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

PFE：研究启动 - 使用数字徽章和设计挑战模块来发展职业身份

• 批准号: 1544233
• 负责人: Abhaya Datye
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: University of New Mexico
• 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: 2015-11-01 至 2017-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1544233&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFE; Research; Initiation; Using; Digital

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.

进入工程学校的学生通常对工程师在职业生涯中所做的事情了解非常有限。学生往往不知道前方有什么有趣的工作，因此在大学初期遇到困难的数学和科学课程时，他们可能会放弃工程专业。这种辍学率对那些在工程领域代表性不足的人产生了不成比例的影响，因为他们可能没有工程师的家庭成员，也没有能够帮助他们欣赏工程职业的人。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) 服务于非常多样化的人群，正在两个核心课程中引入“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。社区参与对于吸引多样化的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——就像优点徽章一样——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控和评估学生的成绩并参与教学研究。该项目由一个团队领导，其中包括 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族裔和非传统学生比例与新生工程班学生相比显着下降的问题。该团队正在测试这样一个假设：在课程早期引入的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，工程领域存在严重的人员流失，特别是在为多元化人口服务的城市机构中。大一和大二班级的设计挑战可以帮助提高多元化学生群体的动力和学习，并有助于学生的成功。当地工业界将参与提出设计挑战，鼓励创业思维。社区参与将进一步支持改善招聘和保留。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性，并将他们在课堂上学到的内容与专业工程师的工作联系起来，支持他们发展工程师的职业身份。该项目以一个涉及混合方法设计的研究框架为指导，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。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促进专业工程身份的形成和坚持的意图，特别是对于传统上在工程领域代表性不足的学生。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多元化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革，包括培养多样化工程师应对未来挑战的能力。设计挑战模块和数字徽章可转移到许多中型到大型机构。