Introductory Engineering Course Research Articles

Antecedents and consequences of academic help-seeking in online STEM learning

IntroductionCollege students often encounter challenges or ambiguity in online learning, which they cannot overcome independently, and therefore, require help. However, relatively little is known about how academic help-seeking can be supported in online contexts and about its potential benefits. The present study investigated the role of academic help-seeking in online STEM learning and its contextual antecedents.MethodsA total of 213 college students, enrolled in an introductory Engineering course, completed an online survey. Their survey responses and academic record data were analyzed.ResultsResults of path analysis indicated that adaptive help-seeking was positively related to retention intention, whereas expedient help-seeking was negatively related to the choice of future courses. In addition, avoidant help-seeking was negatively related to retention intention and major declaration status and positively to disorganized studying. Results also showed that sense of belonging and environmental fixed mindset served as significant predictors of academic help-seeking.DiscussionFindings indicate that academic help-seeking is related to successful online STEM learning. Therefore, fostering online learning contexts in which students perceive more sense of belonging and less environmental fixed mindset is crucial.

Exploring Students’ Experiences with Mindfulness Meditations in a First-Year General Engineering Course

With growing mental health concerns among college students, they need to effectively develop skills to alleviate stress amidst the demands of university life. Teaching mindfulness skills to engineering students early in their programs, such as during introductory courses, may provide students with the tools they need to effectively cope with academic stressors, support well-being, and mitigate mental health concerns. This study aimed to understand the variation in experiences of engineering students who participated in weekly mindfulness meditation during a first-year cornerstone engineering course. This study used a thematic analysis approach to analyze students’ in-class, weekly reflections from eight meditation exercises across two course sections. The frequency of codes and themes were then analyzed across meditation types to identify trends in student experiences. Our results show that the most common student experience from engaging in mindfulness meditation was feeling less stressed, calmer, and more relaxed. Other positive experiences include feeling more energized and focused. Some students, however, did report some negative experiences, such as distress and tiredness. The Dynamic Breathing exercise, in particular, showed higher rates of negative experiences than other meditation types. The results also demonstrate that different types of meditations produce different student experiences. Meditation exercises with open monitoring components showed higher rates of insight/awareness and difficulty focusing attention than focused attention meditations. These findings indicate that utilizing weekly mindfulness exercises in introductory engineering courses can benefit students’ overall mental health and well-being when adequately implemented.

Student learning of engineering systems through simulation-based design using Onshape and Blender

This study examines how the introductory engineering course can engage students in learning Industry 4.0 concepts and enhance their digital technology skills through simulation-based design activities. The students used cloud-based design and simulation tools to resolve a system operation problem. They examined the motion of a digital model of a satellite under micro-gravity conditions and detected its instability (Dzhanibekov effect). Then, they redesigned the model and verified its motion stability through simulation. The experimental setup combined the cloud-based CAD platform Onshape and the simulation software Blender. The students’ performances, understanding, and perceptions were evaluated using conventional research tools and the data analytics tools of Onshape. Findings showed that the students successfully performed the workshop assignment, correctly answered the questions about the factors that cause motion instability and appreciated the contribution of the workshop. The study demonstrated the potential of online simulation-based design practices for educating novice engineering students.

Effective teaching in computational thinking: A bias-free alternative to the exclusive use of students’ evaluations of teaching (SETs)

The tenure system in the United States places significant importance on teaching effectiveness. To date, students' evaluations of teaching (SETs) have been the reigning mechanism for assessing effective teaching. However, prior work has shown that SETs are often biased against underrepresented groups and minorities. The present study analyzes options for effective teaching assessments, which include evaluating final grades and measuring the differences between students’ pre- and post-tests (normalized gain) using standard instruments. The content area and the instrument used in this study originated in the computational thinking field, which has a widespread presence in engineering, where minorities are at a disadvantage. This study obtained a total of 88 student participants from four sections of an introductory engineering course at a Southwestern institution. The study utilized a computational thinking diagnostic (CTD) to inform the course teaching approach (the intervention). Results show that (a) normalized learning gains correlated moderately with SETs, (b) final grades correlated strongly with SETs, (c) final grades correlated strongly with normalized learning gains, (d) the educational intervention based on the CTD significantly affected student learning, and (e) SET comments affect evaluations. The implications include the notion that standardized instrument-driven instruction and evaluations can increase the success of minorities on both sides of the classroom. The purpose of this manuscript is to invite the Heliyon readership to get involved in the development of related instruments and to incorporate these measures of learning into their instruction so biases are avoided or minimized.

Collaborative activities mediated by technology for integration into University life in the introductory Engineering course

The article presents an educational intervention project implemented in the Introduction to Engineering subject of the Computer Engineering Educational Program of the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías of the Universidad de Guadalajara, developed by the Investigation Groups UDG-CA-991 Desarrollo de Competencias Profesionales en Ciencias Computacionales and the UDG-CA-863 Gestión y Desarrollo de Competencias en Entornos Virtuales during the periods 2022-B and 2023-A which developed strategies that integrated actions and resources for collaborative work mediated by technology for the integration of students into the university life, under a mixed model and a section group as a sample, achieving a pedagogical proposal assisted by technology focused on the development of significant learning, in which an impact evaluation was applied with interview and survey instruments, as well as satisfaction and evaluation , considering the institutional, teacher and student dimensions or categories. The project was focused with the principles of continuous improvement.

Student Awareness of Models in First-Year Engineering Courses

Contribution: This study assesses more than 800 students’ awareness of engineering model types before and after taking two first-year engineering courses across two semesters and evaluates the effect of each course. Background: All engineers must be able to apply and create models to be effective problem solvers, critical thinkers, and innovative designers. To help them develop these skills, as a first step, it is essential to assess how to increase students’ awareness of engineering models. According to Bloom’s taxonomy, the lower remember and understand levels, which encompass awareness, are necessary for achieving the higher levels, such as apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Research Questions: To what extent did student awareness of model types change after taking introductory engineering courses? To what extent did student awareness of model types differ by course or semester? Methodology: In this study, a survey was designed and administered at the beginning and end of the semester in two first-year engineering courses during two semesters in a mid-sized private school. The survey asked students questions about their definition of engineering modeling and different types of models. Findings: Overall, student awareness of model types increased from the beginning of the semester toward the end of the semester, across both semesters and courses. There were some differences between course sections, however, the students’ awareness of the models at the end of the academic year was similar for both groups.

The Impact of PLTL in Four Introductory Engineering Courses: Improving Access and Opportunity for Students Underrepresented in STEM Disciplines

The performance assessment was a major component of the overall National Science Foundation-funded research project, Engagement in Engineering Pathways. The study examined underrepresented and female students’ abilities to translate cognitive knowledge into demonstrable performance-based proficiencies through engagement in Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) labs in post-secondary, undergraduate introductory engineering courses. Evidence from the study comes from 518 students enrolled in four engineering courses and PLTL labs. The research protocols, implementation process, and assessment of academic achievement of project participants are discussed. Data are analyzed across student demographics to identify performance indicators within PLTL activities that influenced students’ commitment and retention in engineering pathways. This study found evidence to suggest the incorporation of PLTL in introductory engineering courses had a positive effect on the academic achievement, persistence, and commitment to engineering of students historically underrepresented in engineering. Implementation and support for PLTL that incorporates active learning can promote high academic performance, increased participation in class as well as persistence and retention in engineering pathways.

Broadening the Pool of Precollege Engineering Teachers: The Path Experienced by a Music Teacher

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This single case study represents a unique attempt to examine a music teacher’s experiences as he took on the challenge of teaching a high school level engineering course. The study contributes to the growing body of research and conversations around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) versus non-STEM beliefs, perceptions, and practices in precollege education. This work informs future teacher professional development (PD) and hiring efforts to broaden the pool of teachers capable of teaching precollege engineering classes. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background:</i> Engineering education is growing in precollege settings but recruiting willing and qualified teachers has been a continuous challenge. Teacher PD programs should consider a broader and inclusive approach that builds confidence and empowers teachers from all disciplinary backgrounds (STEM and non-STEM) to teach precollege engineering classes. Such opportunities are not always made available to non-STEM teachers. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Research Questions:</i> 1) How does a high school music teacher with a non-STEM background experience teaching an introductory engineering course? 2) What are the necessary preconditions that could help bridge non-STEM content areas to engineering, specifically for teacher PD efforts? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methodology:</i> Multiple interviews, teacher reflection entries, and classroom observations were open coded using a two-cycle coding approach that resulted in six themes. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings:</i> Results highlight the necessary preconditions and processes involved in bridging seemingly disparate subject areas that could lead to confidence building and empowerment of non-STEM teachers.

Look at Us Breathing

Look at Us Breathing Analía Villagra (bio) Since breaking up six months ago, Ana and Giovanni no longer take their shirts off when they have sex. Ana is pretty sure Giovanni has a new girlfriend, but he still calls. “I worry about you,” he says over the phone, whispered and sweet. “You’re going to have to move on, you know,” as the condom snaps off. She doesn’t remind him he’s the one who called. Once he leaves, she puts her sweatpants on and returns to her desk. She’s almost finished with her paper on obsessive-compulsive disorders in children, and when that’s done, she has a test to study for. She’s a senior but she’s taking an introductory engineering course for fun. Her cousin Monica thinks she’s crazy. Doesn’t she want a break before she starts grad school in the fall? If he knew her current schedule, Giovanni would be critical too, though for different reasons. It had annoyed him when Ana got invested in classes outside her major—she was so flighty, he said, unfocused. Not focused on him, Monica translated. Whatever they say, Ana likes the weight of a full course load. She is patient and methodical by nature, the perfect recipe for a good student. It’s going to make her a good social worker too, which has been her goal since high school. Monica, terrorizer of school administrators since age 11, laughed and wished her luck when Ana started researching Masters programs. Giovanni was more skeptical as she worked on her graduate school application last fall. “I don’t think you really know what you want,” he said. “I can’t even tell if you want to be with me.” Ana, mystified by the change in subject, listened to him talk about his roommates’ girlfriends. How they made dinner for the whole apartment, how they came to the park on Sunday to watch the guys play flag football while Ana rushed back to her dorm to study. His litany of disappointments continued for weeks. How could she plan for the future when she couldn’t commit to the present? Then, right before Thanksgiving, “This isn’t working,” he said. “It’s over.” Good riddance, Monica told her. Ana didn’t tell her cousin when he started calling again a few weeks after dumping her—always late, sometimes drunk. She answers every time. After two years together their bodies have their own rhythm, and it’s only their bodies now, they don’t speak much—a change for Giovanni, no different for Ana. She appreciates the new arrangement for its simplicity. [End Page 101] She knows what he wants from her, and it’s easy to give. He calls once or twice a week, they have sex, and he leaves. They’ve used condoms consistently since about March, which is what makes Ana think he’s seeing someone, and she finds it sweet really—he’s such a conscientious cheater. ________ Monica calls at 1:53 a.m.; Ana is awake because she’s still studying. Monica is up because she’s drunk. “We broke up,” Monica says. “For real this time. A week before our fucking graduation! God, Jesse is such an asshole. We should go somewhere. On a trip.” All four years of college, Ana has been grateful she doesn’t go to school in New York with her cousin. If she did, Monica would be at her door every other week with an overnight bag, a purse stuffed with cash taken from her dad’s account, and a new scheme. “Okay,” Ana says. “Okay?” “Let’s go on a trip.” “You’re in?” “Sure.” “You’re amazing! I’ll call you tomorrow.” Monica hangs up, and Ana congratulates herself on getting rid of her in record time—she loves her cousin, she does, but nothing good ever comes from these late-night phone calls. She is shocked when Monica actually calls back at 10 the next morning. “I need your passport number,” she says. “My what?” “Please God tell me you have a passport?” “I do.” She knows it’s valid because Giovanni...

Teaching transfer functions without the Laplace transform

ABSTRACT Transfer functions are convenient representations to analyse cause-and-effect relationships of linear time-invariant dynamic systems. Traditionally, transfer functions are introduced using the Laplace transform. In this paper, we argue that the Laplace transform method is not a necessary prerequisite to understanding the topic ‘transfer functions’. We offer an inquiry-based learning method to represent transfer functions without formally using the full machinery of Laplace transforms. The method is used in an introductory engineering course on system modelling and simulation at Aalborg University, Denmark. The paper also presents an initial assessment of the students' understanding of transfer functions without knowledge of Laplace transforms and the experiences gained from implementing inquiry-based learning in the course. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the impact of CAS tools on mathematics and engineering science teaching and learning.

Preparing first-year engineering students for cooperation in real-world projects

ABSTRACT Problem-based learning is an active student-centred approach, which requires engineering students to work together in solving real-world problems. This study aims to review the incorporation of cooperative learning principles in an introductory first-year engineering course that aimed to develop students’ group skills while working on problem-based projects. A total of 367 students participated in 65 groups. No formal examination was written, as this course only consists of practical work. Data collection included an assessment matrix and reflective sheets where students’ individual and group contribution to the project were recorded. The data were structured and visually integrated into tables. Based on the findings, this research suggests that the integration of cooperative learning principles enhanced the development of essential group skills and team performance in some of the groups while working on real-world engineering projects.

Improving academic outcomes for minority students by highlighting the work of Norbert Rillieux

Focuses on diversity in hiring and promotion have been somewhat successful at increasing representation in chemical engineering and in company management. However, often the chokepoint preventing people of color from becoming involved in chemical engineering and other STEM fields is in undergraduate education. Despite similar levels of initial enrollment in STEM fields, people of color have a much lower rate of completion than their white peers. There are myriad factors for this, including lack of peer support, lack of mentorship opportunities, bias from professors, and other challenges. These problems may be outside the ability of chemical engineering faculty to fix, but one problem that can easily be improved on is the lack of representation of people of color and course materials. In this work, we discuss the contributions of Norbert Rillieux, a 19 th century scientist, entrepreneur, and one of the earliest chemical engineers. Rillieux was the son of a slave and her “owner”, but traveled to France to receive a first-class scientific education. Using a sophisticated separations system, Rillieux turned sugar from a luxury to a staple by improving the quality and quantity of sugar commercially available. Additionally, his work made sugar production far less dangerous for the enslaved people who worked in sugar production facilities. Despite his contributions to the field, Rillieux’s work has faded into anonymity. In addition to reintroducing his work, we discuss how Rillieux’s work can be used as part of thermodynamics, separations, or introductory engineering courses. Educators can use Rillieux and other examples to easily increase representation in the classroom and improve outcomes for students of color.

Project-based engineering learning in college: associations with self-efficacy, effort regulation, interest, skills, and performance

This quantitative study examined student participation in an introductory project-based engineering course offered in fully face-to-face and hybrid course modes (N = 160). This course attempted to counteract trends of decreased student motivation and high attrition rates among engineering majors. Mixed-design analysis of variance examined differences in motivational constructs including student self-efficacy, effort regulation, and interest in engineering, as well as engineering skills throughout the course and across instructional modes. None of the motivational constructs were associated with significant decreases throughout the course nor with differences across instructional modes. However, students’ engineering skills increased throughout the course with no significant differences across course modalities. Furthermore, interest in engineering and effort regulation were positively associated with course performance. The instructional modality was not significantly associated with course performance. Overall, this study provides an example of a project-based introductory engineering course which may help maintain student motivation and foster student success in engineering.

The role of the teaching assistant: Female role models in the classroom

We use a dataset of first-year engineering students from a selective research-intensive public university to examine the impact of same-gender teaching assistants on course grades and major field choice. Our sample consists of students who were randomly assigned to a section of an introductory engineering course and a graduate teaching assistant. Results suggest there may be small positive effects on course grades and the probability of majoring in a high-earning field for female students assigned to a female teaching assistant. Although the difference is marginally significant, the impact of a teaching assistant gender match for female students’ choice of a high-earning field is more pronounced in classrooms with a female instructor and above-median representation of female peers. Our results show limited evidence that female teaching assistants can provide the same benefits of a female instructor in STEM fields.

Developing Engineering Identity in an Introductory Engineering Course: A Multi-Case Analysis

Research in engineering education has identified several factors relevant to the development of students’ identity as engineers. Here we examine the engineering identity of undergraduate engineering students after an introductory engineering course. The specific research question explored here is: "How do engineering students in an introductory engineering course interpret competence, performance, and recognition in relation to their identities as engineers?” We used a modified engineering identity framework to explore the development of engineering identity within the undergraduate engineering context through a multiple case study approach. Six students majoring in engineering participated in the study. The students had divergent perspectives on what it meant to be competent as an engineer. In all cases, students connected both competence and performance as an engineer with persistence. At this introductory stage, self-recognition as an engineering person took center stage for each student. All were able to identify themselves strongly as an engineering person. The findings add to the current understandings about the development of engineering identity, and suggest that engineering identity may be critically important in conversations about the steps faculty may take in working with students to promote increased retention of undergraduate students in engineering.

Researching Global Climate Change Challenges to Solve Local Issues with Undergraduate Research and Physical Models

From 2012 through 2020, students in an introductory environmental engineering course have used a service-learning project to research climate resilience challenges and solutions. Issues of local significance exacerbated by climate change are connected to global concerns in three to four sessions of the three-hour laboratory portion of the course. The research is reported in briefs, reports, or conversational blogs.

INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION OF A FIRST-YEAR COURSE ON SUSTAINABILITY IN ENGINEERING DESIGN

A growing trend in the recruitment of undergraduate students to engineering programs atCanadian universities is to establish an international presence at a branch campus in a different part of the world. This paper focuses on an example case study of the international collaboration of an introductory engineering course called “Sustainability in Engineering Design” between the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and the Universities of Canada (UofCanada-Cairo) inCairo, Egypt. This course set out as being foundational in the implementation of an identical, international offering of the UPEI Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering’s (FSDE) Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (BSc-SDE) program at the Cairo campus. This paper describes the implementation of the course at the branch (UofCanada-Cairo) campus and the coauthors, as instructors, provide a self-assessment of the success of the coordination to deliver the learning outcomes for the course. An assessment of how well the main graduate attributes (i.e. GA9: Impact on Society and Environment; GA6: Individual and Team Work, and GA13:Lifelong Learning) linked to the course’s learning outcomes were achieved in developing a sustainability mindset in UPEI FSDE undergraduate students will be presented and recommendations for the course in the context of international collaboration will be discussed.The projects' assessment also affirms that students at both campuses can work in teams to evaluate the impact of current engineering designs on society and environment and design more sustainable products in the future.

Exploring the discursive construction of ethics in an introductory engineering course

AbstractBackgroundEngineering education must prepare students to assume professional and ethical responsibility for the societal impacts of technology, but most engineering students do not receive adequate ethics teaching. In fact, engineering education has been described as characterized by a “culture of disengagement” in which ethical and societal concerns are constructed as different from and less important than purely technical concerns.Purpose/HypothesisThis study explores how a culture of disengagement is discursively constructed and perpetuated in engineering education by analyzing the discursive construction of ethics and ethical reflection in an introductory engineering course in Sweden.Design/MethodThe study is based on extensive ethnographic data in the form of field notes, lecture recordings, interview data, and course documents. The data are analyzed using a discourse analytic approach rooted in discourse theory.ResultsThe results illustrate five processes through which ethics and ethical reflection are articulated as not the responsibility of the specific field of engineering, irrelevant for the profession, of low quality and status, and not very important for the engineering degree.ConclusionsThe results contribute to understanding how a culture of disengagement may be perpetuated in engineering education. The results also point toward pedagogical tools and strategies that instructors and program managers can use to construct ethics and ethical reflection as an advanced skill that is an important and integral part of engineering and engineering education—and thus better prepare future engineers to become responsible professionals.

USE OF AN INDIGENOUS LEARNING BUNDLE IN AN ENGINEERING PROJECT COURSE

In response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada a range of Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles have been introduced at a Canadian university to provide ways for Indigenous knowledge to be incorporated into courses across the university. One of the first courses in the engineering faculty to use the Indigenous Environment Relations Bundle was a third year project course for the BEng Electrical Engineering program. The use of the bundle, through the learning management system, was part of the lecture series and was used in a class discussion with an optional reflection. The objective was to provide complementary Indigenous knowledge to the discussion of the environmental impact of engineering. A first year introductory engineering course used the First Peoples: A Brief Overview. The response of the students in both courses was respectful and produced thoughtful discussions. Those that undertook the optional reflection produced insightful and often personal thoughts on a particular place. The use of the bundles shows that Indigenous matters and information from knowledge keepers can be integrated into engineering courses.

Increasing success in college: Examining the impact of a project‐based introductory engineering course

AbstractBackgroundProject‐based learning has shown promise in improving learning outcomes for diverse students. However, studies on its impacts have largely focused on the perceptions of students and instructors or students' immediate performance. This study reports the impact of taking a project‐based introductory engineering course on students' subsequent academic success.Purpose/HypothesisThis quantitative study examines characteristics related to enrollment in the project‐based introductory engineering course and subsequent academic performance. We hypothesized that participation in the course would be associated with higher academic performance in subsequent engineering courses. In addition, we examined heterogeneity effects for students traditionally underrepresented in engineering education.Design/MethodThis study utilized data on students' demographics, academic preparation, course enrollment, and course performance from 1,318 engineering students from a large public university in Southern California. Logistic regression analysis with robust standard errors examined enrollment patterns. We applied propensity scores as inverse‐probability weights in multiple linear models to calculate the average treatment effect on the treated for participants from the project‐based introductory engineering course in five subsequent engineering courses. This analysis was conducted for all students and for selected student subgroups.ResultsEnrollment in the project‐based introductory engineering course was positively associated with students' performance in some subsequent engineering courses and did not adversely affect students traditionally underrepresented in engineering.ConclusionsThis study provides an example of a project‐based introductory engineering course that can support students' academic success in engineering. The benefits detected for some student populations (e.g., female) are encouraging for broadening engineering pathways.