Experiential Learning Environments: Do They Prepare Our Students to be Self‐Directed,Life‐Long Learners?

Recent research indicates that traditional academic structures may not effectively promote self‐directed learning. We investigated whether an experiential interdisciplinary projects program, called the Global Studies Program, increased readiness for self‐directed learning (SDL) and life‐long learning (LLL) using three methods: a nationally recognized course evaluation system called the Individual Development and Educational Assessment system (IDEA); an internal student project quality assessment protocol; and the Self‐Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS). Student self‐assessments through the IDEA system showed Global Studies Program students reported much greater progress in LLL‐related skills than did national and local comparison groups. Similarly, review of student projects by independent faculty teams found Global Studies Program students consistently outscored on‐campus project students in LLL‐related measures by wide margins. The SDLRS also showed a positive, but less emphatic increase in SDL readiness among a Global Studies Program cohort. The research demonstrates the success of one experiential learning environment in promoting SDL/LLL, while raising interesting issues regarding alternative methods of measuring potential benefits.     

The Effects of a First‐Year Engineering Design Course on Student Intellectual Development as Measured by the Perry Scheme

In response to the demand for enhanced design, problem‐solving, and team skills in engineering graduates, Penn State has instituted a number ofteam‐based, project‐learning courses, including one taken by nearly every first‐year engineering student. To determine the impact of these experiences on our students we have begun a cross‐sectional and longitudinal study of their intellectual development based upon the Perry model. In this paper, we describe the research methodology and results for the initial group of first‐year students interviewed. The results of the study include the effects on intellectual development of the first‐year design course, gender, honors status, and the students' academic ability as indicated by SAT scores and grade point average. Design experience was positively related to enhanced intellectual development. Honors status, gender, and academic ability were not significantly related to Perry rating. We discuss the implications of these findings for instruction and curricular reform.     

A Method for Identifying Variables for Predicting STEM Enrollment

This research examines demographic, academic, attitudinal, and experiential data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) for over 12,000 students at two universities to test a methodology for identifying variables showing significant differences between students intending to major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) versus non‐STEM subjects. The methodology utilizes basic statistical techniques to identify significant differences between STEM and non‐STEM students within seven population subgroups based upon school attended, race/ethnicity, and gender. The value of individual variables is assessed by how consistently significant differences are found across the subgroups. The variables found to be most valuable in identifying STEM students reflect both quantitative and qualitative measures. Quantitative measures of academic ability such as SAT mathematics score, high school grade point average, and to a lesser extent SAT verbal score are all indicators. Qualitative measures including self‐ratings of mathematical ability, computer skills, and academic ability are also good indicators.     

Relationship Between TOEFL Score and Academic Success for International Engineering Students

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.     

Relationship Between Time of Class and Student Grades in an Active Learning Course

Background

A factor related to students’ course performance that has seen limited research compared to other academic factors is the time of day a class is offered. Because of students’ chronotypes (i.e., preferred time of day to study or work), time of class can influence attendance, which has a strong correlation with students’ performance in a course.

Purpose/Hypothesis

The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between class time, students’ attendance including individual and average class attendance, and students’ final grades in an active learning course.

Design/Method

The grade and attendance records of 1,577 first‐year engineering (FYE) students enrolled in 15 sections at different times of the day were analyzed using Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference and Multi‐Level Modeling to identify whether the performance and attendance of students in the early morning sections were significantly different from those in the other sections and to differentiate the individual and class attendance in relation to students’ grades.

Results

Students enrolled in early morning and late Friday afternoon classes had lower attendance and final grades than students in other sections. Class average attendance had a significant relationship with students’ grades. Thus, in active learning classes, both an individual student's and classmates’ absences have a negative relationship with an individual student's grade.

Conclusion

FYE students are more likely to miss early morning classes. In a course based on active learning, this lower attendance has a negative relationship with student performance for all students in the class, including the ones who attend the class regularly, suggesting active learning may amplify the negative effects of missing classes.     

Faculty as a Critical Juncture in Student Retention and Performance in Engineering Programs

Large numbers of students depart from engineering programs before graduation. For example, in fields such as engineering and computer science, students have commented on the inaccessible or unapproachable nature of faculty. To evaluate this problem, this study gathered data across four research universities. Using structural equation modeling, it measured environmental effects, i.e., academic integration or faculty distance on (a) self‐efficacy, (b) academic confidence and (c) self‐regulated learning behaviors effort, critical thinking, help‐seeking and peer learning, and (d) GPA. Results showed that faculty distance lowered self‐efficacy, academic confidence and GPA. Conversely, academic integration had a positive effect on self‐efficacy, which in turn had strong positive effects on effort and critical thinking. Consequently, ongoing educational reform efforts must encourage engineering faculty to understand the significance of their student/professor relationships and seriously undertake measures to become personally available to students.     

Identification of Dysfunctional Cooperative Learning Teams Based on Students' Academic Achievement

Background Considerable 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 /Method A 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. Results Dysfunctional 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. Conclusions The experimental results confirm that the proposed quality index is a potential indicator of dysfunctional cooperative learning teams.     

Study of Usage Patterns and Learning Gains in a Web‐based Interactive Static Course

Background Courseware 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 /Method Students 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. Results High, 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. Conclusions Methods 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.     

Measuring the Impact of an Individual Course on Students' Success

Background At the University of Michigan, qualified first‐year students who place out of the first‐semester calculus course may enroll in either the regular second‐semester calculus course or Applied Honors Calculus II. Students who enroll in Applied Honors Calculus II show higher academic performance than students enrolling in the Regular Calculus II. Purpose (Hypothesis ) The study addressed the question: does enrollment in Applied Honors Calculus II have a positive causal impact on subsequent academic performance for engineering students at the University of Michigan? Design /Method We acquired seven years of institutional data for engineering students who entered the University of Michigan from 1996 through 2003 and who qualified to enroll in Applied Honors Calculus II. Using regression analyses, we tested a causal model of impact of Applied Honors Calculus II on four measures of subsequent academic performance: grade in Physics II and average grade in all subsequent physics, mathematics, and engineering courses. Results After controlling for students' personal characteristics and prior academic achievement, the impact of Applied Honors Calculus II on students' academic performance was not statistically significant. In particular Advanced Placement scores accounted for the higher performance observed in Applied Honors Calculus II students. Conclusions We recommend including Advanced Placement scores in models that predict academic performance. Future research should also include measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and explore interactions between SES and academic background. Finally, in evaluations of specific curricula, the treatment effect—measured as treatment group mean minus control group mean, after controlling for covariates—is unlikely to be large if the control group receives high quality instruction.     

An Examination of Indicators of Engineering Students' Success and Persistence

Student success and persistence within the major and university were examined through hierarchical linear and logistic regression analyses for two cohorts of engineering students. Indicators of success and persistence were based on theoretical and empirical evidence and included both cognitive and noncognitive variables. Cognitive variables included high school rank, SAT scores, and university cumulative grade point average. Noncognitive factors included academic motivation and institutional integration. Outcome variables included grade point average, enrollment at the university, and status as an engineering major. Gender differences also were evaluated. Several significant relationships among the variables were found. For instance, increased levels of motivation were significantly related to continuing in the major. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Investigating the Effect of 3D Simulation Based Learning on the Motivation and Performance of Engineering Students

Background Simulation‐based Learning (SBL) was used in Machining Technology, a sixty‐hour module for second year engineering students, at the School of Engineering at Temasek Polytechnic. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SBL on learners' motivation and performance. In assessing students' motivation, we adopted a framework based on the Self‐determination Theory (SDT), chosen on account of its comprehensive treatment of the relationship between students' perceived needs satisfaction and their motivation. Purpose (Hypothesis ) It is hypothesized that SBL, which provides learners with interactive learning experiences, will enhance students' motivation and performance. We explored the effect of SBL on students' perceived psychological needs satisfaction, motivation, and learning, and how SBL affected students' understanding and application of content knowledge. Design /Method The intervention procedure involved the incorporation of SBL in Machining Technology, a 60 hour module in the mechanical engineering program. Survey findings and post‐intervention assessment outcomes were used to assess the students' perceptions of their basic psychological needs satisfaction, motivation, and performance. Results Our findings suggest that the students perceived their psychological needs to be satisfied and had high levels of self‐determined motivation. Students who undertook SBL had higher mean performance test scores, although SBL may have differential effects on learners depending on factors such as gender, educational backgrounds, and IT knowledge. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the students perceived their basic psychological needs to be met and that SBL can potentially enhance self‐determined motivation as well as improve learning in general.     

Giving Students Time for the Academic Resources that Work

Engineering courses offer students multiple resources for learning; however, it is not clear how much time students devote to these resources or how effective they are for mastering the course material. We examined students' use of learning resources in introductory thermodynamics through the use of activity logs, and the relation of these self‐reports to objective measures of course performance. Self‐report data revealed that students generally favored some resources over others, that these resources were mutually supportive of instruction, and that measures of resource use were significantly correlated with each other and with academic performance. We suggest that knowledge of how students allocate time to course resources, and correlations between the use of these resources and course performance, could assist instructors in course and curriculum planning.     

Effects of Faculty Interaction and Feedback on Gains in Student Skills*

Previous research has identified several variables that affect students' course satisfaction and gains in learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with insights about the relationships between faculty‐student interaction and students' perceptions of selected skills and attitudes. This study specifically examined the relationships between engineering faculty teaching practices, classroom climate, and students' perceptions of their gains in communication skills, problem‐solving skills, occupational awareness, and engineering competence in a curriculum emphasizing engineering design activities. Data were gathered from more than 1,500 students taking the first‐year design course offered at 19 campuses of the Penn State system over a period of two years. The results suggest that faculty interacting with and providing constructive feedback to students were significantly and positively related to students' self‐reported gains in several design and professional skills. These relationships remained after controlling for student demographic characteristics and campus location. Recommendations regarding specific teaching practices are provided.     

Development of Online Ultrasound Instructional Module and Comparison to Traditional Teaching Methods

A Web‐based teaching device was constructed to deliver information on fundamentals of ultrasound imaging to approximately one‐half the students in an undergraduate medical imaging course, while the remaining students were taught the same material via traditional lectures and typed notes. The students participating in this study were separated randomly but in such a manner that prior achievement was statistically equivalent for the two groups. After approximately two weeks of instruction, an ultrasound imaging exam was administered. Results indicated no statistically significant difference in scores on homework assigned during the instructional period between the traditional and online groups. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference in the average exam scores of students in the two groups. The traditional group required significantly more time on learning activities than did the online group. These results indicated that level of understanding was not affected by use of the online device, while efficiency of learning improved dramatically. Reasons reported by the students for the improved efficiency of the online method included flexibility in time usage and ability to cater to the individual, which came with the added responsibility of self‐discipline. The traditional teaching method, meanwhile, allowed interaction with and instant feedback from a professor and other students. In this study we have demonstrated that the nature of an online device yields a higher level of efficiency than traditional lectures, despite the inherent drawbacks of the approach. The effectiveness of this device could potentially be improved by implementing enhancements to increase the level of interaction for the user and to help with discipline and time management.     

A Multimodal Exploration of Engineering Students' Emotions and Electrodermal Activity in Design Activities

Background

This exploratory study uses multimodal approaches to explore undergraduate student engagement via topic emotions and electrodermal activity (EDA) in different engineering design method activities and with different instructional delivery formats (e.g., lecture vs. active learning).

Purpose/Hypothesis

The goal of this research is to improve our understanding of how students respond, via engagement, to their engineering design activities during class. This study hypothesizes that students would experience no self‐reported mean changes in topic emotions from their preassessment scores for each engineering design topic and instructional format nor would electrodermal activities (EDA) associate to these topic emotions throughout the design activities.

Design/Method

Eighty‐eight freshmen engineering students completed online pretopic and posttopic emotions surveys for five engineering design activities. A subset of 14–18 participants, the focal point of this study, wore an EDA sensor while completing the surveys and participating in these sessions.

Results

Preliminary findings suggest that EDA increased for individual and collaborative active learning activities compared to lectures. No significant changes in EDA were found between individual and collaborative active learning activities. Moderate negative correlations were found between EDA and negative topic emotions in the first engineering design activity but not across the rest. At the end of the semester, active learning activities showed higher effect sizes indicating a re‐enforcement of students' engagement in the engineering design method activities.

Conclusion

This study provides initial results showing how multimodal approaches can help researchers understand students' closer‐to‐real‐time engagement in engineering design topics and instructional delivery formats.     

Ideas to Minimize Exam Anxiety

The debilitation score from the Alpert‐Haber Anxiety Achievement Test was used to identify students suffering from exam anxiety. Principal component Analysis was then used to show that the debilitation score was strongly related to short‐term and long‐term anxiety and self‐image and not, as expected, to study skills, problem‐solving skills, or avoidance to engage in solving difficult problems. Required workshops to help students address low self‐image and high short‐term and long‐term anxiety were introduced, but they had modest short‐term success. However, significant improvement in student performance occurred when faculty included measures of student performance other than the final exam (such as term work, projects, and self‐assessment) and when students contracted for the weighting that the final exam would contribute to their final grade. The use of self‐assessment was effective for all students regardless of their level of exam anxiety.     

The Effect of Social Presence on Affective and Cognitive Learning in an International Engineering Course Taught via Distance Learning

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.     

Web‐Based Readiness Assessment Quizzes

Student readiness to fully participate in designed educational activities is often impeded by a lack of individual preparation through assigned readings or study. However, student preparation is rarely treated as an integral part of course design. Consequently, web‐based readiness assessment quizzes were developed for three courses in biological/biosystems engineering, at the freshman and junior levels. The overall goal was to improve student preparatory reading by assessing lower‐level knowledge just prior to the class period when that knowledge is needed for higher‐level learning activities. In this way, a web‐based educational tool was utilized as an integral, rather than just supplemental, part of the course design. The quizzes were designed to simultaneously ensure/assess student preparation and guide the students toward the highest priority topics within a given unit. The quizzes were graded automatically with the results reported electronically to the instructor. Student likelihood to read assigned materials was significantly improved (P < 0.0001), based on ratings from students in three different courses over four years of using these quizzes.     

The Effect of a First‐Year Integrated Engineering Curriculum on Graduation Rates and Student Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Study

This paper reports on the long‐term results of a two‐year experiment conducted in the 1994–1995 and 1995–1996 academic years in which a group of “average” engineering students was recruited for a first‐year program that integrated curricula and fostered a learning community. Students who participated in the Connections program graduated at a significantly higher rate than their peers and reflected retrospectively that the program had a strong positive effect on their college careers.     

Laptops in the Classroom: Do They Make a Difference?

In 1996 the College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma started to require all incoming students to have a laptop computer equipped with a wireless Internet card. Because of a pilot study and a voluntary phase‐in over the first two years, two groups of students moved through the curriculum—those with and those without laptops. During 1998 and 1999, when these students entered their junior year, we offered two sections of a third‐year water resources course: one for students who owned laptops and one “traditional” section for those who did not own laptops. We assessed student performance to evaluate if the laptops helped improve student learning. Although not a perfectly controlled experiment (i.e., the student groups were different), the two sections were uniform in terms of course content and assignments. Because of their inherently large standard deviations, class metrics (grades) are not conclusive, but they do indicate that the laptop students performed slightly better than the non‐laptop students, even though their composite grade point average entering the course was lower. Evaluations do clearly show that, when the technology is used properly and when class time is not spent resolving technical problems, the laptop students had a more positive learning experience.