REU Site: Engineering Education Research: Understanding and Improving Student Experiences

本科生研究体验(REU)网站为工科本科生提供从事工程教育研究的机会。奥林学院致力于理解和改进本科工程教育，许多教职员工在这一领域都有积极的研究计划。每年夏天，十名本科生和两名高中教师与奥林学院的教职员工在广泛的研究项目上密切合作。例如，一些团队正在研究如何在高校教授工程学内容，这导致了新的教育材料和实践。其他人则专注于如何更好地发展专业和人际交往技能，如沟通和团队合作，以补充技术工程培训。还有一些人正在研究参加工程项目会如何影响学生的自信、认同感和对工程职业的兴趣。研究的结果是改善了工科学生的招生、留住和准备工作。REU的学生通过参与学习教育研究，这也增加了他们继续攻读工程学的可能性。所有的项目参与者，包括教师和教授，都在反思自己在工程学方面的经验，并成为改善所在机构工程学教育的更强有力的倡导者。

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site is providing engineering undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in research in engineering education. Olin College is committed to understanding and improving undergraduate engineering education, and many of the faculty have active research programs in this area. Ten undergraduate students and two high school teachers each summer are working closely with Olin faculty on a wide range of research projects. For example, some teams are researching how engineering content is taught in colleges and universities, which is resulting in new educational materials and practices. Others are focusing on how to better develop professional and interpersonal skills, such as communication and teamwork, that complement technical engineering training. Still others are examining how being in an engineering program affects students' self-confidence, identity, and interest in engineering careers. The outcomes of the research are improving the recruitment, retention, and preparation of engineering students. The REU students are learning about educational research through their participation, which is also increasing their likelihood of continuing in engineering. All program participants, including teachers and professors, are reflecting on their own experiences in engineering and are becoming stronger advocates for improving engineering education at their institutions.