Experiential Learning for Veterans in Assistive Technology and Engineering

这个工程教育研究项目将调查几种不同的干预措施的有效性，这些干预措施旨在使残疾退伍军人留在工程学位课程中。本研究将采用社会认知职业理论和自我效能的理论框架，对与工程留任相关的一系列特征进行比较研究。该项目更广泛的意义和重要性源于该项目能够为其他旨在让残疾退伍军人参与职业再培训或所有退伍军人获得STEM学位的努力以及对STEM劳动力的潜在影响提供信息。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 will investigate the effectiveness of several different interventions designed to retain disabled veterans in engineering degree programs. A comparative study that looks at a range of characteristics related to retention in engineering will be done, and the results analyzed using the theoretical frameworks of social cognitive career theory and self-efficacy. The broader significance and importance of this project arise from the project's ability to inform other efforts aimed at engaging disabled veterans in career retraining, or all veterans in obtaining STEM degrees as well as the potential impact on the STEM workforce. 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.