Integration of Micro Design-Build-Test Projects in Instructor-Centered Courses to Increase Student Confidence
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 144, Issue 2
Abstract
The growing demand for highly skilled graduates coupled with institutional mandates to reduce minimum graduation credit hour requirements is compelling higher educators to optimize the deployment strategy of high-impact pedagogical practices to maintain their broad educational learning outcomes. In this case study, a micro design-build-test project is deployed at the first, second, and third academic years, respectively, to increase student engineering design confidence, motivation, communication ability, analytical skills, and computer competency. The projects are rooted in constructionist learning theory and project-based learning pedagogy. Students work with engineering and computer-assisted design software, three-dimensional printers, mechanical testing equipment, spreadsheets, Microsoft PowerPoint, and word processors. The microtreatment lasts between 2 and 3 weeks. These projects are designed for integration within traditional instructor-centered courses and are shown to significantly increase student confidence and motivation, especially in female students. The results presented here indicate that engineering design self-confidence can be significantly impacted with a short-term microtreatment that is relatively less time-consuming to prepare than a complete pedagogical transformation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The research reported in this paper was sponsored by Lamar University through the Presidential Faculty Fellowship Award. The contents of this report reflect the views of the writers, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of Lamar University.
References
3D CAD [Computer software]. Autodesk, San Rafael, CA.
ABET. (2012). “Criteria for accrediting engineering programs.” Baltimore.
ASCE. (2004). Civil engineering body of knowledge for the 21st century: Preparing the civil engineer for the future, Reston, VA.
ASCE. (2010). “Minimum design loads for buildings and other structures.” ASCE 7, Reston, VA.
ASTM. (2012). “Standard practice for establishing allowable properties for structural glued laminated timber (glulam).” ASTM D3737, West Conshohocken, PA.
AWC (American Wood Council). (2015). “National design specification for wood construction.” ANSI/AWC NDS-2015, Leesburg, VA.
Baillie, C., and Fitzgerald, G. (2000). “Motivation and attrition in engineering students.” Eur. J. Eng. Educ., 25(2), 145–155.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. L., Hill, W. H., and Kratwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals: Handbook I: Cognitive domain, David McKay, New York.
Boelskifte, B. (2011). “On designing a design engineering education.” Proc., 1st Int. Workshop on Design in Civil and Environmental Engineering, M. K. Thompson, ed., Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Guseong-don, Yuseong-gu Daejon, Republic of Korea, 63–68.
Brake, N. A. (2016). “A pre-capstone junior-level structural and materials design project for civil engineering students.” Proc., 2016 ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
Brake, N. A., and Adam, F. A. (2016). “Integrating a 3-D printer and a truss optimization project in statics.” Proc., 2016 ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
Brake, N. A., and Curry, J. C. (2016). “The impact of one-credit introductory engineering courses on engineering self-efficacy: Seminar v. project-based.” Proc., 2016 ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
Carberry, A. R., Lee, H. S., and Ohland, M. W. (2010). “Measuring engineering design self-efficacy.” J. Eng. Educ., 99(1), 71–79.
Cech, E., Rubineau, B., Silbey, S., and Seron, C. (2011). “Professional role confidence and gendered persistence in engineering.” Am. Sociol. Rev., 76(5), 641–666.
Clayton, G. (2010). “Introducing engineering design using impromptu design projects.” ASEE 2010 Annual Conf. and Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
DiBiasio, D., Clark, W. M., Dixon, A. G., Comparini, L., and O’Connor, K. (1999). “Evaluation of a spiral curriculum for engineering.” 29th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conf., FIE’99, IEEE, New York, 15–18.
Einstein, H. H. (2013). “Design education in civil and environmental engineering.” Proc., 2nd Int. Workshop on Design in Civil and Environmental Engineering, M. K. Thompson, ed., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 112–120.
Felder, R. M., Felder, G. N., and Dietz, E. J. (1998). “A longitudinal study of engineering student performance and retention. V: Comparisons with traditionally-taught students.” J. Eng. Educ., 87(4), 469–480.
Finch, C. R., Frantz, N. R., Mooney, M., and Aneke, N. O. (1997). Designing the thematic curriculum: An all aspects approach, NCRVE Materials Distribution Service, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb, IL.
Gamst, G., Meyers, L. S., and Guarino, A. J. (2008). Analysis of variance designs: A conceptual and computational approach with SPSS and SAS, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Grandy, J. (1998). “Persistence in science of high-ability minority students: Results of a longitudinal study.” J. Higher Educ., 69(6), 589–620.
Halverson, E. R., and Sheridan, K. M. (2014). “The maker movement in education.” Harv. Educ. Rev., 84(4), 495–504.
Harel, I. E., and Papert, S. E. (1991). Constructionism, Ablex, Norwood, NJ.
Hermon, P., McCartan, C., and Cunningham, G. (2010). “Group design-build-test projects as the core of an integrated curriculum in product design and development.” Eng. Educ., 5(2), 50–58.
Honken, N., and Ralston, P. A. S. (2013). “Freshman engineering retention: A holistic look.” J. Stem Educ., 14(2), 29–37.
Hutchison-Green, M. A., Follman, D. K., and Bodner, G. M. (2008). “Providing a voice: Qualitative investigation of the impact of a first-year engineering experience on students’ efficacy beliefs.” J. Eng. Educ., 97(2), 177–190.
Jackson, H. V., and Tarhini, K. M. (2016). “Progressive integration of design process into civil engineering curriculum.” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract., 05015006.
Joseph, A. (2014). “Teamwork, innovation, and student engagement in technology entrepreneurship—A case study.” Proc., 2014 ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition, Indianapolis.
Laird, T. F. N., Shoup, R., Kuh, G. D., and Schwarz, M. J. (2008). “The effects of discipline on deep approaches to student learning and college outcomes.” Res. Higher Educ., 49(6), 469–494.
Litzinger, T. A., Lattuca, L. R., Hadgraft, R. G., and Newstetter, W. C. (2011). “Engineering education and development of expertise.” J. Eng. Educ., 100(1), 123–150.
Loy, J. (2014). “eLearning and eMaking: 3D printing blurring the digital and the physical.” Educ. Sci., 4(1), 108–121.
Major, J. C., and Kirn, A. (2017). “Engineering identity and project-based learning: How does active learning develop student engineering identity?” Proc., ASEE 2017 Annual Conf. and Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
Malmqvist, J., Young, P. Y., Hallström, S., Kuttenkeuler, J., and Svensson, T. (2004). “Lessons learned from design-build-test-based project courses.” Proc., DESIGN 2004, 8th Int. Design Conf., Ministry of Science and Technology of Republic of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia.
Mamaril, N. J. (2014). “Measuring undergraduate students’ engineering self-efficacy: A scale validation study.” Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Mann, A., and DiPrete, T. A. (2013). “Trends in gender segregation in the choice of science and engineering majors.” Soc. Sci. Res., 42(6), 1519–1541.
Martinez, S. L., and Stager, G. (2013). Invent to learn: Making, tinkering, and engineering in the classroom, Constructing Modern Knowledge Press, St. Torrance, CA.
Mendez, G., Buskirk, T. D., Lohr, S., and Haag, S. (2008). “Factors associated with persistence in science and engineering majors: An exploratory study using classification trees and random forests.” J. Eng. Educ., 97(1), 57–70.
Morozov, A., Kilgore, D., Yasuhara, K., and Atman, C. (2008). “Same courses, different outcomes? Variations in confidence, experience, and preparations in engineering design.” Proc., ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
Renninger, A., Hidi, S., and Krapp, A. (2014). The role of interest in learning and development, Psychology Press, London.
Savage, N., Birch, R., and Noussi, E. (2011). “Motivation of engineering students in higher education.” Eng. Educ., 6(2), 39–46.
Savage, R. N., Chen, K. C., and Vanasupa, L. (2007). “Integrating project-based learning throughout the undergraduate engineering curriculum.” J. STEM Educ.: Innov. Res., 8(3–4), 15–27.
Seely, B. E. (2005). “Patterns in the history of engineering education reform: A brief essay.” Educating the engineer of 2020: Adapting engineering education to the new century, National Academies, Washington, DC, 114–130.
Selvi, E., Soto-Caban, S., Taylor, R. S., and Wilson, W. R. (2011). “Similar consecutive bridge design projects for freshmen and sophomore level engineering courses.” Proc., 2011 ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.
Shekar, A. (2012). “Research-based enquiry in product development education: Lessons from supervising undergraduate final year projects.” Int. J. Ind. Eng., 19(1), 26–32.
Sheppard, S. D., Macatangay, K., Colby, A., and Sullivan, W. M. (2008). Educating engineers: Designing for the future of the field, Vol. 2, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
STAAD.Pro [Computer software]. Bentley Systems, Exton, PA.
SurveyMonkey [Computer software]. SurveyMonkey, San Mateo, CA.
Vermunt, J. D., and Vermetten, Y. J. (2004). “Patterns in student learning: Relationships between learning strategies, conceptions of learning, and learning orientations.” Educ. Psychol. Rev., 16(4), 359–384.
Weinmann, J. (2014). “Makerspaces in the university community.” M.S. thesis, Technical Univ. of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 3, 2016
Accepted: Aug 22, 2017
Published online: Jan 19, 2018
Published in print: Apr 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jun 19, 2018
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.