Martin , Ozogul Gamze 
Published: January 2013

AbstractHow can we help college students develop problem‐solving skills in engineering? To answer this question, we asked a group of engineering freshmen to learn about electrical circuit analysis with an instructional program that presented different problem‐solving practice and feedback methods. Three findings are of interest. First, students who practiced by solving all problem steps and those who practiced by solving a gradually increasing number of steps starting with the first step first (forward‐fading practice) produced higher near‐transfer scores than those who were asked to solve a gradually increasing number of steps but starting with the last step first (backward‐fading practice). Second, students who received feedback immediately after attempting each problem‐solving step outperformed those who received total feedback on near transfer. Finally, students who learned with backward‐fading practice produced higher near‐ and far‐transfer scores when feedback included the solution of a similar worked‐out problem. The theoretical and practical implications for engineering education are discussed.