Title :
Multidimensional comparison of project-based learning programs
Author :
Bondi, Enrico ; Neuberger, Briana ; Iafrati, Megan ; Pow, Joe
Author_Institution :
Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Sci., Rochester Inst. of Technol., Rochester, NY, USA
Abstract :
In response to the nation-wide call for reform in STEM education, a number of universities are introducing non-traditional experiences in their engineering curricula as early as the freshman year. Although many of these experiences can be characterized as “project-based,” they vary widely in their implementation. These variations hamper meaningful research on the relative impact these pedagogies have on student learning outcomes. In this paper, we will describe a tool that allows a multidimensional comparison of disparate non-traditional pedagogies. The tool will be used to first characterize and then quantitatively compare and contrast five different freshman-level engineering classes. This tool could provide a common basis for discourse regarding the relative effectiveness of other non-traditional STEM pedagogies regardless of the “labels” that might be affixed to them.
Keywords :
engineering education; further education; physics education; teaching; STEM education; engineering curricula; freshman year; freshman-level engineering classes; multidimensional comparison; nontraditional STEM pedagogies; nontraditional experiences; project-based learning programs; student learning outcomes; universities; Conferences; Educational institutions; Imaging; Materials; Power distribution; Robot sensing systems; Comparison; Pedagogy; STEM education; freshman; non-traditional; project-based learning;
Conference_Titel :
Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), 2014 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Princeton, NJ
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4799-3228-3
DOI :
10.1109/ISECon.2014.6891008