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

这个项目旨在通过考察以前的工作经验、身份和专业知识的作用，为非传统工程专业的学生创造新的途径。本研究运用多重身份的理论框架，收集和分析了三所不同高等教育机构的传统和非传统工科本科生的定性和定量数据：一所大型公立大学(加州大学伯克利分校)、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)。主要的研究问题是：以前与工程相关的工作经验如何影响工程专业学生的身份和工程学习方法？本研究采用系统的混合方法，结合半结构化访谈、有声思考协议、调查和持续性数据的收集，为工程教育工作者提供了重要的见解，使他们能够更有效地开展教育工作，并对我们理解工程身份、理解学生的能力和思维过程做出了重大贡献。通过填补目前对这些学生的身份、专业水平和经验的理解的空白，这项研究旨在改善工科学生的持之以恒成果，并增加合格的工科毕业生的数量。结果通过接触和增加年龄较大的学生，包括女性和代表性不足的少数群体，帮助建立和多样化STEM教育。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。这项工作支持让所有工科学生获得工作经验/实习机会的努力，并有助于鼓励当前的劳动力攻读学位。PIS计划提供几个地区性研讨会和网络研讨会，以广泛传播调查结果，并将收集到的数据轻松提供给学术顾问，特别是社区学院或那些与转学学生一起工作的人；退伍军人事务小组、大学招生、招生管理和招生官员；工程学教职员工和行政人员；以及工程学学生领袖。

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.