Returning Students in Engineering Education: Making a Case for “Experience Capital”

Abstract

is the first NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2009) in Engineering Education. She is an Engineering Education doctoral student, with a secondary doctoral focus in Gifted and Talented Education, at Purdue University. Michele's research interests include stEm talent development and identification. Prior to completing her Master's Degrees in Gifted and Talented Education and in Curriculum and Instruction, Michele worked as an engineer for 13 years in Laser Jet Printer product development and marketing at Hewlett Packard Co., computer systems design at Arthur Andersen & Co., sulfuric acid plant engineering at Monsanto, and traffic engineering with the City of Cincinnati. Her positions in the hightech field stemmed from her undergraduate degrees in Civil Engineering and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. Contact information:

Exploring factors that impact physical science doctoral student role identities through a multiple case study approach

“…Doctoral students may identify with the role of a student through coursework, mentoring by an advisor, the word student in their job title, or their continued learning. All doctoral students enter graduate school with prior experience in the role of a student, but some may enter graduate school as a continuation of their education, while others may have professional experiences since their last time in the student role, which may impact their student identity in graduate school (e.g., Peters & Daly, 2011; Strutz et al, 2011).…”

Confidence of Graduate Students in Engineering Masters’ Programs: A Comparison of Returners and Direct-Pathway Students

“…Rigorous study of returners in engineering graduate programs has only recently begun to be done, with several studies performed over the past decade. Two of the earlier papers on this group were published in 2011, with Peters & Daly [1] studying the transition of identity that took place when industry professionals returned to school for graduate degrees and Strutz et al [2] examining the "experience capital" of industry professionals who were pursuing graduate degrees in engineering education specifically. Further work by Peters & Daly [3], [4] probed the reasons why industry professionals in STEM fields pursued graduate study and analyzed their experiences through the lens of Expectancy Value Theory (EVT) [5].…”

Returning and Direct Pathway Students: How the Decision-Making Process of Engineering Master’s Degree Pursuit Is Influenced by Industry Experience

“…Previous research has focused largely on the experience of these populations while attending graduate school. One study examined engineering returners' view of their industry experience and how that experience shaped their time in their graduate program [7]. Another study addresses the differences in career development needed for the two populations in any educational discipline even at a graduate level, explaining that the needs of the two groups are incredibly different and counseling must be tailored to their specific needs [8].…”