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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Implementing Professional Skills Training In Stem: A Review Of The Literature, Ann M. Gansemer-Topf, Qing Li, Shan Jiang, Guk E. Okudan-Kremer, Nigel Forest Reuel Oct 2020

Implementing Professional Skills Training In Stem: A Review Of The Literature, Ann M. Gansemer-Topf, Qing Li, Shan Jiang, Guk E. Okudan-Kremer, Nigel Forest Reuel

ASEE North Midwest Section Annual Conference 2020 Publications

Background: Project management and other professional skill training is often lacking in graduate student education, typically as a result of limited resources, lack of faculty buy-in, and narrow focus on thesis research. To address this need and with support from NSF, we are developing the Graduates for Advancing Professional Skills (GAPS) program at Iowa State University. To aid the initial development of this program, we conducted a literature review to understand the current context of the development and implementation of professional skills in higher education curricula, with specific interest in STEM fields.
Purpose: The purpose of our study was …


Student Responses To Active Learning Strategies: A Comparison Between Project-Based And Traditional Engineering Programs, Elizabeth Pluskwik, Yuezhou Wang Jun 2020

Student Responses To Active Learning Strategies: A Comparison Between Project-Based And Traditional Engineering Programs, Elizabeth Pluskwik, Yuezhou Wang

Integrated Engineering Department Publications

Prior research has shown that active learning strategies in engineering education improve student learning, motivation, and retention in STEM disciplines. Yet, instructors are often hesitant to use active learning and other non-lecture strategies due to challenges from students who are resistant to engaging in these methods. Prior research has suggested strategies that can be used to mitigate student resistance to active learning, yet many faculty members have not yet implemented active learning into their engineering education courses. The global demand for entrepreneurially-minded engineers and the rapid growth of engineering programs embracing this mindset increases the need for actionable resources and …


Targeted Presentation Skill Trainings To Nurture Construction Management Students At Florida International University, Gabriella D. Santi Kasabdji Mar 2020

Targeted Presentation Skill Trainings To Nurture Construction Management Students At Florida International University, Gabriella D. Santi Kasabdji

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today’s fast-paced work environment, competent construction managers (CM) are vital for project success. However, to be competent, these professionals require the mastery of not only technical skills but also soft skills that enable them to achieve their full potential. Regardless, many CM prize technical abilities over the day-to-day writing, speaking, and overall soft skills, assuming these are not as important to the knowledge of complex concepts. Industry leaders confirm this, as evidence states graduate construction managers lack the basic communication skills to “hit the ground running”. That said, academic programs should seek to adapt and nurture these vital skill …


Inclusion & Marginalization: How Perceptions Of Design Thinking Pedagogy Influence Computer, Electrical, And Software Engineering Identity, Sarah L. Rodriguez, Erin E. Doran, Rachel E. Friedensen, Elizabeth Martínez-Podolsky, Paul S. Hengesteg Jan 2020

Inclusion & Marginalization: How Perceptions Of Design Thinking Pedagogy Influence Computer, Electrical, And Software Engineering Identity, Sarah L. Rodriguez, Erin E. Doran, Rachel E. Friedensen, Elizabeth Martínez-Podolsky, Paul S. Hengesteg

Faculty Publications

Engineering identity plays a vital role in the persistence of engineering students, yet limited research exists on how particular pedagogical approaches influence engineering identity at the college level. This qualitative case study explored how undergraduate student perceptions of design thinking pedagogy influence computer, electrical, and software engineering identity. The study found that design thinking pedagogy reinforces the recognition of an engineering identity, particularly for those from historically marginalized groups (i.e., women, people of color). Intentional implementation, including organization and framing of design thinking pedagogy, was an essential foundation for fostering student interest in the course and connecting to their role …


Set And Spike: Mentoring A Student-Athlete In Stem For Undergraduate Engineering Education Research, Leroy Long Iii, Mckenna D. Gooch Jan 2020

Set And Spike: Mentoring A Student-Athlete In Stem For Undergraduate Engineering Education Research, Leroy Long Iii, Mckenna D. Gooch

Publications

It is well known that student-athletes are more diverse and higher academic achievers, on average, than their collegiate peers. However, little research has explored the mentoring relationships of student-athletes who conduct undergraduate research. Unique challenges and opportunities exist for student-athletes and faculty when it comes to mentoring undergraduate research in fields like science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Using a collaborative autoethnographic methodological approach and apprenticeship theory, our personal narratives detail how an engineering professor mentored a former engineering student-athlete for undergraduate engineering education research. We offer several findings and recommendations.


Early Engineering Experience (E3) Initiative, Danielle Nicole Carter, Rafael E. Landaeta Jan 2020

Early Engineering Experience (E3) Initiative, Danielle Nicole Carter, Rafael E. Landaeta

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This Work in Progress paper details an initiative designed to broaden exposure and attract increased interest in the study of engineering of a minority-serving institution (MSI) with a plurality of races represented. The University's student population where this initiative is being implemented consists of 26.2% African American and 6% that identify with two or more races. In contrast, the College of Engineering in this University is 20% African American; the freshmen class makes up 6.3% of this figure. By USDOE standards, this characterization is indicative of a predominantly white institution (PWI). According to the Bureau of Labor Statics, underrepresented minorities …


Exploring The Relationship Between Teamwork Skills And Team Members' Centrality, Francisco Cima, Pilar Pazos, Ana Maria Canto Jan 2020

Exploring The Relationship Between Teamwork Skills And Team Members' Centrality, Francisco Cima, Pilar Pazos, Ana Maria Canto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The present paper describes an exploratory study of small teams working on a four-month project as part of a graduate engineering program. The research had two primary goals. The first was to utilize the log files from shared repositories used for team collaboration to describe the network structure of the teams. The second was to determine whether the network centrality of any individual team member is associated with their teamwork skills and attitudes towards the collaboration platform. The relationship between teamwork skills, attitudes towards the collaboration technology, and the centrality index was explored using Pearson correlations. A total of 35 …