First-Year Innovation & Design in Engineering for Academic Success (IDEAS) Modules and Center

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Engineering - Other (59)The project is developing three modules for first-year engineering students and creating a center where students have evening access to tutors, tools to construct their design ideas, and an area where they can take measurements and record data outside of class. The modules, which deal with biomechanics, wind power, and water purification, are focusing on the development of critical and creative thinking skills in first-year engineering students. The modules include modeling, simulation, prototyping, data collection, and data analysis tasks. The evaluation effort is measuring changes in critical thinking and creativity using two established instruments: the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production. The investigators are disseminating their modules and results through presentations at national conferences, through publications in archived journals , and through postings on their website and on the Merlot site. Broader impacts include the dissemination of the instructional materials and the selection of course topics of interest to underrepresented groups in an effort to increase their participation.