Increasing Student Retention in Chemical Engineering with Interactive Self-Study Modules

该项目旨在通过提高本科化学工程学位课程的学生保留率来服务于国家利益。通过帮助学生提高他们在科学、数学和工程课程中的表现，可以提高学生的记忆力。学生在学习过程中遇到困难，主要表现在学习进度落后，对必修课程准备不充分，或者忘记了之前课程的概念。本项目将为三门化学工程课程创建一套在线互动自学模块，每门课程创建30个模块。学生完成每个模块大约需要一个小时。这些模块将基于有效帮助学生学习的方法，包括自我测试、介绍视频、交互式计算机模拟、引导学生一步一步学习的交互式教程模拟，以及学生解决方案的示例问题。模块将通过www.LearnChemE.com网站免费在线提供，该网站由科罗拉多大学博尔德分校维护。因此，它们有可能影响成千上万的学生。虽然该项目主要针对化学工程专业的学生，但许多模块对其他工程专业的学生也很有用，包括机械、土木、航空和环境工程。该项目的主要目标是通过提高学生的表现来增加本科化学工程专业的学生保留率。模块化资源可以帮助学生理解关键概念，并支持提高学生学习能力的主动学习方法。这些模块既可以作为翻转课堂的一部分，也可以作为学生自己使用的资源。此外，还将用于提高“二次机会课程”的留用率。“二次机会课程”是指在学期结束后，向未通过该学期课程的学生提供为期三周的强化课程。模块结构包括：(i)概述模块的目标和先决条件；（ii）运用概念性问题进行形成性评估；（iii）简短（3-6分钟）的介绍视频，并嵌入问题；（iv）重要方程式一览表；(v)要求学生预测系统行为的交互式模拟；（vi）一个交互式的自我测试模拟，要求学生对一个复杂的问题的解决方案进行输入；（vii）用视频解决方案演示问题；（八）总结性评价的概念测试；（ix）问题答案总结和学生在完成该模块后应该能够做什么的列表。这些模块的影响将通过评估学生在课程考试中的表现来评估，并将结果与没有使用这些模块的学生进行比较。模块将通过现有的在线存储库传播，项目结果将通过工程教育会议和期刊与工程学院共享。该项目由美国国家科学基金会IUSE: EHR项目支持，该项目支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving student retention in undergraduate chemical engineering degree programs. Retention can be increased by helping students improve their performance in science, mathematics, and engineering courses. Students encounter difficulties in courses when they fall behind, are not properly prepared in pre-requisite courses, or have forgotten concepts from previous courses. This project will create a set of online, interactive self-study modules for three chemical engineering courses, with thirty modules created for each course. Each module will take approximately one hour for students to complete. These modules will be based on approaches that have been effective in helping students learn, including self-testing, introductory screencasts, interactive computer simulations, interactive tutorial simulations that lead students through a step-by step procedure, and example problems with student solutions. Modules will be freely available online through the www.LearnChemE.com site, maintained by the University of Colorado, Boulder. As a result, they have the potential to impact thousands of students. Although the project focuses on chemical engineering students, many modules will be useful for students in other engineering majors including mechanical, civil, aeronautical, and environmental engineering. The primary goal of this project is to increase student retention in undergraduate chemical engineering programs by improving student performance. Modular resources can help students understand key concepts and support active learning approaches that enhance student learning. These modules will be used either as part of a flipped classroom approach or as a resource that students use on their own. They will also be used to increase retention in in second-chance courses, which are intensive three-weeks courses offered, just after the end of the semester, to students who did not pass the course that semester. The module structure includes: (i) an overview describing the goals of the module and pre-requisites; (ii) formative assessment using conceptual questions and problems; (iii) short (3-6 minute) introductory screencasts with embedded questions; (iv) lists of important equations; (v) interactive simulations in which students are asked to predict system behavior; (vi) an interactive quiz-yourself simulation that asks students for input on a complex problem solution; (vii) example problems with screencast solutions; (viii) concept tests for summative assessment; and (ix) a summary with problem answers and a list of what students should be able to do after completing the module. The impact of the modules will be assessed by evaluating students’ performance on course exams after the modules are made available and comparing the results with students who did not have access to the modules. Modules will be disseminated through an existing online repository and the results of the project will be shared with engineering faculty through engineering education conferences and journals. This project is supported by the NSF IUSE: EHR Program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.