The Popularity and Intensity of Engineering Undergraduate Out‐of‐Class Activities

Abstract

Background Although researchers have documented the outcomes of various out‐of‐class activities for undergraduate students, less attention has been given to student perspectives on activity category and activity levels, particularly when considering demographics such as gender and race/ethnicity. Purpose/Hypothesis This study aims to create a more nuanced profile of engineering undergraduate engagement in out‐of‐class activities disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity, and level of activity. As an exploratory study, its goal is to identify patterns that can be explored in the future. Design/Method A purposive sample of 649 engineering students from three institutions provided complete survey responses that were quantitatively analyzed using frequency tables, diverging bar charts, and calculated odds ratios. This study included an intentional focus on gender and racial/ethnic differences. Results Job and Sports were most commonly identified as the top out‐of‐class activity for engineering students. Select pre‐professional activities and activities related to the humanities, arts, environment, and civic life were identified less frequently as top activities. Significant differences in choice of top activity and level of activity were found when comparing students by gender and race/ethnicity. Conclusion A better understanding of engineering student engagement in out‐of‐class activities helps guide actions of program administrators and educators and the direction of future research exploring out‐of‐class engagement. Such opportunities can be shaped to improve engagement, particularly among underrepresented groups.

The Influence of Experiential Learning on Student Professional Development: A Literature Review

“…Similarly, in reviewing literature on students' out-of-class involvement, Simmons et al [13] found that academic activities were associated more with career and professional development, while non-academic activities were associated with academic and social engagement outcomes. These findings on perceived development are further supported by Simmons et al's [65] survey of 816 undergraduate engineering students. These engineering students reported that the primary reasons for their participation in student organizations were to fulfill personal interests and to gain experiences.…”

“…Beyond the extent of involvement in student organizations and the types of activities in which students participate through these organizations, some studies have examined the types of organizations in which students are involved. These classifications range from broad categories of academic versus non-academic organizations [26], [34] to detailed lists of 6-20+ varieties of involvement (e.g., pre-professional, service, music, culture) [29], [42], [65], [66]. Holzweiss, Rahn, & Wickline [34] investigated students' motivation for participating in academic versus non-academic student organizations and the benefits they perceived from their involvement.…”

Identity, Self-Esteem, and Academic Motivation: An Analysis of Effects on Underrepresented STEM Majors

“…They feel confident in their abilities, feel as smart as others, but feel worried about how they are perceived by others and self-conscious in social settings. Although the need for social support was not found to be significant for these groups, they can benefit from participation in design competition teams and experiential learning [32]. Practical applications of jjjj prior studies and the results of our study demonstrate that core features of the CAMP-YES program --experiential learning, mentoring, and group activities that promote a "sense of community and inclusiveness"--is one example of a program design based on sound, theoretical foundations.…”

“…Moreover, students who report higher levels of social integration are more likely to have higher GPAs, especially significant for female students [30,31]. Practical applications from the preliminary findings of our study show that college campus social environments in which North American, female students can thrive should include opportunities that promote engagement such as community service, experiential learning, living-learning jjjj communities, major-related organizations and groups, and engineering outreach support [30,32].…”

“…Practical applications of these results overlap with campus engagement opportunities those of female students. Engineering outreach support and experiential learning activities appeal strongly to minority students [32]. No significant results were found for First Generation students.…”