HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Enhancing Student Success in Engineering Curriculum through Active e-Learning and High Impact Teaching Practices

在改善本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划）的支持下，本课程旨在通过在工程入门课程中实施和评估创新教学/学习实践来提高西班牙裔/拉丁裔转学生的成功。作为联邦政府指定的西班牙裔服务机构，中佛罗里达大学（UCF）是全国领先的转学机构之一。根据与佛罗里达中部地区六所社区学院的录取协议，转校生可以保证获得UCF高质量的学士学位课程。这种转学途径对许多西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生来说是一种有吸引力的途径。然而，转学生的保留率明显低于大学新生。为了提高西班牙裔/拉丁裔转学生的学术毅力和成功，一个教师团队将共同努力，在工程基础课程（如静力学、动力学和热力学）中实施主动学习和高影响力的教学实践，包括与合作社区学院协调课程调整工作。学生将被允许犯错误并通过多次尝试从错误中学习，将有机会通过小型项目设计，构建和测试物理模型，并将提供灵活的学习工具和鼓励的环境。因此，该项目将显著提高西班牙裔/拉丁裔转学生的保留率。该计划旨在通过实施和评估创新的教学/学习实践，提高西班牙裔/拉丁裔转学生的成功。中佛罗里达大学第一次入学的学生和从其他大学转来的学生的分布几乎相等。然而，这些群体之间的留存率显示出非常显著的成就差距。本项目将着重于提高转学生在机械工程和航空航天工程这两个大型工程专业的工程基础课程上的初步经验。项目团队将(1)通过在工程课程的早期阶段结合多次实践测试和小项目，将自我调节和共享学习嵌入基础课程中；(2)通过提供灵活性，构建混合式学习环境，以促进学生的进步；(3)指导学生解决现实世界的工程问题和任务；(4)利用小组参与和社会互动作为他们通过团队项目活动共享学习的资产。本研究将探讨调节学习、自我效能和成就目标导向的性质变化。这一协调一致的倡议将被用作学生成功的模板，并通过课程调整会议与区域合作社区学院分享，并通过会议和期刊出版物与全国其他工程项目分享。该项目网站将举办示范性小型项目，并将其提供给学生、教育工作者和公众。HSI计划旨在加强HSI的本科STEM教育和能力建设。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 2: IEP aims to increase Hispanic/Latino transfer student success through the implementation and evaluation of innovative teaching/learning practices in engineering gateway courses. As a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution, the University of Central Florida (UCF) is one of the leading transfer institutions in the nation. Based on admission articulated agreements with six community colleges in the Central Florida Region, transfer students are guaranteed access to high-quality bachelor’s degree programs at UCF. This transfer pathway has been used as an attractive conduit for many Hispanic/Latino students. However, the retention rates of transfer students are significantly lower than those of first-time in college students. In order to enhance Hispanic/Latino transfer students’ academic perseverance and success, a team of faculty members will work together to implement active learning and high-impact teaching practices in engineering foundation courses such as Statics, Dynamics, and Thermodynamics, including coordinated curriculum alignment efforts with partner community colleges. Students will be allowed to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes through multiple attempts, will be given opportunities to design, build, and test physical models through mini-projects, and will be provided flexible learning tools and an encouraging environment. As a result, this program will achieve a significant gain in Hispanic/Latino transfer students’ retention.This program aims to increase Hispanic/Latino transfer student success through the implementation and evaluation of innovative teaching/learning practices. There is an almost equal distribution of students arriving at the University of Central Florida as first-time in college versus those transferring from another college. However, the retention rates between these groups show a very significant achievement gap. This project will focus on improving transfer students' initial experiences in engineering foundation courses in two large enrollment engineering majors –Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering. The project team will (1) embed self-regulated and shared learning in foundation courses by incorporating multiple attempts to practice tests and mini-projects at the early stage of engineering curricula, (2) construct a blended learning environment in order to facilitate student progress by providing flexibility, (3) guide students to tackle real-world engineering problems and tasks, and (4) utilize group participation and social interactions as an asset for their shared learning through team-based project activities. This project will investigate the changing nature of regulated learning, self-efficacy, and achievement goal orientation. This coordinated initiative will be used as a template for student success and shared with partner community colleges regionally via curriculum alignment meetings and other engineering programs nationally via conferences and journal publications. The program website will host exemplary mini-projects and make them available to students, educators, and the general public. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.