T2-A: Effectiveness of a Writing-Based Quality Enhancement Plan in a Senior-Level Undergraduate Engineering Laboratory Setting
Location
Bill France A
Start Date
5-3-2018 1:45 PM
Description
This research paper assesses the effectiveness of a writing-based quality enhancement plan implemented in a senior-level undergraduate mechanical engineering laboratory based course. The purpose of the quality enhancement plan is to enhance effective writing skills in undergraduate students through a discipline-specific recursive writing process. The effectiveness of the quality enhancement plan is assessed via two distinct student learning outcomes. The first student learning outcome assesses students’ ability to demonstrate argumentation, analysis, and synthesis skills in their writing. The second student learning outcome assesses students’ participation in the writing process. Over a two-semester period, students in three different sections of a senior-level mechanical engineering laboratory were evaluated based on these two student learning outcomes. In order to evaluate the first student learning outcome, students completed two individual technical reports – one at the beginning of the semester, and a second at the end of the semester. A statistical analysis of the results indicated that students did not show a statistically significant improvement in any category of student learning outcome one. In order to evaluate the second student learning outcome, students completed two process writing surveys – one at the beginning of the semester, and a second at the end of the semester. A statistical analysis of the results indicated that students showed a statistically significant improvement in the “researching,” “collaborating,” and “revising” components of student learning outcome two. The implementation of the quality enhancement plan as well as suggestions for improvement will be discussed.
T2-A: Effectiveness of a Writing-Based Quality Enhancement Plan in a Senior-Level Undergraduate Engineering Laboratory Setting
Bill France A
This research paper assesses the effectiveness of a writing-based quality enhancement plan implemented in a senior-level undergraduate mechanical engineering laboratory based course. The purpose of the quality enhancement plan is to enhance effective writing skills in undergraduate students through a discipline-specific recursive writing process. The effectiveness of the quality enhancement plan is assessed via two distinct student learning outcomes. The first student learning outcome assesses students’ ability to demonstrate argumentation, analysis, and synthesis skills in their writing. The second student learning outcome assesses students’ participation in the writing process. Over a two-semester period, students in three different sections of a senior-level mechanical engineering laboratory were evaluated based on these two student learning outcomes. In order to evaluate the first student learning outcome, students completed two individual technical reports – one at the beginning of the semester, and a second at the end of the semester. A statistical analysis of the results indicated that students did not show a statistically significant improvement in any category of student learning outcome one. In order to evaluate the second student learning outcome, students completed two process writing surveys – one at the beginning of the semester, and a second at the end of the semester. A statistical analysis of the results indicated that students showed a statistically significant improvement in the “researching,” “collaborating,” and “revising” components of student learning outcome two. The implementation of the quality enhancement plan as well as suggestions for improvement will be discussed.