C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
1
Rene Magritte, c. 1956
Engineering Education Research:
Some History and Examples from the U.S.
Opening Address
Danish Centre for Engineering Education Research and Development
June 8, 2007
Cindy Atman
Director, Center for Engineering Learning and Teaching
Director, Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education
Mitchell T. Bowie and Lella Blanche Bowie Endowed Chair
Professor, Industrial Engineering
University of Washington
This work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation RED-9358516, EEC-0639895, REC-012554, ESI-0227558,
SBE-0354453, the Boeing Company, and the Ford Motor Company Fund.
Center for Engineering Learning and Teaching
Engineering:
Part of the Global Human Endeavor
Doing Engineering (one definition)
“The engineering method is the strategy for causing the
best change in a poorly understood situation within the
available resources.” (Koen, 2003)
...in Context
Engineering is a central element of the solutions for the
global challenges we all face…environment, access to
clean water, sustainability…
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
3
What does every engineer need to know?
ethics
global context
math
management skills
engineering analysis
problem solving
leadership
professionalism
design
contemporary issues
analyze data
conduct experiments
teamwork
life-long learning
societal context
science
communication
technical knowledge
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
creativity
4
business knowledge
engineering tools
Our Challenge as Educators
• How do we teach our students...
...everything on the previous slide, plus
• Understanding engineering as a rich, interconnected set of
knowledge and skills that can be used to solve complex problems
• Understanding uncertainty and tolerating ambiguity
• Knowing how to identify when they don’t know something
• The ability to learn from failure
• The ability to reflect
• The sense of “peripheral vision” needed to ensure a good design
• ...and much more
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
5
A Global Need and Response
• A global need
• Research on how engineering students learn
• Research on effective teaching for engineering learning
• Research on effective change strategies for colleges of
engineering
• ...and much more
• A global response
• Danish Centre on Engineering Education Research and
Development
• Recent research activity across the globe, including the U.S.
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
6
The Global Engineering Education Community:
Piecing Together a Picture of Engineering Education
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
7
Today’s Agenda
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
• History of Engineering Education Research in the U.S.
• A Focus on Centers
• Campus-based
-Example center and research:
• National
-Example center and research:
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
8
Growth of Engineering Education
Research in the U.S.
• A growing community...
• Professional organizations, committees, centers,
departments, funding agencies
• ...with a voice
• Publication venues
• Influential publications
• Government/industry reports, books, papers
• Community articulating goals
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
9
890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
American Society for Engineering Education
1950s
ASEE
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Educational Research & Methods
Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology
Nat’l Science Foundation
ABET
NSF
Nat’l Academy of Engr.
20
ERM
EC2000
EEC division
NAE
Mann
Report
Engr. Ed. Cmte
Gordon Prize
publications
Wickenden
Report
VanTH-ERC
Sample of activity relevant to
engineering education research
in the U.S.
CASEE
NSF Engr.
Education
Coalitions
organizations
CAEE
CIRTL
NCETE
Leonhard Center
CELT
CEE
Engr. Ed. Ctrs
NCEER
Purdue U.
VA Tech
UT St. U.
CO St. U.
Clemson
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
10
1980s
Sample of the
community
voice
1990s
2000s
Innovation
Through
Integration
Systemic
Reform
Bordogna,
Fromm & Ernst
NSF
2010
JEE
Special
Issue
EERC
research
agenda
Green
Report
Restructuring
Engr. Ed.
sample of presentation,
publication venues:
ASEE, FIE, ICEE, MDW,
iCEER; JEE, AREE, AEE,
IEEE Transactions on Ed.,
IJEE, EJEE, JSTEM,
JWMSE, Design Studies,
and more...
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
...Adaptive
System
Rising
Above...
NSF
Engineer
of 2020
NRC
Johnson,
Johnson & Smith
Longitudinal
Study, Part I
Teaching
Engineering
Felder et al.
Wankat &
Oreovicz
From
Analysis
to Action
11
Inaugural
Proceedings
Heywood
ASEE
Cooperative
Learning
ICREE
Engineering
Education
NRC
National
Academies
Educating
the Engineer
of 2020
NAE
Teaching &
Learning
Practices...
Sheppard et al.
1980s
1990s
Engineering Research Centers
2000s
2010
ERC
Engineering Education & Centers division
EEC
graduate fellowships for women, minorities
GEE/IGERT, GRF
GK–12 graduate teaching fellowships
Model Institutions for Excellence
MIE
Engineering Education Scholars
National
Science
Foundation
EESP
Department Level Reform
Ctrs for Teaching & Learning
Engr. Ed. Research
NSF
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Dept. of Education
Sample of the
funding picture
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
FIPSE
other funding sources:
corporations, foundations
12
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010
CAEE
national
centers
CIRTL
NCETE
NSF Engineering
Education
Coalitions
Leonhard Center
VanTH-ERC
CASEE
39 affiliates in 2007
Penn State U.
CELT
campus-based
centers
U. of Washington
CEE Colorado School of Mines
Engineering Education Centers
12 centers in 2001
NCEER
Northwestern U.
Purdue U.
Sample of engineering
education research
organizations
departments/
programs in
engineering
education
Virginia Tech
Utah State U.
Colorado State U.
Clemson U.
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
13
890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
American Society for Engineering Education
1950s
ASEE
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Educational Research & Methods
Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology
Nat’l Science Foundation
ABET
NSF
Nat’l Academy of Engr.
20
ERM
EC2000
EEC division
NAE
Mann
Report
Engr. Ed. Cmte
Gordon Prize
publications
Wickenden
Report
VanTH-ERC
Sample of activity relevant to
engineering education research
in the U.S.
CASEE
NSF Engr.
Education
Coalitions
organizations
CAEE
CIRTL
NCETE
Leonhard Center
CELT
CEE
Engr. Ed. Ctrs
NCEER
Purdue U.
VA Tech
UT St. U.
CO St. U.
Clemson
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
14
Today’s Agenda
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
• History of Engineering Education Research in the U.S.
• A Focus on Centers
• Campus-based
-Example center and research:
• National
-Example center and research:
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
15
A Focus on Centers
• Engineering Education Centers (EEC)
members, 2001
• Center for the Advancement of
Scholarship on Engineering Education
(CASEE) affiliates, 2007
• CRESMET, Arizona State U.
• CEE, Colorado School of Mines
• CETL, Georgia Tech
• EDC, IUPUI
• CETL, Kettering U.
• Leonhard Center, Penn State U.
• AE3, UIUC
• CELT, U. of Washington
• ELC, U. of Wisconsin-Madison
• U. of Oklahoma (proposed)
• S. Dakota School of Mines & Technology (proposed)
• U. of Texas-Austin (proposed)
12  39
centers
centers
EEC in 2001
CASEE in 2007
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
16
• CAEE
• CDR, Stanford U.
• CEE, Colorado School of Mines
• CEEO, Tufts U.
• CELT, U. of Washington
• CETL, Georgia Tech
• CSHE, U. of California-Berkeley
• WST, Georgia Tech
• Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology
• Virginia Tech Dept. of Engineering Education
• Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, U. of Maryland-Baltimore County
• Dept. of Technology & Society, Stony Brook U.
• EERC, Washington State U.
• Learning in Formal and Informal Environments Center, U. of Washington
• Boeing Learning, Training, and Development
• Leonhard Center, Penn State U.
• Materials Engineering Dept., Cal Poly State U.-San Luis Obispo
• Model Institutions for Excellence, U. of Texas-El Paso
• National Center for Engineering and Technology Education
• NCEER, Northwestern U.
• Schaefer School of Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology
• School of Engineering and Applied Science, U. of Virginia
• Teaching and Learning Laboratory, MIT
• Texas Engineering Experiment Station, Texas A&M U.
• Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice, American Society of
Civil Engineers
• College of Engineering, Cal Poly State U.-San Luis Obispo
• College of Engineering and Science, Louisiana Tech U.
• College of Engineering, U. of Massachusetts-Amherst
• College of Engineering, U. of Michigan
• College of Engineering, Purdue U.
• Technology Education Program, Dept. of Industrial Technology, Purdue U.
• Dept. of Technology and Society, Stony Brook U.
• Dwight Look College of Engineering, Texas A&M U.
• East Lake High School Robotic Boosters, Inc.
• Faculty Innovation Center, College of Engineering, U. of Texas-Austin
• Laboratory for Innovative Technology and Engineering Education (LITEE), Auburn
U.
• Lean Aerospace Initiative Educational Network (LAI EdNet)
• Project Lead The Way
• Rowan University
A Focus on Centers: Relative Emphasis
centers
campus-based
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
17
centers
A Focus on Centers:
Campus-based Centers
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
• Evaluation/Assessment
• Individual faculty
(formative/diagnostic)
• Grants
• Programs
• Graduate Student Support
• TA Training
• Graduate courses on
learning/teaching
• Workshops
• Undergraduate Student Support
• Student organizations
• Student programs
• Research on Learning/Teaching
• Center research program
• Support other faculty research
• College/Department Support
• Accreditation
• Curriculum development
• Faculty Support
• Individual consultations
• Workshops
• Seminars, brown-bags
• Resource bank
• Education technology support
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
campus-based
18
centers
A Focus on Centers:
Three Example Campus-Based Centers
campus-based
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
• NCEER, Northwestern Center for Engineering Education Research
• Recent center in the U.S.
• est. 2007, Northwestern U.
• Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education
• First center in a College of Engineering in the U.S.
• est. 1990, Penn State U.
• CELT, Center for Engineering Learning & Teaching
• First center in the U.S. with combined research and effective teaching missions
• est. 1998, U. of Washington
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
19
Campus-Based Centers
centers
Northwestern Center for Engineering
Education Research (NCEER)
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
• Evaluation/Assessment
• Individual faculty
(formative/diagnostic)
• Grants
• Programs
• Graduate Student Support
• TA Training
• Graduate courses on
learning/teaching
• Workshops
• Undergraduate Student Support
• Student organizations
• Student programs
• Research on Learning/Teaching
• Center research program
• Support other faculty research
• College/Department Support
• Accreditation
• Curriculum development
• Faculty Support
• Individual consultations
• Workshops
• Seminars, brown-bags
• Resource bank
• Education technology support
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
campus-based
20
centers
Campus-Based Centers
Leonhard Center
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
• Evaluation/Assessment
• Individual faculty
(formative/diagnostic)
• Grants
• Programs
• Graduate Student Support
• TA Training
• Graduate courses on
learning/teaching
• Workshops
• Undergraduate Student Support
• Student organizations
• Student programs
• Research on Learning/Teaching
• Center research program
• Support other faculty research
• College/Department Support
• Accreditation
• Curriculum development
• Faculty Support
• Individual consultations
• Workshops
• Seminars, brown-bags
• Resource bank
• Education technology support
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
campus-based
21
Campus-Based Centers
centers
Center for Engineering Learning
& Teaching (CELT)
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
• Evaluation/Assessment
• Individual faculty
(formative/diagnostic)
• Grants
• Programs
• Graduate Student Support
• TA Training
• Graduate courses on
learning/teaching
• Workshops
• Undergraduate Student Support
• Student organizations
• Student programs
• Research on Learning/Teaching
• Center research program
• Support other faculty research
• College/Department Support
• Accreditation
• Curriculum development
• Faculty Support
• Individual consultations
• Workshops
• Seminars, brown-bags
• Resource bank
• Education technology support
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
campus-based
22
Center for Engineering Learning and Teaching
research findings
research on engineering
student learning
promoting effective
teaching in engineering
feedback about
what works
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
23
CELT: First Center in U.S. to Combine Research
and Effective Teaching Missions
• Research on engineering student learning
• Promoting effective teaching
• Based on current scholarship on learning
• Individualized services at the faculty, dept., college
levels
- Implementing new teaching methods
- Documenting student learning
- Obtaining resources about effective learning, teaching
- Curriculum development
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
24
Doing Engineering Design
...
Gathering
Information
Freshmen
...
Seniors
material costs
material costs
material costs
safety
safety
safety
handicapped accessibility
handicapped accessibility
budget
budget
budget
material specification
material specification
material specification
information about the area
information about the area
information about the area
other
other
other
labor availability and costs
labor availability and costs
labor availability and costs
body dimensions
body dimensions
body dimensions
utilities
utilities
utilities
maintenance concerns
maintenance concerns
maintenance concerns
neighborhood opinions
neighborhood opinions
neighborhood opinions
technical references
technical references
technical references
legal liability
legal liability
legal liability
neighborhood demographics
neighborhood demographics
neighborhood demographics
availability of materials
availability of materials
availability of materials
supervision concerns
supervision concerns
supervision concerns
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
0%
00:00:00:00
step Timeline
Design
Processes
00:00:00:00
00:12:00:00
00:24:00:00
20%
40%
60%
80%
0%
PD
GATH
GEN
MOD
FEAS
EVAL
DEC
COM
20%
social
40%
60%
00:12:00:00
00:24:00:00
00:36:00:00
00:48:00:00
01:00:00:00
01:12:00:00
80%
100%
FEAS
EVAL
DEC
COM
0%
20%
40%
60%
2
11
social
3
21
12
11
4
natural
2
11
75
logistical 1
17
1
logistical
35
1
technical 2
62
technical 4
122
25
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
7
no code
1
water
02:12:00:00
MOD
35
wall
02:00:00:00
GEN
11
no code
01:48:00:00
GATH
5
no code
01:36:00:00
PD
16
9
01:24:00:00
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
natural
20%
40%
60%
80%
arbitrated step Timeline
00:00:00:00
00:19:00:00
00:38:00:00
00:57:00:00
01:16:00:00
01:35:00:00
01:54:00:00
02:13:00:00
02:32:00:00
02:51:00:00
00:36:00:00
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0%
...
Experts
handicapped accessibility
step Timeline
Considering
Context
DESIGN PROCESS SKILLS
...
bank surroundings
no code
25
2
1
wall
water
80%
100%
14
16
8
1
2
1
bank surroundings
60
PD
50
GATH
40
GEN
MOD
30
FEAS
20
EVAL
DEC
10
COM
0
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Research Focus
Problem Scoping in Design
• Engineering design happens in context
• Local, regional, national, global
• Environmental
• Social, economic, political
• Technical
• Assessing student problem-scoping approaches
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
26
Verbal Protocol Study
• Solved “Midwest Floods problem” thinking aloud
Over the summer, the Midwest experienced massive
flooding of the Mississippi River. What factors would you
take into account in designing a retaining wall system for
the Mississippi?
•
•
•
•
Took from 20–30 minutes to solve the problem
Third in a series of three short design tasks
Responses transcribed, segmented, and coded
29 freshmen, 44 senior engineering students; mid-1990s
•
Atman, C.J. et al. (2007). Breadth in problem scoping: A comparison of freshman and senior
engineering students. Mudd Design Workshop VI.
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
27
Coding for Breadth:
A Problem-Scoping Space
• Physical location
•
•
•
•
Wall
Water
Bank
Surroundings
• Frame of reference
•
•
•
•
Technical
Logistical
Natural
Social
social
4
natural
2
logistical
1
technical
1
2
1
7
no code
no code
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
2
28
w all
w ater
bank surroundings
Seniors: Broader, more extensive
problem-scoping
• Seniors’ responses (vs. freshmen’s)
• More factors (p < 0.001)
• More coverage of problem def. space (p < 0.01)
freshmen (N = 29)
seniors (N = 44)
social
1.7
social
2.7
natural
1.1
5.6
natural
logistical
1.8
logistical
3.4
technical
4.3
technical
9.6
1.6
wall
water
no code
no code
no code
wall
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
water
bank
surroundings
no code
29
bank
surroundings
Context vs. Detail Nodes
social
natural
logistical
technical
detail
no code
no code
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
wall
water
30
context
bank
surroundings
Examples of Detail and Context Factors
“aesthetic appeal”
“surrounding habitat”
social
natural
logistical
“cost of materials”
“budget”
technical
detail
no code
no code
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
wall
water
31
context
bank
surroundings
Growth in Problem-Scoping
40
9
segments
8
average number of nodes covered
average number of segments
35
30
25
context
20
15
10
context
detail
5
node coverage
6
5
context
4
context
3
2
detail
1
detail
0
freshmen
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
7
detail
0
seniors
32
freshmen
seniors
Campus-Based Centers
Connecting Research and Practice
• Insights from research on problem-scoping
• On average...
- Freshmen and seniors consider contextual issues in
approaching engineering design.
- Seniors show growth in problem-scoping.
• ...but wide variation within each group.
• Connecting to the classroom
• Assessment tools
• Curriculum design
• Classroom exercises
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
33
Today’s Agenda
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
• History of Engineering Education Research in the U.S.
• A Focus on Centers
• Campus-based
-Example center and research:
• National
-Example center and research:
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
34
A Focus on Centers
centers
campus-based
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
35
centers
A Focus on Centers:
National Centers
• Advantages of larger scale
• More opportunity to
•
•
•
•
approach larger challenges
gain broader/deeper insights
collaborate across community
build community
• Example emphases
•
•
•
•
•
Conducting research on learning/teaching
Building community
Developing resources
Developing educational technology
Implementing change
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
36
campus-based
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
centers
A Focus on Centers:
National Centers
campus-based
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
• Current NSF-funded Research Centers
• VanTH-ERC, Vanderbilt Northwestern Texas Harvard/MIT
Engineering Research Center
• CAEE, Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education
• CIRTL, Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and
Learning
• NCETE, National Center for Engineering and Technology
Education
• Research/Implementation/Networking
• NAE CASEE, Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on
Engineering Education
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
37
Center for the Advancement of
Engineering Education (CAEE)
• Leadership Team: Adams, Atman, Fleming, Leifer, Miller, Sheppard, Smith, Streveler,
Stevens, Turns
• Institutions: Colorado School of Mines, Howard University, Stanford University, University
of Minnesota, University of Washington
• Scholarship on Learning Engineering (Sheppard)
• Research on the engineering student experience
• Academic Pathways Study (APS)
• Scholarship on Teaching Engineering (Turns)
• Research on engineering teaching decision making and knowledge acquisition
• Institute for Scholarship on Engineering Education (Adams)
• Building the engineering education research community
• Year-long Institutes at UW, Stanford, Howard
National Science Foundation, Grant No. ESI-0227558
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
38
Academic Pathways Study (APS)
Sheppard (lead), Atman, Fleming, Miller, Smith, Streveler, Stevens
• Large scope, multi-year, longitudinal study of
undergraduate engineering students
• Three cohorts of students and one cohort of early
career engineers from four very different
undergraduate engineering programs
• Descriptive, multi-method study
• From a student’s perspective…
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
39
APS Research Questions
• Skills
• How do students’ skills and knowledge develop and
change over time?
• Identity
• How do students come to identify themselves as
engineers?
• Education
• What elements of a student’s education contribute to
changes observed in skills and knowledge
development?
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
40
APS Research Methods
• Surveys
• Structured interviews
• Unstructured interviews, ethnographic observations
• Engineering “thinking and doing” tasks
• Academic transcript evaluation
• Exit interviews
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
41
APS Research Questions by Methodology
Surveys
Structured
Interviews
Unstructured
Interviews
Engineering
Doing












Skills
Identity
Education
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
42
Sample APS Research Results from
“Engineering Doing” and Survey Methods
Surveys
Structured
Interviews
Unstructured
Interviews
Engineering
Doing












Skills
Identity
Education
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
43
Engineering Thinking and Doing Focus
Student conceptions of engineering and design
(Engineering ‘Thinking’)
Student performance on engineering design tasks
(Engineering ‘Doing’)
Part of CELT’s long-term research program on
engineering design processes
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
44
Engineering Doing: Freshmen
10-minute, Paper-and-Pencil Engineering Task:
Over the summer the Midwest experienced massive
flooding of the Mississippi River. What factors would
you take into account in designing a retaining wall
system for the Mississippi?
• Streamlined method, compared to past study
• Written (not verbal) response
• 10-minute limit
• 142 students at four partner institutions, 2003
Kilgore, D. et al. (to appear). Considering context: A study of first-year engineering students. Journal
of Engineering Education.
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
45
Average Profile of Freshman Responses
APS freshmen (N = 124)
social
0.8
natural
0.4
0.2
0.7
1.8
1.2
0.5
0.1
logistical
2.9
0.1
0.1
technical
1.9
0.6
0.2
wall
water
bank
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
46
surroundings
Detail vs. Context Factors by Gender
detail
women
context
F
detail
men
0
2
context
4
6
8
number of segments
Factors by category and
by gender
(all APS, N = 51 F + 92 M)
significant difference, p < 0.02
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
47
M
10
12
14
Engineering Doing:
An emerging picture from the first year
• Comparing datasets
• APS data consistent with past data
• With new sample and streamlined method
• Considering context – gender differences
• men: emphasis on details of solution such as material,
financial...
• women: emphasis on contextual factors such as social,
natural...
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
48
Sample APS Research Results from
“Engineering Doing” and Survey Methods
Surveys
Structured
Interviews
Unstructured
Interviews
Engineering
Doing
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Skills
Identity
Education
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Persistence in Engineering (PIE)
Survey Focus
• To identify correlates of persistence in engineering
• ACADEMIC PERSISTENCE is operationalized as majoring
in engineering
• PROFESSIONAL PERSISTENCE is operationalized as
expressing an intention to practice engineering for at least 3
years after graduating with a bachelor’s degree.
•
Eris, Ö., et al. (2007). A preliminary analysis of correlates of engineering persistence: Results
from a longitudinal study. Proceedings of the 2007 American Society for Engineering Education
Annual Conference & Exposition.
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PIE Survey Findings
from the First Three Years
• A focus on persisters/non-persisters
• motivation
• confidence
• perceived importance of skills
• disengagement/engagement
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No overall difference between
persisters and non-persisters in…
• Financial motivation to pursue engineering
• Social relevance as a motivation to pursue
engineering
• Perception of the importance of math and science
• Confidence in interpersonal and professional skills
• Reported familiarity with the field of engineering in
first and sophomore years
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Non-persisters, compared to persisters
report…
• On motivation to pursue engineering
- At the start of their academic career, a greater degree of family
influence
- Lower degree of a mentor’s influence
• Lower confidence in math and science skills
• Lower rating of the importance of interpersonal and
professional skills
• More academically disengaged in both engineering and
liberal arts courses
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Motivation: Family Influence
Persisters/Non-persisters
Construct 2b: Motivation (Family Influence)
0.50
0.40
*
*
Nonpersisters
0.30
Persisters
0.20
0.10
0.00
FR1
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FR2
SO1
SO2
Administration (academic years)
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JR1
JR2
Construct 3a: Confidence in Math and Science Skills
Confidence in Math and Science Skills
Persisters/Non-persisters
1.00
0.80
0.60
Persisters
*
*
Nonpersisters
*
*
SO1
SO2
0.40
0.20
0.00
FR1
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FR2
Administration (academic years)
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JR1
JR2
Persistence in Engineering:
An emerging picture from the first three years
• Non-persisters report:
• More family influence to be an engineer at the start of
their career
• Lower confidence in math and science skills
• More academically disengaged in both engineering and
liberal arts courses
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Emerging Findings Across the Study:
From the student perspective
• Large variation across sample at four institutions, e.g.
• Reasons for choice of major
• Financial security
• Contribution to society
• Influence of family or mentors
• Curriculum and skill development issues
• Heavy workloads, competition, stress
• First two years give little “vision” of engineering (design and
teamwork come late)
• Understanding context vs. detail (a “systems” view)
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Emerging Findings Across the Study:
From the student perspective (cont.)
• Commitment to field of engineering
• Varies greatly, affected by personal situation, learning
experiences, institutional procedures
• Decision to be an engineer reexamined often
• Reasons for leaving
• Lack of confidence in math/science skills
• Fear of losing scholarships
• Perception that engineering is too narrow (no insight into the
contributions of engineering to social good)
• Factors affect men and women differently
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centers
A Focus on Centers:
National Centers
• Advantages of larger scale
• More opportunity to:
• approach larger challenges
• gain broader/deeper insights
• collaborate across community
• build community
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campus-based
national
conducting
research
*
**
supporting
teaching
**
*
CAEE’s National Presence, January 2003
Legend
team member
or advisor
institution
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CAEE’s Growing Presence, May 2006
Legend
project connection
travel
relocation (people)
or replication
(projects)
project or program
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Today’s Agenda
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
• History of Engineering Education Research in the U.S.
• A Focus on Centers
• Campus-based
-Example center and research:
• National
-Example center and research:
• Engineering Education: A Global Challenge
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A Global Conversation
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To Meet a Global Challenge:
Piecing Together a Picture of Engineering Education
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Continuing the Conversation
• Today…
•
•
•
•
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Research questions?
Research communities?
Change strategies?
Other topics?
Coffee or tea?
• After today…
• atman@engr.washington.edu
• CELT: http://depts.washington.edu/celtweb/
• CAEE: http://www.engr.washington.edu/caee/
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References (1 of 3)
Adams, R.S. & Cummings-Bond, T. (2004). Career trajectories in engineering education: Where are they now? Proceedings of the 2004
American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition.
Adams, R.S., Turns, J., Atman, C.J. (2003). Educating Effective Engineering Designers: The Role of Reflective Practice, Design Studies,
24(3).
ASEE Engineering Deans Council and Corporate Roundtable. (1994). The Green Report: Engineering Education for a Changing World.
Retrieved May 29, 2007, from http://www.asee.org/resources/beyond/green.cfm.
Atman, C.J. (2006). The growth of research in engineering education in the U.S.: Some personal observations. CELT Internal Report
CELT-06-1. Center for Engineering Learning and Teaching.
Atman, C.J., Adams, R.S., Cardella, M.E., Turns, J., Mosborg, S., Saleem, J. (in press, October 2007). Engineering design processes: A
comparison of student and expert practitioners. Journal of Engineering Education.
Atman, C.J., Chimka, J.R., Bursic, K.M., Nachtmann, H.L. (1999). A Comparison of Freshman and Senior Engineering Design Processes.
Design Studies, 20(2).
Atman, C.J., Yasuhara, K., Adams, R.S., Barker, T.J., Turns, J., Rhone, E. (2007). Breadth in problem scoping: A comparison of freshman
and senior engineering students. Mudd Design Workshop VI.
Bordogna, J. et al. (1993). Engineering Education: Innovation Through Integration. Journal of Engineering Education, 82(1).
Eris, Ö., et al. (2007). A preliminary analysis of correlates of engineering persistence: Results from a longitudinal study. Proceedings of
the 2007 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition.
Felder, R.M. et al. (1993). A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. I. Success and Failure in the
Introductory Course. Journal of Engineering Education, 82(1).
Felder, R.M., Felder, G.N., & Dietz, E.J. (1998). A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. V.
Comparisons with Traditionally-Taught Students. Journal of Engineering Education, 87(4).
Felder, R.M., Rugarcia, A. & Stice, J.E. (2000). The future of engineering education: Part 5. Learning how to teach. Chemical
Engineering Education (Summer).
Felder, R.M. & Silverman, L.K. (1988). Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education. Engineering Education, 78(7).
Felder, R.M., Stice, J.E. & Rugarcia, A. (2000). The future of engineering education: Part 6. Making reform happen. Chemical
Engineering Education (Summer).
Felder, R.M., Woods, D.R., Stice, J.E. & Rugarcia, A. (2000). The future of engineering education: Part 2. Teaching Methods that Work.
Chemical Engineering Education (Winter).
Felder, R.M., Woods, D.R., Rugarcia, A. & Stice, J.E. (2000). The future of engineering education: Part 4. Learning how to teach.
Chemical Engineering Education (Spring).
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
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References (2 of 3)
Froyd, J. (2005). The Engineering Education Coalitions Program. In National Academy of Engineering, Educating the engineer of 2020.
de Graaf, E., Sheppard, S.D., Atman, C.J., Kolmos, A., Saunders-Smits, G., Streveler, R.A., (2007). CELT Technical Report 07-01. Center
for Engineering Learning and Teaching.
Heywood, J. (2005). Engineering Education: Research and Development in Curriculum and Instruction. Wiley-IEEE Press.
Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T. & Smith, K. (1991). Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book
Company.
Kemnitzer, S. (2006). Engineering Education Background Briefing for the National Science Board. Presented August 9, 2006.
Kilgore, D., Atman, C.J., Yasuhara, K., Barker, T.J., Morozov, A. (in press, October 2007). Considering context: A study of first-year
engineering students. Journal of Engineering Education.
Kilgore, D., Chachra, D., Jones, M., Loshbaugh, H., McCain, J., Yasuhara, K. (2007). Creative, contextual, and engaged: Are women the
engineers of 2020? Proceedings of the 2007 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition.
Koen, B.V. (2003). Discussion of the Method: Conducting the Engineer's Approach to Problem Solving. Oxford University Press.
Mann, C.R. (1918). A Study of Engineering Education. Engineering Education Bulletin, 11. New York: The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching
National Academies’ Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) & Committee on Policy and Global Affairs
(PGA). (2007). Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. National
Academies Press.
National Academy of Engineering. (2005). Educating the engineer of 2020: Adapting engineering education to the new century.
Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
National Academy of Engineering. (2004). The engineer of 2020: Visions of engineering in the new century. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press.
National Research Council. (1995). Engineering Education: Designing an Adaptive System. National Academies Press.
National Research Council. (1996). From Analysis to Action: Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and
Technology. National Academies Press.
National Science Foundation. (1995). Restructuring Engineering Education: A Focus on Change. Division of Undergraduate Education,
Directorate for Education and Human Resources.
Rugarcia, A., Felder, R.M., Woods, D.R. & Stice, J.E. (2000). The future of engineering education: Part 1. A Vision for a New Century.
Chemical Engineering Education (Winter).
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References (3 of 3)
Sheppard, S.D. (2007). Research on engineering education: Theory informing practice, informing theory. Presented March 24, 2007 at the
2007 International Mechanical Engineering Education Conference.
Sheppard, S.D., Macatangay, K., Colby, A. & Sullivan, W. (in press). Educating Engineers: Theory, Practice and Imagination. Jossey
Bass.
Shuman, L.J., et al. (2002). The future of engineering education. Proceedings of the 32nd ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference.
Simon, H.A. (1998). What we know about learning. Journal of Engineering Education, 87(4).
Steering committee of the National Engineering Education Research Colloquies. (2006). The Research Agenda for the New Discipline of
Engineering Education. Journal of Engineering Education, 95(4).
Turns, J., Adams, R.S., Linse, A. & Atman, C.J. (2004). Bridging from Research to Practice in Undergraduate Engineering Design
Education, International Journal of Engineering Education, 20(3).
Turns, J., Atman, C.J., Adams, R.S. & Barker, T. (2005). Research on Engineering Student Knowing: Trends and Opportunities (invited
paper). Journal of Engineering Education, 94(1).
Wankat, P.C. (1999). An analysis of the articles in the Journal of Engineering Education. Journal of Engineering Education, 88(1).
Wankat, P.C., Felder, R.M., Smith, K.A., Oreovicz, F.S. (2002). The scholarship on teaching and learning in engineering. In M.T. Huber &
S.P. Morreale (Eds.), Disciplinary styles in the scholarship of teaching and learning: Exploring common ground. American Association
for Higher Education.
Wankat, P.C. & Oreovicz, F.S. (1992). Teaching Engineering. Mcgraw-Hill College.
Whitin, K. & Sheppard, S. (2004). Taking Stock: An Analysis of the Publishing Record as Represented by the Journal of Engineering
Education. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(1).
Wickenden, W.E. (1930). Report of the Investigation of Engineering Education, 1923–1929, 1. Pittsburgh: Society for the Promotion of
Engineering Education.
Wickenden, W.E. (1934). Report of the Investigation of Engineering Education, 1923–1929, 2. Pittsburgh: Society for the Promotion of
Engineering Education.
Woods, D.R., Felder, R.M., Rugarcia, A. & Stice, J.E. (2000). The future of engineering education: Part 3. Developing Critical Skills.
Chemical Engineering Education (Spring).
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Relevant Websites
• Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology, Inc. (ABET)
http://www.abet.org/
• American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
http://www.asee.org/
• American Society for Engineering Education,
Educational Research and Methods Division (ASEE
ERM)
http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/erm/
• Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on
Engineering Education (CASEE)
http://www.nae.edu/NAE/caseecomnew.nsf?OpenDatab
ase
• Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education
(CAEE)
http://www.engr.washington.edu/caee/
• Center for Engineering Learning & Teaching (CELT)
http://depts.washington.edu/celtweb/
• Center for Intergration of Research, Teaching, and
Learning (CIRTL)
http://cirtl.wceruw.org/
• Colorado State University, Engineering Education
Program
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/es/engineeringed
C. Atman, 2007 Jun 08
• Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering
Education
http://www.engr.psu.edu/LeonhardCenter/eec/lc/
• National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
http://www.nae.edu/
• National Center for Engineering and Technology
Education (NCETE)
http://www.ncete.org/
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
http://www.nsf.gov/
• Purdue University, Department of Engineering
Education
https://engineering.purdue.edu/ENE/
• Utah State University, Department of Engineering and
Technology Education
http://www.engineering.usu.edu/ete/
• Vanderbilt-Northwestern-Texas- Harvard/MIT
Engineering Research Center (VanTH-ERC)
http://www.vanth.org/
• Virginia Tech, Department of Engineering Education
http://www.enge.vt.edu/
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Acknowledgements
• I would like to thank many people for their input and review of these slides, including Jim
Borgford-Parnell, Debbie Chachra, Özgür Eris, Rich Felder, Norman Fortenberry, Patricia
Gomez, Sue Kemnitzer, Deborah Kilgore, Tom Litzinger, Tina Loucks-Jaret, Dennis Lund,
Ann McKenna, Bayta Maring, Liz Moore, Barbara Olds, Sheri Sheppard, Karl Smith,
Jennifer Turns. I would particularly like to thank Ken Yasuhara for his insights on the
content, and production and artwork on these slides.
• This work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation RED9358516, EEC-0639895, REC-012554, ESI-0227558, SBE-0354453, the Boeing Company,
and the Ford Motor Company Fund.
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