Attracting & Retaining Engineering Students-A New Approach Larry Wear [email_address] . washington . edu Professor & Associate Director Institute of Technology University of Washington Tacoma Orlando Baiocchi [email_address] Professor & Director Institute of Technology University of Washington Tacoma

A well known problem http://www.virtualpet.com/engineer/retent/retent.htm First Term Probation: Models for Identifying High Risk Students. 30th ASEE/ IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. 2000. Focuses on freshmen students, however several of the concepts might also apply to upperclassmen. FRESHMEN. Thinking Inside of the Box: Retention of Women in Engineering. 30th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. 2000. Describes efforts at Penn State to increase retention of women. Engineering Retention: National and Institutional Perspectives. Proceedings, 1988 ASEE Annual Conference. ASEE, 1988. Pgs. 843-851. By W.K. LeBold and S.K. Ward. 1988. Developing a Six Sigma Methodology for Improving Retention in Engineering Education. Keith Hargrove and Legand Burge. ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. Article focuses 6 sigma techniques on retaining minority engineering students. Attrition variables are seen as "defects". Student Retention Strategies Gender Clustering. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Washington, D.C., Jun. 1996. Virginia Polytech has voluntarily clustered its Intro to Engineering class sections by gender to allow females to form friendships with other females. FRESHMEN. Identifying Factors Influencing Engineering Student Graduation and Retention: A Longitudinal and Cross-Institutional Study. Proceedings. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Montreal, Quebec, Jun. 2002. Compares effectiveness of active, cooperative learning environment v. traditional teaching methods. Systems Model for Improving Standards and Retention in Engineering Education. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Albuquerque, NM, Jun. 2001. A four-step procedure is proposed by a professor at Florida A&M / Florida State: problem diagnosis, evaluation and analysis, system model design, and design implementation. Women in Engineering at North Carolina State University: An Effort in Recruitment, Retention and Encouragement. Proceedings 29th ASEE / IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, San Juan, PR, Nov. 1999.

http://www.virtualpet.com/engineer/retent/retent.htm

First Term Probation: Models for Identifying High Risk Students. 30th ASEE/ IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. 2000. Focuses on freshmen students, however several of the concepts might also apply to upperclassmen. FRESHMEN.

Thinking Inside of the Box: Retention of Women in Engineering. 30th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. 2000. Describes efforts at Penn State to increase retention of women.

Engineering Retention: National and Institutional Perspectives. Proceedings, 1988 ASEE Annual Conference. ASEE, 1988. Pgs. 843-851. By W.K. LeBold and S.K. Ward. 1988.

Developing a Six Sigma Methodology for Improving Retention in Engineering Education. Keith Hargrove and Legand Burge. ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. Article focuses 6 sigma techniques on retaining minority engineering students. Attrition variables are seen as "defects".

Student Retention Strategies Gender Clustering. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Washington, D.C., Jun. 1996. Virginia Polytech has voluntarily clustered its Intro to Engineering class sections by gender to allow females to form friendships with other females. FRESHMEN.

Identifying Factors Influencing Engineering Student Graduation and Retention: A Longitudinal and Cross-Institutional Study. Proceedings. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Montreal, Quebec, Jun. 2002. Compares effectiveness of active, cooperative learning environment v. traditional teaching methods.

Systems Model for Improving Standards and Retention in Engineering Education. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Albuquerque, NM, Jun. 2001. A four-step procedure is proposed by a professor at Florida A&M / Florida State: problem diagnosis, evaluation and analysis, system model design, and design implementation.

Women in Engineering at North Carolina State University: An Effort in Recruitment, Retention and Encouragement. Proceedings 29th ASEE / IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, San Juan, PR, Nov. 1999.

Previous Approaches Freshmen Introductory Classes Introduction to design Fun & games classes Course Sequencing Help classes for engineering & math Special classes- robots, team projects other

Freshmen Introductory Classes

Introduction to design

Fun & games classes

Course Sequencing

Help classes for engineering & math

Special classes- robots, team projects

other

UWT Computer Engineering Approach Three-quarter sequence 1 unit/quarter 2 hrs/week Required for freshmen

Three-quarter sequence

1 unit/quarter

2 hrs/week

Required for freshmen

1st Quarter Course Syllabus 2 weeks- overview of product development life-cycle 2 weeks- Lego MindStorm introduction 2 weeks- Logic design with Logic Works 2 weeks- Lego contest 2 weeks- Analog design with Pspice, introduction to project teams

2 weeks- overview of product development life-cycle

2 weeks- Lego MindStorm introduction

2 weeks- Logic design with Logic Works

2 weeks- Lego contest

2 weeks- Analog design with Pspice, introduction to project teams

2nd Quarter Course Syllabus Team formulation Team training and inspection process Project concept document review & inspection Project requirements document review & inspection Project design documents review & inspection Project status presentations

Team formulation

Team training and inspection process

Project concept document review & inspection

Project requirements document review & inspection

Project design documents review & inspection

Project status presentations

3rd Quarter Course Syllabus Test Plan review & inspection Parts locator Assembler Unit testing System testing Status reports

Test Plan review & inspection

Parts locator

Assembler

Unit testing

System testing

Status reports

Observation from TCES 101 All students liked the Legos project Some liked the competition aspect Most wanted more lab time Use of equipment Use of simulation software High student evaluation

All students liked the Legos project

Some liked the competition aspect

Most wanted more lab time

Use of equipment

Use of simulation software

High student evaluation

Observation from TCES 102 Liked being part of a team Didn’t like all the paperwork Wanted to know more so they could understand and contribute more

Liked being part of a team

Didn’t like all the paperwork

Wanted to know more so they could understand and contribute more

Conclusions More lab time in 101 Assign teams early in 102 Introduce simple lab project in 102 with tutoring by seniors

More lab time in 101

Assign teams early in 102

Introduce simple lab project in 102 with tutoring by seniors