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1. Investigating Factors that Predict Academic Success in Engineering and Computer Science

   Adesope, O.; Sunday, O.J.; Ewumi, E.R.; Minichiello, A.; Asghar, M.; Claiborn, C.S. (July 2021, 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference)

   Over the years, researchers have found that student engagement facilitates desired academic success outcomes for college undergraduate students. Much research on student engagement has focused on academic tasks and classroom context. High impact engagement practices (HIEP) have been shown to be effective for undergraduate student academic success. However, less is known about the effects of HIEP specifically on engineering and computer science (E/CS) student outcomes. Given the high attrition rates for E/CS students, student involvement in HIEP could be effective in improving student outcomes for E/CS students, including those from various underrepresented groups. More generally, student participation in specific HIEP activities has been shown to shape their everyday experiences in school, both academically and socially. Hence, the primary goal of this study is to examine the factors that predict academic success in E/CS using multiple regression analysis. Specifically, this study seeks to understand the effects of high impact engagement practices (HIEP), coursework enjoyability, confidence at completing a degree on academic success of the underrepresented and nontraditional E/CS students. We used exploratory factor analyses to derive “academic success” variable from five items that sought to measure how students persevere to attain academic goals. A secondary goal of the present study is to address the gap in research literature concerning how participation in HIEP affects student persistence and success in E/CS degree programs. Our research team developed and administered an online survey to investigate and identify factors that affect participation in HIEP among underrepresented and nontraditional E/CS students. Respondents (N = 531) were students enrolled in two land grant universities in the Western U.S. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the proportion of the variation in the dependent variable (academic success) explained by the independent variables (i.e., high impact engagement practice (HIEP), coursework enjoyability, and confidence at completing a degree). We hypothesized that (1) high impact engagement practices will predict academic success; (2) coursework enjoyability will predict academic success; and (3) confidence at completing a degree will predict academic success. Results showed that the multiple regression model statistically predicted academic success , F(3, 270) = 33.064, p = .001, adjusted R2 = .27. This results indicate that there is a linear relationship in the population and the multiple regression model is a good fit for the data. Further, findings show that confidence at completing a degree is significantly predictive of academic success. In addition, coursework enjoyability is a strong predictor of academic success. Specifically, the result shows that an increase in high impact engagement activity is associated with an increase in students’ academic success. In sum, these findings suggest that student participation in High Impact Engagement Practices might improve academic success and course retention. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. 

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2. Development of a College Student Validation Survey: A Design-Based Research Approach

   May, TA; Bright, DN; Fan, YK; Fornaro, C; Koskey, KL; Heverin, T (May 2023, Mainsl haul)

   Rendón’s (1994) seminal research on validation theory (VT) provided a model for understanding how validating experiences can positively influence “culturally diverse” (p. 33) students in higher education. Validation is “an enabling, confirming and supportive process initiated by in- and out-of-class agents that fosters academic and interpersonal development” (Rendón, 1994, p. 44) and is critical for the transition, persistence, and success of college students (Rendón, 1994, 2002). Through this theoretical model, scholars have extensively explored how institutions can provide validating experiences by developing supportive learning environments for general undergraduate populations and specific groups such as Black, Latinx, low-income, first-generation, and two-year college students (e.g., Allen, 2016; Bauer, 2014). Many prior studies have relied on qualitative methods. While Rendón and Muñoz (2011) have called for further study of validation’s impact on student outcomes through quantitative methods, few quantitative instruments of VT exist. The primary tool used for assessing VT consists of two scales from the larger Diverse Learning Environments (DLE; Hurtado et al., 2011) survey that have demonstrated their effectiveness for measuring academic validation in class and general interpersonal validation among college students at large (Hurtado et al., 2015). DLE scales were not, however, designed to match Rendón’s full four-component conception of VT (i.e., academic in-class, academic out-of-class, interpersonal in-class, interpersonal out-of-class). Thus, a new measure of VT is necessary to capture quantitative information aligned with Rendón’s model. The purpose of this study was to expand the field of quantitative VT research by presenting validity evidence from a new survey entitled the Validation Theory Survey (VTS) that was designed to align with Rendón’s VT model and to be used with undergraduate students. One overarching research question guided this study: To what extent did validity evidence (i.e., content, response process, consequential, and internal structure) support the use of the VTS to evaluate undergraduates’ perceptions of their academic and interpersonal validating experiences inside and outside higher education classrooms? 

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3. Introduction to engineering design graphics project supporting problem-based learning for students at-risk

   Ernst, J. V. (January 2018, Proceedings of the annual midyear conference of the Engineering Design Graphics Division American Society for Engineering Education)

   null (Ed.)

   All engineering schools in the United States are currently teaching some version of a design graphics course, since it is required by ABET. This project will explore the factors that affect program persistence, in order to create a curricular approach that will improve the student experience, particularly for at-risk, females, underrepresented minority, and first-generation college students. Our overall goal is to refine a transferable Problem-Based Learning framework to promote engineering persistence, academic success, and engagement. The authors feel that such efforts will support the retention of STEM students by addressing shortcomings of introductory STEM courses (i.e. Engineering Graphics). 

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4. Early access to science research opportunities: Growth within a geoscience summer research program for community college students

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293674  

   Okochi, Christine; Gold, Anne U.; Christensen, Alicia; Batchelor, Rebecca L. (December 2023, PLOS ONE)

   Vasconcelos, Sonia (Ed.)

   Undergraduate research experiences benefit students by immersing them in the work of scientists and often result in increased interest and commitment to careers in the sciences. Expanding access to Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs has the potential to engage more students in authentic research experiences earlier in their academic careers and grow and diversify the geoscience workforce. The Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) was one of the first National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded REU programs exclusively for 2-year college students. In this study, we describe findings from five years of the RECCS program and report on outcomes from 54 students. The study collected closed- and open-ended responses on post-program reflection surveys to analyze both student and mentor perspectives on their experience. Specifically, we focus on students’ self-reported growth in areas such as research skills, confidence in their ability to do research, and belonging in the field, as well as the mentors’ assessment of students’ work and areas of growth, and the impact of the program on students’ academic and career paths. In addition, RECCS alumni were surveyed annually to update data on their academic and career pursuits. Our data show that RECCS students learned scientific and professional skills throughout the program, developed a sense of identity as a scientist, and increased their interest in and excitement for graduate school after the program. Through this research experience, students gained confidence in their ability to “do” science and insight into whether this path is a good fit for them. This study contributes to an emerging body of data examining the impact of REU programs on community college students and encourages geoscience REU programs to welcome and support more community college students. 

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5. On Transfer Student Success: Exploring the Academic Trajectories of Black Transfer Engineering Students from Community Colleges

   Berhane, B; Hayes, S; Koonce, D; Salley, C (June 2019, ASEE Annual Conference proceedings)

   According to the National Science Foundation, 50% of Black engineering students who have received a bachelor’s and master’s degree attended a community college at some point during their academic career. However, while research highlights the importance of supporting underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities (URMs) in STEM disciplines, there is a dearth of literature focusing on URMs in community colleges who pursue engineering and other science/math-based majors. Further, Black undergraduates in community colleges are often homogenized by area of study, with little regard for their specific major/discipline. Similarly, while engineering education research has begun to focus on the population of community college students, less attention has been paid to unpacking the experiences of racial subgroups of community college attendees. The engineering student transfer process has specific aspects related to it being a selective and challenging discipline (e.g., limited enrollment policies, engineering culture shock) that warrants a closer investigation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of a small population of students who have recently transferred from several community colleges to one four-year engineering school. Specifically, we will present preliminary findings derived from interviews with three Black students who started their academic careers at several community colleges in a Mid-Atlantic state, before transferring to the flagship institution of that same state. Interview transcripts will undergo a thorough analysis and will be coded to document rich themes. Multiple analyses of coded interview data will be performed by several members of the research team, as well as external evaluation members who are leading scholars in STEM and/or transfer education research. This research is part of a larger-scale, three year qualitative study, which will examine the academic trajectories of two distinct groups of Blacks in engineering majors: 1) Blacks born and educated in the United States and 2) Those born and educated in other countries. By looking at these populations distinctly, we will build upon past literature that disaggregates the experiences of Black STEM students who represent multiple identities across the African diaspora. Through this lens, we hope to highlight the impact that cultural background may have on the transfer experience. The theoretical framework guiding this study posits that the persistence of Black transfer students in engineering is a longitudinal process influenced by the intersection of both individual and institutional factors. We draw from the STEM transfer model, noting that the transfer process commences during a student’s community college education and continues through his/her transfer and enrollment in an engineering program at a four-year institution. The following factors contribute to our conceptualization of this process: pre-college background, community college prior to transfer, initial transfer to the four-year university, nearing 4-year degree completion. 

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