Resilient Course Design for Teaching a Project-based Engineering Course Online
- Award ID(s):
- 1752255
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10320028
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
null (Ed.)August 2020 marked the inaugural CURE Science Bootcamp course. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the entire bootcamp was taught virtually on a synchronous schedule using the learning management system Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. STEM transfer students completed all key elements of the traditional Science Bootcamp, with slight modifications due to the compressed schedule. In topic selection, students were nudged toward viable methodologies, given that in-person data collection was prohibited.more » « less
-
We present a course design model for applying project-based learning to an online undergraduate object oriented systems course. In our model, projects and reflection are central to the curriculum. Our model challenges students through modularized, repetitive project cycles beginning with analysis and design (i.e. using pseudo- code, flowcharts, diagrams) then coding, debugging, testing, and finally, reflection. We analyzed student reflection responses from two semesters to extract major themes and sub-themes, then mapped these to the MUSIC model (eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, Caring) to understand our model's influence on student engagement and motivation. We found that a rhythmic project cycle encourages self-regulation in online students to formulate project plans, track their progress, and evaluate their solutions. Online students feel empowered when course projects promote choice, flexibility, creativity, experimentation, and extensions to other applications. Online student success is dependent on the clarity of instructions, course scaffolding, level of challenge, instructor feedback, and opportunities to reflect on personal failure, success, and challenge. Online students are interested in projects that are familiar, real-world, and fun, but expect to be situated in team-based environments. Students appreciate instructors who are caring and accommodating to personal needs. We recommend six salient strategies for improving online course and project design: design a visible, rhythmic structure; set transparent expectations and instructions; encourage design before implementation; connect to real-world applications and tools; experience happy challenges; infuse sustained reflection.more » « less
-
Dr. Alice Suroviec (Ed.)Approaches to student-centered active learning have evolved. The progression in course-design has led to the development of new learning paradigms such as collaborative, problem based, and project-based learning. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a learning pedagogy that infuses research experiences within the curriculum. This method of instruction increases opportunities for students to participate in more authentic education experiences and is especially beneficial in the science education pathway. CUREs encourage students to be autonomous and emphasize teamwork. Our research proposes methodologies that can maximize student performance, particularly benefiting underrepresented and underprepared female students. Pre- and post- assessments of a CURE classroom were administered to gauge student engagement and success in a General Chemistry course. Specifically, our research focuses on female engagement in CURE projects and overall success and retention rates to test if the teaching methods will support increased gender equity in STEM.more » « less
-
Self-efficacy is associated with a range of educational outcomes, including science and math degree attainment. Project-based statistics courses have the potential to increase students’ math self-efficacy because projects may represent a mastery experience, but students enter courses with preexisting math self-efficacy. This study explored associations between pre-course math confidence and coding confidence with post course statistical intentions and perceived achievement among students in a project-based statistics course at 28 private and public colleges and universities between fall 2018 and winter 2020 (n=801) using multilevel mixed-effects multivariate linear regression within multiply imputed data with a cross-validation approach (testing n=508 at 20 colleges/universities). We found that pre-course coding confidence was associated with, respectively, 9 points greater post-course statistical intentions and 10 points greater perceived achievement on a scale 0–100 (0.09, 95% confidence interval (0.02, 0.17), p=0.02; 0.10, 95% CI (0.01, 0.19), p=0.04), and that minoritized students have greater post-course statistical intentions than non-minoritized students. These results concur with past research showing the potential effectiveness of the project-based approach for increasing the interest of minoritized students in statistics. Pre-course interventions to increase coding confidence such as pre-college coding experiences may improve students’ post-course motivations and perceived achievement in a project-based course. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- The DOI is not currently available.
