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Science and Mathematics Education

Iowa State University

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Sarah A. Rajala

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Full-Text Articles in Education

The Honour House Project: Reservist Re-Entry Program, Sarah A. Rajala, Kevin J. Wainwright, Barbara E. Endicott-Popovsky Jun 2011

The Honour House Project: Reservist Re-Entry Program, Sarah A. Rajala, Kevin J. Wainwright, Barbara E. Endicott-Popovsky

Sarah A. Rajala

Both the United States and Canada invest a great deal of resources in the training of their military personal. Many of the skills and experiences accumulated by soldiers are those that are highly valued by civilian employers. Further, these skills are often embodied in academic programs, suggesting soldiers would have a comparative advantage in such programs; however, despite the efforts of government agencies, many soldiers are unable to convert their skills and training into meaningful careers. While there are several reasons why individuals leaving military duty have trouble re-integrating into work and education, one of the major obstacles is the …


The Development Of Undergraduate Distance Education Engineering Programs In North Carolina, Sarah A. Rajala, Tom Miller Jun 2007

The Development Of Undergraduate Distance Education Engineering Programs In North Carolina, Sarah A. Rajala, Tom Miller

Sarah A. Rajala

The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has a strong track record in providing distance education to the citizens in North Carolina through credit-based courses and degree programs. To provide increased access to engineering education on the undergraduate level and enhance the success of the student transfer population, the College of Engineering developed two new 2+2 engineering programs and a distance education bachelor of science in engineering program. The 2+2 programs are designed to provide students enrolled at institutions without engineering programs the opportunity to take some of the fundamental engineering courses in addition to their general education …


Preparing New Faculty Members To Be Successful: A No-Brainer And Yet A Radical Concept, Rebecca Brent, Sarah A. Rajala, Richard M. Felder Jun 2006

Preparing New Faculty Members To Be Successful: A No-Brainer And Yet A Radical Concept, Rebecca Brent, Sarah A. Rajala, Richard M. Felder

Sarah A. Rajala

A multifaceted program at North Carolina State University involving workshops and mentorships helps prepare new faculty members and graduate students for successful academic careers. This paper describes the elements of the program, reviews assessment data for each element, and offers recommendations to engineering schools wishing to establish their own programs for new and future faculty members.


Succeed-Sponsored Freshman Year Engineering Curriculum Improvements At Nc State: A Longitudinal Study Of Retention, Matthew W. Ohland, Sarah A. Rajala, Timothy J. Anderson Jun 2001

Succeed-Sponsored Freshman Year Engineering Curriculum Improvements At Nc State: A Longitudinal Study Of Retention, Matthew W. Ohland, Sarah A. Rajala, Timothy J. Anderson

Sarah A. Rajala

NC State’s involvement in the NSF-sponsored SUCCEED Coalition has led to a number of changes to the freshman year of the engineering curriculum as reported previously (e.g., ASEE 1999, Porter, et al.). An explicit objective of these changes was to retain in engineering those students who were qualified and interested in engineering, but were leaving engineering for other reasons. While a number of isolated innovations have been studied and have demonstrated positive benefit, this study looks at each freshman cohort from 1987 through 1998 to evaluate changes in retention in engineering during that period. Eleven cohorts were studied; five (1987- …


Ec2000 Criterion 2: A Procedure For Creating, Assessing, And Documenting Program Educational Objectives, Michael Carter, Sarah A. Rajala, Rebecca Brent Jun 2001

Ec2000 Criterion 2: A Procedure For Creating, Assessing, And Documenting Program Educational Objectives, Michael Carter, Sarah A. Rajala, Rebecca Brent

Sarah A. Rajala

Criterion 2 [Program Educational Objectives (PEO)] is arguably the most important part of ABET EC2000. PEO embody the broad vision for an engineering program that drives the overall accreditation process. They also provide a crucial nexus point for the assessment of each program, the point at which the programmatic issues of the other EC2000 criteria—curriculum, faculty, facilities, etc.—are considered within the larger context of the needs of key constituencies of the program and the mission of the institution. Criterion 2 plays an essential role in EC2000's goal of encouraging continuous improvement in engineering programs and of providing the opportunity for …