PFE: Research Initiation - Using Digital Badging and Design Challenge Modules to Develop Professional Identity

进入工程学院的学生通常对工程师的职业知之甚少。学生们往往不知道前面的工作有多有趣，因此，当他们在大学早期遇到困难的数学和科学课程时，他们可能会从工程专业退学。这种辍学率不成比例地影响了那些在工程领域代表性不足的人，因为他们可能没有家庭成员是工程师，也没有家庭成员可以帮助他们获得对工程职业的赞赏。为了解决这个问题，新墨西哥大学（UNM）的化学与生物工程系（CBE）在两个核心课程中引入了“设计挑战模块”。这些设计挑战将来自系里的研究项目、地方工业、国家实验室和社区。社区参与对于吸引多样化、本地和农村人口进入工程领域至关重要。该系还在试点使用数字徽章——很像功绩徽章——允许学生公开展示他们的证书，并将他们所学的知识与工程师的专业工作联系起来。这些徽章还使教师能够监督和评估学生的成绩，并参与教学研究。该项目由一个团队指导，该团队包括CBE系主任、一名CBE讲师和一名学习科学学院的教员。该项目解决了新墨西哥大学毕业班中少数民族和非传统学生比例显著下降的问题，与大一工程班的学生相比。该团队正在测试一个假设，即在课程早期引入引人注目的设计挑战将有助于增加进入化学工程系的学生比例。研究和社会挑战将被引入课堂，因为它们在增强学生动力和学习方面的价值是毋庸置疑的。众所周知，在工程专业的头两年里，特别是在为不同人群服务的城市机构里，会有大量的人员流失。设计挑战在大一和大二的班级可以帮助提高不同学生群体的动力和学习，并有助于学生的成功。当地工业界将参与展示设计挑战，鼓励创业思维。社区的参与将进一步支持改进招聘和保留。该项目还将测试使用数字徽章系统来监控学生的成绩。数字徽章支持学生将课程视为连贯的，并将他们在课堂上学到的知识与专业工程师的工作联系起来，支持他们发展作为工程师的专业身份。该项目以研究框架为指导，该框架涉及混合方法设计，首先为学生的设计过程技能、对设计的理解和坚持的意图建立基线。学生经历的案例研究提供了更深入的理解，特别是对于传统上在工程领域代表性不足的学生，该计划的特定方面如何培养专业工程身份的形成和坚持的意图。回归模型用于预测学生坚持的意图，以及他们对设计挑战的解决方案被视为创新的程度。该项目为如何让教师参与支持不同学生在工程领域取得成功提供了新的理解。这将导致核心化学工程课程教学的持续变化，包括培养各种工程师准备解决未来挑战的能力。设计挑战模块和数字徽章可转移到许多中型到大型机构。

Students entering engineering schools generally have a very limited understanding of what engineers do in their careers. Students often do not know the interesting work that lies ahead, hence they may drop out of engineering when they encounter the difficult math and science courses in their early years in college. This dropout rate disproportionately impacts those underrepresented in engineering because they may not have family members who are engineers and who can help them gain an appreciation for engineering careers. To address this problem, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) at the University of New Mexico (UNM), which serves a very diverse population, is introducing 'Design Challenge Modules' in two core classes. These design challenges will originate from research projects in the department, from local industry, from national laboratories, and from the community. Community engagement is critically important for attracting diverse, native, and rural populations into engineering. The department is also piloting the use of digital badges - much like merit badges - which allow students to publically display their credentials and connect what they are learning to the professional work of engineers. The badges also enable faculty to monitor and assess student outcomes and to engage in research on their teaching. The project is directed by a team that includes the chair of the CBE department, one lecturer in CBE, and a faculty member from the Learning Sciences.This project addresses the significant decrease in the fraction of minority and non-traditional students at UNM in the graduating class, compared to the students in the freshman engineering class. The team is testing the hypothesis that compelling design challenges introduced early in the curriculum will help increase the fraction of students matriculating into the chemical engineering department. Research and societal challenges will be introduced into the classroom because their value in terms of enhancing the motivation and learning of students is unquestionable. It is well known that there is significant attrition in engineering during the first two years, especially at urban institutions that serve a diverse population. Design challenges in the freshmen and sophomore classes could help enhance the motivation and learning of the diverse student population and contribute to student success. Local industry will participate in presenting the design challenges, encouraging entrepreneurial thinking. Engagement in the communities will further support improved recruitment and retention. The project will also test the use of a digital badging system to monitor student accomplishments. Digital badges support students to see the program as coherent and to connect what they are learning in their classes to the work of professional engineers, supporting them to develop professional identities as engineers. The project is guided by a research framework that involves a mixed methods design that first establishes a baseline for students' design process skills, understanding of design, and intent to persist. Case studies of students' experiences provide deeper understanding of how particular aspects of the program foster professional engineering identity formation and intent to persist, particularly for students traditionally underrepresented in engineering. Regression modeling is used to predict students' intent to persist and the degree to which their solutions to design challenges are viewed as innovative. The project contributes new understanding of how to engage faculty to support diverse students to be successful in engineering. It will lead to sustained change in the teaching of core chemical engineering classes including the ability to prepare diverse engineers ready to solve the challenges of tomorrow. The design challenge modules and digital badges are transferrable to many intermediate to large institutions.