scholarly journals Social Capital From Professional Engineering Organizations and the Persistence of Women and Underrepresented Minority Undergraduates

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrystal A. S. Smith ◽  
Hesborn Wao ◽  
Gladis Kersaint ◽  
Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo ◽  
Phyllis Gray-Ray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Underrepresented Minority ◽  
Engineering Majors ◽  
Insider Information ◽  
Engineering Organizations ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Undergraduate Programs ◽  
Professional Resources

Professional engineering organizations (PEOs) have the potential to provide women and underrepresented and minoritized (URM) students with social capital (i.e., resources gained from relationships) that aids their persistence in their engineering undergraduate programs and into the workforce. We hypothesize that women and URM students engineering students who participate in PEOs are more likely to persist in their engineering major and that PEOs contribute to their persistence by providing them access to insider information that supports their persistence. Each year for five years we administered surveys with closed- and open-ended items to examine the association between participating in PEOs and the persistence of a cohort of engineering majors from 11 diverse universities. We used logistic regression and thematic analysis to analyze the data. URM students who participated in PEOs and other engineering related activities were more likely to persist to the second year than URM students who did not (adjusted odds ratio = 2.18, CI: 1.09, 4.37). Students reported that PEOs contributed to their persistence by enabling them to network, reduce gender and race/ethnic isolation, and access professional resources. URM students should be encouraged to participate in PEOs beginning in their first year to increase their integration in their major, which we have found to increase their persistence.

Implementation of the Second-year course in an Engineering Professional Spine

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umar Iqbal ◽  
Deena Salem ◽  
David Strong
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Research University ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Computer Engineering ◽  
Core Courses ◽  
Second Year ◽  
First Time ◽  
Academic Year

The objective of this paper is to document the experience of developing and implementing a second-year course in an engineering professional spine that was developed in a first-tier research university and relies on project-based core courses. The main objective of this spine is to develop the students’ cognitive and employability skills that will allow them to stand out from the crowd of other engineering graduates.The spine was developed and delivered for the first time in the academic year 2010-2011 for first-year general engineering students. In the year 2011-2012, those students joined different programs, and accordingly the second-year course was tailored to align with the different programs’ learning outcomes. This paper discusses the development and implementation of the course in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department.

scholarly journals The influence of expressive and instrumental social capital from parents on women and underrepresented minority students’ declaration and persistence in engineering majors

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Puccia ◽  
Julie P. Martin ◽  
Chrystal A. S. Smith ◽  
Gladis Kersaint ◽  
Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Minority Students ◽  
Transition To Adulthood ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
White Women ◽  
Underrepresented Minority ◽  
Engineering Majors ◽  
Underrepresented Minority Students ◽  
Parental Encouragement ◽  
And Mathematics

Abstract Background Social capital, defined as the people one knows and the resources available through that network of people, has been a key variable in research examining the participation of women and underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study focuses on two types of social capital: instrumental (concrete advice and resources) and expressive (emotional support and encouragement). The analysis of interviews with 55 White women and women and men underrepresented minority engineering undergraduate students shows how the instrumental and expressive social capital received from parents influenced their students’ declaration of and persistence in the engineering major. Within this analysis, we considered students’ transition to adulthood and the corresponding expectation that parents would still provide support but allow their children to independently determine their own paths. Results Participants shared the advice they received from people in their social networks, with the majority of participants highlighting parents as a major contributor of instrumental and expressive social capital. Instrumental social capital was helpful in students’ major declarations and offered them an opportunity to further develop their interests and aptitude in STEM as well as a pathway for obtaining an engineering degree. During the first year of their engineering major, students relied heavily on the expressive social capital of parents when considering whether to stay in engineering; parental encouragement of “you can do it” became a common resource. Conclusions These findings offer nuance to explanations of social capital’s influence on STEM degree major declaration and persistence, which often use deficit approaches. In highlighting the resources of social capital, especially expressive support, this work offers educators a new frame of reference for building upon the valuable advice offered by parents to their children completing engineering majors.

AstraZeneca: Transforming How New Medicines Flow to Patients1

2017 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Scott A. Snell ◽  
Gerry Yemen
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Organizational Change ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Strategic Alignment ◽  
First Year ◽  
Organizational Capability ◽  
Second Year ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
Core Capabilities

This case is currently taught in Darden's ““First-Year Strategy”” course. Scott Snell also teaches it in his second year elective, ““Developing Organizational Capability””. The case would be useful in any course that examines the topic of core capabilities, organizational change, or strategic alignment. This field-based case provides an overview of reorganization at AstraZeneca UK Limited (AZN) and focuses on the processes, systems, and people (human and social capital) in the R&D unit. It allows for an examination of AZN’s core capabilities and how enterprise leadership requires making an explicit connection between investments in people and performance that benefit the firm. The strategy includes: build a pipeline with new prescription drugs that were unique enough to provide a differentiated benefit to patients, grow the business globally, streamline the organization and increase efficiency, and build a culture of courage, creativity, and collaboration. What areas of R&D should the company invest in, and what would the R&D transformation look like?

scholarly journals INTRODUCTING A NEW ENGINEERING COURSE: A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dare ◽  
Brian Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Design Element ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time

A Task Force was created by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New Brunswick in September 2004 charged with creating a new course for all first year engineering students to be delivered for the first time in September 2005. The course, to be taken by approximately 270 students, was to integrate material from other first year courses, introduce the students to working in teams, contain a substantial design element through a design project, and introduce communication skills. Nine professors from throughout engineering “volunteered” to help develop and deliver the course. In this paper we own up to what we did wrong during the first two years of delivery of this course, and (naturally!) counter this by celebrating our successes. Students are assessed based on a combination of individual and team submissions, with some submissions being oral and others written. This paper will outline the complex assessment scheme we initially used, and how we later simplified it. Rubrics were used to evaluate many of the course assignments. For most of the instructors, this was the first time they had used rubrics and so it was a learning experience to both develop and apply them. We show how we adapted their use in the second year of delivery after the experiences of the first year. We were pleased with the way that the assessments were mostly built around the design project – this helped the students grasp why clear communication is vital and enabled them to obtain continual feedback on the project. We were also delighted that an element of social responsibility was introduced into the course by making the project an international “Engineers Without Borders” project based in Africa. We believe this added an additional dimension to the course and especially the project. The professor-delivered skits were especially popular! Delivered by two wannabe actors, they introduced the students in a humorous manner to the different types of engineering that are taught at UNB. Engineering students at UNB have to commit to their specific engineering field from their first day at UNB, so these skits were included to ensure the students were exposed to all the UNB engineering disciplines. We conclude the paper with our plans for delivery of the course in September 2007 and beyond.

scholarly journals Mathematical Skills and the Academic Performance of Junior and Senior Electrical Engineering Students of the University of Eastern Philippines

2021 ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Kenneth Bryan F. Abaigar ◽  
Benjamin D. Varela
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Electrical Engineering ◽  
First Year ◽  
Mathematical Skills ◽  
The Third ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Final Grades ◽  
The University

The study was conducted to determine the mathematical skills and the academic performance of the junior and senior electrical engineering students of the University of Eastern Philippines. Descriptive-correlational method of research was used with a total enumeration of the regular students from third year to fifth year electrical engineering students.     The findings revealed that male students dominated all the three year levels of the electrical engineering course. It was also found out that there were more regular fifth year engineering students than the third year and fourth year students. Meanwhile, the third year students got the highest average rating in the final grades of first year and second year mathematics and the lowest average rating belonged to the fifth year students. The learning style of the three-year levels was found to be visual while in terms of study habits, the third year students have very good study habit. It was also found out that the level of mathematical skills of the three-year levels were low, but the level of academic performance of the three-year levels were found out to be good. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship of the student profile and their mathematical skills. The results showed that the average of final grades in all first-year mathematics, and the students’ year level have significant relationship with the mathematical skills of the students. Meanwhile, the profile variables found to be significantly related to academic performance were the average of final grades in first year mathematics, average of final grades in second year mathematics and study habits of the students’ respondents. Lastly, the mathematical skills had no significant relationship to the academic performance of the student-respondents.

scholarly journals Social and Academic Investment

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystal A. Foxx
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Peer Mentoring ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Female Participant ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
First Year

Peer mentoring serves as a strategy for engaging students both academically and socially in higher education. A qualitative case study was conducted to examine the experiences of three first-year engineering student mentees of color who participated in a formal peer mentoring program. The study also explored the participants’ perceptions of the roles of race, ethnicity, and social capital in their peer relationships. During one-onone interviews, student mentees emphasized increases of social capital, such as more access and awareness of resources and added active roles in student organizations on campus through their relationships with assigned mentors. Additionally, mentee participants mentioned having stronger connections to their peer mentors because of similarities in age and experiences in the classroom. As participants described benefits of the peer mentoring relationship leading to higher academic performance, enhanced skills were a major highlight. These skills included effective note taking, better study habits, and more positive interactions with faculty. Although student mentees did not perceive that race and ethnicity played a major role in their peer mentoring relationships, the female participant acknowledged gender as a major factor of the educational experience in engineering. Overall, the study highlighted that formal peer mentoring programs are highly beneficial in the orientation and transition of first-year engineering students as they navigate higher education institutions.

scholarly journals Development of a Tool for Team Formation in Engineering Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel MBURASEK ◽  
Odon MUSIMBI
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Team Formation ◽  
First Year ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Effective Teams ◽  
Fashion Studies ◽  
New Students ◽  
Timely Fashion ◽  
Second Year

Efficient team formation presents challenges both for the industry and the academia, especially among first year students. In academia, the difficulty is due to a lack of familiarity between instructors and new students at the beginning of each semester while in the industry, the issue is the incomplete picture of new employee’s personality by the supervisors. The quality of the team greatly affects both the team member experience as well as the outcome of assigned projects. There is a strong need to create a tool or a program that allows instructors and supervisors to create effective teams with evenly distributed skills amongst the teams in a timely fashion. Studies show that the balance of skills, rather than the presence of highly skilled individuals, leads to successful teams. The ultimate goal is to create a tool that will give teams the opportunity to operate at their maximum potential. This paper focuses on the creation of teams for first year students of engineering. The outcome is based on the results of a project assigned to a team of second year engineering students. The choice of second year students was dictated by the need to have students who had already experienced the adverse effects of malfunctioning teams during their previous projects. The goal of the project was to design a software and user interface for a tool that instructors could use to create optimal project teams in an efficient manner.

scholarly journals Recent Enhancements to the Biosystems Engineering Design Trilogy at the University of Manitoba

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny D Mann ◽  
Kris J Dick ◽  
Sandra A Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Professional Communication ◽  
First Year ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Capstone Course ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The University

In previous years, several improvements to the teaching of engineering design were made by staff in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at The University of Manitoba. The first innovation occurred when a trilogy of courses spanning the final three years of the program was introduced as a replacement for a single capstone course in the final year of the program. In its original conception, engineering students were to get three opportunities to be involved in design problems originating from industry, with greater expectations with each subsequent experience. A second innovation occurred when technical communication was formally integrated within the trilogy of design courses. This innovation has helped engineering students realize the value of professional communication skills in collaborating with each other and in preparing reports and presentations for an industry client. A third innovation occurred three years ago when the decision was made to allow students to participate in the prototyping of their designs. The so-called “Design Trilogy” now consists of a single course (Design Trilogy I) taken during the second year of the engineering program (which builds upon the first-year design experience with the requirement of a conceptual solution in response to a design problem provided by industry) and two courses taken during the final year of the program. Students are required to have a design completed on paper by the completion of Design Trilogy II and fabrication of the prototype occurs during Design Trilogy III. The student experience in the Design Trilogy, with particular emphasis on curriculum innovations in Design Trilogy III, will be discussed.

scholarly journals STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE ON IMPROVEMENTS FOR SECOND YEAR AND OTHER UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING DESIGN COURSES

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Serack
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Real World ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Academic Year

Students and educators should work together on pushing the boundaries of expectation - "expect more to get more" - so that design courses can become increasingly effective and greater potential can be achieved. I encourage instructors and educators to consider the fact that this generation of engineering students enter university with a multitude of experiences and skills in design, decision making and communication that past generations did not have – and taking advantage of that advanced starting point will greatly improve the caliber of the course offerings. As an engineering undergraduate student at Queen’s University, I have been exposed to several engineering design courses. Starting in the 2011-2012 academic year when I was in my second year, a course referred to as APSC 200/293 was introduced. I will be critically discussing my experiences both positive and negative with this design course, as well as the first year design course, and in my opinion how they can be improved. Information and feedback regarding the design courses was obtained from the faculty and compared to my observations. Starting the design courses early on in the students’ careers gives them an excellent introduction to the real world of engineering. However, there is great room for improvement in courses of this sort, which can be assisted by utilizing the opinions of willing students. I will further discuss these courses, their downfalls and advantages, and where improvements could be made to promote the success of students.

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