WMU Collaborative Efforts of College of Education and College of Engineering and Applied Science to Enhance Student Learning

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: 0230654 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Tsang, Edmund INSTITUTION NAME: Western Michigan University TITLE: WMU Collaborative Efforts of College of Education and College of Engineering and Applied Science to Enhance Student Learning Abstract Western Michigan University (WMU) through the National Science Foundation Bridges for Engineering Education (BEE) program will plan and pilot initiatives that provide opportunities for increased interaction among education and engineering faculty and students. The objectives of the proposed project are: 1) faculty of Colleges of Education and Engineering jointly design an introduction to engineering course for engineering and education Students ; 2) faculty of Colleges of Education and Engineering jointly hold seminar and workshop to enhance collaboration, including visits to and visits from representatives of model collaboration programs; and 3) The colleges establish a recognition program to award excellence in collaboration to improve teaching and learning in engineering. The needs that will be addressed in the proposal project are: (1) to enhance technological literacy of future teachers and to train pre-service education students in the use of stimulating examples of real-world engineering and technology to teach mathematics and science to K-12 students; (2) to reform first-year engineering course to improve retention of first- year engineering students, and (3) to design practical solutions to overcome barriers to collaboration between the colleges of education and engineering.