Collaborative Research: From School to Work: Understanding the Transition from Education 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，美国机械工程学会(ASME)最近的一项研究发现了一些学生的弱点，如：实践经验、项目管理、解决问题和设计。同样重要的是，行业监管机构也发现了这些差距。工程课堂和工作场所之间的错位对工程师的专业形成构成了严重的挑战。一般来说，顶石课程是弥合这些差距的关键学术经验。很少有研究检验顶石课程在帮助学生从工程课堂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、教学方法、评估和课程结束结果上。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峰课程进入工作场所的经历。该项目采用多案例研究设计，专注于四个主要研究问题：(A)通过顶峰经验培养出来的个人在早期工作经验中借鉴或应用了哪些技能、实践和态度？(B)个人认为他们的顶峰设计和早期工作经验之间有什么不同，这些差异如何帮助或阻碍他们从学校到工作的过渡？(C)学生认为顶峰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，由于特别关注女性和拉美裔美国人，调查人员提议研究顶石设计课程在多大程度上为这些学生进入工程工作场所的实践社区做好了准备。该项目与国家科学基金会的战略重点密切一致，即建设STEM劳动力队伍，培养有能力的个人，以及扩大代表不足的群体对工程的参与。在科学文献中，有大量研究强调与工程教育和工作场所有关的理论与实践之间的差距，但顶峰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实践。很少有研究研究Capstone课程的有效性，以及这些课程如何帮助学生将先前的工程课程转化和应用到工程工作场所。考虑到这一点，该项目具有巨大的潜力，将对全国的工程教学产生积极影响。它还具有巨大的潜力，帮助工程学教师开发更有效的顶峰课程，同时最大限度地利用他们的教学资源来创建此类课程。最终，该项目将使美国工程行业受益，这些行业寻求招聘适应能力强的工程毕业生，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.