Collaborative Research: Impacts of Prior Work Experience on Adult, Non-traditional, Engineering Students

该项目旨在通过研究以前的工作经验，身份和专业知识的作用，为非传统的工程专业学生创造新的途径。 通过应用多重身份的理论框架，这项工作收集和分析定性和定量数据，从传统和非传统的工程本科生在三个不同的高等教育机构：一个大型公立大学（美国）。C.一所小型私立大学（纽黑文大学）和一所社区学院（卡尼亚达学院）。 正在解决的主要研究问题是：以前的工程相关的工作经验如何影响工程专业学生的身份和方法工程研究？本研究通过半结构化访谈、有声思维、问卷调查和持久性数据收集相结合的系统混合方法进行研究，为工程教育工作者提高教育工作效率提供了重要见解，并为我们理解工程身份和理解学生的能力和思维过程做出了实质性贡献。 通过填补目前对这些学生的身份，专业知识水平和经验的理解中的空白，该研究旨在提高工程专业学生的持久性成果，并增加合格工程专业毕业生的数量。这些结果有助于通过接触和增加包括女性和代表性不足的少数民族在内的年龄较大的学生的保留来建立STEM教育并使其多样化。小型私立大学、大型州立机构和社区学院之间的伙伴关系最大限度地扩大了广泛整合和传播研究成果的机会，并加强了非传统学生的途径。这项工作支持努力让所有工程专业的学生获得工作经验/实习机会，并帮助鼓励目前的劳动力攻读学位。PI计划提供几个区域研讨会和网络研讨会，以广泛传播研究结果，并使收集的数据易于提供给学术顾问，特别是在社区学院或与转学生合作的人;退伍军人事务组，大学招生，招生管理和招聘人员;工程教师和管理;和工程学生领袖。

This project aims to create new pathways for non-traditional engineering students by examining the role of prior work experiences, identity, and expertise. By applying the theoretical framework of multiple identities, this work collects and analyzes qualitative and quantitative data from traditional and non-traditional engineering undergraduate students at three diverse institutes of higher education: a large public university (U. C. Berkeley), a small private university (University of New Haven), and a community college (Cañada College). The primary research question being addressed is: How does prior engineering-related work experience impact engineering student identity and approach to engineering study? This is investigated through a systematic mixed-methods approach combining semi-structured interviews, think-aloud protocols, surveys, and the collection of persistence data.The study provides critical insights to enable engineering educators to be more effective in their educational efforts, and makes substantial contributions to our understanding of engineering identities and understanding of students' abilities and thinking processes. By filling gaps in current understanding of the identities, level of expertise, and experiences of these students, the study aims to improve persistence outcomes for engineering students and increase the number of qualified engineering graduates. The results help build and diversify STEM education by reaching out to and increasing the retention of older students which include females and underrepresented minorities. The partnership between the small private university, the large state institution, and the community college maximize opportunities for widespread integration and dissemination of findings, and strengthen pathways for non-traditional students. This work supports efforts to expose all engineering students to obtain work experience/internships and help encourage the current workforce to pursue a degree. The PIs plan to offer several regional workshops and webinars to broadly disseminate the findings and make the data collected easily available to academic advisors, especially at community colleges or those working with transfer students; veterans' affairs groups, college admissions, enrollment management, and recruiting officers; engineering faculty and administration; and engineering student leaders.