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1. Data proficiency in MAE education: Insights from student perspectives and experiences

   https://doi.org/10.1177/03064190241290897  

   Aikins, Godwyll; Berdanier, Catherine_G_P; Nguyen, Kim-Doang (November 2024, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education)

   This paper explores how mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE) students understand and improve their data proficiency throughout their engineering curriculum. Data is essential for engineering students to be proficient in handling, as it is involved in every aspect of engineering. With the growing ubiquity of data and data analysis in all engineering fields, engineering students need to learn and master data skills to be competitive in the current and future job market. However, there is a lack of research on how non-computer science or software engineering majors perceive data proficiency and how they seek opportunities to develop data skills, especially as it relates to specific subdomains. In this paper, we investigate how students perceive data proficiency and how they develop using interview data from N = 27 MAE students at a research institution in the southeastern United States. Using the How People Learn framework, we analyzed the data through thematic analysis methods with a postpositivist approach, considering the bounded context of this study. The results show that MAE students value data proficiency as a crucial skill for their future careers and recognize its importance in making evidence-based engineering decisions. The study also reveals that, even though data proficiency is often a “hidden competency,” MAE students intuitively find various ways to enhance their data skills. These findings may help engineering educators to tailor their instruction to their students’ needs, address misconceptions about data and data proficiency, and prepare a data-literate future engineering workforce. 

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2. Towards an Employability Model for STEM Majors: Engagement-based, Service-producing, and Experience-driven

   Jones, Faye R.; Mardis, Marcia A.; Randeree, Ebrahim (January 2019, ASEE annual conference & exposition)

   In this theoretical work-in-progress paper, we present Employ-STEM, a mentored employability model for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors which integrates foundational concepts of experiential learning to enhance students’ educational experiences beyond the classroom, develop employability skills, and culminate in employment. The premise of this model is that, under the guidance of a faculty mentor, students benefit from three main learning opportunities: 1) experiential leadership development, which requires placing students in opportunities that allow them to practice leading; 2) service learning, which provides opportunities for learning through interactions with communities, schools, and non-profit organizations; and 3) experiential learning, which covers work-integrated learning, internships, apprenticeships, and other hands-on activities. These engagement opportunities are consistent with Tinto’s theory of student integration, which postulates that academic and social integration are key factors for increasing student persistence and graduation. Through a synthesis of the main facets of these theory-based approaches, we will: 1) describe an employability model for STEM majors, 2) illustrate important elements of this model; 3) share two vignettes which incorporates elements of the Employ-STEM model; and 4) identify next steps to improve and test the model. 

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3. X+CS: A Computing Pathway for Non-Computer Science Majors

   Mitchell, S; Cole, K; Joshi, A (March 2020, ASEE Mid Atlantic Section Spring Conference, 2020)

   With computing impacting most every professional field, it has become essential to provide pathways for students other than those majoring in computer science to acquire computing knowledge and skills. Virtually all employers and graduate and professional schools seek these skills in their employees or students, regardless of discipline. Academia currently leans towards approaches such as double majors or combined majors between computer science and other non-CS disciplines, commonly referred to as “CS+X” programs. These programs tend to require rigorous courses gleaned from the institutions’ courses for computer science majors. Thus, they may not meet the needs of majors in disciplines such as the social and biological sciences, humanities, and others. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is taking an approach more suitably termed “X+CS” to fulfill the computing needs of non-CS majors. As part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, we are developing a “computing” minor specifically to meet their needs. To date, we have piloted the first two of the minor’s approximately six courses. The first is a variation on the existing Computer Science I course required for majors but restricted to nonmajors. Both versions of the course use the Python language and cover the same programming content, but with the non-majors assigned projects with relevance to non-CS disciplines. We use the same student assessment measures of homework, projects, and examinations for both courses. After four semesters, results show that non-CS majors perform comparably to majors. Students also express increased interest in computing and satisfaction with being part of a non- CS major cohort. The second course was piloted in fall 2019. It is a new course intended to enhance and hone programming skills and introduce topics such as web scraping, HTML and CSS, web application development, data formats, and database use. Students again express increased interest in computing and were already beginning to apply the computing skills that they were learning to their non-CS courses. As a welcome side effect, we experienced a significant increase in the number of women and under-represented minorities (URMs) in these two courses when compared with CS-major specific courses. Overall, women comprised 52% of the population, with URMs following a similar upward trend. We are currently developing the third course in the computing minor and exploring options for the remaining three. Possibilities include electives from our Information Systems major. We will also be working with our science, social science, and humanities departments to utilize existing courses in those disciplines that apply computing. The student response that we have received thus far provides us with evidence that our computing minor will be popular among UMBC’s non-CS population, providing them with a more suitable and positive computing education than existing CS+X efforts. 

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4. “Making” to the Future: An Innovative Approach to Undergraduate Science Education

   Key, S. Catherine; Bradley, Tanina; Reid, Aileen; Saliim, Eric T. (August 2022, Zone 1 Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education)

   Gentry, Susan (Ed.)

   “Making’ - a hands-on practice of creating technology-based artifacts typically involves integrating electronics, programming, or 3D printing. This paper describes the targeted infusion of “making” into undergraduate STEM education as an approach to encourage innovation while building capacity in the 21st-century technical STEM skills of engineering and design. “Making’ has the potential to impact self-efficacy and building capacity in technical STEM skills among underrepresented and underserved science majors. To investigate how “making” experiences are received by Underrepresented Minority (URM) students at an Historically Black College or University (HBCU), we applied and received funding through the National Science Foundation HBCU-UP Targeted Infusion Project (TIP) mechanism. The infusion included “making” instructional practices and Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) into two undergraduate biology courses. Assessment data indicates the targeted - infusion courses were well-received by these communities with females exceling in iteration and communication of engineered designs. 

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5. Using Financial Support to Create a Learning Community Among Diverse Community College STEM Students

   Enriquez, A. G.; Lipe, C. B. (June 2012, ASEE annual conference & exposition)

   Although many California Community College students from underrepresented groups enter college with high levels of interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the majority of them drop out or change majors even before taking transfer-level courses due to a variety of reasons including financial difficulties, inadequate academic preparation, lack of family support, poor study skills, and inadequate or ineffective academic advising and mentoring. In 2009, Cañada College, a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution in the San Francisco Bay Area, received a National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant to develop a scholarship program for financially needy community college students intending to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. In collaboration with the College’s Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program – an academic, personal, and professional support structure has been designed and implemented to maximize the likelihood of success of these students. This support structure aims to create a learning community among the scholars through a combination of academic counseling and mentoring, personal enrichment and professional development opportunities, and strong academic support services. This paper describes how faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, student organizations, and partners in industry, four-year institutions, and professional organizations can be involved in creating an academic infrastructure that promotes academic excellence, leadership skills, and personal and professional growth among the diversity of financially needy STEM students in a community college. 

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