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1. An initial exploration of the perspectives and experiences of diverse learners’ acceptance of online educational engineering games as learning tools in the classroom

   https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028605  

   Cook-Chennault, Kimberly ; Villanueva, Idalis ( October 2019 , An initial exploration of the perspectives and experiences of diverse learners' acceptance of online educational engineering games as learning tools in the classroom)

   This Work-In-Progress falls within the research category of study and, focuses on the experiences and perceptions of first- and second year engineering students when using an online engineering game that was designed to enhance understanding of statics concepts. Technology and online games are increasingly being used in engineering education to help students gain competencies in technical domains in the engineering field. Less is known about the way that these online games are designed and incorporated into the classroom environment and how these factors can ignite inequitable perspectives and experiences among engineering students. Also, little if any work that combines the TAM model and intersectionality of race and gender in engineering education has been done, though several studies have been modified to account for gender or race. This study expands upon the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by exploring perspectives of intersectional groups (defined as women of color who are engineering students). A Mixed Method Sequential Exploratory Research Design approach was used that extends the TAM model. Students were asked to play the engineering educational game, complete an open-ended questionnaire and then to participate in a focus group. Early findings suggest that while many students were open to learning to use the game and recommended inclusion of online engineering educational games as learning tools in classrooms, only a few indicated that they would use this tool to prepare for exams or technical job interviews. Some of the main themes identified in this study included unintended perpetuation of inequality through bias in favor of students who enjoyed competition-based learning and assessment of knowledge, and bias for students having prior experience in playing online games. Competition-based assessment related to presumed learning of course content enhanced student anxiety and feelings of intimidation and led to some students seeking to “game the game” versus learning the material, in efforts to achieve grade goals. Other students associated use of the game and the classroom weighted grading with intense stress that led them to prematurely stop the use of the engineering tool. Initial findings indicate that both game design and how technology is incorporated into the grading and testing of learning outcomes, influence student perceptions of the technology’s usefulness and ultimately the acceptance of the online game as a "learning tool." Results also point to the need to explore how the crediting and assessment of students’ performance and learning gains in these types of games could yield inequitable experiences in these types of courses. 

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2. Perceptions of Engineering Learning Software in Classrooms with Diverse Student Populations Using an Expanded Technology Acceptance Model

   Cook-Chennault, K. ; Villanueva, I. ( August 2022 , 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition)

   The perceptions and experiences of freshman and sophomore engineering students when playing an online serious engineering game are explored. The engineering game of interest was designed to improve engineering intuition and knowledge of engineering mechanics in a statics course. Use of serious educational engineering games has increased in engineering education to help students increase technical competencies in engineering disciplines. However, few have investigated how these engineering games are experienced by the students; how games influence students’ perceptions of learning, or how these factors may lead to inequitable perspectives among diverse populations of students. A mixed method sequential analysis informed by the Technology Acceptance Model was performed to ascertain the experiences of one hundred and thirty-two students. Women of colour indicated that going to the next challenge level in the game made them feel as though they had increased their engineering knowledge to a higher degree than their male counterparts, this group also indicated higher levels of frustration than their male and Caucasian woman counterparts. Additional studies are need to more definitive conclusions. 

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3. Board 32: Preliminary Findings: RIEF - Understanding Pedagogically Motivating Factors for Under-represented and Non-traditional Students in Online Engineering Learning Modules

   Cook-Chennault, Kimberly and ( July 2019 , ASEE - 126th Annual COnference and Exposition)

   The quest to incorporate digital games into US classrooms has been pervasive in educational communities over the last two decades. Educational video games have been studied as a mechanism for enhancing the engagement and performance of underrepresented groups (UGs) in spatial learning, physics, computer science, general engineering, software and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering (ME) computer aided design, and aerospace engineering. Less than a handful of these studies have explored games’ appeal, efficacy or UG performance as a function of gender. Preliminary findings on a study that explores the appeal, efficacy, and performance of UGs in engineering-based educational video games as a function of gender and those of intersectional backgrounds is discussed. Emphasis is placed on elucidating these students' perceptions of serious game structure, design and content, and how these factors motivate their learning of engineering concepts and self-identification as engineers. This work builds upon the Technology Acceptance Model. 

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4. Usefulness of Digital Serious Games in Engineering for Diverse Undergraduate Students

   Cook-Chennault, Kimberly ; Villanueva Alarcón, Idalis ; Jacob, Gabrielle ( January 2022 , Education sciences)

   Jeronen, Eila ; Gordon, Neil ; Reichgelt, Han (Ed.)

   The use of educational digital games as supplemental tools to course instruction materials has increased over the last several decades and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Though these types of instructional games have been employed in the majority of STEM disciplines, less is known about how diverse populations of students interpret and define the value of these games towards achieving academic and professional pursuits. A mixed-method sequential exploratory research design method that was framed on the Technology Acceptance Model, Game-Based Learning Theory and Expectancy Value Theory was used to examine how 201 students perceived the usefulness of an intuitive education game that was designed to teach engineering mechanics used in designing civil structures. We found that students had different expectations of educational digital games than games designed for entertainment used outside of classroom environments. Several students thought that the ability to design their own structures and observe structure failure in real-time was a valuable asset in understanding how truss structures responded to physical loading conditions. However, few students thought the educational game would be useful for exam (14/26) or job interview (19/26) preparation. Students associated more value with engineering games that illustrate course content and mathematical calculations used in STEM courses than those that do not include these elements. 

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5. Virtualizing Hands-On Mechanical Engineering Laboratories - A Paradox or Oxymoron

   Cook-Chennault, Kimberly ; Farooq, Ahmad ( January 2022 , ASEE 2022 Annual Conference - Excellence Through Diversity)

   In physical sciences and engineering research, the study of virtual labs (VL) has generally focused on case studies about their implementation into classrooms or engineering design process and elements. However, few (if any) studies have assessed the viability of using conventional course evaluation instruments (originally designed for traditional in-person classroom environments), to evaluate virtual lab classes. This article presents a preliminary set of results from a study that examines and compares engineering undergraduate students’ evaluations of a capstone mechanical and aerospace engineering laboratory course taught in two different environments: in-person and remotely (virtual/online environment). The instrument used in both cases was the conventional course evaluation instrument that was quantitative and designed using a Likert scale. The aim of this study is to understand how this instrument captures or does not capture the students’ perceptions of their learning of course content in virtual and in-person learning environments. The second aim of this study is to explore students’ perceptions of the effectiveness and acceptance of virtual learning tools and environments applied in engineering laboratory classes. A total of 226 undergraduate students participated in this convergent mixed method study within a mechanical and aerospace engineering department at a research-1 institute in the northeastern region of the United States. Our initial analyses of the students’ course evaluations indicate that there were no statistically significant differences in the perceived teaching effectiveness of the course. However, statistically significant differences were found between the course final grades between students who participated in the in-person lab juxtapose to those who engaged in the virtual laboratory environment. In addition, qualitative results suggest that students’ perceptions of the value of in-person and virtual labs vary depending on prior engineering experiences. These results suggest that there is room for improvement in conventional course evaluation instruments of senior capstone engineering education laboratories that take place either in-person or virtually. 

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