From Catch-all to Clarity: Revising a First-year, Multidisciplinary Introductory Course

Abstract

In addition to student surveys, evaluation of student performance on both the final papers and final presentations occurred. Performance was measured against established rubrics that were presented to the students early in the semester and are shown in Tables 1 and 2. These rubrics were designed to include sections focusing on points discussed in the course throughout the semester-e.g. APA formatting, scholarly references, effective communication, the NAE Grand Challenges, etc. Students were encouraged to consult these rubrics starting as early as the outline stage, and continuing through draft and final submission preparation. Criteria Longer Description Points Overall Organization Has appropriate sections that flow logically, provide sufficient topic coverage, and are representative of current body of knowledge. Uses scientific language and structure throughout.

Development of a Training Workshop for Undergraduate Mentor TAs in an Introductory Engineering Course

“…As previously described by the authors [Kunberger and Geiger, 2015], the evolution of this introductory course was in part due to a maturation of our young engineering program, and part in response to ensure the course was presented in a cohesive fashion with clear, defined deliverables that were appropriate for a 1-credit hour course. The course also aimed to engage students in a way prescribed by the University's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which is a campus-wide initiative taken on in part as fulfillment of the University's reaccreditation efforts [Kunberger, Geiger, and Reycraft, 2016].…”

“…A. Whitaker College of Engineering (WCE) Geiger, 2015, Kunberger, Geiger, andReycraft 2016]. This introductory engineering course was completely revised for the 2014 -2015 academic year, and a series of smaller modifications have been implemented in subsequent years.…”

“…Here, the challenge in updating or changing these courses is ensuring the needs of a more diverse constituency are met. As previously described [Kunberger and Geiger, 2015], our introductory engineering course was changed to create a cohesive educational experience for the students, while continuing to meet the programmatic needs of the engineering programs involved as the first touchpoint those programs have with their students.…”

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AbstractOver the past three years, faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University have re-envisioned the freshman-level introductory engineering course required by multiple programs in the College of Engineering Geiger, 2015, Kunberger, Geiger andReycraft, 2016]. One aspect, the addition of Mentor TAs, was intended to develop informal near-peer mentor experiences, considered a "practice-based" mentoring initiative [Packard, 2016].

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Structured Introduction to Information Literacy Using a Scaffold Project in an Introductory Engineering Course

“…As such, "Introduction to the Engineering Profession" was originally developed to provide an overview of the engineering programs at FGCU, and encourage students to consider engineering as a potential career choice. In Fall 2014, the course was revised to provide a more cohesive, meaningful first year experience that tied into the pedagogical philosophy prevalent amongst the engineering faculty and that was consistent with the University's new QEP focusing on writing, critical thinking, and information literacy 21 .…”