Collaborative Research: Intellectual Diversity and Critical Thinking Skills in Service Learning

合作研究：服务学习中的智力多样性和批判性思维技能

• 批准号: 1525831
• 负责人: Jennifer Benning
• 金额: $ 56.67万
• 依托单位: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1525831&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Intellectual; Diversity; Critical

In an increasingly globally connected world, solutions to real world problems are complex in nature and often outside the boundaries of traditional practice. Thus, future practicing engineers need to be supported through educational systems that teach them not only technical skills, but professional skills such as awareness of social and cultural implications of their designs, understanding and appreciation of diversity, and additional skills in project management, collaboration, and effective communication. The EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) program is an example of an innovation in engineering education which has been shown to present engineering in context, prepare students for the profession, impact their engineering identity, as well as significantly improve the diversity of those participating. In this project, an EPICS program is being established at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT). A unique aspect of this program is that it is institutionalizing existing collaborative design opportunities with a tribal college, the Oglala Lakota College and establishing 50% of the design projects to meet critical needs of stakeholders on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This project is investigating the impacts of service learning on participating students' intellectual diversity, critical thinking skills, and attitudes towards sustainability, social awareness, stakeholder involvement in engineering design by applying advanced assessment tools, including the Herrmann Brain Dominance Inventory, Reasoning About Current Issues Test, and the Lancaster Approaches to Studying Questionnaire. This project will increase critical thinking skills, engage culturally and intellectually diverse students, and improve student attitudes concerning their engineering studies and engineering as a profession.

在一个日益全球化的世界中，现实世界问题的解决方案本质上是复杂的，而且往往超出了传统做法的界限。因此，未来的执业工程师需要通过教育系统得到支持，这些教育系统不仅教会他们技术技能，还教给他们专业技能，如意识到他们设计的社会和文化影响，理解和欣赏多样性，以及项目管理、协作和有效沟通的额外技能。EPICS(社区服务工程项目)计划是工程教育创新的一个例子，它被证明是在背景下展示工程，为学生的专业做好准备，影响他们的工程认同感，以及显著提高参与人员的多样性。在这个项目中，南达科他州矿业与技术学院(SDSMT)正在建立一个EPICS计划。该项目的一个独特之处在于，它将现有的与部落学院奥格拉拉·拉科塔学院的合作设计机会制度化，并建立了50%的设计项目，以满足松岭保护区利益相关者的关键需求。该项目通过应用先进的评估工具，包括Herrmann大脑优势量表、当前问题推理测试和兰开斯特问卷研究方法，调查了服务性学习对参与学生的智力多样性、批判性思维技能、对可持续性、社会意识、利益相关者参与工程设计的态度的影响。这个项目将提高批判性思维能力，让不同文化和智力的学生参与进来，并改善学生对他们的工程学习和工程专业的态度。