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

协作研究：从学校到工作：理解从顶点设计到工业的转变

• 批准号: 1607811
• 负责人: Marie Paretti
• 金额: $ 20.02万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-01 至 2021-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1607811&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Work; Understanding; Transition

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.

现有的研究指出了学校和工作在工程实践方面的差距。例如，美国机械工程学会（ASME）最近的一项研究确定了一些学生的弱点，如：实践经验，项目管理，解决问题和设计。同样重要的是，行业监管者也发现了这些差距。工程教室和工作场所之间的错位对工程师的专业形成构成了严重挑战。一般来说，顶点课程是可以弥合这些差距的关键学术经验。很少有研究，如果有的话，已经检查了顶点课程在帮助学生从工程教室过渡到工作场所的有效性。相反，大多数研究集中在课程结构，教学法，评估和课程结束的结果。为了解决知识差距，调查人员借鉴了温格的实践社区概念，研究学生从顶点课程到工作场所的经历。该项目采用多案例研究设计，重点关注四个主要研究问题：（a）个人在早期工作经验中借鉴或应用了哪些通过顶点经验培养的技能、实践和态度？(b)个人在他们的顶点设计和早期工作经历之间有什么区别，这些区别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了他们的过渡？(d)个人在哪些方面认为自己在早期的工作经历中准备不足？此外，特别关注妇女和西班牙裔，调查人员建议研究顶点设计课程准备这些学生进入工程工作场所的实践社区的程度。该项目与美国国家科学基金会的战略重点密切相关，即培养有能力的STEM人才，并扩大代表性不足的群体对工程的参与。在科学文献中，有许多研究强调了工程教育和工作场所的理论与实践之间的差距，然而，顶点课程是工程教师用来帮助学生获得更深入的工程知识的常见做法。有一个缺乏的研究已经检查顶点课程的有效性，以及这些课程如何可以帮助学生翻译和应用以前的工程课程到工程工作场所。考虑到这一点，该项目具有巨大的潜力，积极影响全国各地的工程教学。它还具有很大的潜力，帮助工程教师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样的课程。最终，这个项目将有利于美国工程行业寻求雇用适应性强的工程毕业生谁是技术和专业准备进入工程劳动力。

项目成果

New Engineers' First Three Months: A Study of the Transition from Capstone Design Courses to Workplaces

新工程师的前三个月：从顶点设计课程到工作场所的过渡研究

• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exhibition
• 作者: Gewirtz, Chris;Kotys-Schwartz, Daria;Knight, Daniel;Paretti, Marie;Arunkumar, Sidharth;Ford, Julie Dyke;Howe, Susannah;Rosenbauer, Laura Mae;Alvarez, Nicholas Emory;Deters, Jessica
• 通讯作者: Deters, Jessica

Women’s Experiences in the Transition from Capstone Design Courses to Engineering Workplaces

女性从顶点设计课程到工程工作场所过渡的经验

• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings
• 作者: Howe, Susannah;Ott, Robin;Paretti, Marie C.;Hernandez, Cristian;Deters, Jessica;Gewirtz, Chris;Giardine, Francesca;Kary, Annie
• 通讯作者: Kary, Annie

Process Matter(s): Leveraging the Design Process to Build Self-Directed Learning

流程问题：利用设计流程建立自主学习

• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Clive L. Dym Mudd Design Workshop XI
• 作者: Paretti, Marie C.;Kotys-Schwartz, Daria;Ford, Julie;Howe, Susannah;Ott, Robin.
• 通讯作者: Ott, Robin.

Preliminary Results from a Study Investigating the Transition from Capstone Design to Industry

调查从顶点设计到工业转变的研究的初步结果

• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: 2018 Capstone Design Conference Proceedings
• 作者: Howe, Susannah;Rosenbauer, Laura;Ford, Julie Dyke;Alvarez, Nicholas;Paretti, Marie;Gewirtz, Christopher;Kotys-Schwarts, Daria;Knight, Daniel;Hernandez, Cristian
• 通讯作者: Hernandez, Cristian