bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Conceptual Difficulties Experienced by Trained Engineers Learning Educational Research Methods
Authors: Borrego Maura 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper describes conceptual difficulties that may be experienced by engineering faculty as they become engineering education researchers. Observation, survey, and assessment data collected at the 2005 NSF‐funded Rigorous Research in Engineering Education workshop were systematically analyzed to uncover the five difficulties encountered by engineering faculty learning to design rigorous education studies: (1) framing research questions with broad appeal, (2) grounding research in a theoretical framework, (3) fully considering operationalization and measurement of constructs, (4) appreciating qualitative or mixed‐methods approaches, and (5) pursuing interdisciplinary collaboration. The first four can be understood in terms of disciplinary consensus; they represent explicit steps in education research that are implicit in technical engineering research because there is greater consensus of methods and standards. This work better frames the issue of rigor in engineering education research by clarifying the fundamental differences that prevent application of traditional engineering standards of rigor directly to engineering education research.
“I Wish that I Belonged More in this Whole Engineering Group:” Achieving Individual Diversity
Authors: Foor Cynthia E. , Walden Susan E. , Trytten Deborah A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractEngineers need a breadth of experience to enrich the gene pool of ideas from which elegant engineering solutions can be drawn, called “individual diversity.” While performing large ethnographic research studies where hundreds of engineering students were interviewed, we interviewed Inez, a student that epitomizes individual diversity. Inez is unlike most engineers: she is female, multi‐minority, and from a socio‐economically disadvantaged background. Inez's story is told here using “ethnography of the particular,” where the story of a single individual is explored. Inez has persevered through challenges posed by her lack of familiarity with the culture of engineering, her weak high school preparation, and her feelings of being an outsider in engineering. Inez's story demonstrates that the playing field in engineering is still not level, particularly for socio‐economically disadvantaged students. Her story provides a poignant example of the impact of five of Conefrey's cultural myths of science.
K‐12 Outreach: Identifying the Broader Impacts of Four Outreach Projects
Authors: Moskal Barbara M. , Skokan Catherine , Kosbar Laura , Dean Agata , Westland Caron , Barker Heidi , Nguyen Que N. , Tafoya Jennifer 
Published: January 2013

AbstractOver the last four years, a series of outreach programs have been offered through the Colorado School of Mines to middle school teachers from eleven school districts in the State of Colorado in the United States. Each of these programs is designed to illustrate through hands‐on activities the application of mathematics to science and engineering. Each also has an academic year follow‐up such that a faculty member, an expert teacher, or a graduate student assists the teachers in the classroom. An expected outcome of this effort is the improvement of instruction in mathematics and science in the participating middle schools; an unexpected outcome has been the impact of these projects on the culture of the participating schools, both middle schools and university. Based on our assessment efforts, this article describes the qualitative and quantitative outcomes of this sequence of projects on middle school students, teachers, graduate students, professors, and college curriculum.
Technical Coordination in Engineering Practice
Authors: Trevelyan James 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAn empirical ethnographic survey of engineers using interviews and field observations in Australia provides evidence that coordinating technical work of other people by gaining their willing cooperation is a major aspect of engineering practice. Technical coordination in the context of this study means working with and influencing other people so they conscientiously perform necessary work to a mutually agreed schedule. While coordination seems to be non‐technical, analysis provides evidence supporting the critical importance of technical expertise. Coordination usually involves one‐on‐one relationships with superiors, clients, peers, subordinates, and outsiders. Coordinating the work of other people seems to be important from the start of an engineering career.Engineering education only provides limited informal coordination skill development and current accreditation criteria may not reflect this aspect of engineering. This paper suggests ways in which students can learn coordination, and describes some of the author's experiences in applying this research.
A Knowledge Modeling Approach to Evaluating Student Essays in Engineering Courses
Authors: Carpenter Sandra L. , Delugach Harry S. , Etzkorn Letha H. , Farrington Phillip A. , Fortune Julie L. , Utley Dawn R. , Virani Shamsnaz S. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractAutomatically grading essay questions can have advantages for instructors in higher education. Understanding and specifying how grading is done manually, so that there is potential to do it automatically, is a labor‐intensive effort in knowledge elicitation, acquisition, and representation. This paper describes how an interdisciplinary team used conceptual graphs to formally specify the model for a good essay response, and then how that expert model was used as the standard by which the student responses were judged. The methodology is then described for creating the expert model for student responses. These were compared using two different approaches. It was found that most students included the most important concepts, but those student answers that were more complete (i.e., also including concepts of lesser importance) received higher grades. The approaches are then evaluated in terms of reliability and validity, and finally, suggestions are made for future work.
Development of a Work Sampling Methodology for Behavioral Observations: Application to Teamwork
Authors: Besterfield‐Sacre Mary , Shuman Larry J. , Wolfe Harvey , Clark Renee M. , Yildirim Pinar 
Published: January 2013

AbstractEngineering programs must assess students' abilities to master “criteria 3 a‐k.” Skills such as teamwork, problem solving, design, and ethical understanding entail learning various processes; hence, assessing these outcomes is better accomplished by focusing on the process rather than the result. Methods for observing students' performance, such as 100 percent behavioral observation, are ideal but expensive.We extend work sampling, an economic industry‐based alternative, to observe cognitive and behavioral processes. Specifically, we describe a work sampling methodology to assess students engaged in teamwork. We then determine attributes of teamwork, establish target time proportions using 100 percent observation, and statistically compare the targets to proportions obtained from work sampling intervals to determine the effective interval. The robustness of work sampling is tested in four learning environments. Results indicate that sampling provides a statistically valid alternative for assessing teamwork. However, when observing design and ethical understanding processes, additional research is needed to make work sampling viable.
Development of an Instrument to Measure Perspectives of Engineering Education Among College Students
Authors: Li Qing , McCoach D. Betsy , Swaminathan Hariharan , Tang Jiong 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe number of engineering students has been declining for decades and attracting qualified students has become an urgent task for engineering schools in The United States. Perspectives students hold towards engineering play an important role in their college major selection. An effective standardized instrument measuring general perspectives about engineering among college students is designed in this project and survey development, instrument administration, and factor analysis are presented. The statistical analysis reveals that college students in general agree that engineering is beneficial to the society; however, they tend to believe that it takes too much effort to gain an engineering degree and that engineering is a demanding career. Further, they are neutral about the personal benefits of pursuing a degree in engineering, and finally, they do not feel that studying engineering or making engineering as their profession is particularly interesting. These findings provide a good explanation to the declining enrollment and increasing dropout rates in engineering schools in the United States.
Coefficient Alpha: An Engineer's Interpretation of Test Reliability
Authors: Allen Kirk , Reed‐Rhoads Teri , Terry Robert A. , Murphy Teri J. , Stone Andrea D. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractReliability is a fundamental concept of test construction. The most common measure of reliability, coefficient alpha, is frequently used without an understanding of its behavior. This article contributes to the understanding of test reliability by demonstrating that questions which lower reliability are inconsistent with the bulk of the test, being prone to test‐taking tricks and guessing. These qualitative characteristics, obtained from focus groups, provide possible causes of lower reliability such as poorly written questions (e.g., the correct answer looks different from the incorrect answers), questions where students must guess (e.g., the topic is too advanced), and questions where recalling a definition is crucial. Quantitative findings confirm that questions lower reliability when students who answer correctly have lower overall scores than students who answer incorrectly. This phenomenon is quantified by the “gap” between these students' overall scores, which is shown to be highly correlated with other item metrics. An increasing number of concept inventory tests are being developed to assess student learning in engineering. Scores and student comments from the Statistics Concept Inventory are used to make these judgments.
“What's to keep you from dropping out?” Student Immigration into and within Engineering
Authors: Walden Susan E. , Foor Cindy 
Published: January 2013

AbstractNearly one‐half of the industrial engineering undergraduate interviewees in an investigation of their degree program indicated they previously had been enrolled in another major. Understanding why these students chose to remain in or enter a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) major when their previous choice lost its appeal is an important piece of the STEM participation puzzle. Our data indicate effective formal and informal recruiting, contact with dynamic individuals who conveyed commitment to and excitement about the department and program, and a department that welcomed immigrants and promoted a clear, relevant image of its discipline's identity, influenced student decisions to relocate within STEM rather than attrite. The high proportion of females within the immigrant students is one factor contributing to the department's attainment of sex parity. Our students' stories offer lessons to other departments for attracting and retaining students who enter the higher education STEM pipeline.
Educating Generation Net—Can U.S. Engineering Woo and Win the Competition for Talent?
Authors: Chubin Daryl , Donaldson Krista , Olds Barbara , Fleming Lorraine 
Published: January 2013

AbstractU.S. engineering education needs to evolve if the country is to maintain its preeminence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. This paper, building on both national engineering student data and findings from the Academic Pathways Study, conjectures and reports on analyses of what matters to future generations of engineers. The paper compares the current generation of college students, Generation Net, with previous generations, explores motivations and choices along the engineering pathway (pre‐college to the workforce), examines students' knowledge and skills relative to faculty practices, and concludes with three scenarios of engineering education and the workforce, including the consequences of stasis or change.
Learning Conceptual Knowledge in the Engineering Sciences: Overview and Future Research Directions
Authors: Streveler Ruth A. , Litzinger Thomas A. , Miller Ronald L. , Steif Paul S. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractLearning conceptual knowledge in engineering science is a critical element in the development of competence and expertise in engineering. To date, however, research on conceptual learning in engineering science has been limited. Therefore, this article draws heavily on fundamental research by cognitive psychologists and applied research by science educators to provide a background on fundamental issues in the field and methods for assessing conceptual knowledge. Some of the most common conceptual difficulties from three domains: mechanics, thermal science and direct current electricity, are discussed to provide concrete examples of what students find difficult to learn. The article concludes with a discussion of possible sources of these difficulties, implications for instruction, and suggestions for future research.
The Relations of Ethnicity to Female Engineering Students' Educational Experiences and College and Career Plans in an Ethnically Diverse Learning Environment
Authors: Trenor Julie Martin , Yu Shirley L. , Waight Consuelo L. , Zerda Katherine S. , Sha Ting‐Ling 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper describes a mixed‐methods study employing a social cognitive theoretical framework that emphasizes the interplay of person factors, environment, and behavior to explore the educational experiences of female students in an ethnically diverse learning environment. Specifically, we investigate the relations of ethnicity to female students' perceptions and experiences related to engineering, as well as their selection of and persistence in undergraduate engineering majors. An ethnically diverse sample of female engineering undergraduates at an urban research university completed an online survey and participated in semi‐structured interviews. Results revealed that participants of all ethnicities perceived strong institutional and peer supports in this diverse learning environment. Additionally, differences in participants' perceived barriers for achieving engineering educational and career plans were found based on ethnicity and parental level of education.
Student Thinking about Static Equilibrium: Insights from Written Explanations to a Concept Question
Authors: Newcomer Jeffrey L. , Steif Paul S. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractStudents' thinking during an assessment task was monitored by analyzing their explanations of answers to a multiple‐choice question about the equilibrium of bodies under given loads. Based on coding by independent raters, we found that nearly all students explained answers by appealing to force and/or moment summation; they differed principally on whether they applied both force and moment equilibrium and did so consistently. Correlations between answer selection and explanation as found from coding suggested that a reasonable guess as to a student's thinking can be made based on the answer choice alone. By the final exam, some students improved in their ability to consistently apply both principles or at least to apply them when needed. Many other students apparently learned to apply one of the principles consistently, although they came to ignore the other principle, even if they had acknowledged it at the start of the course.
Development of a Fast Remedial Course to Improve the Spatial Abilities of Engineering Students
Authors: Martín‐Dorta Norena , Saorín José Luis , Contero Manuel 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a pilot study designed to evaluate the feasibility of launching a fast remedial course based on 3D CAD modeling for improving spatial abilities of engineering students. The study was carried out with civil engineering students at the University of La Laguna (Spain) during the 2006–2007 academic year. The main requirements in the design of the course were: short and intensive (12 hours worth of work during 3 weeks), attractive for the students, and use of free 3D CAD modeling software. The chosen software was Google SketchUp. Exercises based on practice with this modeling tool had a measurable and positive impact on students' spatial ability, measured by both MRT and DAT:SR tests. The results are then compared to our previous studies at La Laguna University based on classic pencil and paper exercises, multimedia Web‐based applications, and exercises using a sketch‐based modeling application.
Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Methods in Engineering Education
Authors: Borrego Maura , Douglas Elliot P. , Amelink Catherine T. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe purpose of this research review is to open dialog about quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods in engineering education research. Our position is that no particular method is privileged over any other. Rather, the choice must be driven by the research questions. For each approach we offer a definition, aims, appropriate research questions, evaluation criteria, and examples from the Journal of Engineering Education. Then, we present empirical results from a prestigious international conference on engineering education research. Participants expressed disappointment in the low representation of qualitative studies; nonetheless, there appeared to be a strong preference for quantitative methods, particularly classroom‐based experiments. Given the wide variety of issues still to be explored within engineering education, we expect that quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches will be essential in the future. We encourage readers to further investigate alternate research methods by accessing some of our sources and collaborating across education/social science and engineering disciplinary boundaries.
The Four‐Domain Development Diagram: A Guide for Holistic Design of Effective Learning Experiences for the Twenty‐first Century Engineer
Authors: Vanasupa Linda , Stolk Jonathan , Herter Roberta J. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe twenty‐first century challenges engineering educators to design learning experiences to strategically and holistically target students' development, including cognitive, psychomotor, social and affective domains. We propose a guide for the design process. The Four‐Domain Development Diagram (4DDD) is a synthesis of learning theory and empirical data. This guide maps the relationships among the major factors that influence learning and presents them in the form of a causal loop diagram, a tool used by systems dynamicists to show how changes in important factors affect other factors within the system. In this paper, we present the theoretical and empirical basis of the 4DDD. We also describe how the 4DDD can be used as a design guide for instructional changes that promote more effective learning experiences for the broader cognitive, social, affective, and psychomotor development required of today's engineering graduate.
An Investigation of the Presence and Development of Social Capital in an Electrical Engineering Laboratory
Authors: Brown Shane , Flick Larry , Fiez Terri 
Published: January 2013

AbstractSocial capital consists of resources embedded in social networks that are purposefully mobilized through personal interactions. This project examined the factors that affected the development of social capital in an electrical and computer engineering laboratory. Data were collected through participant observation over the course of a term, interviews with students, and a survey. Interview and observational data were analyzed to determine themes or patterns in behaviors and actions that indicated the presence of social capital and affected the development of social capital in this setting. The open‐ended nature of the laboratory assignments and the complexity of a learning tool called TekBot™ required students to access information. The lack of relevant information from the teaching assistants, internet, and laboratory assignment handouts required students to mobilize information from each other to succeed. Multiple methods of data collection validate the result that specific factors encouraged the development of social capital in this laboratory.
Improvements in Spatial Ability as a Result of Targeted Training and Computer‐Aided Design Software Use: Analyses of Object Geometries and Rotation Types
Authors: Onyancha Richard M. , Derov Matthew , Kinsey Brad L. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractSpatial ability, which affects retention and achievement in engineering and science disciplines, has been shown to improve through training and simply from enrollment in a Computer‐Aided Design (CAD) course. However, detailed analyses of the specific object geometries and rotation types that cause difficulty for students on standardized spatial ability tests or which ones improve based on training has not been performed. This information may assist in determining the optimal training methods to improve the spatial ability skills of students and thus provide the most significant benefits for the training time committed. In this paper, scores from a standardized spatial ability test, which was administered before and after training and/or enrollment in a CAD course, are compared. The results show that the targeted training produced a significant improvement in the spatial ability test scores of students and that these improvements occur across all object geometries and rotation types.
A Survey of Industry Advisory Board Operation and Effectiveness in Engineering Education
Authors: Genheimer Dr. Stephen R. , Shehab Dr. Randa L. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractVoluntary boards composed primarily of industry practitioners who give aid and advice are almost universal in engineering education programs, though there has been little published research on this subject. Based on a survey of 90 engineering school directors and advisory board members, this research characterizes the operation, makeup, and effectiveness of advisory boards. The study shows that effective boards have a clear understanding of their role and limitations in influencing curriculum, encourage engagement with students, have formal procedures for involvement in ABET accreditation, and are well coordinated with the larger educational institution. Boards can be effective with or without involvement in fundraising, but it is essential that fundraising expectations be clearly understood and agreed upon by the school and the board. Boards composed largely of members with close ties to the institution, generally alumni, will be more engaged as advocates of the program and will contribute more financially.