Transforming Instruction in Key Engineering Courses at the University of Texas at Austin

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

In the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), the greatest losses in retention are in the first two years and such losses disproportionately affect students from historically underrepresented populations. Evidence indicates that the learning experiences of first and second year students could be greatly enhanced by transforming instructional practices in key engineering courses to include context-driven, active learning experiences. The project entitled "Transforming Instruction in Key Engineering Courses at the University of Texas at Austin" will target two categories of first and second year engineering courses to improve student outcomes. One category is courses required by multiple engineering departments (e.g., Engineering Statics); the second is courses where the underlying concepts are the same, but courses in different engineering disciplines apply the basic principles in different ways (e.g., Thermodynamics). The course transformations will be applicable in both university and secondary classrooms, and will likely impact a large fraction of Hispanic students, thus improving their retention, graduation, and ultimately, workforce placement. At the university level, investigators will disseminate the results of the project through mechanisms such as publications and workshops targeting, in particular, colleagues in other colleges and schools of engineering at UT System institutions. Hispanic or Latino students comprise 40 percent of all undergraduates across the UT System. Because the targeted courses are common to engineering curricula nationwide, the practices will also likely be of interest to other institutions, and will be easily transferable. At the secondary level, the learning modules created will be used to supplement "Engineer Your World," which is an innovative, design- and challenge-based, year-long high school engineering curriculum (developed under the leadership of the Principal Investigator of this project) that is currently in 77 schools in 12 states. This will help foster interest and present opportunities for engagement of high school students in engineering design, thus preparing the next generation of prospective engineers. Specific aims of the project will be to: (1) develop faculty learning communities to explore and adapt evidence-based instructional practices for targeted courses; (2) perform "proof of concept" activities for one or more examples in each of the two categories of courses (i.e., common core courses taken by students in multiple fields of engineering, courses covering common concepts that are taught separately in different engineering departments); and (3) develop a theory of change that will inform a strategic plan for widespread implementation of instructional transformations. Anticipated outcomes include improved student mastery of concepts in targeted courses, improved student performance and retention, increased and sustained use of evidence-based instructional practices, sustained participation in faculty learning communities, faculty beliefs about teaching and learning that are better aligned with educational research, and development and preliminary validation of a theory of change. Attainment of the outcomes will be evaluated using a mixed-methods approach that will entail collection and analysis of data reflective of improved student learning (e.g. concept inventories, course pass rates, semester-to-semester and first-to-second year retention, etc.), faculty engagement in instructional improvement (e.g. participation in learning communities, faculty interviews, quality and quantity of applications for internal curriculum improvement grants), and school and faculty readiness for transformation.