Using Constructivist Teaching Strategies in Engineering Education: Gauging the Impact on Student Learning and Retention

这一工程教育建议的目的是通过将建构主义模式融入到系课程中来改造工业工程(IE)。该项目将解决以下研究问题：(1)建构主义教学法是否提高了工科学生理解课程概念、学习解决问题和创造性地应用课程材料的能力；以及(2)建构主义教学法是否提高了女性和未被充分代表的少数族裔在工程学中的留存率？目标是：(1)在工业与设计的一系列核心课程中确定与解决问题和创造力相关的成果；南佛罗里达大学(USF)管理系统工程(IMSE)计划，(2)按照建构主义学习原则对这些课程进行改造，(3)将这些修改后的课程在USF的工程计划中教授给试点队列，(4)检查学习建构主义课程的学生与传统课程学生在结果、保持和态度以及教职员工看法方面的差异，(5)创建一个过程来指导教职员工基于经验证的建构主义学习原则开发(或修改)大学课程，以及(6)在全国传播项目结果。项目将从工程概率与统计学开始，这是序列中的第一门课程。专业督学将进行课程分析，重点放在解决问题和创意/设计内容和活动上，涵盖一系列有针对性的工程教育课程。试点课程的结果将被用来为未来对课程的修改提供信息，例如：概率运筹学、生产控制和工业统计/质量控制。这个项目将导致对学生如何更有效地学习工程学(包括创造力)的深入了解，以及按照建构主义学习原则构建课程的过程。

The objective of this engineering education proposal is to revamp the Industrial Engineering (IE) by incorporating a constructivist model into the departmental courses. The project will address the following research questions: (1) Do constructivist pedagogies increase the ability of engineering students to understand course concepts, learn problem solving and creatively apply course material; and (2) do constructivist pedagogies increase the retention rate of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering? The objectives are to: (1) identify problem solving and creativity related outcomes in a sequence of core courses in the Industrial & Management Systems Engineering (IMSE) program at the University of South Florida (USF), (2) revamp these courses following constructivist learning principles, (3) teach these revamped courses in the engineering program at USF to a pilot cohort, (4) examine differences in student outcomes, retention and attitudes, and faculty perceptions between those who took the constructivist versus traditional courses, (5) create a process to guide faculty in developing (or revamping) university courses based on proven, constructivist learning principles, and (6) disseminate project findings nationally.The project will begin with Engineering Probability and Statistics, the first course in the sequence. The PIs will perform a curriculum analysis with emphasis on problem solving and creativity/design content and activities across the series of targeted courses in engineering education. Results from the pilot course will be used to inform future modifications to courses such as: Probabilistic Operations Research, Production Control, and Industrial Statistics/Quality Control. This project will result in insights into how students can learn engineering (including creativity) more effectively as well as a process for structuring courses following constructivist learning principles.