Collaborative Research: From School to Work: Understanding the Transition from Capstone Design to Industry

现有的研究指出了在工程实践方面学校和工作之间的差距。例如，最近美国机械工程学会（ASME）的一项研究确定了许多学生的弱点，例如：实践经验、项目管理、问题解决和设计。同样重要的是，行业监管机构也发现了这些差距。工程课堂与工作场所的错位对工程师的专业形成提出了严峻的挑战。一般来说，顶点课程是可以弥合这些差距的关键学术经历。很少有研究（如果有的话）考察了顶点课程在帮助学生从工程教室过渡到工作场所方面的有效性。相反，大多数研究都集中在课程结构、教学法、评估和课程结束后的结果上。为了解决知识差距，调查人员利用温格的实践社区概念来研究学生从顶点课程到工作场所的经历。采用多案例研究设计，该项目主要关注四个主要研究问题：(a)通过顶点经验培养的技能、实践和态度，个人在其早期工作经验中借鉴或应用了什么？(b)个人认为他们的毕业设计和早期工作经历之间有什么差异，这些差异如何帮助或阻碍他们从学校到工作的过渡？(c)学生认为顶点课程的哪些具体教学实践或方面有助于或阻碍他们的过渡？(d)个人在哪些方面认为自己在早期工作经验中准备不足？此外，研究人员特别关注女性和西班牙裔，他们建议研究顶点设计课程在多大程度上帮助这些学生进入工程工作场所的实践社区。该项目与美国国家科学基金会的战略重点密切相关，该战略重点是培养有能力的人才，并扩大代表性不足群体对工程的参与。在科学文献中，有许多研究强调了与工程教育和工作场所有关的理论与实践之间的差距，但顶点课程是工程导师用来帮助学生获得更深入的工程知识的常见做法。关于顶点课程的有效性以及这些课程如何帮助学生将之前的工程课程转化和应用于工程工作场所的研究很少。考虑到这一点，这个项目有巨大的潜力对全国的工程教学产生积极的影响。它还具有很大的潜力，可以帮助工程学院开发更有效的顶点课程，同时最大限度地利用他们的教学资源来创建这些课程。最终，该项目将使美国工程行业受益，这些行业寻求雇佣适应性强的工程毕业生，这些毕业生在技术和专业上都为进入工程劳动力做好了准备。

Extant research pinpoints gaps between school and work in respect to engineering practice. For example, a recent American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) study identified a number of student weaknesses, such as: practical experience, project management, problem solving, and design. Equally important, industry supervisors have also identified these gaps. The misalignment between the engineering classroom and workplace poses serious challenges with the professional formation of engineers. Generally speaking, capstone courses are key academic experiences that can bridge these gaps. Few studies, if any, have examined the effectiveness of capstone courses in helping students make the transition from engineering classrooms to the workplace. Instead, most research focuses on course structure, pedagogy, assessment, and end-of-course outcomes. To address the knowledge gaps, the investigators draw on Wenger's concept of communities of practice to study students' experiences as they move from capstone courses to the workplace. Using a multi-case study design, the project is focusing on four primary research questions: (a) What skills, practices, and attitudes fostered through the capstone experience do individuals draw on or apply in their early work experiences? (b) What differences do individuals identify between their capstone design and early work experiences, and how do those differences help or hinder their school-to-work transition?(c) What specific pedagogical practices or aspects of the capstone course do students identify as helping or hindering their transition?(d) In what ways do individuals perceive themselves to be underprepared in their early work experiences? Further, with a particular focus on women and Hispanics, the investigators proposed to study the extent that capstone design courses prepared these students to enter communities of practice in engineering workplaces. This project is closely aligned with the National Science Foundation's strategic priorities to build the STEM workforce with capable individuals, as well as broadening participation in engineering among underrepresented groups.In the scientific literature, there are numerous studies that highlight the gaps between theory and practice in relation to engineering education and the workplace, yet capstone courses are common practices that engineering instructors use to help students gain more in-depth engineering knowledge. There is a dearth of studies that have examined the effectiveness of capstone courses and how these courses may help students to translate and apply prior engineering coursework to the engineering workplace. With this in mind, this project has immense potential to positively impact engineering instruction across the nation. It also possesses great potential in helping engineering faculty to develop more effective capstone courses, while maximizing their instructional resources to create such courses. Ultimately, this project will benefit U.S. engineering industries seeking to hire adaptable engineering graduates who are technically and professionally prepared to enter the engineering workforce.