Engineering Essentials: A Course to Introduce Non-Calculus Ready First Year Engineering Students to Engineering Concepts and Critical Thinking Skills

没有准备好学习微积分的一年级学生代表着一群有很高风险离开工程学的大学生。与学习微积分的学生相比，这些学生进入学术机构时，不仅数学技能较差，而且他们在入学时接触工程学的机会也较少。缺乏对工程的投入会导致困惑、沮丧和对工程失去兴趣。这个项目为那些没有准备好微积分但对工程感兴趣的学生提供了一个工程方面的课程。该项目包括开发和实施一门课程，向尚未准备好学习微积分的一年级工程专业学生教授工程概念，同时加强批判性思维能力。本课程将通过强化在数学上取得成功所需的概念来帮助这些学生为微积分做准备。这个项目的长期目标是减少自然减员，提高这些工科学生的批判性思维能力。该项目的另一个目标是促进第一次工程专业学生的工程身份的发展。本课程将采用混合方法评估学生批判性思维能力和工程认同感的发展情况。

First year students who are not ready for calculus represent a group of college students at high risk of leaving engineering. These students join an academic institution not only with weak math skills, but they also are less exposed to engineering upon entrance, in comparison with calculus ready students. This lack of engagement in engineering lead to confusion, frustration, and a loss of interest in engineering. This project supports an engineering track for those students that are not calculus ready but are interested in engineering. The project involves the development and implementation of a course to teach engineering concepts to first year engineering students who are not yet ready for calculus, while reinforcing critical thinking skills. The course will assist these students in their preparation for calculus by reinforcing concepts needed to succeed in math. The long term goal of this project is to decrease attrition and to increase the critical thinking skills of these engineering students. Another goal of the project is to promote the development of an engineering identity in first time engineering students. A mixed-methods approach will be used to assess the development of critical thinking skills and an engineering identity in students enrolled in the course.