Trevor S. Harding

Application of Self-Determination and Self-Regulation Theories to Course Design: Planting the Seeds for Adaptive Expertise

Linda Vanasupa — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:31:35 PST

The paper is grounded in the premise that learning occurs within a dynamic system of social and ecological interactions in the learning environment. Our intent is to open the conversation about hose ac, as engineering educators, design effective learning experiences for this dynamic system, particularly in light of the deeply ethical, adaptive expertise required of today's graduates. Drawing from two well-researched theories of psychological development (self-determination and self-regulation), we assert that fostering the engagement and positive growth required for adaptive expertise necessitates a holistic educational approach. This approach requires us to consider both the psychological needs of the learner, and the interaction between ecological factors and these psychological needs. We present a dynamic systems simulation model that is based on key concepts from self-determination and self-regulation theory. The model links factors in the learning environment, or 'ecological factors,' to outcomes related to student learning. To demonstrate that the model simulates the observed behavior of the system, we compare model simulations with student motivation measures in three learning situations that were designed and implemented by the authors. The evidence highlights the dramatic influence of ecological factors: high and low intrinsic motivations in different situations, and strong correlations between students' motivational orientations and ecological factors. Comparison of the simulated and measured student responses illustrates the potential for the integrated use of .systems dynamics and learning science to aid design of learning environments that foster student motivation, engagement, and learning.

A Systemic Model of Development: Strategically Enhancing Students' Cognitive, Psychomotor, Affective and Social Development

Richard N. Savage — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:54:20 PDT

The challenges of the 21st century create an imperative for engineering educators: to design learning experiences that result in engineering professionals with a sophisticated level of cognitive, psychomotor, social and affective development. We propose a tool for the design process. Our systemic model of development (SMD) is based on a large body of learning theory and empirical data. It maps the relationships among the major factors that influence learning in the form of a causal loop diagram. To demonstrate the value of the SMD, we compared the motivational profiles of a test group (36 students) who took an engineering course designed with the systems model of development to those of a quasicontrol group (33 students) who took a conventional engineering course. The test cohort of students demonstrated significantly higher levels of intrinsic motivation (86% of a standard deviation, p=0.001) and identified regulation (53 of a standard deviation, p<0.001). Both types of motivation are key factors for self-directed learning.

Work in progress - A Mixed-Methods Approach to Developing an Instrument Measuring Engineering Students' Positive Ethical Behavior

Mathew A. Holsapple — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:59:45 PST

Ethics education and the drive to produce ethical professional engineers is an important focus of one body of research on engineering education. This research often defines the positive outcome of ethics education as students and professional engineers choosing not to engage in unethical behavior. This paper discusses a portion of a larger research project and details efforts to identify and validate a definition of ethical behavior that includes the decision to engage in a positive behavior, defined as a service to a larger community. Through a series of interviews and focus groups with engineering administrators, faculty, and students, the authors attempt to confirm the construct validity of service participation as ethical behavior. They also investigate the validity of the aspects of service participation to be included as a part of a national survey on engineering ethics education practices and outcomes. They then discuss the final steps that will be taken to test and further validate the development of the service participation portion of the survey.

Workshop - Feminist Engineering Education: Building a Community of Practice

Alice L. Pawley — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:59:22 PST

As a result of a series of papers and special sessions held at FIE between 2004 and 2008, a community of CSET educators interested in exploring feminist pedagogies has formed at FIE. Past participants in these sessions have expressed a desire to learn more about what makes a set of pedagogies "feminist." At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of research papers at FIE that draw on feminist research methods or topics. This workshop is designed to meet the needs of members of the FIE community who have some experience with feminist pedagogies or research methods, and who are looking to develop intellectual relationships with others also working in engineering educational research. We will discuss the history of feminist education and feminist research methods in the US, including a connection to science and engineering education; participants will then work in small groups focusing on a sub-topic (feminist pedagogies, feminist research methods, and feminist research topics/content). We invite participants to bring part of a project (such as a syllabus or course plan, assignment, class or research project, research question or protocol) to this workshop; some time will be dedicated to the guided design/redesign of this project.

The Current State of Research on Academic Dishonesty Among Engineering Students

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:40 PST

Academic dishonesty, or cheating, has become a serious problem at colleges and universities. This is particularly true of engineering students who, are among the most likely to cheat in college. The present paper reviews the literature as a basis of broadly understanding academic dishonesty. This discussion focuses on three primary issues: (1) perceptions of and attitudes towards cheating, (2) reasons for student cheating, and (3) methods of promoting academic integrity. A current research project being developed by the authors is also discussed. The premise of this research is that students are constantly making ethical judgements between the pressure to cheat and their own moral beliefs and social norms. The goal then is to uncover the reasons for and frequency of student cheating and to develop best practices for helping engineering students avoid this pressure. Particular topics of discussion include a rationale for the research methodology, an outline of the questions we hope the survey will answer and a discussion of the ethical implications of conducting research of this type

Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool for Green Manufacturing Education

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:39 PST

The design and production of engineering products that have a reduced impact on the environment and human health has increasingly become a strategic goal of corporations. Consequently, starting engineers will need to be educated in green design techniques. One method that is particularly attractive to engineers is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is an objective approach to evaluating the environmental burden of a product, process or activity by identifying and quantifying material and energy usage and waste outputs at every life stage. LCA involves three steps: identification of scope of analysis, life cycle inventory, and impact analysis. Such an approach has two attractive features for engineers. First, it is a rational and quantitative process that is easily appreciated by engineers. Second, because it examines all stages of the life cycle, it allows engineers to easily identify what design or process improvements will lead to the greatest reduction in environmental impact.The present paper will describe a laboratory experience used in a senior level materials and process selection design course developed by the author. The project involves conducting a LCA analysis on a telephone as part of a redesign of the phone to reduce its environmental impact. Students begin the project by dismantling the phone and taking inventory of the materials contained within the phone. This information is used to determine the energy consumed in production of the phone. Information is also provided regarding energy consumption in the distribution, use and disposal of the phone. Students are then asked to examine a variety of different design and process changes and determine the relative change in environmental impact resulting from these changes. The paper will discuss the LCA approach (including streamlined LCA), details of the laboratory project, student outcomes and suggestions for improving the project.

On the Frequency and Causes of Academic Dishonesty Among Engineering Students

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:39 PST

According to studies of self-reported academic dishonesty conducted over time, cheating among college students has been on the increase since at least the 1940’s. This is especially true for engineering students who are now among the most likely to cheat compared to other disciplines. This paper will present a synopsis of the literature on academic dishonesty. In addition, the results of a pilot study on cheating among engineering students conducted at a small mid-western private engineering school are described. Engineering students in an introductory engineering materials course were asked to complete a survey on their perceptions of cheating; therefore, all results are self-reported. The goal of the pilot study is to establish student attitudes about what does and what does not constitute cheating and the frequency of student cheating. In addition, the pilot study was intended to help the researchers identify best practices for conducting a more complete research project. The overall objective of the research is to establish usable approaches for faculty to curtail the pressure to cheat which engineering students may feel.

The Role of Moral Philosophy in Promoting Academic Integrity Among Engineering Students

Brian K. Etter — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:38 PST

Academic dishonesty is nothing new, yet it is particularly disturbing to find among engineering students, whose professional lives need to be guided by the highest ethical standards. Moral philosophy may illuminate some of the conditions for recovering a sense of the ethical for engineering students. Classical moral philosophers held that people belong to communities in ways that inform their sense of obligation. Recognition of these communities would make concrete the engineer's responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the public. A further difficulty is that the primary community that students know is simply that of their peers in school or the workplace, which does not form a sufficient context for the sense of moral obligation inherent in the engineer's role. This paper seeks to define the moral obligation of the engineer using traditional moral philosophy and describe how this obligation might be translated into a more positive definition of success. It also addresses means by which educators can help engineering students to better understand their moral obligation.

P.A.C.E.S. - A Study on Academic Integrity Among Engineering Undergraduates (Preliminary Conclusions)

Donald D. Carpenter — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:38 PST

Student academic dishonesty, commonly referred to as cheating, has become a serious problem at institutions of higher education. This is particularly true of engineering students who, according to previous research, are among the most likely to cheat in college. To investigate this concern, the authors have undertaken a research project on the Perceptions and Attitudes toward Cheating among Engineering Students (P.A.C.E.S.). The premise of this research is that a combination of pressures, rather than malicious motivations, account for most student cheating. The P.A.C.E.S study consists of a seven page, self-reported survey that investigates: (1) student definitions of academic dishonesty; (2) the magnitude of academic dishonesty among engineering undergraduates; (3) the correlations of academic dishonesty with theories of psychological, demographic and situational factors; and (4) student opinions on different approaches used to discourage academic dishonesty. The survey was administered to approximately 350 engineering and pre engineering undergraduates at 5 institutions, ranging from community colleges to a large research university. This paper will discuss some of the current results from the study as well as future goals, which include the refinement and further distribution of the survey instrument and the development of practical pedagogical methods to help students avoid the pressure of cheating and a better understanding of what students and faculty perceive as cheating.

Cheating: Student Attitudes and Practical Approachs to Dealing with it

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:38 PST

The preliminary results of educational research conducted at Kettering University is described in which students in an introductory engineering materials course (MFGE-370) were asked to complete a survey on their perceptions of cheating. The overall objective of the research was to determine those things students believed constituted cheating, the frequency to which they cheat and their attitudes about what steps could be taken to curtail cheating within a course. Practical approaches to effectively dealing with cheating are also discussed including using learning objectives for writing fair tests, promoting group work through cooperative learning teams, holding review sessions before tests and building a good rapport with students. Data were gathered from 65 students in two offerings of the course

The Four-Domain Development Diagram: A Tool for Designing Development-Centered Teaching

Linda Vanasupa — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:37 PST

Research in education has brought to light the complexity of the learning process, demonstrating that students' development is influenced by a myriad of cultural and social factors, as well as the environment in which learning takes place. Engineering curricula, however, are primarily focused on teaching content knowledge, often resulting in a gap between what is taught and what is learned. We propose that shifting some of the focus onto the process of learning that occurs within the student and leveraging multiple known connections from educational psychology can result in more effective engineering education. Here we define “effective” engineering education as that which leads to greater retention of knowledge, accelerated skills development, and enhanced motivation for life-long learning. We have developed a curriculum design tool to facilitate this shift. It is a diagram that makes explicit the connections between properties of the "learning environment" or "cognitive activity" and the development occurring within the student. The Four-Domain Development Diagram, a synthesis of known empirical relationships in the learning literature, enables a faculty member to take a systems approach while designing learning activities. For example, it is known that several factors increase the construct of intrinsic motivation (a key ingredient in self-directed learning) such as students' valuation of the material being learned, autonomy in the learning process, a sense of relatedness in the learning environment and experiencing mastery. Unlike other models of learning which focus on the independent influence of one or two constructs, such as student interest or choice, our diagram enables one to design the learning experience to utilize the multiple natural known-relationships within the learner’s development to promote a greater internal drive for learning.Over the course of a three-year period, three cohorts (totaling ~120 students) have participated in learning experiences which have been designed according to the relationships in the Four-Domain Development Diagram. Engineering students in "learning experiences" designed according to the diagram report significantly higher levels of interaction with peers as learning collaborators, greater use of integrative cognitive strategies during self-directed learning and a higher degree of moral reasoning than comparison groups (these results are being published elsewhere). While it is not possible to establish a definitive cause-effect relationship, the results provide encouraging signs that the diagram can be useful as a design guide for simultaneously leveraging natural causal relationships leading to students' development along cognitive, affective, psychomotor and social domains. In this paper, we present the model and its key theoretical and empirical underpinnings. We also provide examples of how it can been used.

Training Graduate Student Instructors Effectively: The University of Michigan Model

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:37 PST

ASEE Student Chapters: From Student Members to Faculty

Jennifer Kadlowec — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:36 PST

The University of Michigan Student Chapter of the American Society for Engineering Education has grown from a small core group of founding members, who organized panel discussions for the graduate student community, into a flourishing student organization, which continues to grow in membership and events. The purpose of this paper is to promote graduate student chapters of the ASEE and demonstrate the positive impact that student member participation has had, particularly for those who have recently entered academia. Many events and activities of the University of Michigan Student Chapter of the American Society for Engineering Education (UM-ASEE Student Chapter) will be highlighted. The events range from brown bag lunches, panel discussions and student instructor awards to distinguished lectures, workshops and participation in the ASEE Annual Conferences. The benefits of the events along with the leadership and networking opportunities for students are discussed from the perspective of current student members and recent graduates, who are now college faculty. The chapter events and opportunities are provided as suggestions that other ASEE Student Chapters or similar student organizations may benefit from as well.

Useful Approaches to Preventing Academic Dishonesty in the Classroom

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:36 PST

Over the past three decades, academic dishonesty (a.k.a. cheating) has become an increasingly common occurrence among college-aged students, and engineering students are known to be among the most frequent culprits. At most universities, cheating is dealt with after the fact. Few institutions go beyond drafting an academic integrity policy to prevent cheating before it happens. The same situation exists in the classroom. The majority of college professors report doing little or nothing to reduce the frequency of cheating in their classes, usually because of a lack of awareness of its occurrence. And when cheating is observed, faculty overwhelmingly choose to deal with the situation on their own, without resorting to the institution’s policy. Given this scenario, it is the author’s goal to develop useful approaches that help faculty prevent cheating before it occurs. In addition, the author feels that students do not inherently want to cheat. One can therefore assume that there is a set of practical techniques that can be used by faculty to reduce the pressure on students to cheat. This paper focuses on several of these techniques which were developed as a result of research on self-reported student cheating at a private mid-western university. One technique that is highly effective is the use of learning objectives for test construction. Students reported cheating less often on tests since they appeared to be written more fairly. Other techniques include discussing learning theories and engineering ethics in class, allowing students to use reference sheets for closed-book tests and having students work in cooperative learning groups on homework. Discussion will include how to apply these techniques and why they may reduce cheating.

Promoting Excellence in Education with an Outstanding Student Instructor Award Program

Jennifer Kadlowec — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:36 PST

The ASEE Student Chapter at the University of Michigan in conjunction with the College of Engineering has developed and organized an annual Outstanding Student Instructor Award in recognition of excellence in engineering education. The award not only acknowledges the outstanding contributions of the individuals selected for the award, but also coincides with the ASEE’s goals of promoting excellence in engineering education and attracting new members. The paper outlines the planning procedures developed since the inception of the award in 1994 and provides suggestions and insights for other ASEE Student Chapters to create and organize such an award.

Student Perceptions of Institutional and Instructor Based Techniques for Dealing with Academic Dishonesty

Donald D. Carpenter — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:35 PST

Research suggests that a large percentage of engineering students engage in some form of academic dishonesty. To investigate this very serious concern, the authors have undertaken a research project on the Perceptions and Attitudes toward Cheating among Engineering Students (PACES). The premise of this research is that a combination of pressures, rather than malicious motivations, account for most student cheating. This paper focuses on a portion of the PACES survey; student opinions on what actions might prevent cheating. The authors examined data collected from approximately 350 engineering and pre-engineering undergraduate students at 5 institutions. In the survey, the students were presented with 23 institutional and instructor based actions and asked to comment on whether itch actions would prevent them from cheating if they might have been inclined to cheat under other circumstances. Student responses to those actions along with subsequent statistical analysis are reported. Practical implementations of several student-identified techniques are then discussed.

Suggestions for Establishing Centers for Engineering Education

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:35 PST

A Comparison of the Role of Academic Dishonesty Policies of Several Colleges on the Cheating Behavior of Engineering and Pre-Engineering Students

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:34 PST

While universities take a variety of approaches in dealing with academic dishonesty, current evidence suggests that institutions with honor codes have a significantly lower level of self-reported cheating as compared to nonhonor code institutions. This paper focuses on five institutions and their effectiveness in dealing with cheating, specifically among engineering or pre-engineering students. The authors' goal is to provide greater understanding of what institutional approaches appear to be most effective in minimizing cheating among this specific sub-group. The paper presents a predictive model of the extent of cheating among engineering students at these institutions using a variety of variables, including the nature of the academic policies at the study institutions, student perceptions toward cheating on their campuses and other contextual variables. Results appear to indicate that the strongest predictor of increased cheating among this sample of engineering students was the sense that cheating was necessary to succeed. Other variables that made a significant impact were the presence of an honor code and membership in a fraternity or sorority.

Implementing an Engineering Teaching Development Program for Graduate Student Instructors

Sara Soderstrom — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:34 PST

The Engineering Teaching Development Project (ETDP), a pilot program started by the student chapter of ASEE at the University of Michigan, is a multi-component program designed to improve the long-term teaching skills of graduate student instructors (GSIs) in the College of Engineering. The first component of the ETDP is college-wide pedagogical workshop series. These workshops are conducted by nationally recognized engineering educators invited by the ASEE student chapter. The topics of these workshops include cooperative learning, diversity in the classroom, and classroom assessment techniques. These workshops offer a means of continual improvement for all of the educators in the university, both faculty and GSIs. The second component is the "Departmental Training Programs Workshop," which was held in July before the start of the Fall semester. During this workshop, trained members of University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) helped faculty and graduate coordinators from 8 of the 11 departments in the College develop a step-by-step GSI training program, which could then be implemented in their respective departments. There were also experienced GSIs from each department present at the session. This perspective was helpful for faculty and staff to identify specific need of the GSIs in their department. The final component is the Teaching Fellows Pilot Program. This is a program called for experienced GSIs to submit proposals for innovative approaches to team teaching a course with a faculty member. These proposals should have included a description of the teaching innovation, a description of the assessment techniques used, and identification of the role the mentoring faculty member would play. A selection committee awarded the fellowship to an experienced GSI from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to implement computer-based laboratory exercises in an existing introductory hydraulics course. The primary objective for this three-tiered ETDP project is to provide training and mentoring programs for engineering GSIs that lead to a commitment to educational improvements in the classroom. As a secondary goal, the project seeks to promote an environment in the College of Engineering where continuous improvement of teaching techniques among educators is seen as a standard for those entering academia.

An Examination of the Relationship Between Academic Dishonesty and Professional Behavior

Trevor S. Harding — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:40:33 PST

A number of recent studies have found correlations between academic dishonesty in higher education and unethical behavior in the work settings. However, these studies have not explored the causal relationship between the underlying factors that lead to this dishonesty. This realization, and apparently high levels of cheating among engineering students, has lead us to a research hypothesis that decision making patterns about academic cheating among engineering students are positively correlated with those individuals' decision making patterns about work place ethics and responsibility. To test our hypothesis, we have developed an exploratory survey that asks questions about the respondent's decisions during opportunities to "cheat" in each of two contexts: college classrooms and work-place settings (with a special focus on engineering work settings). The survey was designed to provide qualitative data that could be used to later develop a more robust quantitative survey. This paper will present only the preliminary quantitative results from this survey