Collaborative Proposal: Using Lean LaunchPad to Promote Transfer Students' Persistence in Engineering

这个工程教育研究项目的重点是通过利用精益启动板模式的创新过渡计划来提高转学学生的成功率。精益启动板提供了一个以实践为导向的范例，向学生传授创新和创业精神。它侧重于创业经验和发展成功商业企业所需的技能。通过促进工科学生的研究、分析思维和解决问题的技能的发展，精益启动板方法为学术支持和体验式学习提供了相关的平台。学生们认识到，失败是学习中必不可少的一部分，无论一个想法的商业案例是否可行，失败都能让他们获得有价值的研究、创新和设计经验。专注于将知识转化为现实世界应用的项目有望提高学生在工程专业的毅力。霍华德大学和新墨西哥州立大学将分别以精益LaunchPad为形式，为40名即将入学的转学学生实施为期一周的身临其境体验。转学学生将以小组形式探索商业模式画布，在以学习者为中心的体验式、探究式环境中沉浸在科学方法的核心部分中。此外，霍华德大学将采用和适应已被证明成功的NMSU转学学生招生方法。这个项目更广泛的意义和重要性在于创新地使用Lean LaunchPad来简化即将到来的转学学生的过渡。社区大学招收了超过一半的拉美裔学生和41%的非裔美国学生。这一目标人群具有扩大工程劳动力参与度的巨大潜力。同样重要的是，这项研究项目将解决缺乏支持转学学生成功的循证干预措施的问题。这个项目的成功体现在留校率和毕业率的提高上，可以在不同的机构类型中复制。这个项目与NSF扩大工程劳动力参与的战略目标重叠。转学人数在很多方面都非常不同；性别、种族、年龄是最明显的。人口正在增长，越来越多的人包括从现役归来的退伍军人。通过面向转校生，从工程学的角度向他们介绍创业精神，并支持他们过渡到四年制院校，该项目将评估基于精益发射台的身临其境的体验对他们成功获得本科工程学学位的影响。

This engineering education research project focuses on improving the success of transfer students through an innovative transition program that utilizes a Lean LaunchPad model. The Lean LaunchPad presents a practice-oriented paradigm for teaching students about innovation and entrepreneurship. It focuses on the startup experience and the skills necessary to develop successful business ventures. By promoting the development of research, analytical thinking, and problem solving skills in engineering students, the Lean LaunchPad approach provides a relevant platform for academic support and experiential learning. Students learn that failure is a necessary part of learning that allows them to gain valuable research, innovation, and design experiences regardless of whether the business case for an idea is viable or not.The project focus on the transferability of knowledge into real-world application is expected to increase students' persistence in engineering majors. Howard University and New Mexico State University will each implement a one week immersive experience for 40 incoming transfer students using Lean LaunchPad as the format. The transfer students will work in teams to explore the business model canvas, immersing themselves in core portions of the scientific method in an experiential, inquiry based, learner centered environment. In addition, Howard University will adopt and adapt the proven successful NMSU transfer student recruitment methods. The broader significance and importance of this project is in the innovative use of Lean LaunchPad to ease the transition for incoming transfer students. Community colleges enroll over half of all Hispanic students and 41% of all African American students. This target population has enormous potential for broadening participation in the engineering workforce. Of equal importance is the fact that this research project will address the lack of evidenced based interventions that support the success of transfer students. The success of this project as evidenced by improved retention and graduation numbers can be replicated across varying institutional types.This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of broadening participation in the engineering workforce. The transfer student population is extremely diverse in multiple ways; gender, race, age being the most obvious. The population is growing and increasingly includes veterans returning from active duty. By targeting transfer students, introducing them to entrepreneurship from an engineering perspective and supporting their transition to a four year institution, this project will evaluate the impact of a Lean LaunchPad based immersive experience on their success in earning undergraduate engineering degrees.