Assessing the Learning Gains of Manufacturing Students in an Integrated Hands-on Curriculum

缺乏实践经验是工程教育的主要能力差距之一。这个由韦恩州立大学领导的项目正在通过制造业综合学习实验室(MILL)的持续工作来解决这个问题。MILL的工程教育模式使用基于团队的项目，跨多个课程进行协调，最终设计和制造功能产品。统一的主题是设计和制造一种功能产品，学生在几门不同的课程中从不同的角度反复遇到这种产品。MILL课程在已实施的地点显示出极好的学习成果。在这个项目中，实践工厂模式将扩展到更多的机构，包括Macomb社区学院、Henry Ford社区学院和Prarie View A&amp；M，历史上的黑人学院和大学(HBCU)之一。为衡量学生在MILL计划中的学习收益而开发的评估方法将在这一扩展实施中进行测试。关于磨坊类型课程中学生学习成果的结果，以及包含现实物理操作的独特标准化评估，将为磨坊模型在全国范围内推广做好准备。该项目将展示一种灵活、有效、低成本和可随时转移的制造工程课程模式，以培养满足行业需求的多样化和熟练的劳动力。本项目将使用心理测量学验证的标准化测试来评估和验证目标动手能力的实现情况。这是对标准化测试进行程序性评估的一种创新使用。这种方法可以记录特定目标学习成果的实现情况。通过比较干预组和对照非干预组在测试仪器上的表现，该项目将记录可归因于MILL模型干预的学习收益。该项目将在四个工厂实施地点以及另外三个比较地点部署这一仪器。将进行重复测量MANCOVA，以评估MILL模型在提高学生工程能力学习成果方面的有效性。将对这两组人的比较表现进行分析，以确定可归因于实施动手作坊示范课程的学习收获。在项目过程中，还将扩大现有心理测量学验证评估项目的范围。在综合实践课程中评估大量不同的制造工程专业学生的学习成果的努力将产生对满足行业对适当熟练制造工程师的需求至关重要的信息。使用经过验证的标准化测试，结合实际操作来评估动手工程能力的获得，也将有助于为整个STEM学科的实践活动开发评估工具。

The lack of hands-on experience is one of the major competency gaps in engineering education. This project lead by Wayne State University is addressing this problem through continued work on the Manufacturing Integrated Learning Lab (MILL). The MILL model for engineering education uses team based projects, coordinated across multiple courses, culminating in the design and making of a functional product. The unifying theme is the design and fabrication of a functional product that students encounter repeatedly from different perspectives in several different courses. The MILL curricula has shown excellent learning gains at the sites where it has been implemented. In this project the hands-on MILL model will be expanded to additional institutions including Macomb Community College, Henry Ford Community Colleges and Prarie View A&M, one of the Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs). The assessment methods developed to measure student learning gains in the MILL program will be tested in this expanded implementation. Results regarding the learning gains for students in MILL-type curricula, along with a unique standardized assessment incorporating a realistic physical manipulative, will prepare the MILL Model for a national scale-up. This project will demonstrate a flexible, effective, low cost and readily transferrable manufacturing engineering curriculum model that prepares a diverse and skilled workforce that meets industry needs. This project will use psychometrically validated standardized testing to evaluate and validate attainment of target hands-on competencies. This is an innovative use of standardized testing for programmatic evaluation. This approach can document attainment of specific targeted learning outcomes. By comparing performance on the test instrument between intervention groups and comparison non-intervention groups, the project will document the learning gains attributable to the MILL Model intervention. The project will deploy this instrument at the four MILL implementation sites as well as three additional comparison sites. A repeated measures MANCOVA will be conducted to assess the magnitude of the effectiveness of the MILL Model in increasing student learning outcomes in engineering competencies. Analysis of the comparative performance of the two groups will be undertaken to ascertain the learning gains attributable to implementation of the hands-on MILL Model curriculum. The pool of available psychometrically validated assessment items will also be expanded during the course of the project. This effort to assess the learning gains of a large and diverse set of manufacturing engineering students in an integrated hands-on curriculum will yield information critical to meeting industrial needs for appropriate skilled manufacturing engineers. The use of a validated standardized test incorporating a physical manipulative to evaluate attainment of hands-on engineering abilities will also help to inform the development of assessment tools for hands-on activities throughout the STEM disciplines.