Jonathan Stolk

Self-regulation and autonomy in problem- and project-based learning environments

Investigations of the relationships between contexts in which learning occurs and students’ behaviours, cognitions and motivations may further our understanding of how instruction is related to students’ development as self-regulated learners. In this study, student self-regulated learning strategies in problem-based learning and project-based learning environments were examined to determine whether student self-regulation outcomes differed depending on the instructional design. Quantitative results showed that student motivations and behaviours were not statistically different in the two settings. Differences in cognitions associated with self-regulated learning were, however, observed in the two settings, with students in the project-based environments reporting higher levels of elaboration, critical thinking and metacognition. In addition, students in the project-based courses reported higher perceived autonomy support, or the degree to which they perceived their instructors provided them with supportive opportunities to act and think independently compared to students in the problem-based courses. These findings indicate that different non-traditional student-centred learning environments may support different outcomes related to self-regulated learning.

The Olin curriculum: thinking toward the future

In 1997, the F. W. Olin Foundation of New York established the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, MA, with the mission of creating an engineering school for the 21st century. Over the last five years, the college has transformed from an idea to a functioning entity that admitted its first freshman class in fall 2002. This paper describes the broad outlines of the Olin curriculum with some emphasis on the electrical and computer engineering degree. The curriculum incorporates the best practices from many other institutions as well as new ideas and approaches in an attempt to address the future of engineering education.

Student motivations as predictors of high-level cognitions in project-based classrooms:

It is well established that active learning helps students engage in high-level thinking strategies and develop improved cognitive skills. Motivation and self-regulated learning research, however, illustrates that cognitive engagement is an effortful process that is related to students’ valuing of the learning tasks, adoption of internalized goal orientations, and development of personal agency. In this study, we test these relationships by generating multiple regression models that use motivational variables to predict college students’ use of elaboration and critical thinking in project-based courses. We find that elaboration strategies are significantly and positively predicted in regression models based on task value and intrinsic goal orientation or on task value and self-efficacy. Regression analyses illustrate that models based on task value and intrinsic goal orientation, in combination with either self-efficacy or extrinsic goal orientation, described students’ use of critical thinking strategies. These findings support prior research that shows that student motivations are significantly tied to their use of cognitive strategies. The findings extend the existing research base by illustrating the extent to which student motivations may be used to predict cognitive engagement in active, project-based environments.

Drowning in method, thirsty for values: A call for cultural inquiry

A decade or more has passed since publication of most calls for reform in engineering education. In the ensuing time, there has been significant work on the design, implementation, and transferability of appropriate methods and techniques - accompanied by, in most cases, little discussion of the values and beliefs of the people involved. But many theories of change rely on a fundamental shift in human beliefs and values, and purport that institutionalization of methods is impossible without this shift. Given this, now may be a reasonable time to re-visit the questions: What are the values of people involved in engineering education, and are our educational reform efforts considering these values throughout the curriculum design process? In this paper, we examine several models for engineering educational reform, with a particular focus on the role of individual values in determining responses to change. We highlight the importance of developing understandings of individual perspectives and social context. We contrast a user-oriented approach to curriculum design with common scenarios of curriculum design practice, and we argue that, in many cases, successes in curricular change can be traced to employment of user-centered approaches.

Work in Progress: Understanding Discomfort: Student Responses to Self-Direction

The literature consistently reports that students express some degree of discomfort when they are thrown into self-directed learning environments. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of an investigation of the causes of student discomfort in several different self-directed project-based courses. Our results suggest that student motivation and opportunities for the development of deep understanding and transferable skills are important in creating a positive self-directed learning experience. Negative experiences and student discomfort in self-directed environments may stem from problems with self-regulation, low self-perceptions of content learning, lack of personal engagement with the topic, and difficulties related to the social learning environment

Same course, different goals: Examining the personal goals of men and women in a project-based engineering environment

The learning goals of students are not only essential for personal guidance, but they also provide educators insight into individual approaches to learning and student self-perceptions. In this study, the learning goals of students in an introductory project-based materials science course were analyzed to determine differences by gender. Student goals were coded according to their inference of different learning domains-cognitive, social, affective, and psychomotor - as well as their level of complexity within these domains. Cognitive goals were similar for women and men, while differences by gender appeared in the social, affective, and psychomotor domains. In the social domain, women were more concerned with teamwork and peer learning, while men were focused on confidence in presentations. In the affective and psychomotor domains, the issue of low self-efficacy for some women arose, while men were more eager to express their enthusiasm for the course projects.

Model collaboration for advancing student-centered engineering education

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (Olin) are establishing a student-centered hands-on interactive approach to engineering education (similar to Olins) at UTEP, where it will reside in UTEPs innovative B.S. in Leadership Engineering (LE) program. The goal of the proposed collaboration is to catalyze UTEPs educational innovation through a cross-campus collaboration between the two institutions by incorporating the Olin educational process, both design and features, into the first offerings of the Bachelor of Science in Leadership Engineering (BSLE) program. Specifically, the collaboration includes faculty exchanges between the two institutions; a series of retreats for planning and assessment; curriculum development; and student recruitment practices. The 21st century workplace demands a new engineer - one who effectively contributes to solving problems using innovation, creativity, and strategic foresight. Graduates of the Olin-UTEP developed Bachelor of Science in Leadership Engineering (LE) program will possess these attributes through the programs rigorous yet flexible major in engineering, and in-depth study of leadership and its effect upon technology and society. In this panel we will share the context for our innovative approach, key features of the partnership to date, and acclaim the value of inter-institutional sharing.

Work in progress: How do first-year engineering students develop as self-directed learners?

Although self-direction is among the most critical skills required of todays engineering graduates, the complex processes through which individuals develop the attitudes, beliefs, and skills of lifelong, self-directed learners remains unclear. In this ongoing mixed-methods investigation, we draw on existing motivation and self-regulated learning theories to examine how undergraduate students at two institutions develop as self-directed learners during their first two years of their engineering programs. Preliminary findings indicate that both groups of first-year students make progress as self-directed learners, even after their first semester of college. However, the data indicate marked differences in specific areas of self-directed learner growth at the two institutions. Compared to those at the large public university, students at the small private college report stronger learning goal orientations, help-seeking behaviors, and metacognitive strategy use. We discuss how the learning opportunities and environments may contribute to these differences in learner development.

Work in progress - a provisional competency assessment system

Over the last two years Olin College has been defining and implementing a provisional system to develop and assess student competency levels. The system particularly emphasizes the importance of creating a community of practice that includes not only faculty but also staff and students. In this paper we provide an overview of the design process, and comment on the results of our first year of implementing the system

Non-Traditional Assessments for New Learning Approaches: Competency Evaluation in Project-Based Introductory Materials Science

Over the last twenty years, NSF and the engineering community have called for systemic changes in engineering education, including an emphasis on contextual understanding; increased teaming skills, including collaborative, active learning; and an improved capacity for life-long, self-directed learning. In addition, ABET has called for engineering graduates that demonstrate an ability to apply science and engineering, and ABET requires assessment processes designed to measure student achievement of learning outcomes. Olin College has responded to these calls for change by embracing new learning approaches and assessment techniques, and by developing project-based courses that encourage experiential understanding of content and aid the development of life-long learning skills. To address the assessment needs of new pedagogical approaches, Olin recently instituted a competency based assessment system to accompany the traditional course grading system already in place. The thread of competency assessments provides grading coherency for both faculty and students, and it provides students with valuable information concerning their development of nontraditional skills that they could use to identify shortcomings and further their learning. In this paper, we describe the new pedagogical approaches in Olins introductory materials science course, and we explain our implementation of the competency assessment system to measure student attainment of both materials science knowledge and broader skills such as teaming, communication, and experimental inquiry.