First-year Engineering Curriculum Research Articles

An Effective Virtual Reality Paradigm for Robotic Assembly in First-Year Engineering Curriculum

An Effective Virtual Reality Paradigm for Robotic Assembly in First-Year Engineering Curriculum

Measuring the impact of student success retention initiatives for engineering students at a private research university

IntroductionStudent success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a national concern. To increase engineering retention and graduation rates at a small private institution, a university council developed a binary classifier to identify high-risk students and proposed interventions that included decoupling first-year Physics and Calculus courses, support in introductory Calculus, and Spatial Visualization (SV) training. This paper aims to validate the binary classifier used to identify the under-prepared students entering their first year and assess the impact of the interventions. We provide a comparative analysis of student success metrics for high-risk engineering students across a decade of cohorts, including 5 years before (2006–2010) and 5 years after (2011–2015) implementation of intentional strategies.MethodsWe validated the binary classifier using an accuracy measure and Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). We used the 2-population proportion test to compare STEM retention and 4- and 6-year graduation rates of High-Risk engineering students before and after interventions and compare student performance in early foundation STEM courses across the same time frame.ResultsThe binary classification model identified High-Risk students with an accuracy of 63–70% and an MCC of +0.28 to +0.30. In addition, we found statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001) in the STEM retention rates, 6-year graduation rates, and first part of Physics, Calculus, and Chemistry sequences after the interventions.DiscussionThe methodology and strategies presented may provide effective guidance for institutions seeking to improve the overall performance of undergraduate students who otherwise might struggle in their first-year engineering curriculum.

Learning from Learners: Wellness seminars and self-reflections for first-year engineering students to enhance their journey in engineering education

First-year engineering can be an overwhelming experience for students, and it is important to have regular check-in points for students as they transition to post-secondary education. Beginning in 2019, the Schulich School of Engineering (SSE) at the University of Calgary implemented mental wellness and engineering attributes modules across the first-year engineering curriculum. These modules focused on students’ overall development to support their success in the diverse world of engineering. In this paper, we give an overview of the program implementation during 2021-2022 and recommendations for effective implementation of such series based on our experiences. We also briefly present a summary of the students’ self-reflections from the first two years of the program.
 At the end of each module, we ask students a few open-ended questions to reflect on their experiences based on the materials covered in the module. In addition to these responses from different modules, the final self-reflection, where the students are asked to reflect on their journey as a first-year engineering student, is of immense help in enhancing our understanding of students’ perspectives. Analysis and review of these reflections help mold our strategies for future programming to support student wellbeing and academic and professional development.

Integrating a critical reflection framework for experiential learning activities into a large first-year engineering course

First-year university is an ideal time for students to begin the development of critical thinking and self-directed learning skills. Structuring critical reflection with experiential learning activities can provide opportunities for students to develop and learn how to apply these skills in the future. Previous research has identified considerations for implementing critical reflection into the first-year engineering curricula in ways that students will meaningfully engage. The primary goal of this work was to integrate critical reflection learning outcomes, activities, and assessments into the first-year engineering curriculum connected to experiential learning activities.
 Critical reflection activities were scaffolded to a critical reflection framework, adapted to the first-year engineering context. Three critical reflection assessments were mapped to experiential learning activities to further the development of these skills in parallel, such as teamwork, problem solving, and communication. One assignment involved a peer review process, where students had the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences, and give constructive feedback through learning of students’ shared university experiences.
 The benefits of developing student reflection skills are obvious, and the improvements witnessed are encouraging. However, there remain many challenges, particularly with respect to assessment methodologies, and student motivation. Meaningful integration of critical reflection remains an iterative learning experience for the instructors.

Developing a new Engineering Technologist career pathway from First-Year Engineering

Successfully completing an engineering degree often requires at least four or five years of intense study by students, and many of these students start their programs with a limited sense of what an engineer is or does. During their journey, some students gravitate towards a blend of practical application and theoretical knowledge of engineering principles; some, for diverse reasons, may be unable to invest the time required for an engineering degree. For these students, an engineering technologist career, which focuses on application and implementation, may be more appropriate.
 Leveraging the common first-year engineering curriculum recently launched in British Columbia, Vancouver Island University has developed and implemented a new, generalist, Integrated Engineering Technologist diploma (ITED) that combines civil, mechanical, and electrical principles, and provides a career pathway for those students who start engineering studies but choose not to continue with the degree. 
 This paper will focus on the development of this new diploma, while a subsequent paper will evaluate its implementation.
 The three development phases of the IETD were:1. Identifying key program graduate attributes,2. Developing the program structure and delivery modes, and,3. Creating the detailed course content. 
 Within the first phase, an inventory of desired skills was obtained through broadly distributed surveys, direct engagement with industry, professional, and government groups, and evaluation of future needs within the technologist profession. This paper will outline the methods used to collect this data, and the process by which this data was developed into a thematic collection of higher order skills and attributes. Through this iterative consultation process, a technologist credential with a broad, non-specialized disciplinary focus was found to best meet the identified skills gap and need. 
 The second phase consisted of a study of engineering, technologist, and technician programs to evaluate best practice. 
 This paper discusses the cohort model that was ultimately chosen, and the highly modular approach used by the instructor team. Each four-week module consists of up to five courses run in parallel, where individual learning topics are treated collectively and strategically sequenced to best facilitate learning. A summative assessment evaluates learning at the end of each module.
 In the final phase, which is on-going, specific course content is being developed, including lab-based and field activities, classroom-based learning, and project work. Examples of this work and their motivation are provided.

Implementing an Integrated First-Year Engineering Curriculum with Mixed Teaching Approaches

Griffith University offers Engineering programmes over two campuses in South East Queensland, Australia. A large proportion of students are the first in their families to attend university, with many from low socio-economic backgrounds. In 2017, Griffith moved to a trimester system, and the School of Engineering and Built Environment restructured the first-year engineering curriculum to provide an improved engineering experience focusing on key educational outcomes for its diverse student population.This article describes and evaluates the new integrated first-year curriculum, which includes a mix of traditionally taught, partially experiential, and fully experiential courses. The curriculum structure is discussed, and the outcomes evaluated in terms of student achievement, progression, and satisfaction. Findings of this evaluation indicate that teaching staff have a crucial role in ensuring courses are well received, traditionally taught mathematics courses do not appear to be meeting the needs of the students, and that ‘C’ is unlikely to be a good choice for a first programming language for engineering students. However, the restructuring shows some preliminary success in terms of increased retention when coupled with proactive outreach. Further research into student perceptions and performance across courses with different teaching approaches is recommended.

REFLECTIONS ON IMPLEMENTING A STUDENTS-AS-PARTNERS APPROACH TO CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN ENGINEERING

The implementation of Students-as-Partners (SaP) with instructors in the co-development of curriculum is becoming an increasingly popular pedagogical model. Enhanced learning outcomes, student satisfaction, and skill development have been demonstrated as a result of SaP work. Engineering educators stand to benefit from this approach, however further investigation is needed to better understand the implications of SaP work on curriculum development processes. Thus, the primary goal of this paper is to provide an analysis of the complexities of the Students-as-Partners approach from an experiential lens of curriculum design in first-year engineering. This study uses a collaborative auto-ethnographic approach to draw from instructor and student written reflections on the process and experiences of working within the SaP model on a first-year engineering curriculum development project. Common themes were identified and synthesized from individual reflections. Important considerations of a partnership include creating a positive climate, pre-existing perceptions of power, framing the project with intention, and taking advantage of niche areas of expertise. Various forms of motivation were also found to influence the partnership dynamics and outcomes. Restraints of partnerships in general were identified in the unequal student representation and the difficult balance of providing guidance and instilling ownership. These findings provide key considerations to engineering educators who may find the SaP approach a viable option in curriculum development processes.

Integrating Ethics in Engineering Education through Multidisciplinary Synthesis, Collaboration, and Reflective Portfolios

This article discusses two multidisciplinary courses created at the Colorado School of Mines that were developed to integrate ethics into the first-year engineering curriculum: “Nature and Human Values” (NHV) and “Innovation and Discovery in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences” (IDEAS). In both NHV and IDEAS, our objectives are to meaningfully integrate personal and professional ethics within […]

Integrated Learning in First-Year Engineering: Preliminary Findings and Impressions from a New Project-Based Design Course

The first-year engineering curriculum at McMaster University is a common curriculum that introduces students to the field of engineering through discrete courses focused in graphics design, computing, materials science, and the engineering profession. While these courses provide an important foundation for entry into second year (in addition to the required courses in math and science), course topics are isolated and there is very little cross-over in content from one course to the next. This paper will present initial findings and impressions of “Health Solutions Design Projects I”, a project-based first-year course in McMaster’s new Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (iBiomed) program. This new course, first offered in Fall 2017, integrates the aforementioned topics in first-year engineering into one course, and further reinforces these concepts through a series of design projects.

Common First-Year Engineering Curriculum in British Columbia

Labour market demand for engineers continues to outpace the capacity of postsecondary institutions to produce new entrants to the field. Providing for the diverse pathways students may take for their education could both increase the numbers of potential candidates, as well as improve the likelihood of those candidates successfully completing engineering programs. The British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT) Engineering Articulation committee leveraged overlap within the content and delivery requirements of first-year engineeringprograms at most engineering schools in the province and developed a sector-wide common first-year engineering curriculum

FIRST-YEAR COMMON ENGINEERING CURRICULUM FOR THE BC POST-SECONDARY SECTOR

Abstract – Demand for engineering education has grown in recognition of its importance to the provincial economy, while engineering education capacity continues to lag. Engineering schools in British Columbia traditionally offer a common first-year of study that provides a foundation of science, mathematics, and engineering design before students specialize in second year. The British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT) Engineering Articulation committee believed this transition served as a natural transfer point and undertook a year-long consultative process to establish the feasibility of developing a common, first-year engineering curriculum within the BC post-secondary sector.
 This study found that although there exists some diversity within the first-year engineering programs at accredited receiving institutions, sufficient curriculum overlap allowed for a sector-wide common first-year engineering curriculum. This proposed curriculum suggests a content framework for students in all regions of the province to begin the first year of engineering studies at their institution of choice, and subsequently transfer to any of the major research institutions for degree completion.

A Novel Paradigm for Engineering Education: Virtual Internships With Individualized Mentoring and Assessment of Engineering Thinking

Engineering virtual internships are a novel paradigm for providing authentic engineering experiences in the first-year curriculum. They are both individualized and accommodate large numbers of students. As we describe in this report, this approach can (a) enable students to solve complex engineering problems in a mentored, collaborative environment; (b) allow educators to assess engineering thinking; and (c) provide an introductory experience that students enjoy and find valuable. Furthermore, engineering virtual internships have been shown to increase students'-and especially women's-interest in and motivation to pursue engineering degrees. When implemented in first-year engineering curricula more broadly, the potential impact of engineering virtual internships on the size and diversity of the engineering workforce could be dramatic.