A Comparative Study of Engineering Matriculation Practices

这个工程教育研究项目是一个解释性的研究，工程专业的选择和毕业结果是如何影响到工程预科的模式和学生被告知的方式。 12所大学将参与其中，为一个大型数据集做出贡献。 这项工作计划调查多个第一年的课程模式，并就如何提高保留率和六年毕业率向更广泛的社区提出建议。 各种输入变量（如高中GPS和标准化考试成绩）将被用来衡量入学学生的教育成果和环境因素。 最终，在这个项目中进行的研究可以为工程机构提供关于如何设计工程课程的定量和定性信息，并为机构提供一种探索入学模式的方法，使学生能够在给定的工程项目中取得成功。可能是为了让大学更好地调整第一年的课程和计划，以适应自己的机构信念和需求。 从工程专业退学或转学的学生人数可能会下降，这将导致更多的工程师准备应对未来的社会和技术挑战。

This engineering education research project is an explanatory study of how engineering major selection and graduation outcomes are affected by the mode of matriculation into engineering and the manner that students are advised. Twelve universities will be involved, contributing to a large dataset. The work plans to investigate multiple first year curriculum models and make recommendations to the broader community on ways to improve retention and six year graduation rates. A variety of input variables (such as high school GPS and standardized test scores) will be used to measure educational outcomes and environmental factors of matriculating students. Ultimately the research conducted during this project may provide engineering institutions with both quantitative and qualitative information on how to design engineering coursework, and provide institutions with a way to explore matriculation models that allow students to succeed in given engineering programs.The broader significance and importance of this project, if successful, may be to allow universities to better tailor first year courses and programs to their own institutional beliefs and needs. The number of students to drop or transfer from engineering programs may decline, leading to more engineers ready to tackle tomorrow's societal and technical challenges.