Motivating Students with Disabilities to Prepare for SEM Careers

The National Science Foundation funded the project Enabling SUCCESS (Enabling Students to Undertake the Challenge of Careers in Engineering and Science) at Louisiana Tech University beginning in 1996. The goals of this three‐year project were to: stimulate student interest in science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM); heighten the awareness among middle school students, their families, and their science teachers of the opportunities for persons with disabilities in these fields; and provide them with an understanding of the importance of career exploration and taking appropriate college preparatory courses in high school. The project at Louisiana Tech University built upon twenty years of experience in applying assistive technology to the needs of people with disabilities and a ten‐year history of national educational reform initiatives. The project staff included engineering and science professors, teacher educators, college students, practicing engineers and scientists with disabilities, and rehabilitation technology professionals. A unique feature of this project was its focus on middle school students (grades six through nine) with disabilities, their parents, and their teachers. Through on‐campus workshops and showcases, home science activities, and college student mentoring, the project sought to inform and motivate. This paper summarizes the major activities of the model project and the results of the three‐year effort.     

Applying James Stice's Strategy to Teach Design to Sophomore Mechanical Engineering Undergraduates

The James Stice strategies for teaching problem‐solving and improving student learning have been adopted in the development of a sophomore‐level “Materials, Manufacturing & Design” course. The curriculum, the assessment method, and the results of student evaluation over a three‐year period are described. Correlation between assessments by two faculty members (in the form of design project written‐report and oral‐presentation grades) and students self‐assessment (in the form of a retrospective survey employing a Likert‐type scale and student written comments) show that the Stice strategies are successful in teaching engineering design to sophomores.     

An Analysis of the Value of the FE Examination for the Assessment of Student Learning in Engineering and Science Topics

This paper presents the results of a project, which investigated the potential of fully using previously unreleased data from the nationally normed Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination to assess learning in key engineering and science topics. In the past, very limited information was released by the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) for the eight hour FE examination, which is composed of 150–200 questions in ten morning and five afternoon topics. For the purposes of this project the NCEES agreed to release information to the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) to permit the value of the FE data in describing UMR student learning in key engineering and science topics to be assessed. The analysis of the FE data was undertaken in the period 1993–1996 for students in twelve engineering disciplines at UMR. The overall conclusion of the project is that the enhanced level of data released from the FE by NCEES is of value to individual programs, schools and institutions in assessing student learning and in identifying areas of concern. However, the overall value of this information is compromised by variable student motivation and the confidentiality of the questions used in the exam. Other conclusions are that UMR student scores are below faculty expectations, that the FE exam is not equally applicable to all engineering disciplines, and that the academic level of the exam may be lower than faculty thought.     

Creating a Student Centered Learning Environment at the University of Denver

A team of faculty members at the University of Denver changed the learning environment in key courses in the Department of Engineering from predominately teacher centered to student centered. Through this funded project new grading methods were implemented, classrooms were renovated and wired with studio layouts to facilitate learning, the Engineering Circuits Laboratory was rewired and instrumented for automated data acquisition and reporting, and two new pedagogical approaches were developed. At the onset of the project, six goals were established related to student learning. The introduction of industry standard hardware and software provided students with unprecedented hands‐on experience and project related activities stimulated faculty innovations in other current and future courses. Assessment results indicate that the new grading system improved the clarity of expectations for students before assignments were given resulting in increased reported motivation for learning in many courses. Even though course GPAs did not always reflect higher achievement on graded work, faculty members firmly believe that deeper understanding was achieved because more complex material was assimilated.     

Applied Aerodynamics Experience for Secondary Science Teachers and Students

The Department of Aerospace Engineering, Mechanics & Engineering Science at the University of Florida in conjunction with the School Board of Alachua County, Florida has embarked on a four-year project of university-secondary school collaboration designed to enhance mathematics and science instruction in secondary school classrooms. The goals are to provide teachers with a fundamental knowledge of flight sciences as well as stimulate interest among students, particularly women and minorities, toward careers in engineering, mathematics, and science. In the first year, all thirteen of the county's eighth grade physical science teachers and their 1200 students participated. The activities included a three-day college level seminar for the teachers, several weeks of classroom instruction for all the students, and an airport field trip for a subgroup of about 400 students that included an orientation flight in a Cessna 172 aircraft. The project brought together large numbers of middle school students, teachers, undergraduate and graduate engineering students, school administrators, and university engineering faculty. In Year 2, we are expanding our coverage and improving our minority outreach by offering the program to additional counties and the Florida Comprehensive State Center for Minorities. We are also introducing a program to recruit undergraduate minority engineering students for teaching careers by teaming these students with middle school teacher “mentors”, and having them work with teachers in the classroom.     

Introducing Cooperative Learning through a Faculty Instructional Development Program

Cooperative Learning was officially introduced in the College of Engineering at San Jose State University in 1995 with a two‐day workshop. The Faculty Instructional Development Program in the college maintains interest in the subjsect and provides support for instructors who use Cooperative Learning, through workshops and informal discussions (Conversations on Teaching). This paper discusses the effectiveness of the program in introducing, promoting, and implementing Cooperative Learning among the faculty and students in the college of engineering. A variety of performance criteria have been used in this assessment, some faculty‐centered and some student‐centered. The results indicate that although a relatively small percentage of faculty have chosen to adopt Cooperative Learning as a teaching tool in their courses, the impact on student attitudes and learning is significant, making the effort worthwhile.     

Adventure Engineering: A Design Centered,Inquiry Based Approach to Middle Grade Science and Mathematics Education

Adventure Engineering (AE) is a middle grade science and mathematics outreach initiative that entails the development and implementation of single day to four‐week adventure‐driven, engineering‐based curricula for grade 5 through 9 science and/or mathematics classes. The curricula is inquiry‐based and open‐ended; activities are designed to facilitate the learning and application of concepts identified in national mathematics and science standards, and to immerse students in the engineering design experience. This paper reports the findings from the development and implementation of AE curricula in six different middle grade subjects in urban and suburban schools. Rigorous assessment revealed that the AE curricula have successfully improved mathematics and science content knowledge. Student attitudes towards mathematics and science, and in limited cases engineering, also improved. This paper also presents the results of a survey of urban and suburban student attitudes towards mathematics, science and engineering.     

Student Focus Group Results on Student Team Performance Issues

Use of project teams is increasing in the engineering environment due to their many benefits. These include increased creativity, productivity, and reduced time‐to‐market of engineering concepts. Good team skills are desired by engineering employers, prompting universities to focus on curriculum development with strong team utilization. While team projects significantly increase opportunities for team interaction, they rarely provide sufficient training to enable students to function most effectively in a team environment. In addition, there is lack of standardization in how teams are used, and inconsistency in team performance expectations and training. These concerns led to our current efforts to develop a standardized team‐training format for faculty and students. To provide the basis for development of team training materials, faculty interviews and student focus groups were conducted to assess perceptions of team project work and training as well as expectations and definitions of successful team performance. Results of student focus groups on team project class experiences are discussed.     

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.     

Improving Learning in First‐Year Engineering Courses through Interdisciplinary Collaborative Assessment

This paper describes a feedback process that assessed first‐year engineering student learning using a mastery exam. The results were used to improve learning and teaching in first‐year courses. To design the initial exam, basic knowledge and concepts were identified by instructors from each of the host departments (Chemistry, Math, Physics and Computer Science). In 2004, the 45‐item exam was administered to 191 second‐year engineering students, and in September 2005, the revised exam was administered to the next class of second‐year engineering students. The exam was analyzed using Item Response Theory (IRT) to determine student abilities in each subject area tested. Between exam administrations, workshops were conducted with the four department instructor groups to present exam results and discuss teaching issues. The exam provided a learning assessment mechanism that can be used to engage faculty in science, mathematics, and engineering in productive linkages for continual improvement to curriculum.     

Teamed Internships in Environmental Engineering and Technology: A Project Report

This paper is a summary report of the “Teamed Internships Program” (TIP), an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant through the National Science Foundation (NSF). This three‐year project created internships encompassing regional industries, federal research facilities, and two‐ and four‐year educational institutions. The project cultivated teamwork and communication skills for environmental technician and engineering students, developed instructional materials, and provided valuable contacts with industry. To foster faculty and teacher enhancement and student interest in environmental science and technology, insights from the program were incorporated into instructional materials and educational modules for dissemination to local secondary schools.     

Student Performance and Acceptance of Instructional Technology: Comparing Technology‐Enhanced and Traditional Instruction for a Course in Statics

The College of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati has evaluated the use of instructional technologies to improve the learning process for students in fundamental engineering science courses. The goal of this effort was to both retain more students in engineering programs and improve student performance through appropriate use of technology. Four modes of instruction were used to teach an engineering fundamentals course in statics. A traditional instructor‐led course, a Web‐assisted course, a streaming media course, and an interactive video course were all presented using a common syllabus, homework, tests, and grading regimen. Evaluations of final course grades indicate that use of instructional technology improved student performance when compared with traditional teaching methods. Student satisfaction with technology varied considerably with the Web‐assisted format having the highest student approval rating of the technologies. The results indicate that time on task and interest in content can be improved through the appropriate use of technology.     

Designing Cognitive Apprenticeships for Biomedical Engineering

This article explores challenges involved in developing effective and workable models for engineering education that emphasize the development of student cognitive skills over the delivery of specific course content. It chronicles efforts to systematically design engineering learning environments based on cognitive and learning science studies and then to optimize those environments through “design‐based research.” It follows the evolutionary trajectory of curricular design efforts over four years using Problem‐based Learning (PBL) in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech, elucidating the activities, mistakes, realizations and the progressive refinements instituted towards the development of learning theory in the context of biomedical engineering. It argues for the need to scaffold students in the development of model‐based reasoning throughout the engineering curricula.     

A Venture Capital Fund for Undergraduate Engineering Students at Rowan University*

All engineering students at Rowan University are required to take the eight‐semester Engineering Clinic sequence wherein multidisciplinary student teams engage in semester‐long design projects. In addition to projects that are funded by local industry, faculty research grants or departmental budgets, a Venture Capital Fund has been created, which is specifically ear‐marked for the development of original student inventions. Funding of up to $2,500 per student team per semester is competitively awarded based on student‐generated proposals to the Venture Capital Fund, which has been created through a series of grants from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA). To qualify for funding, a multidisciplinary student team must propose, plan and implement an original, semester‐long product development enterprise. To date, 11 projects have been funded through the Venture Capital Fund. This paper describes the results of several student entrepreneurial projects and compares the results of student surveys to assess the effectiveness of entrepreneurial projects in satisfying the technical objectives of the Engineering Clinic. The results suggest that students engaged in entrepreneurial projects devote more hours per week on their projects, have more “ownership” in their projects and have a better understanding of the technical aspects and societal impact of their projects than their counterparts who are engaged in the more traditional engineering design projects.     

An Innovation‐Based Fluid Mechanics Design and Fabrication Laboratory

As part of a four‐week fluid mechanics laboratory, Mechanical Engineering students were challenged to design and manufacture the least restrictive flow nozzle for a standard test condition within several design constraints. The Nozzle Design Challenge (NDC) combined analysis, design, manufacturing, and experimentation. The positive student responses to the NDC were overwhelming. Formal evaluation of the NDC included the measured nozzle flow rates and the amount of time spent in the laboratory. The highest flow rate nozzle allowed substantially more flow than the nozzle with a 1‐inch diameter hole used for demonstration. Every group spent more time in the laboratory than was scheduled, which may indicate high levels of motivation for the project. The examination scores covering the principles learned in this laboratory were compared to the previous semester's students who did not perform the innovation‐based design and fabrication project. After blocking out the effects of GPA, the results indicate that the students who undertook the design experience performed significantly better on the examination.     

Student Participation,Faculty Involvement,and Costs in the NGV Challenge — A Large-Scale Automotive Design Project

Large-scale automotive design projects offer an outstanding opportunity for students to obtain practical experience in engineering design. This paper reports a survey of faculty advisors for student teams participating in the Natural Gas Vehicle Challenge. About fifteen students were typically involved in the project at each university participating in the competition. Five or six were typically “key” to the project. Usually faculty advisors had a research interest in automotive engineering or alternate fuels, and they often incorporated the project into a design course. Although the funding level for such a design project varied substantially, the typical funding level was about $25,000, most of which came from local sponsors. Faculty advisors often commented on the educational value of the project and their satisfaction in working closely with students.     

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.     

A Qualitative Study of a Course Trilogy in Biosystems Engineering Design

Engineering design encompasses professional competencies that complement a solid understanding of engineering science fundamentals, theories, and methods. Engineering schools are increasing their efforts to integrate design into the curriculum, and this paper critically analyses one initiative at a research‐intensive Canadian university, where a three‐course sequence (Design Trilogy) forms the design education backbone in the undergraduate Biosystems Engineering program. Data collection consisted of focus groups with students and one‐on‐one interviews with instructors and industry cooperators. The findings yielded authentic understandings of teaching and learning engineering design, many areas of common perceptions between participant groups, congruence with design concepts in the literature, and areas where students' perceptions and experiences did not correspond to instructors' intentions. Teaching implications include the importance of instructors' transparency and integration in teaching and the need to explicitly prepare students for a different kind of learning experience in the Design Trilogy.     

Assessing General Creativity and Creative Engineering Design in First Year Engineering Students

Creativity is a vital tool for innovation in engineering. Psychology and engineering faculty developed the Creative Engineering Design Assessment (CEDA) because existing tools are limited. This measure was administered with general creativity measures in 63 engineering (57 males, six females) and 21 non‐engineering (six males, 15 females) students in five week intervals. Inter‐rater reliability showed high consistency overall and between the test and retest administrations. Only engineering males and females significantly differed on the retest. Engineering students with low, medium, and high creative engineering design did not statistically differ in their general creativity, not domain specific to engineering; however, only high scorers were significantly higher on the retest from the other groups. Future research is needed with larger samples.