bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Measuring Leadership in Self‐Managed Teams Using the Competing Values Framework
Authors: Zafft Carmen R. , Adams Stephanie G. , Matkin Gina S. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis study demonstrates how the application of the Competing Values Framework (CVF) to self‐managed teams (SMTs) assist engineering educators to understand how to measure leadership within this context and facilitate an increased awareness of the students in a team, which will consequently increase effectiveness. Specifically, we analyzed data from the Managerial Behavior Instrument, completed by 81 engineering students who participated in self‐managed teams for one semester. The instrument measured the use of the four leadership profiles of the Competing Values Framework which then allowed the researcher to determine the presence of high or low behavioral complexity. Behavioral complexity determines the team's ability to utilize multiple leadership roles and subsequent effectiveness. The findings indicate that behavioral complexity does have a significant effect on performance but does not have a significant effect on the attitudes of team members. Overall, teams with high behavioral complexity earned a higher grade on their final team project than teams with low behavioral complexity. This study is significant for engineering education because it provides a theory and framework for understanding leadership in teams. By exploring the relationship between leadership in SMTs and effectiveness, educators and industry can better understand the type of leadership roles necessary for achieving a highly effective team. As a result, instructors can design their teamwork curricula and teamwork training based on the leadership strengths and skills of students which will then prepare students for industry upon graduation.
Applying Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle for Laboratory Education
Authors: Abdulwahed Mahmoud , Nagy Zoltan K 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper describes a model for laboratory education based on Kolb's experiential learning theory. The method is implemented using modern teaching technologies and a combination of remote, virtual, and hands‐on laboratory sessions and have been applied to the teaching of the undergraduate process control laboratory at the Chemical Engineering Department at Loughborough University, United Kingdom. An argument that poor learning in the laboratory is due to insufficient activation of the prehension dimension of Kolb's cycle was suggested and verified, providing a pedagogical explanation. The quantitative analysis showed significant enhancement of the learning outcomes of the experimental group compared with the control group. Apart from the hands‐on session, the proposed model involves additional activities, such as pre‐ and post‐lab tests and virtual laboratory sessions, which are associated with Kolb's cycle to facilitate constructivist learning. The paper provides the first laboratory education model that builds thoroughly on Kolb's experiential learning theory.
Exploring STEM Career Options through Collaborative High School Seminars
Authors: Cantrell Pamela , Ewing‐Taylor Jacque 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe K‐12 Engineering Education Programs (KEEP) Seminar Series for high school juniors and seniors began in 2003 as a collaborative program sponsored by the College of Education, College of Engineering, and the Raggio Research Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education at the University of Nevada, Reno. It ran for five years and attracted 130 students to weekly sessions for eight weeks each year where they engaged with presenters from the STEM fields. The goal was to provide students with opportunities to observe research presentations by scientists and engineers in a wide array of specialties in order to understand how the STEM disciplines are integrated and to understand the possibilities for their future career paths. A descriptive study found that females were more stable in their career choices over the eight‐week seminar series, and seniors were better able to learn new STEM content and make connections between high school courses and the seminar presentations than were juniors.
Study of Usage Patterns and Learning Gains in a Web‐based Interactive Static Course
Authors: Steif Paul S. , Dollár Anna 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundCourseware for engineering education can feature many discrete interactive learning elements, and typically student usage is not compelled. To take advantage of such courseware, self‐regulation of learning may be necessary. Evaluation of courseware should consider actual usage, learning gains, and indications of learning self‐regulation.Purpose (Hypothesis)The research question focuses on how students' interactions with the courseware affect their learning gains. The hypothesis tested is that learning gains from online courseware increase with usage, and particularly with usage that suggests learning self‐regulation.Design/MethodStudents in a lecture‐based statics course were assigned to study previously developed courseware as part of homework assignments. Learning gains were deduced from pre‐ and post‐ paper and pencil diagnostic quizzes, and from the first class exam. Credit was based on quiz scores, rather than courseware usage. Usage of interactive elements of the courseware was inferred from log files of students' interactions with the courseware, and patterns suggesting learning self‐regulation were identified.ResultsHigh, statistically significant learning gains were found. Substantial usage was evident, with core learning activities initiated by, on average, three‐quarters of students. Learning gains and performance on the relevant class exam appeared to be more closely correlated with usage that indicated self‐regulation of learning rather than with total usage of the courseware.ConclusionsMethods of assessing courseware should go beyond courseware features, learning gains, and student self‐reports of effectiveness to include monitoring of actual usage and analyses relating usage to learning. Self‐regulation of learning is likely to be critical to successful usage of courseware, and courseware should be designed to encourage it.
Identification of Dysfunctional Cooperative Learning Teams Based on Students' Academic Achievement
Authors: Hsiung Chin‐Min 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundConsiderable evidence exists to suggest that students who study cooperatively reap significant benefits in terms of their learning performance. However, sooner or later, most cooperative learning teams have to deal with one or more members whose actions disturb the team. Unless these problems are quickly resolved, the cooperative learning team gradually becomes dysfunctional and the benefits of cooperative learning are diminished.Purpose (Hypothesis)A method is proposed for identifying dysfunctional cooperative learning teams by comparing the academic achievement of students in a cooperative learning condition with that of students in an individual learning condition.Design/MethodA series of experiments were performed in which 42 sophomore mechanical engineering students were randomly assigned to the two learning conditions and were formed into mixed‐ability groups comprising three team members. The academic performance of the students in the two learning conditions was then systematically compared in terms of their respective test scores.ResultsDysfunctional teams were identified using a new quality index defined as the mean test score of the team divided by the standard deviation of the team members' test scores. The probability of a Type I error was quantified using a control chart. The identification results were verified by analyzing the students' off‐task behavior frequency and attitudes toward cooperative learning, respectively.ConclusionsThe experimental results confirm that the proposed quality index is a potential indicator of dysfunctional cooperative learning teams.
Improving Problem Solving Performance by Inducing Talk about Salient Problem Features
Authors: Steif Paul S. , Lobue Jamie M. , Kara Levent B. , Fay Anne L. 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundAcross many domains, research has shown that students often fail to select and apply appropriate conceptual knowledge when solving problems. Programs designed to support monitoring skills have been successful in several domains.Purpose (Hypothesis)Critical conceptual knowledge in statics appears to be cued by paying attention to the bodies that are present in a problem, as well as to which ones are interacting and how. The research question addresses whether students can be induced to think about the bodies present, and whether focusing on bodies improves problem solving performance.Design/MethodUsing a pre‐post test design, written and verbal protocols were obtained for students solving problems before and after instruction. During instruction all students saw the same set of examples and corrected answers, but only the experimental group was asked questions designed to promote body centered talk. Solutions and protocols were coded and analyzed for frequency of body centered talk and solution quality.ResultsThe experimental group showed statistically significant increases in relevant body centered talk after instruction. Both groups improved their ability to represent unknown forces in free body diagrams after instruction, with the experimental group showing a greater, but not statistically significant, improvement. However, for both groups, the error rate in representing unknown forces at an interaction was significantly lower when a student referred to the bodies in the particular interaction.ConclusionsProblem solving in conceptually rich domains can improve if, in addition to acquiring conceptual knowledge, students develop strategies for recognizing when and how to apply it.
Diffusion of Engineering Education Innovations: A Survey of Awareness and Adoption Rates in U.S. Engineering Departments
Authors: Borrego Maura , Froyd Jeffrey E. , Hall T. Simin 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundDespite decades of effort focused on improvement of engineering education, many recent advances have not resulted in systemic change. Diffusion of innovations theory is used to better understand this phenomenon.Purpose (Hypothesis)Research questions include: How widespread is awareness and adoption of established engineering education innovations? Are there differences by discipline or institutional type? How do engineering department chairs find out about engineering education innovations? What factors do engineering department chairs cite as important in adoption decisions?Design/MethodU.S. engineering department chairs were surveyed regarding their awareness and department use of seven engineering education innovations. One hundred ninety‐seven usable responses are presented primarily as categorical data with Chi square tests where relevant.ResultsOverall, the awareness rate was 82 percent, while the adoption rate was 47 percent. Eighty‐two percent of engineering departments employ student‐active pedagogies (the highest). Mechanical and civil engineering had the highest rates, in part due to many design‐related innovations in the survey. Few differences by institution type were evident. In the past, word of mouth and presentations were far more effective than publications in alerting department chairs to the innovations. Department chairs cited financial resources, faculty time and attitudes, and student satisfaction and learning as major considerations in adoption decisions.ConclusionsThe importance of disciplinary networks was evident during survey administration and in the results. Specific recommendations are offered to employ these networks and the engineering professional societies for future engineering education improvement efforts.
Predicting STEM Degree Outcomes Based on Eighth Grade Data and Standard Test Scores
Authors: Nicholls Gillian M. , Wolfe Harvey , Besterfield‐Sacre Mary , Shuman Larry J. 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundEarly identification of students who are potential candidates for achieving a degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) major would enable educators to offer programs designed to better enhance student interests and capabilities in those areas.Purpose(Hypothesis)This study uses an integrated model leveraging the strengths of multiple statistical techniques to analyze the educational process from pre‐high school through college and predict which students will achieve a STEM education.Design/MethodThe probability of earning a STEM degree is modeled using variables available as of the eighth grade as well as standardized test scores from high school. These include demographic, attitudinal, experiential, and academic performance measures derived from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) dataset. The integrated model combines logistic regression, survival analysis, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis to predict whether an individual is likely to obtain a STEM degree.ResultsPredicted results of the integrated model were compared to actual outcomes and those of a separate logistic regression model. The modeling process identified a set of significant predictive variables and achieved very good predictive accuracy. The integrated model and logistic regression model performed with comparable precision.ConclusionsThe modeling process was adept at identifying STEM students and a large pool of other degree students that might have been capable of pursuing a STEM degree. The results suggest that it is quite feasible to identify good STEM candidates for a pro‐STEM intervention to engage their interest in STEM and support stronger quantitative skill development.
Pre‐college Electrical Engineering Instruction: The Impact of Abstract vs. Contextualized Representation and Practice on Learning
Authors: Reisslein Martin , Moreno Roxana , Ozogul Gamze 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundWhile engineering instructional materials and practice problems for pre‐college students are often presented in the context of real‐life situations, college‐level texts are typically written in abstract form.Purpose (Hypothesis)The goal of this study was to jointly examine the impact of contextualizing engineering instruction and varying the number of practice opportunities on pre‐college students' learning and learning perceptions.Design/MethodUsing a 3 × 2 factorial design, students were randomly assigned to learn about electrical circuit analysis with an instructional program that represented problems in abstract, contextualized, or both forms, either with two practice problems or four practice problems. The abstract problems were devoid of any real‐life context and represented with standard abstract electrical circuit diagrams. The contextualized problems were anchored around real‐life scenarios and represented with life‐like images. The combined contextualized‐abstract condition added abstract circuit diagrams to the contextualized representation. To measure learning, students were given a problem‐solving near‐transfer post‐test. Learning perceptions were measured using a program‐rating survey where students had to rate the instructional program's diagrams, helpfulness, and difficulty.ResultsStudents in the combined contextualized‐abstract condition scored higher on the post‐test, produced better problem representations, and rated the program's diagrams and helpfulness higher than their counterparts. Students who were given two practice problems gave higher program diagram and helpfulness ratings than those given four practice problems.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that pre‐college engineering instruction should consider anchoring learning in real‐life contexts and providing students with abstract problem representations that can be transferred to a variety of problems.
Exploring Engineering Graduate Student Research Proficiency with Student Surveys
Authors: Rogers Scott W. , Goktas Recep K. 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundResearch is considered the essence of graduate engineering education, but knowledge about the engineering graduate student research experience is scarce in literature. Some studies that examine graduate engineering education suggest that students are experiencing educational deficiencies that can affect the research experience. Thus, exploring engineering graduate student research proficiency is warranted.Purpose (Hypothesis)This work begins to earnestly answer the research questions “How proficient are engineering graduate students in research?” and “What factors affect the research proficiency of these students?”Design/MethodIn order to answer the two research questions specifically for the Georgia Institute of Technology Environmental Engineering graduate program, current students in the program participated in two surveys. Survey questions were designed to measure students' perceptions of their research proficiency and to aid in determining student academic motivations tied to proficiency.ResultsMany students indicated that they lacked research preparation upon beginning graduate study and during the first year of study, lacked development in important research skills like statistics and communicating in writing, and were somewhat hindered in research organization and progress. Regarding academic motivations, students generally valued personal advancement and enrichment over paper publication. Doctoral students overall indicated more preparation with respect to several aspects of research and more value placed on paper publication than did master's students.ConclusionsThe surveys provided important findings regarding student research proficiency for the engineering graduate program in question. These findings encourage the exploration of engineering graduate student research proficiency on a broader scale in future studies.
A Cognitive Study of Problem Solving in Statics
Authors: Litzinger Thomas A. , Meter Peggy Van , Firetto Carla M. , Passmore Lucas J. , Masters Christine B. , Turns Stephen R. , Gray Gary L. , Costanzo Francesco , Zappe Sarah E. 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundEven as expectations for engineers continue to evolve to meet global challenges, analytical problem solving remains a central skill. Thus, improving students' analytical problem solving skills remains an important goal in engineering education. This study involves observation of students as they execute the initial steps of an engineering problem solving process in statics.Purpose (Hypothesis)(1) What knowledge elements do statics students have the greatest difficulty applying during problem solving? (2) Are there differences in the knowledge elements that are accurately applied by strong and weak statics students? (3) Are there differences in the cognitive and metacognitive strategies used by strong and weak statics students during analysis?Design/MethodThese questions were addressed using think‐aloud sessions during which students solved typical textbook problems. We selected the work of twelve students for detailed analysis, six weak and six strong problem solvers, using an extreme groups split based on scores on the think‐aloud problems and a course exam score. The think‐aloud data from the two sets of students were analyzed to identify common technical errors and also major differences in the problem solving processes.ConclusionsWe found that the weak, and most of the strong problem solvers relied heavily on memory to decide what reactions were present at a given connection, and few of the students could reason physically about what reactions should be present. Furthermore, the cognitive analysis of the students' problems solving processes revealed substantial differences in the use of self‐explanation by weak and strong students.
The Emergence of Engineering Education Research as an Internationally Connected Field of Inquiry
Authors: Borrego Maura , Bernhard Jonte 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundIn recent years, engineering education research (EER) has emerged as an internationally connected field of inquiry through the establishment of EER conferences, interest groups within engineering education societies, Ph.D. programs, and departments and centers at universities. Improving the preparation and training of engineers through EER is critical to solving major engineering challenges in sustainability, climate change, civil infrastructure, energy, and public health.PurposeThe purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to introduce EER as a field of inquiry, and (2) to describe the U.S. and Northern and Central European approaches to EER as two examples of the diversity of approaches.Scope/MethodThe article is organized around a framework from the European didaktik tradition, which focuses on answering the w‐questions of education. The major sections describe what, why, to what end, where, who, and how EER is conducted.ConclusionNorthern and Central European educational approaches focus on authentic, complex problems, while U.S. approaches emphasize empirical evidence. Additionally, disciplinary boundaries and legitimacy are more salient issues in the U.S., while the Northern and Central European Bildung philosophy integrates across disciplines toward development of the whole person. Understanding and valuing complementary perspectives is critical to growth and internationalization of EER.
Engineering Instructional Development: Programs, Best Practices, and Recommendations
Authors: Felder Richard M. , Brent Rebecca , Prince Michael J. 
Published: January 2013

BackgroundEconomic globalization, rapid advances in technology and cognitive science, and a worldwide movement toward outcomes‐based program accreditation increasingly require changes in the traditional model of engineering education design and delivery. As yet, no validated framework exists for designing instructional development programs that would equip engineering educators to make those changes. Existing programs consequently vary considerably in scope and effectiveness across countries and institutions.PurposeThis article reviews the content and structures of instructional development programs around the world and formulates a robust framework for designing and delivering effective programs for engineering educators.Scope/MethodLiterature on the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional development programs is reviewed and summarized. Five criteria drawn from Raymond Wlodkowski's theory of adult learner motivation (expertise of instructors, relevance of content, choice in application, praxis [action plus reflection], and groupwork) are proposed as a framework for designing engineering instructional development programs, and the framework is applied to formulate recommendations for making programs effective. Research questions that should be explored to validate the framework are suggested.ConclusionWlodkowski's five‐factor theory of adult learner motivation provides a good framework for the design of engineering instructional development programs. The criteria are compatible with the cognitive science‐based How People Learn instructional model and also with recommendations of faculty development authorities. Making engineering instructional development effective at an institution will require applying the criteria to program design and delivery and creating an institutional expectation of faculty participation in the programs.