Evaluation of a First-Year Retention Project: Findings at Halftime
Evaluation of a First-Year Retention Project: Findings at Halftime
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第一年保留项目的评估：中场休息时的发现
DOI：
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发表时间：
2013
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影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Melanie Roudkovski
中科院分区：
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作者：
Alan D. Niemi;Matthew G. Green;Melanie Roudkovski
在一所小型私立大学，工程和工程技术项目的年度保留率和毕业率下降，促使了对其潜在原因的内部研究（2009年夏季）。对表现和预测数据的分析，以及对文献和非留校学生的调查，根据有记录的最佳做法提出了几项建议行动。由此产生的5年留用项目，由NSF-STEP资助，于2010年8月开始，重点关注一年级留用计划，即：一年级学生的教师指导计划；针对一年级学生的同伴辅导计划；针对一年级学生的行业接触指导计划；通过两门新开设的大一课程接触工程实践，采用主动学习和多学科项目，旨在回答“工程师是做什么的？”在项目的前半部分，已经开发和部署了许多评估工具，以帮助确定倡议的有效性。这些工具包括：工程前和工程后调查，以确定他们在第一学期对工程专业和项目的态度；通过对一年级学生的调查来确定一年级兴趣小组和导师的有效性对同侪导师进行调查和焦点小组讨论；教师导师调查；行业导师调查。本文提供了所采用的保留计划的细节，然后介绍了迄今为止项目的定性和定量评估结果，目的是将我们的经验和发现贡献给关于保留计划的对话。评估结果的细节包括帮助回答以下问题：“在三种导师类型中，哪一种最重要？”、“同侪导师与一年级学生的专业相同，这很重要吗？”以及“学生对工程学的态度最容易改变的是哪一种？”国家自然科学基金资助项目（编号：0969382），项目名为“提高留存率的第一年计划”。本材料中表达的任何观点、发现、结论或建议均为作者的观点，并不一定反映美国国家科学基金会的观点。1.0项目活动1.1总体目标本项目最具体和最直接的目标是将工程与工程技术学院（SEET）的毕业率从2009年的五年平均水平42%提高到五年平均水平65%。为了实现这一目标，1年的新生保留率必须从2009年的68%提高到85%。SEET提高学生留存率的重点是“第一次进入任何大学”（FTIAC）的新生。SEET提高留校率和毕业率的多方面举措包括几个一年级最佳实践部分，即：为一年级学生制定教师指导计划；为一年级学生制定同伴辅导计划；为一年级学生制定行业接触指导计划；通过两门新的大一课程接触工程实践，包括多学科项目，实习工程师的报告，参与合作教育的学生的报告，以及高年级顶点设计项目学生的报告。实施这些最佳实践不仅提高了第一年的保留率，而且对随后几年的保留率也有积极的影响，因为学生们继承了他们改进的学习习惯、学术支持网络和更高水平的追求工程的承诺。项目输入、活动和结果的完整模型如图1所示。活动短期结果长期结果投入一年级学生（FTIAC） FIG同伴顾问（PA）教师导师（FM）行业导师（IM）支持：NSF - STEP LETU一年级兴趣小组（FIGS） PA小组会议PA个人会议PA和FM社会活动行业导师会议工程实践入门I (F)工程实践入门II (S)
A decline in the annual retention and graduation rates of the engineering and engineering technology program at a small, private university motivated an internal study (summer 2009) of its underlying causes. Analyses of performance and predictor data, as well as surveys of the literature and of non-retained students, produced several recommended actions based on documented best practices. The resulting 5-year retention project, funded by NSF-STEP, began in August of 2010 and focuses on first-year retention initiatives, namely: a faculty mentoring program for first-year students; a peer mentoring program for first-year students; an industrial contact mentoring program for first-year students; exposure to engineering practice through two new freshman courses employing activelearning and multidisciplinary projects aimed at answering the question “What do engineers do?” During the first half of the project many assessment instruments have been developed and deployed to help determine the effectiveness of the initiatives. These instruments include: a pre-and post-engineering survey to determine attitudes toward the engineering profession and program during their first semester; a survey of first-year students to determine the effectiveness of first-year interest groups and the mentors; both a survey and focus group for the peer mentors; a faculty mentor survey; industrial mentor survey. This paper provides details of the retention initiatives employed, and then presents qualitative and quantitative assessment results of the project to date, with the intention of contributing our experiences and findings to the dialogue on retention initiatives. Assessment result details are included to help answer such questions as: “Of the three mentor types, which is the most important?”, “Is it important that a peer mentor have the same major as the first-year student?”, and “Which student attitudes toward engineering are most easily changed?” The project, entitled First-Year Initiatives for Retention Enhancement (FIRE), is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0969382. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. 1.0 Project Activities 1.1 Overall Goal The most specific and immediate goal of this project is to increase the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET) graduation rate from its 2009 five-year average of 42% to an improved five-year average of 65%. 1 To achieve this target, 1-year retention of new students must be increased to 85% from its 2009 level of 68%. 1.2 Implementation of Best-Practice Activities The focus of the SEET’s retention improvement efforts is upon “first time in any college” (FTIAC) freshmen. The SEET’s multifaceted initiatives for increasing retention and graduation rate include several first-year best-practice components, namely: the development of a faculty mentoring program for first-year students; the development of a peer mentoring program for first-year students; the development of an industrial contact mentoring program for first-year students; exposure to engineering practice through two new freshman courses employing multidisciplinary projects, presentations by practicing engineers, presentations by students involved in co-op education, and presentations by senior capstone design project students. Implementing these best practices not only increases first-year retention, but positively impacts retention in subsequent years, as well, since students carry forward their improved study habits, academic support network, and higher level of commitment to pursue engineering. A complete model of the project inputs, activities and outcomes is shown in Figure 1. Activities Short-Term Outcomes Long-Term Outcomes Inputs First-Year Students (FTIAC) FIG Peer Advisors (PA) Faculty Mentors (FM) Industrial Mentors (IM) Support: NSF – STEP LETU First-Year Interest Groups (FIGS) PA group meetings PA individual meetings PA and FM social events Industrial mentor meetings Introduction to Engineering Practice I (F) Introduction to Engineering Practice II (S)