Enhancing Education through Alignment of Academic Affordances to Stimulate Engineering Learning (EASEL)

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The planning grant is to develop the "Enhancing Education through Alignment of Academic Affordances to Stimulate Engineering Learning (E 2 A 3 SEL)" program. The goal is to achieve consistency across the full engineering curriculum through an intentional collaboration of the full engineering faculty and faculty designees in five service departments (Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, andPhysics). This is accomplished through a comprehensive faculty development program designed to achieve consistent and effective pedagogical practices across the full curriculum, an integrated curriculum to be implemented in selected first-year courses, and the insertion of modular case- and problem-based teaching modules that are linked to engineering faculty research activities. EASEL leverages the nanotechnology fabrication and photonics laboratories of the NSU Research Infrastructure to Support Empowerment (RISE) project through its strategy of linking engineering faculty research to the undergraduate curriculum. The EASEL program also incorporates an elective track in biotechnology in recognition of the critical role biotechnology will play in our society. The EASEL program promotes educational strategies that enhance synthesis and critical thinking skills through its integrated curriculum and case- and problem-based teaching modules. Finally, the EASEL program calls for the development of a novel web-based e-learning tool to help students address identified areas of weakness in math and introductory engineering courses, and it incorporates modern learning assessment approaches (e.g. concept inventories and other assessment exams).