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职业生涯中所做的事情了解非常有限。学生们往往不知道未来有趣的工作，因此，当他们在大学早期遇到困难的数学和科学课程时，他们可能会放弃工程。这种辍学率对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家庭成员，也没有能够帮助他们获得工程职业的赏识的人。为了解决这个问题，新墨西哥州大学（UNM）的化学和生物工程系（CBE）为非常多样化的人群提供服务，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部门的研究项目，来自当地工业，来自国家实验室和社区。社区参与对于吸引不同的本地和农村人口进入工程领域至关重要。该部门还试行使用数字徽章-就像优秀徽章一样-允许学生展示他们的证书，并将他们正在学习的内容与工程师的专业工作联系起来。这些徽章还使教师能够监测和评估学生的成绩，并从事他们的教学研究。该项目是由一个团队，其中包括CBE部门的主席，在CBE讲师，并从学习科学的教员。该项目解决了少数民族和非传统的学生在UNM的毕业班的比例显着下降，在新生工程类的学生相比。该团队正在测试一个假设，即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，因为它们在提高学生的动机和学习方面的价值是毋庸置疑的。众所周知，在头两年，工程学有很大的减员，特别是在为不同人口服务的城市机构。在大一和大二班级的设计挑战可以帮助提高动机和学习的不同学生群体，并有助于学生的成功。当地工业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征聘和留用工作。该项目还将测试使用数字徽章系统来监测学生成绩。数字徽章支持学生将该计划视为连贯的，并将他们在课堂上所学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专业身份。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。学生的经验的案例研究提供了如何程序的特定方面促进专业工程身份的形成和意图坚持更深入的了解，特别是对于学生传统上在工程中代表性不足。回归建模用于预测学生的坚持意图以及他们的设计挑战解决方案被视为创新的程度。该项目有助于新的理解如何让教师支持不同的学生在工程中取得成功。它将导致核心化学工程课程教学的持续变化，包括准备不同的工程师准备解决明天的挑战的能力。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.