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一个利用精益启动板模型的创新过渡计划来提高转学生的成功。精益LaunchPad提供了一个以实践为导向的范例，用于教授学生创新和创业精神。它侧重于创业经验和发展成功的商业企业所必需的技能。通过促进工程学生的研究、分析思维和解决问题能力的发展，精益LaunchPad方法为学术支持和体验式学习提供了一个相关的平台。学生们了解到，失败是学习的必要组成部分，使他们能够获得有价值的研究、创新和设计经验，而不管一个想法的商业案例是否可行。该项目侧重于将知识转化为实际应用的能力，希望能增加学生对工程专业的坚持。霍华德大学（Howard University）和新墨西哥州立大学（New Mexico State University）将分别为40名即将入学的转学生提供为期一周的沉浸式体验，使用Lean LaunchPad作为形式。转学生将以团队合作的方式探索商业模式，在体验式、探究式、以学习者为中心的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调整已被证明成功的新密歇根州立大学转学生招生方法。这个项目更广泛的意义和重要性在于创新地使用精益LaunchPad来缓解即将到来的转学生的过渡。社区大学招收了一半以上的西班牙裔学生和41%的非洲裔美国学生。这个目标人群在扩大工程劳动力的参与方面具有巨大的潜力。同样重要的是，这个研究项目将解决缺乏证据为基础的干预措施，支持转学生的成功。这个项目的成功可以在不同类型的机构中复制，这可以通过提高留校率和毕业率来证明。该项目与NSF扩大工程劳动力参与的战略目标重叠。转校生在很多方面都非常多样化；性别，种族，年龄是最明显的。人口正在增长，而且越来越多的退伍军人从现役归来。通过以转学生为目标，从工程角度向他们介绍创业精神，并支持他们向四年制大学过渡，该项目将评估基于精益启动平台的沉浸式体验对他们成功获得本科工程学位的影响。

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.