Workshop A: Thursday 1:00 - 2:45 pm
First-Year Engineering Programs
Room: 318 Benedum Hall
Matt Ohland, Purdue University
Kerry Meyers, University of Pittsburgh and University of Notre Dame
Holly Matusovich, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
This workshop will present the elements of multiple successful but different First-Year
Engineering programs including:
- program structures / program types
- content areas (computer programming, design, discipline specific projects, technical
communication)
- administration and logistics (teaching, grading, etc.)
- advising
Workshop participants will be asked to share the aspects of First-Year Engineering
programs that have been particularly successful (or unsuccessful) at their institutions.
Finally, participants will have the opportunity to draft and present a First-Year
Engineering Program Structure that would be possible at their institution.
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Workshop B: Thursday 1:00 - 2:45 pm
Service-Learning in Engineering, Technology and Computing
Room: 309 Benedum Hall
William Oakes, Purdue University
Dan Budny, University of Pittsburgh
Goal of the workshop is to guide participants through the process of how to integrate
service-learning into their own courses. Service learning is a rapidly growing pedagogy
in higher education and within engineering, technology and computing. Service-learning
provides a learning environment that is very well-matched with ABET. Students can
learn strong technical skills while developing teamwork, communication and leaderships
skills. The community and human context of service-learning provides rich learning
experiences for contemporary social, global and ethical issues. Service-learning
also provides the kind of curricular efficiency necessary to meet the attributes
called for in the National Academy's Engineer of 2020. Evidence suggests that service-learning
also has the potential to increase participation among underrepresented populations
within engineering, technology and computing. This interactive workshop will provide
an introduction to service-learning and allow participants to explore how it could
be integrated into their own courses and curricula. Resources, partnerships and
potential barriers will be discussed to provide strategies for successful implementation
at the participants' own institutions.
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Workshop C: Thursday 3:15 - 5:00 pm
Student development: An alternative to "sink or swim"
Room: 318 Benedum Hall
Raymond B. Landis, California State University, Los Angeles
"Sink or Swim." For decades that policy has determined the success or failure of
America's first-year engineering students. The general paradigm has been to put
up a difficult challenge and "weed out" those students that don't measure up. Fortunately,
engineering education in the United States is undergoing a revolution. We are in
the process of a shift from the "sink or swim" paradigm to one of "student development."
Engineering colleges all across the nation are revising their freshman year curricula
with the primary goal of enhancing student success.
Basic concepts of "student development" defined as facilitating the growth, change,
and development of first-year engineering students in areas that will enhance their
success in engineering study will be discussed. Approaches for building first-year
engineering students into a supportive community and for strengthening students'
commitment to engineering will be described. Specific attitudes and behaviors that
need to be changed will be delineated and pedagogical approaches for changing those
attitudes and behaviors will be presented.
Topics for discussion are:
- Building students in an Intro to Engineering course into a supportive, learning
community
- Strengthening the commitment of first-year engineering students through an Intro
to Engineering course
- Facilitating change in the attitudes of students in an Introduction to Engineering
course to those appropriate to success in math/science/engineering coursework
- Facilitating change in the behaviors of students in an Intro to Engineering course
to those appropriate to success in math/science/engineering coursework
- Involving first-year engineering students in co-curricular activities
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Workshop D: Thursday 3:15 - 5:00 pm
High School Students Expectations of Engineering
Room: 309 Benedum Hall
John Uhran, University of Norte Dame
Panelists: Margaret Pinnell, Dayton University
Ben Brubaker, PLTW Instructor, Reilly High School, South Bend IN
Matthew Modlin, PLTW Instructor, Reilly High School, South Bend, IN
Mary Ellen Scott, Director of Pre-Engineering, St Joseph Academy, Cleveland, OH
HS and College students
What are High School students expectations of engineering and what do they see as
necessary to move forward in the discipline. To help increase the interest of engineering
within the K-12 student population we must first understand what these students
are thinking. Thus, this session will include input from students within the University
and students in High School. In addition various individuals involved with K-12
education will be present to provide their input. Two panels are planned for this
session: one of High School and College students and the other of those involved
in both teaching and studying high school students going into an engineering program.
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