T3-C: Intro to Engineering Course Restructured to Promote Retention
Location
Bill France C
Start Date
5-3-2018 3:45 PM
Description
To improve student engagement in the major (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), participation in complementary extracurricular activities, and overall retention to the discipline, we redesigned our departmental seminar for underclassmen, “Departmental and Professional Orientation”. The course includes an ethics component to satisfy ABET requirements and was being used previously as a “siloed” catchall for assorted guest lectures. Our new integrated approach organizes the 200-250 students into teams of ten, providing students a new support group for the remaining semesters of their degree, and walks them through projects related to four grand challenges: Food and Water, Security, Healthcare, and Energy and the Environment. In addition to group projects that engage students with the campus community, we encouraged professional development through peer review of resumes, attendance at professional society meetings, and guest speakers from industry and academia. Here, we share example syllabi, projects, and lessons learned from redesigning and implementing our large introductory course.
T3-C: Intro to Engineering Course Restructured to Promote Retention
Bill France C
To improve student engagement in the major (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), participation in complementary extracurricular activities, and overall retention to the discipline, we redesigned our departmental seminar for underclassmen, “Departmental and Professional Orientation”. The course includes an ethics component to satisfy ABET requirements and was being used previously as a “siloed” catchall for assorted guest lectures. Our new integrated approach organizes the 200-250 students into teams of ten, providing students a new support group for the remaining semesters of their degree, and walks them through projects related to four grand challenges: Food and Water, Security, Healthcare, and Energy and the Environment. In addition to group projects that engage students with the campus community, we encouraged professional development through peer review of resumes, attendance at professional society meetings, and guest speakers from industry and academia. Here, we share example syllabi, projects, and lessons learned from redesigning and implementing our large introductory course.