Investigating First-Year Engineering Students\u27 Educational Technology Use and Academic Achievement: Development and Validation of an Assessment Tool

Increasing the number of Americans who graduate with a degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is of compelling national interest as the world is becoming more technologically-dependent. As society changes there is a continual need for new devices, tools, and services. Therefore, what is represented as “technology” constantly changes. The underlying meaning of technology is fairly stable, but the term is employed differently across context and application. In society, a variety of technologies are used to provide people with things like food, healthcare, shelter, transportation, and entertainment. In educational settings, computers and other information technologies help individuals learn, teach, and communicate. Since technology is ever-changing and context-specific, this paper describes the development and validation of a particular assessment tool – one focused on the specific types of and ways that educational technology is used by first-year engineering students (FYES). More specifically, the assessment tool was used in an investigation of the relationship between first-year engineering students’ perceived (a) knowledge, (b) usefulness, as well as (c) frequency and nature of use of technology and their academic achievement (i.e., grades). Differences were analyzed by race/ethnicity and gender. After distributing the assessment tool and collecting data from nearly 500 students, results revealed there are significant racial/ethnic differences in FYES’ perceived usefulness as well as frequency and nature of use of technology. There are also significant gender differences in FYES’ perceived knowledge and usefulness of technology. Furthermore, FYES’ background characteristics significantly predict their final course grades in the second of two introductory engineering courses

How Undergraduates\u27 Involvement Affects Sense of Belonging in Courses that Use Technology

In order to increase the number of American degree recipients in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), academics must continually develop ways to improve students’ interest, retention, and success in fields like engineering. Prior researchers have studied the use of educational technology as a way to improve student outcomes and skills. Previous scholars have also investigated students’ perceptions of the usefulness of technology. However, it is unclear if a statistically significant relationship exists between students’ involvement in courses that use technology and their sense of belonging to others on campus. The present study addressed this gap by examining the relationship between technology, students’ class involvement, and their feelings of connectedness to others. This investigation sought to answer the following research questions: (a) Are there differences in undergraduates’ involvement in courses that use technology by college major, race/ethnicity, or gender? (b) Are there differences in undergraduates’ feelings of connectedness to others on campus due to technology by college major, race/ethnicity, or gender? (c) What is the relationship between students’ involvement in technology-based courses and perceptions of technology’s impact on their feelings of connectedness to others on campus? Data was analyzed for close to 500 students using a 2013 national administration of the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology Survey Questionnaire. Findings from this analysis suggest that (a) students who get more involved in courses that use technology are significantly more likely to believe that technology makes them feel connected to others on campus – indicating a sense of belonging, and (b) students who identify as female, part-time or non-engineering majors are more likely to believe that technology makes them feel more connected to others on campus

Examining Student Success: The Transition from H.S. to College of First-Year Engineering Students

To improve retention and graduation rates, institutions of higher education have become increasingly interested in the experiences of first-year students. This is of even greater importance in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields such as engineering which are crucial for U.S. global competitiveness and homeland security. Interviews were conducted with six (6) first-year engineering students at a large, predominantly White land-grant institution located in the Midwestern region of the country to study their decisions and experiences during the transition from high school to college. More specifically, the investigation focused on under-represented students within undergraduate engineering. Interviews focused on three aspects of college transitions: (a) academic, (b) social, and (c) financial, using Schlossberg’s (1995) transition theory and Golrick-Rab’s (2007) research as a guide.1,2 Findings show that prior to college, students enjoyed hobbies such as video games/sports, participated in STEM camps/internships/clubs, and took preparatory STEM courses. Participants tended to choose engineering as an academic major due to parental/family encouragement, interest in previous STEM subjects, and the financial security that engineering jobs provide. Students faced several challenges during their transition to college such as completing application materials, worrying about finances, taking more difficult/time-consuming courses, and feeling overwhelmed

Lessons Learned from Successful Black Male Buoyant Believers in Engineering and Engineering-Related Fields

In high-demand fields like science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), more success strategies are needed to effectively recruit and retain college students. One-size fits-all approaches (i.e., those that are supposed to work for all students) often neglect the unique needs of underrepresented populations. Although some strategies exist for helping minority students succeed in STEM, the present investigation uncovered detailed information about how Black male students in engineering and engineering-related fields develop important academic traits such as confidence and resilience. To add to the limited body of literature on Black males in STEM, interview data from 27 Black male students majoring in engineering or engineeringrelated fields were analyzed through the lens of Strayhorn’s ‘buoyant believers’ framework. The framework offers practitioners, faculty, and staff – who work with minority engineering students – guidance for addressing challenges students face and creating pathways for their success. Based on the model, individuals can be described across four typologies as: (a) students who are confident and resilient, (b) students who are confident but lack resilience, (c) students who lack confidence but exhibit resilience, and (d) students who are neither resilient nor confident. The present study focuses solely on the narratives of students who are “buoyant believers.” Specific attention was given to the pre-college and in-college experiences of Black males in engineering and engineering-related fields in order to better identify potential sources of their current confidence and resilience. Findings revealed that research participants’ current confidence and resilience seem to be connected to attributes such as a) childhood adversity, b) a refusal to quit, and c) prior academic success, which ultimately led to their collegiate achievements

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Walking, Running, and Resting Under Time, Distance and Average Speed Constraints: Optimality of Walk-Run-Rest Mixtures

On a treadmill, humans switch from walking to running beyond a characteristic transition speed. Here, we study human choice between walking and running in a more ecological (non-treadmill) setting. We asked subjects to travel a given distance overground in a given allowed time duration. During this task, the subjects carried, and could look at, a stop-watch that counted down to zero. As expected, if the total time available were large, humans walk the whole distance. If the time available were small, humans mostly run. For an intermediate total time, humans often use a mixture of walking at a slow speed and running at a higher speed. With analytical and computational optimization, we show that using a walk-run mixture at intermediate speeds and a walk-rest mixture at the lowest average speeds is predicted by metabolic energy minimization, even with costs for transients { a consequence of non-convex energy curves. Thus, sometimes, steady locomotion may not be energy optimal, and not preferred, even in the absence of fatigue. Assuming similar non-convex energy curves, we conjecture that similar walk-run mixtures may be energetically beneficial to children following a parent and animals on long leashes. Humans and other animals might also benefit energetically from alternating between moving forward and standing still on a slow and sufficiently long treadmill

Enhancing Engineering Students’ Communication Skills through a Team-Based Graphics Course Project

Although communication skills are highly valued by engineering associations and companies, instructors may find it difficult to incorporate them into specific engineering courses. Some attention has been given to research on undergraduate students’ communication skills. However, additional research and training is needed to help instructors develop curricula -- the type that can enhance students’ communication skills -- in technical subjects like engineering graphics. Such work can help engineering programs offer increased opportunities for students to continually develop desirable professional traits throughout their collegiate experience. This paper will explore the implementation of a team-based graphics course project -- one that focused on enhancing engineering students’ communication skills -- and provide recommendations for faculty teaching similar courses. Findings from open-ended survey questions indicate that students learned the importance of preparation, time management, organization, clarity, detail, and engagement. By working in a project team, students also learned patience and task delegation

Infographic: Institutional Barriers to Black and Latino Male Collegians’ Success in Engineering and Related STEM Fields

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Infographic: Be an Engineer

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Infographic: Black Male Bouyant Believers in Engineering and Engineering-Related Fields

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