EDUCERE: Ensuring Diversity and Undergraduate Completion: Enrichment and Retention In Engineering

新墨西哥州北部学院在头两年以高流失率服务于77%代表不足和准备不足的少数族裔人口。工程与技术学院正在开发一个研究型知识库，通过使用基于证据的赖特州立大学模式来创建一门具有项目活动的入门物理课程，学生将在基于理论的物理课程之前学习该课程，从而了解这名学生如何最好地学习复杂的基础物理概念。正在对学生进行跟踪，以确定这种干预是否会增加学习、应用概念的能力和保持能力。此外，对具有高度相互依赖的自我构念的美国原住民和西班牙裔学生进行了研究，以确定他们是否在理论学习之前对积极学习做出了更好的反应。研究人员将使用匹配的受试者样本方法和对所罗门四组研究设计的修改。此外，正在对本科生的研究经历进行研究，以确定它们是否有助于在这些独特的人群中保持对未来职业道路的留存和更清晰的认识。该项目希望产生有效干预措施的新科学知识，使来自农村和紧密联系在一起的社区的学生保留工程学。例如，在了解准备不足的人群如何最好地学习方面取得了进展；对关于在未充分学习的群体中进行工程教学和学习的有效做法的教育研究作出了贡献；以及发现了可以扩大美洲原住民、西班牙裔和妇女参与工程课程的成功战略。这项拟议中的工作可能会产生一种模式，可以推广到其他面临类似挑战的机构，或者那些在其项目中专注于使工程学本科生人口多样化的机构。

Northern New Mexico College serves a 77% underrepresented minority and underprepared population with high attrition rates in the first two years. The College of Engineering and Technology is developing a research-generated knowledge base of how this student demographic best learns complex foundational Physical Science concepts by using the evidence-based Wright State model to create an introductory Physics course with project based activities that students will take prior to a theory-based Physics course. Students are being tracked to determine if this intervention leads to increases in learning, ability to apply concepts, and retention. Additionally, Native American and Hispanic students with high degrees of interdependent self-construal are being studied to determine if they respond better to active learning prior to theoretical learning. The investigators will use a matched subjects samples methodology and a modification of the Solomon four-group research design. In addition, undergraduate research experiences are being studied to determine if they foster retention and greater clarity on future career pathways among these unique populations. The project expects to generate new scientific knowledge of effective interventions leading to retention in engineering among students from rural and tightly knit communities. For example, advances in understanding of how under-prepared populations best learn; contributions to education research regarding effective practices in engineering teaching and learning among understudied groups; and discoveries on successful strategies that can broaden participation of Native Americans, Hispanics and women in engineering programs. The proposed work is likely to produce a model that can be disseminated to other institutions facing similar challenges, or those that are focusing on diversifying engineering undergraduate population in their programs.