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在他们的职业生涯中所做的工作了解非常有限。学生们往往不知道前方有什么有趣的工作，因此当他们在大学早期遇到困难的数学和科学课程时，他们可能会辍学。这种辍学率对那些在工程学中代表性不足的人造成了不成比例的影响，因为他们的家人可能不是工程师，他们可以帮助他们获得对工程职业的欣赏。为了解决这个问题，新墨西哥大学(UNM)化学与生物工程系(CBE)为非常多样化的人群提供服务，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该部门的研究项目、当地工业、国家实验室和社区。社区参与对于吸引不同的、原住民和农村人口进入工程学至关重要。该系还在试点使用数字徽章--很像优秀徽章--允许学生公开展示自己的资历，并将他们所学到的东西与工程师的专业工作联系起来。这些徽章还使教员能够监测和评估学生的成绩，并参与他们的教学研究。该项目由一个团队指导，成员包括CBE系主任、CBE一名讲师和学习科学学院的一名教员。该项目针对的是，与工程一年级学生相比，新墨西哥州州立大学的少数民族和非传统学生在毕业班的比例显著下降。该团队正在验证这样一种假设，即在课程早期引入引人注目的设计挑战，将有助于提高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机和学习方面的价值是毋庸置疑的。众所周知，在最初的两年里，工程学方面存在着严重的自然减员，特别是在服务于不同人群的城市机构。大一和大二班级的设计挑战有助于增强不同学生群体的动机和学习能力，并有助于学生取得成功。当地业界将参与展示设计挑战，鼓励创业思维。参与社区活动将进一步支持改进招聘和留住工作。该项目还将测试数字胸卡系统的使用，以监测学生的成绩。数字徽章帮助学生将课程视为连贯的，并将他们在课堂上学到的东西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职业身份。该项目由一个研究框架指导，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。通过对学生经历的案例研究，可以更深入地了解该项目的特定方面如何培养专业的工程身份形成和坚持的意图，特别是对于传统上在工程学中代表性较低的学生。回归模型被用来预测学生的坚持意图，以及他们对设计挑战的解决方案被视为创新的程度。该项目对如何吸引教师支持不同类型的学生在工程领域取得成功提供了新的理解。它将导致核心化学工程课程教学的持续变化，包括培养准备迎接未来挑战的不同工程师的能力。设计挑战模块和数字徽章可转让给许多大中型机构。

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.