Daria Kotys-Schwartz

Informal learning in engineering education: Where we are — Where we need to go

This paper investigates the state of programmed informal learning (e.g., team competitions, internships) in engineering education, the relevant research and available assessment instruments. Our purpose is to synthesize the existing informal learning research in engineering education for the engineering community, which should subsequently lead to the development of improved programs and learning experiences for engineering students. We also draw on the research performed in science education to identify potential outcomes for engineering education, including: improved student attitudes towards engineering, development of an engineering identity, knowledge of engineering practices, and broadened participation in engineering. Last, we provide future direction for informal learning research in engineering education.

Once again around the double triangle: A multi-rater assessment of capstone design skills

The Senior Capstone Design Course serves for many engineering students as an opportunity to develop crucial skills in professionalism and design that are necessary for succeeding in industry post-graduation. This study delves into the effectiveness of a senior Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Course for the development of professional and technical skills including: project management, design, engineering methods, communication, and teamwork. A triangulated assessment was performed to evaluate the development of student skills using a survey administered during the middle and end of the Senior Capstone Design Course. This survey was administered to the students, team Faculty Advisors and team Industry Mentors. After analysis, it was found that teams made a significant gain pre to post in engineering methods, project management, and design skills. Communication skills remained at an acceptable level while teamwork skills dropped significantly in the second semester due to difficulties resolving interpersonal conflicts.

Project-Based Service-Learning and Student Motivation

We know from motivation theory that enhanced motivation in students is positively correlated with engagement and active learning, interest, and value. We know less about the types of instructional strategies and curricular interventions that work to enhance student motivation in a typical engineering course. Grounded in motivation theory, the purpose of this research is to evaluate how the context of project-based service-learning affects aspects of student motivation in a required undergraduate Mechanical Engineering course. Our research aims to answer: 1) How does project-based service learning affect students’ motivation as compared to conventional (non-service) project-based learning? 2) How are women affected differentially by project-based service-learning? The research, which began in 2010, is being completed over a two-year period. The students and activities in Component Design, an existing junior-level course at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will serve as the research focus. Specifically, project-based service-learning curriculum will be implemented into a required design and build activity for Component Design students. Using a conventional design project as the control, how the context of project-based service learning affects aspects of student motivation will be studied. This paper will discuss the research design, theoretical framework, and the results from our first year of research. Our objective is to provide a more thorough understanding of the effects of service-learning on engineering education. Although service-learning may not be appropriate for every engineering course, we can strive to identify and implement specific elements of service-learning that are correlated with student motivation.Copyright

The Post-Graduation Attrition of Engineering Students: An Exploratory Study on Influential Career Choice Factors

Attrition issues with undergraduate engineering students, while concerning, are well documented. However, little research has explored post-graduation attrition. U.S. Department of Labor statistics suggest that as many as 45 percent of workers with engineering degrees are not employed in engineering jobs. As China and India increasingly compete with the U.S. in the production of engineers and enrollment in U.S. engineering programs continues to lag behind other four-year degrees, training a consistent number of quality engineers is a critical issue for the American workforce. Anecdotal evidence of problematic post-graduation attrition—that is, attrition related to controllable factors in students’ educational experiences that push them away from engineering careers, as opposed to attrition of students who wish to creatively apply their skills in other occupations—coupled with the need for engineers in the workforce motivated this research. This study investigated the post-graduation plans of senior level mechanical engineering students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Over the course of one year, two surveys were administered to 169 students, a mix of graduating seniors and students in a Senior Capstone Project course. Students were classified into four groups based on their post-graduation plans: 1. Pursuers (35% of total sample): students pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation without reservations or plans to leave the field in the future. 2. Returners (22% of total sample): students not pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation but with plans for an engineering career in the future. 3. Pursuers with Reservations (34% of total sample): students pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation who currently had reservations about their career choice and/or planned to leave the field in the future. 4. Leavers (9% of total sample): students not pursuing an engineering career immediately after graduation with no plans for an engineering career in the future. The results indicated that 65% of the sample had, at least, some reservations about pursuing an engineering career. Results also suggested five factors that may influence post-graduation attrition: 1. Feeling prepared to pursue an engineering career, 2. Internship experiences, 3. Senior Capstone Project course experiences, 4. Satisfaction with the quality of instruction in the engineering program, and 5. Career values related to financial rewards and enjoying co-workers.Copyright

Work in progress - from First-Year projects to senior capstone design…what skills are really gained?

Innovative curriculum reforms have been instituted at several universities and colleges with the intention of developing the technical competence and professional skills of engineering students. First-Year, or freshman design courses have been integrated into undergraduate engineering curricula across the country. Many of these courses provide students with hands-on engineering opportunities early in the curriculum. Senior capstone courses are ubiquitous in engineering programs, incorporating technical knowledge and real-world problem solving. However, it is unclear what professional and technical engineering skills are gained between freshman and senior year design courses. This research project investigates the longitudinal-technical and professional skill development of mechanical engineering students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. An overview of first-year engineering projects and the Senior CapstoneDesign project coursesis detailed. The assessment tools and schedule are presented, and the initial findings are discussed. Additionally, a summary is addressed discussing how the evaluation results, which may affect skills development, will be integrated into the next course offering of senior capstone design.

Comparing Mentor and Mentee Perspectives in a Research-Based Undergraduate Mentoring Program

At the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), a research-based undergraduate mentoring program is now in its second year of implementation. The program, Your Own Undergraduate Research Experience (YOU’RE@CU) has three main goals: improve the retention rate of diverse groups in undergraduate engineering, build undergraduate interest in engineering research, and prepare graduate students to take on leadership roles in either academia or industry-based research careers. In YOU’RE@CU, undergraduate students are paired with a graduate mentor and work in the graduate student’s lab several hours a week. Undergraduate mentees enroll in a one-credit seminar course focusing on research and graduate school opportunities, and are assessed via pre- and post-surveys to gauge their excitement and interest in engineering. The undergraduates also respond to biweekly qualitative reflective questions while participating in the program. Graduate mentors complete several reflective questions about their experiences and are required to complete pre- and post-assessments.Adopting a person-centered, case study approach, this paper focuses on two telling examples of research-based mentoring relationships in the YOU’RE@CU program. Given identical mentor training through YOU’RE@CU, two graduate students start the Spring 2012 semester by meeting with their mentees to launch a research project. By examining application, pre-survey, reflective questions, and post-survey responses from these four participants, the differences in the trajectory of the two paired mentoring relationships can be clearly seen over the course of one semester. This close examination of two disparate mentoring relationships is instructive in understanding the subtle details that create either a positive learning environment or an uncomfortable lab situation for young engineers, and assists program administrators in making improvements in subsequent years.Copyright

Assessing Efficacy of a New Research-Oriented Peer Mentoring Program: YOU’RE@CU

At the University of Colorado, Boulder, a new program designed to link graduate students with 1st and 2nd year undergraduate students through engineering research projects and mentoring relationships was initiated in Spring 2011. Your Own Undergraduate Research Experience at the University of Colorado (YOU’RE@CU) has three main goals: (1) increase retention of undergraduate students in engineering, particularly women and underrepresented minorities (URMs); (2) excite undergraduate student interest in research projects and future careers in academia or industry; (3) provide graduate students with training and hands-on mentoring experience with the expectation that this will positively influence graduate student choices to seek a career in academia. This paper illustrates the details of the YOU’RE@CU program during its pilot implementation in Spring 2011. The assessment strategy and methods are also explained, with presentation of qualitative data and discussion of the overall data analysis process.Copyright

Using Random Forests to Identify Factors of Student Motivation in a Project-Based Learning Course

Grounded in motivation theory, the purpose of this research is to use random forest analysis to identify factors of motivation of students who participate in a project-based learning experience. Our research aims to answer: 1) How does project-based service learning affect students’ motivation as compared to conventional (non-service) project-based learning? 2) How are women affected differentially by project-based service-learning? The research, which began in 2011, was completed over a two-year period. The students and activities in Component Design, an existing junior-level course at the University of Colorado at Boulder served as the research focus. Specifically, project-based service-learning curriculum was implemented into a required design and build activity for Component Design students. Using a conventional design project as the control, how the context of project-based service learning affects aspects of student motivation was studied.This paper discusses the research design, theoretical framework, data analysis methods, and random forest results. Our findings indicate that students’ initial non-technical skills were the most important predictor of motivation in the conventional project-based learning experience and that students’ perceived value of the course and the project were the most important predictors of motivation in the project-based service-learning experience.Copyright

First Year Engineering Projects to Senior Capstone Design: Are Students Gaining Technical and Professional Skills?

Innovative curriculum reforms have been instituted at several universities and colleges with the intention of developing the technical competence and professional skills of engineering students. First Year Engineering Project (FYEP), or Freshman Design courses have been integrated into undergraduate engineering curricula across the country. Many of these courses provide students with hands-on engineering opportunities early in the curriculum. Senior Capstone Design (SCD) courses are ubiquitous in engineering programs, incorporating technical knowledge and real-world problem solving. Previous research has shown that project-driven classes like FYEP and SCD increase the professional and technical design skills of students. While research into first year and senior design skills development has been more robust, scant research investigating the transformation of skills between freshman design experiences and senior design experiences has been performed. This research project investigates the longitudinal technical and professional skill development of mechanical engineering students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. An overview of First-Year Engineering Projects and the mechanical engineering Senior Capstone Design project course is detailed. Technical and professional skill objectives are discussed within the paper. Pre and post skill surveys were utilized in both First-Year Engineering Projects and the Senior Capstone Design classes. Initial results indicate that student skills deteriorate between the end of the first-year and beginning of the senior year.Copyright