Engineering Education Commons^™

Addressing Mercury Contamination From Artisanal Gold Mining In Colombia: Pollution Exposure, Health Risk, And Educational Efforts In The Communities Of La Toma, Colombia, Kelli Mccourt

All Dissertations

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has become a primary environmental and public health concern in the region of Colombia known as Alto Cauca. The predominantly Afro-descendent communities of Yolombó and La Toma in Alto Cauca have experienced pollution linked to the use of mercury in the ASGM process. For the past decade, mercury has emerged as a contaminant of increasing concern in the communities due to its toxicity and ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify. Likewise, mining in the region raises concerns over the leaching of metals into local waters. Given the complexity of risk and pollution in the communities, …

Strategies For Engagement Of Non-Traditional Students In Engineering-Related Courses, Kimberly T. Luthi Dr., David Harvie, Keith Wilson, Monica Surrency

Publications

Project Goals

Overview

• Goal #1: Increase students' commitment to engineering pathways.
• Goal #2: Increase academic performance and persistence in engineering.
• Goal #3: Increase persistence of Veterans in engineering pathways.

Research Questions

• How does students' participation in peer-led team learning activities in online engineering courses correlate to their a) commitment to engineering, b) engineering identity, and c) self-efficacy.
• How do students in peer-led team learning activities compare to students in non-PLTL groups in terms of a) academic performance and b) persistence in engineering pathways?

Challenging The Notion Of Role Models In Engineering Outreach Programs For Youth, Kelli M. Paul, Karen Miel, Merredith D. Portsmore, Adam Maltese

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Engineering outreach programs often portray outreach educators as role models for youth. It is widely believed that introducing youth, especially girls, to potential engineering role models will broaden participation in engineering majors and careers. Based on interviews with and surveys of fourth- and fifth-grade girls participating in an engineering outreach program, we question whether youth are looking for career role models, and we challenge the assumption that youth will take up an adult as a role model simply because the adult is presented as such. We question what role these ‘‘models’’ play in the minds and lives of youth and …

A Positioning Theory Analysis Of Interaction Surrounding Design Failures In An Elementary Engineering Club, Katarina N. Silvestri, Mary B. Mcvee, Lynn E. Shanahan, Kenneth English

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This qualitative study applies Positioning Theory to identify positions that mediate the experiences of design failure within the context of an afterschool engineering club (EC) with elementary students diverse in language, race, ethnicity, gender, and academic abilities. We ask: (1) What kinds of structural design failure and failure responses did participants in EC experience? and (2) What are students’ and teachers’ positions in relation to responses to design failure? Types of positions (e.g., builder, tinkerer, idea-elicitor, director, observer) were identified in relation to children’s and teachers’ actions and speech in response to structural design failure during EC. Participants included 12 …

Teaching To Develop Perspective, Skills, Confidence, And Identity As Problem-Solving Engineers, Russell Kirk Pirlo

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

The “core” of an engineering degree program typically comprises the concepts, equations, and technical skills needed, as well as their practical application to common problems of the profession. This core is then divided into the “content” that must be covered in each course. It is widely recognized, however, that successful individuals do not thrive as professionals on content alone. Thus, there is significant and increasing emphasis across higher education to “educate the whole person.” These efforts aim to develop “deep” qualities like grit, critical thinking, perseverance, learning from failure, valuing diversity, teamwork, leadership, curiosity, recognizing opportunity, creating value, and acting …

Exploring Science And Engineering Practices In Children’S Picture Books, Derrick A. Nero, Kathleen Everts Danielson

Michigan Reading Journal

This article features an annotated bibliography of children’s books that illustrate engineering concepts tied to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Science and Engineering Practices for K-2 students (National Science Teaching Association -NSTA, n.d., see Appendix A) and NGSS K-2 Engineering Design performance expectations (NSTA, n.d., see Appendix B). The selected children’s books encourage discussion and model the process of inquiry and problem solving that may inspire young children to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) questions of their own.

Eipeck: Assessing Educators’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge For Engineering Integration In K-12, Pilar Pazos, Francisco Cima Cohuo, Jennifer Kidd, Kristie Gutierrez, Krishnanand Kaipa, Orlando Ayala

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Global efforts are underway to include engineering in pre-college curricula. In the USA, this pursuit led to the inclusion of engineering content in the most recent version of the Next Generation Science Standards that guide K-12 science. As these standards become part of the K-12 curriculum, teachers face the challenge of gaining basic engineering literacy, while developing the associated inclusive pedagogies necessary to integrate engineering content into their classrooms. In this context, teacher preparation programs can benefit from easy-to-implement tools that measure preservice teachers’ readiness to integrate engineering content in their future classrooms. This work describes the development and validation …

A Student Induction Program’S Impact On Young “Techies’” Purpose In Life And Its Effects On Their Well-Being: A Case Study Of Telangana, India, Ankit Shah

Dissertations

India's higher education system aims to develop well-rounded individuals with intellectual curiosity, a spirit of service, and a strong ethical foundation. However, the current state of technical higher education in India is criticized for mono-disciplinarity and rigid boundaries that do not provide an appropriate context for developing socially conscious individuals who make productive contributions to society. To address this growing concern, the Department of Higher Education in India introduced the Student Induction Program (SIP). The primary objective of the SIP is to foster purpose, which is not only meaningful to the students themselves but also to their nation; as such, …

Re(Engineering) Student Success: Constructing Knowledge On Students’ Experiences In Engineering Education Programs To Encourage Holistic Student Success, Shaylin Williams

Theses and Dissertations

If a group of engineering deans were asked whether students at their institutions were successful and why, what information might they immediately or subconsciously use to measure or gauge the engineering students’ success? If only academic performance outcomes like GPA, individual course grades, or graduation rate race to their minds, then their rationale aligns with the majority of researchers. My research seeks to shift the mindset that frames engineering student success mainly within the boundaries of academic performance measures. By measuring students’ perceived autonomy, competence, social integration and relatedness within their programs, and aspirations after graduation, one can more accurately …

Prairie Protector: Student Development Of Systems Thinking Habits In The Context Of Agroecosystems, Erin Ingram, Jennifer Keshwani

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Introduction: The Great Plains ecosystem offers an opportunity for young people to gain knowledge about intricate systems through practical learning. The spread of woody plants into grasslands, known as the “Green Glacier,” poses a risk to biodiversity and animal production. Although effective management strategies exist, some land managers are reluctant to use them. It is critical to cultivate a scientifically literate population that can think systematically and make informed decisions based on STEM principles to address such complex agroecosystem problems.

Methods: In this study, semi-structured focus group discussions with high school students were analyzed to determine whether Prairie …

Examining The Influence Of The Classroom Environment On Motivation, Belonging, And Academic Confidence In Engineering Education: A Relational Developmental Systems Approach, Robert O'Hara

All Dissertations

This dissertation explores the impact of the classroom environment on undergraduate engineering students by integrating three manuscripts using the process-person-context-time (PPCT) model within Bioecological Systems Theory. Each manuscript focused on students’ sense of belonging, motivation, and academic confidence. The study confirms prior research suggesting a link between students' perceptions of the environment and their sense of belonging, motivation, and academic confidence. The findings highlight the complex nature of student and classroom environment relationships throughout their college experience. Moreover, the results are demonstrated across different engineering majors. Overall, this dissertation highlights the significance of understanding the complex interactions between students and …

The Unstoppable Rise Of Ai: An Interview With Dr. John Sanford, Spencer Burrows, And Anna Birchler, Brandon Powell, Spencer Burrows

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

AI can both help and hurt the education field (higher education and secondary education). Despite Hollywood’s depiction of artificial intelligence solely in the form of killer death robots decades into the future, AI is much more versatile - and far more dangerous - than any killer robot could be. As artificial intelligence develops at a breakneck pace, its effect on our society will increase exponentially.

Emerging Technology And Pedagogical Application In Design Education, Ritesh Ranjan, Pooja Rana Ms.

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

This research paper investigates the emerging technologies and pedagogical applications in design education. The rapid development of technology has opened up new possibilities for design education, and it is important to explore how these emerging technologies can be used to enhance pedagogical practices. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential of emerging technologies in design education and their impact on pedagogical practices.

The study employs a qualitative research methodology and draws on a range of literature sources, including academic articles, books, and reports. The research explores the use of emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented …

Rebranding Originality For The Age Of Ai, Jason Gulya

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

"Originality" has been a longstanding focal point within the college classroom, with students being encouraged to embrace creativity and boldness. The traditional view of originality, relying solely on one's wit and imagination, has lost its effectiveness in the present era. The concept of learning has undergone a significant transformation, no longer resembling the isolated ivory tower of the past where individuals would immerse themselves in books, hoping to be inspired. Instead, modern learning has become more social and collaborative. Students compare and contrast class material with online resources, engaging in conversations, both in person and virtually, to solidify their understanding. …

Finchain: Adaptation Of Blockchain Technology In Finance And Business - An Ethical Analysis Of Applications, Challenges, Issues And Solutions, Naresh Kshetri, Keith Miller, Gaurango Banerjee, Bikesh Raj Upreti

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

Blockchain Technology is a distributed database technology that has emerged as a ground-breaking technology with several possible solutions to critical applications, say from supply chain management, agribusiness, marketing to healthcare industry including internet of medical things. Although it started as a digital coin (popularly known as bitcoin), it is slowly influencing business, marketing policy and society. We have presented an in-depth study and ethical analysis of how blockchain is applied over the economic and financial sector including banks, credit unions and other retail giants. During our research, we have also investigated how blockchain technology can affect financial institutions around the …

An Investigation Of The Advantages And Disadvantages Of University Students As Avatars In Virtual Learning Spaces, Gary Burnett, Catherine Harvey

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

Authors have noted the increasing importance of avatars in Higher Education, as more teaching is conducted virtually, drawing upon gaming conventions. However, it is also recognised that little is known about how students make use of avatars (especially over an extended period) and the subsequent impact on learning experiences. For the last three years, a university module has been conducted within a persistent virtual world – where students (49 in 2020; 95 in 2021; 122 in 2022) predominantly interact with each other and teaching staff in avatar form. Observation data constitutes 60 hours of video recordings of virtual world seminars. …

Editor's Forward, James Hutson

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

No abstract provided.

Emergent Bilinguals’ Participation In Multilingual Engineering Learning Ecologies, Alberto Esquinca, Maria Teresa De La Piedra, Lidia Herrera-Rocha

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Students classified as English language learners (ELLs), many of whom are also Hispanic/Latine´/x, are at times excluded from opportunities to engage in engineering design experiences due to the emphasis on learning English. In dual language bilingual education, however, language policies that allow for the use and development of more than one language afford opportunities for ELLs that are not available in monolingual environments. We draw on a multilingual learning ecology theoretical framework to analyze data gathered from a two-year ethnographic study. During approximately 200 hours of field work, we gathered multiple forms of data through ethnographic methods, to include field …

Teaching Learning Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 2, Sastra Deemed To Be University

TLC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Mentoring Experiences Of Undergraduate Students And Faculty Members In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Pamela Martínez Oquendo

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I present a comprehensive view of mentoring experiences of undergraduate students and faculty members in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In Chapter 1, I describe a brief outline of this dissertation. In Chapter 2, I present an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experiences of former STEM undergraduate mentors of the Nebraska STEM For You (NE STEM 4U) afterschool mentoring program. In Chapter 3, I describe how the ramifications of faculty mentorship influence the science pipeline using a qualitative synthesis. In Chapter 4, I describe how the STEM faculty-student mentoring engagement involves a strong psychological support component using a …

Contextualizing And Integrating Practices: Reclaiming Authenticity Lost From Translating Workplace Engineering Practices Into K-12 Standards, Anne E. Leak, Lindsay M. Owens, Kelly Norris Martin, Benjamin M. Zwickl

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

K-12 students need to become familiar with engineering because 21st-century careers integrate engineering practices across all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. While the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize learning real science and engineering practices, further work is needed to authenticate engineering for K-12 education. The NGSS are presented in a way that merges a single general practice with a core disciplinary idea and cross-cutting concept. Based on this framing and underlying epistemology, NGSS engineering practices are often implemented as overgeneralized, isolated, and largely context-neutral. Yet, in the STEM workplace, practices are rarely done in isolation from one …

Empowering Student Success: Unlocking The Potential Of Project-Based Steel Design Education, Aly Mousaad Aly

Faculty Publications

In the pursuit of student success, it is essential to acknowledge that a singular teaching style does not universally cater to all students. The educator's crucial role lies in creating an optimal learning environment that fosters students' endeavors to excel. This endeavor transcends mere classroom success or employment prospects, encompassing a broader impact on societal well-being. An experiential learning approach, where students actively engage in practical tasks, emerges as the most effective mode of instruction. Integrating project-based learning activities into the curriculum holds immense potential for enhancing student learning. Additionally, the utilization of analysis software tools like FTool and STAAD …

Bend And Not Break: Examining Hispanic Engineering Student's Academic Challenges During Covid-19, Eleazar Marquez, Samuel Garcia

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Student success in higher education remains an area of interest, particularly for underrepresented minorities. Studies reveal that while Latino college enrollment has increased, retention rates continue to be an ongoing struggle. Several factors that attribute to such low rates include academic self-concept, family support, cognitive mapping, managing resources, background characteristics, and separation and maintenance of family ties. In the wake of COVID-19, most institutions responded by terminating in-person instruction, mandating to seek off-campus housing, and shifting to a fully remote context. As such, students were unable to utilize campus resources and engage in established educational campus practices. In this research …

Keeping Calm And Staying Balanced: Exploring The Academic Pressures Faced By Engineering Students To Attain High Grades And Their Impact On Mental Health, Eleazar Marquez, Samuel Garcia

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Studies reveal that grades have a short-term impact on students’ self-efficacy, motivation, and decision making. Earning high grades has become a focal point for engineering students to secure three types of opportunities: internships, post-graduation employment, and graduate school acceptance. Nonetheless, the desire to attain a competitive grade-point-average may lead to negative psychosocial effects such as increased mental exertion, physical exhaustion, anxiety, and overall lack of work-life balance. In this paper, the authors extend their prior study on the impact of grades in engineering education. The first study was conducted in the spring of 2019 at a tier one, small private …

Leveling The Playing Field: Enacting Equitable Pedagogy To Teach Rigid Body Dynamics, Eleazar Marquez, Samuel Garcia

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Research examining the quality of engineering programs across different instructions of learning has revealed that no two programs are alike. Each program has unique and distinctive features that influence the quality and rigor of education that students receive. Institutional culture, leadership, faculty preparedness, funding and many other factors influence program quality. Additionally, researchers have also noted that many institutional gaps and equity related issues are persistent and troublesome facets that further exacerbate the academic gaps in STEM education. It is within this context, that students attending top tier universities will likely have remarkedly vast academic experiences in terms of level …

Impact Of Perceived Stress During Oral Examination On Student Performance Outcomes, Alex M. Phan, Minju Kim, Marko V. Lubarda, Curt Schurgers, Huihui Qi

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Perceived stress plays an important role in student performance during examinations. There has been substantial research on how examinations impact students' emotional experiences in diverse academic contexts in connection to validity, reliability, and equity of assessment. The potential of some exams to produce increased anxiety in a portion of students has been recognized as a serious threat to these three assessment attributes. In light of this, the need for further studies on the impact of perceived stress on student performance is critical with the recent rise in interest in oral examinations as an assessment tool for large undergraduate courses. This …

From Rote Learning To Deep Learning: Filling The Gap By Enhancing Engineering Students' Reasoning Skills Through Explanatory Learning Activities, Huihui Qi, Minju Kim, Yu Li, Carolyn L. Sandoval, Curt Schurgers, Marko Lubarda, Xuan Emily Gedney, Saharnaz Baghdadchi, Alex M. Phan

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Rote learning refers to the superficial learning of concepts and procedures, typically by brute memorization and with little integration into existing cognitive schemas, resulting in poor knowledge retention and inability to apply the knowledge in new and evolving contexts. With rote learning, students usually learn declarative and procedural knowledge but usually do not pay attention to conditional knowledge (when to use what knowledge). As a result, they usually can replicate the problem-solving process in a familiar context but are unable to transfer the knowledge and use the concept for a new application.

This paper explores the use of explanatory learning …

Peer Oral Exams: A Learner-Centered Authentic Assessment Approach Scalable To Large Classes, Marko V. Lubarda, Alex M. Phan, Maziar Ghazinejad, Nathan Delson, Saharnaz Baghdadchi, Curt Schurgers, Minju Kim, Josephine Relaford-Doyle, Carolyn L. Sandoval, Huihui Qi

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Peer oral exams, a cross between oral exams and peer assessment, were designed and implemented in a high-enrollment undergraduate computer programming course for engineers. The intention was to leverage the educational and implementational advantages of both evidence-based approaches simultaneously. Oral exams, for instance, have been argued to promote conceptual understanding, self-reflection, communication competency, and professional identity formation in students – but their deployment in large classes is resource-demanding and nontrivial, stifling their broader adoption. Peer assessment, on the other hand, is highly scalable and affords students many potential educational benefits of its own, including the benefits of peer-enhanced learning, more …

Impact Of Critical Narrative On Students’ Abilities To Recognize Ethical Dilemmas In Engineering Work, Jeff Brown, Chad Rohrbacher, Taylor J. Mitchell, Dr. Leroy Long Iii, Jenna Korentsides, Joseph R. Keebler

Publications

This study aims to investigate the impact of exposure to critical narratives on students' abilities to recognize ethical dilemmas and broader impacts in engineering work. Critical narratives are place-based stories that engage students and help them enhance their critical thinking skills by making connections between the narratives, broader impacts of engineering work, and their responsibility to address these issues. The effectiveness of the critical narrative intervention was assessed by implementing discussion-based assignments around three critical narratives, which required students to listen to the narrative, respond to focus questions, engage with their peers, and reflect on the process. The intervention was …

Factors Influencing Student Outcomes In K-12 Integrated Stem Education: A Systematic Review, Kadir Kozan, Secil Caskurlu, Siddika Selcen Guzey

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Earlier integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education research has shown effects on students’ attitudes toward STEM careers, actual and perceived learning, and interest in pursuing a STEM career in their future endeavors. The current systematic review purported to review the recent K-12 integrated STEM education research to determine (a) the factors that influence student outcomes and (b) the general characteristics of reviewed studies. Overall, the results (a) showed that most studies focused on integrating at least three subject areas; (b) highlighted four main factors (i.e., instructional, teacher-related, student-related, and extracurricular factors) that jointly influence student outcomes; and (c) …