Engineering Education Commons^™

Improving Introductory Computer Science Education With Draco, Mike Dongyub Ryu

Master's Theses

Today, many introductory computer science courses rely heavily on a specific programming language to convey fundamental programming concepts. For beginning students, the cognitive capacity required to operate with the syntactic forms of this language may overwhelm their ability to formulate a solution to a program.

We recognize that the introductory computer science courses can be more effective if they convey fundamental concepts without requiring the students to focus on the syntax of a programming language. To achieve this, we propose a new teaching method based on the Design Recipe and Code Outlining (DRaCO) processes. Our new pedagogy capitalizes on the …

How To Shape Attitudes Toward Stem Careers: The Search For The Most Impactful Extracurricular Clubs, Fethiye Ozis, Ali Osman Pektas, Mustafa Akca, Daniel’Le April Devoss

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

It is well known that strong extracurricular STEM programs provide multiple arenas for students to expand on classroom curriculum, complementing STEM skills with creative thinking and open-ended problem solving. It has been shown that there is a relationship between the number of STEM clubs students participated in and their choice of STEM major (Sahin, 2013). Considering financial problems, including budget cuts, it gets really challenging for schools to provide a plethora of clubs. For this reason, it would be very beneficial for K–12 schools to know if certain clubs are more effective in changing attitudes toward STEM majors, and therefore …

‘‘Lend A Hand’’ Project Helps Students: Improved Spatial Visualization Skills Through Engaging In Hands-On 3-D Printed Prosthetics Project During A 9th Grade Engineering Course, Shaunna Smith, Kimberly Talley

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

Research shows that high spatial ability is linked to success and persistence in STEM. Empirical investigations often report a gender gap in favor of male students. The purpose of this research study was to assess changes to 9th grade engineering students’ spatial visualization skills through engagement in a nine-week collaborative 3-D printed prosthetics project embedded within their existing ‘‘Beginning Concepts of Engineering’’ course curriculum. Using concurrent mixed methods, this study examined pre-/post-test scores on the Revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (Revised PSVT:R) in connection with gender, course grades, and level of involvement in the project. Both male and female …

Sustainability Children's Book, Linden Cheek

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As human driven climate change continues to alter our planet, persuading the general public to adopt sustainable living practices has become increasingly important. Storytelling has long been a part of human culture, and recent studies have emphasized the power of storytelling to influence the audience as a means of changing behavior. This project attempted to teach sustainable principles to primary school children through the creation of a scientific children’s book. The book communicated the maxim of “reduce, reuse, recycle” by tracing a fictitious story of a town where children frequently buy new toys and throw the old toys away. The …

Redshirt In Engineering: A Model For Improving Equity And Inclusion, Donna C. Llewellyn, Ann Delaney, Janet Callahan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The NSF-funded Redshirt in Engineering Consortium was formed in 2016 with the goal of enhancing the ability of academically talented but underprepared students coming from low-income backgrounds to successfully graduate with engineering degrees. The Consortium takes its name from the practice of redshirting in college athletics, with the idea of providing an extra year and support to help promising engineering students complete a bachelor’s degree. The Consortium builds on the success of three existing “academic redshirt” programs and expands the model to three new schools. The Existing Redshirt Institutions (ERIs) help mentor and train the new Student Success Partners (SSP), …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Integrated Stem: A Phenomenological Study, Brian K. Sandall, Darrel L. Sandall, Abram L. J. Walton

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

The study utilized a semistructured interview approach to identify phenomena that are related to integrated STEM education by addressing the question: What are the critical components of an integrated STEM definition and what critical factors are necessary for an integrated STEM definition’s implementation? Thirteen expert practitioners were identified and interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed for content in three different ways: by person, by interview question, and across all interviews using exploratory data analysis methods. Ten identified phenomena were grouped into two classes: structural implementation phenomena and interpersonal implementation phenomena. The structural implementation phenomena were: subject integration, project-based learning, …

Making Connections: Evaluation Of A Professional Development Program For Teachers Focused On Stem Integration, Judy Lambert, Carmen Cioc, Sorin Cioc, Dawn Sandt

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

This article reports on a 2-year evaluation of a STEM integration professional development (PD) program for 40 math, science, and special education teachers in Grades 5–9 from a large Midwestern public school district. The National Research Council’s framework for integrated STEM education (Honey, Pearson, & Schweingruber, 2014) was used to explain the goals, outcomes, nature and scope, and implementation of the program. Teachers were measured on their growth in STEM content knowledge, technology integration, teaching confidence, pedagogical beliefs, and impact of PD. Increases resulted in all these areas with statistically significant improvements in most of them, particularly in Year 2. …

Motivational Decline And Recovery In Higher Education Stem Courses, Anna M. Young, Paul J. Wendel, Joan M. Esson, Kathryn M. Plank

Education Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

Decline in student motivation is a concern for STEM education, especially for underrepresented groups in the sciences. Using the Science Motivation Questionnaire II, 41 foundational STEM courses were surveyed at the beginning and end of each semester in an academic year at a small primarily undergraduate university. Significant pre- to post-semester declines were observed in each of five measured motivational factors (Intrinsic motivation, Career motivation, Self determination, Self-efficacy, and Grade motivation), with effect sizes ranging from 0.21 to 0.41. However, in the second semester pre-survey, four motivational factors rebounded, including three returning to initial levels, suggesting that the observed motivational …

A Route Less Traveled: Principals’ Perceptions Of Alternative Licensed Cte Teachers, Scott R. Bartholomew, Emma P. Bullock, Louis S. Nadelson

Faculty Publications

The shortage of teachers prepared to teach career and technical education (CTE) courses, or willing to work in certain locations (e.g. inner city, rural), has motivated the desire to explore solutions such as alternative routes to teacher licensure (ARL). Most ARL programs bypass colleges of education and provide a different approach to preparing individuals to teach, leaving many to wonder about the quality and knowledge of these teachers. Specific areas, such as CTE, have seen a large influx of ARL teachers in recent years. We sought to determine school principals’ perceptions of ARL CTE teachers. We found principal support for …

Introducing Hpc To Local High School Curriculums, Madison Matli, Devin Smoot, Jeremy Evert

Student Research

High Performance Computing is a topic that hasn’t been introduced or discussed in most Oklahoma high school curriculums. While students are being pushed to take more general electives, they are missing out on important knowledge pertaining to their field of study. This process usually occurs because students lack access to educational materials or because the school simply does not offer certain specialty courses. Learning high level information at a young age can help students excel in future college courses and research projects. My research is focused on providing Oklahoma high schools with a simplistic High-Performance Computing guide that walks through …

Tracing Sources Of Design Uncertainty And Controversy In Web 2.0 Facilitated Collaborative Design Process, Lockias Chitanana Dr, Desmond Wesley Govender Dr

The African Journal of Information Systems

The integration of Internet-based collaborative tools such as Web 2.0 technologies to facilitate the design process has rendered collaborative design a chaotic practice filled with controversy and uncertainty, with the inevitable risk of unintended consequences. The purpose of this study was to trace the sources of design controversy in a Web 2.0 facilitated collaborative design process. The study employed an Actor Network Theory (ANT) methodological framework to explore design controversy in five design teams comprising of 4 to 6 undergraduate engineering students. Data was constituted by following the traces left by the actors, both human and nonhumans, their actions and …

A Comparative Analysis Of Holographic, 3d-Printed, And Computer-Generated Models: Implications For Engineering Technology Students' Spatial Visualization Ability, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Mildred V. Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

A number of studies indicate that the use of holographic displays can influence spatial visualization ability; however, research provides inconsistent results. Considering this, a quasi-experimental study was conducted to identify the existence of statistically significant effects on sectional view drawing ability due to the impacts of holographic displays. In particular, the study compared the use of three different types of displays: 3D printed model, computer generated model, and holographic model to determine whether a significant difference exists towards sectional view drawing ability, among engineering technology students. According to the results of this study, it is suggested that the impact of …

Impact Of First-Year Initiatives On Retention Of Students: Are There Differences In Retention Of Students By Ethnicity And Gender?, Patricia Backer, Joseph Green, Bryan Matlen, Cindy Kato

Faculty Publications

Project Succeed is a campus-wide initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Its focus is to improve the 5-year graduation and retention rates and close the achievement gap for Under-Represented Minorities (URMs) across all majors at San José State University (SJSU). In addition, SJSU has a high percent of first generation students. We have several thrusts under this project: block scheduling, Faculty/Staff Mentor program, expanding Peer Educators, developing a First Year Experience Program, and developing more student living learning communities. This project is in its fourth year and we have analyzed each project effort with respect to its impact …

Exploring Possible Humanoids On Mars: A Lesson Designed For Twice-Exceptional Gifted Students, Younis Al-Hassan, Marie Adebiyi, Shehreen Iqtadar, Dana L. Atwood-Blaine

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This practical article presents a classroom-tested pedagogical plan to assist instructors in teaching thinking skills to gifted students with disabilities in the context of science. The lesson, which focused on using Edward de Bono thinking skills to explore humanoid images that appear in NASA photos, provided accommodations for students with hearing impairment, along with disabilities associated with short and long-term memory. The instructional design team presented the arts-integrated activity of drawing scenes showing possible ways the anomalies could have been generated, and an interactive electronic game using iPads that asked participants to gather needed items for a trip to Mars. …

Faces On Mars Lesson: Incorporating Art, Thinking Skills, And Disability Differentiation Strategies For Twice-Exceptional Gifted Students, Marine Pepanyan, Mike Fisher, Audrey Wallican-Green

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This practical article provides an example art-integrated lesson designed to serve gifted students with the exceptionalities of deficits in executive functioning and in impulse control. The lesson used the mysterious science problem of possible life on Mars as evidenced by anomalous faces in NASA photographs as a stimulus for practice in processing information through three Edward de Bono CoRT Thinking Skills. This lesson demonstrated differentiating instruction for gifted students with disabilities that included hands-on and peer-involved exercises. Examples of student work showing comic book-like stories about the famous Face on Mars are included, along with student responses to the thinking …

Exploring Mars Mysteries In Nasa Photographs: Could Some Images Be Animal Skeletons?, Laura Meyer, Rob Griffin, Dan Butler

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

The NASA photographs containing what appear to be animal skeletons have created a mystery that remains unsolved today. Because they generate questions and inquiries in many arenas, the animal skeleton pictures were used to help gifted students critically think about how these structures were created. Several additional exceptionalities common in most groups of students, including attention deficit disorder with and without hyperactivity and difficulties in executive functioning, were addressed through the lesson design. The exceptionalities were addressed through methods that could be used in any classroom while using the Mars Animal Skeletons to motivate and engage students. Incorporation of teaching …

Is There Water On Mars? A De Bono Skills Mystery For Twice-Exceptional Gifted Students, Christopher Cox, Megan Sova-Tower, Nathan Wear

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

Is there water on Mars? Gifted adult graduate students, some of whom represented the learner exceptionalities of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Slow Information Processing Speed, were asked to explore this mystery by applying Edward de Bono’s CoRT thinking skills of “Aims, Goals, and Objectives,” “Select,” and “Planning” to photographs of Mars landforms. Once they had determined the likelihood that the pictures depicted water on Mars, students were asked to develop three-dimensional models with recycled materials. Analysis of the findings revealed that in utilizing the de Bono CoRT thinking skills, students were able to identify sixteen different categories. Student responses had …

Exploring Animal-Like Images In Nasa Photos Of Mars Using De Bono’S Cort Thinking Skills: Alternatives, Possibilities, And Choices, Compare, And Decisions, Kurt M. J. Devore, Allyson Rafanello, Nicholas Rafanello

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

The use of de Bono’s CoRT Thinking Skills of “Alternatives, Possibilities, and Choices,” “Compare,” and “Decisions” create opportunities for students to critically think about ideas using a new lens of thinking. The lesson was designed to accommodate twice-exceptional students, gifted students with the disabilities of dyslexia and/or dyscalculia, through three of the de Bono’s strategies integrated with activities. Gifted graduate students in this lesson were presented with an opportunity to explore and analyze the animal-like images from Mars using the three CoRT thinking skills. The photographs used in this lesson were provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the …

Mars Mysteries: Landform Pictograms, James Zabel, Mathieu Castello, Fiddelis Blessings Makaula

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

Graphic organizers are a way for teachers to accommodate students with disabilities such as poor memory or emotional disorders. This technique allows organization of thoughts and visual representation of relationships between ideas and facts. Indeed, poor memory affects students’ reflection and retention of information while emotional disorders can cause a lack of focus in the classroom. Accommodations for students with these disabilities is important because students with emotional disorders may experience social isolation, which in turn may negatively affect their levels of academic achievement. Twenty high-achieving doctoral students participated in a teaching experience designed to introduce gifted students with learning …

Exploring Mars Glass Tube Anomalies, Kimberly S. Mccoy-Parker, Gary Benda, Stanley Ebede

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This practical article provides information regarding the use of Edward de Bono CoRT thinking skills to broaden and enhance critical and creative thinking skills in twice exceptional students using the Mars Glass Tube Mystery as a vehicle to explore possibilities and spark creative thinking. The exceptionalities addressed in this lesson plan are gifted learners who have one or more additional exceptionalities of slow processing speed and / or poor fine motor skills. Throughout the lesson, the Mars Mystery photos leveraged both prior knowledge and student curiosity to create an engaging activity for the participants. CoRT thinking skills provided a robust …

How Did Those Get There? Exploring Structures And Pyramids On Mars, Abby Rau, Brooke Becker

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

The makeup of students in our classrooms is becoming more diverse. With this change comes the need for educators to provide accommodations for students and to employ a range of instructional strategies. Arts integration in the content areas is one way to engage students and to encourage individual expression. The purpose of this practical article is to highlight a lesson incorporating the arts and Edward de Bono’s CoRT Thinking Skills to support twice exceptional learners, specifically English Language Learners and students with Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Doctoral students considered the formation of pyramids and structures on Mars using …

Spotlight On Edward De Bono Thinking Skills And Twice-Exceptional Gifted Learners Applied To Mars Mysteries In Nasa Photographs, Ksenia S. Zhbanova, Audrey C. Rule

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This editorial provides background information concerning the lessons presented in the eight practical articles of this issue. All of these lessons address Mars Mysteries, anomalous features found in NASA photographs of the Martian surface. These unusual and thought-provoking features are explored by using Edward de Bono CoRT thinking skills to broaden perceptions enhancing critical and creative thinking. The lessons are intended to explore possibilities, but not to provide a definite final answer as to what the anomalies represent. These lessons were designed as enrichment lessons for gifted learners and support Renzulli’s Type I general exploratory experiences that expose students to …

Anatomy Of Stem Teaching In North American Universities, Paul J. Wendel, Joan M. Esson, Kathryn M. Plank, Anna M. Young

Education Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

A large body of evidence demonstrates that strategies that promote student interactions and cognitively engage students with content lead to gains in learning and attitudinal outcomes for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Many educational and governmental bodies have called for and supported adoption of these student centered strategies throughout the undergraduate STEM curriculum.

Choosing Stem College Majors: Exploring The Role Of Pre-College Engineering Courses, L. Allen Phelps, Eric M. Camburn, Sookweon Min

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

Despite the recent policy proclamations urging state and local educators to implement integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula, relatively little is known about the role and impact of pre-college engineering courses within these initiatives. When combined with appropriate mathematics and science courses, high school engineering and engineering technology (E&ET) courses may have the potential to provide students with pre-college learning experiences that encourage them to pursue STEM college majors. Our central research question was: What is the nature and extent of any relationship between high school E&ET course completion and subsequent selection of a STEM major in a …

Epics: Children's Educational Demonstrations, Aaron P. Kreuter, Ruby A. Wellen, Alexander D. Falkenberg, Jamie M. Arabshahi

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

A Novel Brainstorming Pedagogy To Mobilize Pico/Nano/Micro-Satellite (Pn-Msat) Engineering Research And Education In Indian Academia, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The article describes the outcome of activities to positively impact the careers of engineering graduates in India by engaging them in pico/nano/micro-satellite (PNMSat) engineering through a novel brainstorming pedagogy. The pedagogy, derived out of a systems engineering approach developed for the design and development of PNMSat/CubeSat missions, is used to teach a comprehensive course in PNMSat design engineering. The approach involves brainstorming the participants to conceive a PNMSat payload and teach the PNMSat bus design to accommodate the conceived payload. The approach and the comprehensive treatment of the material are the first of their kind in India in the field …

Engineering Identity Development: A Review Of Higher Education Literature, Sarah L. Rodriguez, Charles Lu, Morgan Bartlett

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to appraise and synthesize the current scholarship pertaining to engineering identity development within the higher education context and create recommendations for future scholarship within engineering education. A review of the literature concluded that research on engineering identity development has increased over the past ten years, has been conducted primarily with qualitative methods, and has been primarily limited to academic communities focused on mathematics, science, and engineering education. In addition, current scholarship reflected that most of the work in this area has focused on the learning contexts and experiences of women and underrepresented …

Life Is A Lab: Developing A Communication Research Lab For Undergraduate And Graduate Education, Autumn P. Edwards, Chad Edwards, Patric R. Spence

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Tips offered center on classroom discourse, curriculum choices, and potential assignments. In this article, we present tips for creating a thriving undergraduate and graduate communication research lab. Based on our experiences developing and co-directing the Communication and Social Robotics Labs (CSRLs), we offer 10 best practices for acquiring resources and recognition, building a strong lab community, and attaining faculty and student goals for scholarship and beyond. Our overarching approach is framed by Dewey’s (1916) pragmatist educational metaphysic, which stresses student- and subject-centered learning, enlarging experiences, and the co-construction of meaning and knowledge. Although our labs are focused on human-machine communication …

Fostering Giftedness And Creativity: Implementing Engineering By Design In Kuwait, Nathan Mentzer, Philip A. Reed, Meshari Alnouri, Mohammad Barbarji

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article offers information on a partnership between the International Technology & Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) and the Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) to support innovation and design education. The partnership is aimed towards the implementation of the Engineering byDesign (EbD) curriculum and contribute towards building a Kuwaiti society that fosters giftedness and creativity.

Effectiveness Of Drafting Models For Engineering Technology Students And Impacts On Spatial Visualization Ability: An Analysis And Consideration Of Critical Variables, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Jill E. Stefaniak

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Results from a number of studies indicate that the use of drafting models can positively influence the spatial visualization ability for engineering technology students. However, additional variables such as light, temperature, motion and color can play an important role but research provides inconsistent results. Considering this, a set of 5 quasi-experimental studies, was conducted to identify additional critical variables. According to the results, a dynamic, 3Dprinted drafting model, presented with a blue background under lighting conditions between 500–750 lux had the highest impact on spatial visualization ability of engineering technology students.