Development and Implementation of a Novel Approach to Teaching Engineering Fundamentals to Engineering Students at CSULA

California State L A University Auxiliary Services Inc., Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this TUES Type 1 project is to develop, implement, and assess an outcomes-based integrated core curriculum for sophomore-level engineering students at California State University Los Angeles (CSULA). This new sophomore curriculum is comprised of interactive, workshop-style courses and designed to transform the student learning experience into an engaging student-centered one. The redesigned core engineering curriculum is aimed at addressing long-term goals of increasing the retention and improve the academic performance of CSULA engineering students. The traditional pedagogical format is replaced by a series of laboratory courses and clinics that provide the students with practice working through engineering problems collaboratively with faculty, teaching assistants, and peers. The curriculum design is driven by outcomes established to help engineering majors acquire a strong foundation in core competencies in engineering analysis, applications, design and modeling, communication, and professionalism. The curriculum also is designed to provide cohesiveness between the different courses so that students can focus on common topics from the perspective of each of the five competency areas and see the interconnectedness of the material they are learning in the core courses. This core engineering curriculum has the potential to serve as a model for other similar institutions whose students encounter the "sophomore slump." The curriculum is mapped to ABET outcomes, making it transferable to similar engineering programs at other institutions. This project targets the some of the challenges underrepresented minority (URM) students encounter in their pathway to graduation in engineering at CSULA, where about 55% of the students are from URM groups. Results and findings are shared with other institutions in the CSU system, as well as with neighboring community colleges.