Inclusive Excellence to Bolster Diversity: A System of Capacity-Building Pathways To and Through Engineering

这个工程教育研究项目旨在进一步探索一个试点项目的结果，该项目表明，那些进入大学时在学术上准备不足，但在课程早期就培养了工程专业身份的学生表现更好，更有可能被保留。通过了解身份在保留和学业成功中的作用，可以创建更有效的课程。研究的第二个方面是使用国家中场数据集，检查来自代表性不足群体的潜在学生群体，他们可以从类似的项目中受益，以及如何确定这些学生可以扩大合格学生的数量。这个项目更广泛的意义和重要性在于，它有可能极大地增加有能力在本科工程项目中取得成功的学生人数。如果该项目成功验证了有大量来自代表性不足群体的学生能够成功的假设，这可以显着增加这些群体的STEM管道，并解决紧迫的劳动力问题。该项目与NSF的战略目标重叠，即通过培养具有新能力和专业知识的工程人才来改变前沿。此外，NSF为社会创新的目标是通过创造对社会有用的结果和研究，为教育政策和实践提供信息。

This engineering education research project seeks to further explore the results from a pilot project that indicated that students who come to college under-prepared academically but who develop an engineering professional identity early in the curriculum perform better and are more likely to be retained. By understanding the role of identity on retention and academic success, more effective curricula can be created. A second aspect of the study is to examine, using the national MIDFIELD data set, the potential pool of students from under-represented groups, who can benefit from similar programs, and how identifying such students can expand the pool of qualified students to draw from. The broader significance and importance of this project arises from the potential to dramatically increase the pool of students who have the ability to succeed in undergraduate engineering programs. If the project succeeds in verifying the hypothesis that there is a large pool of students from under-represented groups capable of success, this can significantly increase the STEM pipeline for these groups, and address pressing workforce issues. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of transforming the frontiers through preparation of an engineering workforce with new capabilities and expertise. Additionally NSF's goal of innovating for society is enabled by creating results and research that are useful for society by informing educational policy and practices.