Nsf Grantee Presentation: Results Of An Innovative Approach To Learning Via Peer To Peer Undergraduate Mentoring In Engineering Technology Laboratories

Abstract

The College of Technology -Computer Engineering Technology (CoT -CET) program at the University of Houston has implemented an undergraduate peer mentoring model as part of an NSF-sponsored program (grant no. DUE 0737526) examining the impact of incorporating concept mapping and undergraduate mentors on student learning at the freshman and sophomore levels. The training for this mentoring model has been adapted from a peer-led team learning program [1] and incorporates concept mapping as a primary pedagogical tool for increasing mentee understanding of key concepts. This paper discusses the details of the procedures followed to develop and implement the program which includes the special training to mentors on CMAPS, assessment activities survey instruments and the contributions made within the Computer Engineering Technology discipline. Research ActivitiesThe need for increased students' capacity to engage in real world problem solving in engineering technology continues. Various pedagogical tools and models including peer-to-peer undergraduate mentoring have been used to enhance student learning as well as retention. This paper presents the preliminary results of the development and implementation of peer-to-peer mentoring with concept mapping as a primary pedagogical learning tool.

NSF Grantee Presentation: Challenges of Implementing a Peer Mentoring Program to Support STEM Learning

“…However, again, performance differences between groups were not statistically significant. A full treatment of evaluation results for this project is available in more extensive documents examining the entire program 8 .…”