Board 43: Scholarship Program Initiative via Recruitment, Innovation, and Transformation (SPIRIT): SSTEM Program Initiatives and Early Results

Chip W. Ferguson; Yanjun Yan; Sudhir Kaul; Paul M. Yanik

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--30033
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/30033
Download Count: 494

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Chip W. Ferguson Western Carolina University

visit author page

Chip Ferguson is the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology and Professor of Engineering and Technology at Western Carolina University.

visit author page

biography

Yanjun Yan Western Carolina University orcid.org/0000-0002-5152-6614

visit author page

Yanjun Yan received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology (China), and the M.S. degree in Applied Statistics and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University. She is an assistant professor in engineering and technology at Western Carolina University. Her research interests are statistical signal processing, diagnostics, and particle swarm optimization.

visit author page

biography

Sudhir Kaul Western Carolina University orcid.org/0000-0003-4696-1571

visit author page

Dr. Kaul is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Western Carolina University. His research interests include Fracture Diagnostics, Structural Dynamics and Control, and Motorcycle Dynamics.

visit author page

biography

Paul M. Yanik Western Carolina University

visit author page

Dr. Paul Yanik is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology at Western Carolina University. His research interests include human-robot interactions, assistive devices, pattern recognition, machine learning, and engineering education.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

The current paper describes the structure, project initiatives, and early results of the NSF S-STEM funded SPIRIT: Scholarship Program Initiative via Recruitment, Innovation, and Transformation program at _______ ________ __________. SPIRIT is a scholarship program focused on building an interdisciplinary engineering learning community involved in extensive peer and faculty mentoring, vertically integrated Project Based Learning (PBL), and undergraduate research experiences. The program has provided 26 scholarships and academic resources to a diverse group of engineering and engineering technology students.

Results from several project initiatives have been promising. Recruitment efforts have provided for a demographically diverse group of participants whose retention rates within the program have held at 82%. A vibrant learning community has organically developed where participants are provided both academic and non-academic support across several majors and grade classes. Since May 2014, SPIRIT undergraduate research projects have resulted in forty-five presentations at seven different undergraduate and professional conferences. Twenty-seven PBL and five integrated open-ended design challenges have been completed involving several corporate sponsors and encompassing a wide-range of engineering topics.

Results from a ninety-question participant survey revealed several perceived program strengths and areas of needed improvement. Overall, the participants agreed or strongly agreed that the program had been a positive experience (4.0/4.0) and had helped them to prepare for a career in engineering (3.8/4.0). Undergraduate research activities conducted through the program have helped the participants to understand the steps involved in research processes (3.8/4.0), to appreciate the need for a combination of analysis and hands-on skills (4.0/4.0), and to become more tolerant of academic challenges and obstacles (3.8/4.0). The program’s learning community helped participants build relationships with other students outside of their major (3.1/4.0) as compared to normal course communities. Several participants believed that they were more comfortable with seeking advice from upper class students in the program (3.7/4.0) as compared to upper class students outside of the program (2.7/4.0). Vertically Integrated PBL activities helped participants understand project management techniques (3.8/4.0), teaming techniques (3.7/4.0), and to assume a leadership role on projects (3.6/4.0).

Indicated areas of program improvement included the desire and need for a system of peer-review for the students’ undergraduate research papers; a perceived hindrance to benefit from "journaling" about their program experiences (3.6/4.0); and a need for continued strengthening of activities associated with graduate school application processes as well as preparations for career entry. This paper presents details of the program initiatives, a compilation of survey results with necessary discussion, and areas of possible improvement going forward.

Citation
Format

Ferguson, C. W., & Yan, Y., & Kaul, S., & Yanik, P. M. (2018, June), Board 43: Scholarship Program Initiative via Recruitment, Innovation, and Transformation (SPIRIT): SSTEM Program Initiatives and Early Results Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30033

TY - CPAPER
AB - The current paper describes the structure, project initiatives, and early results of the NSF S-STEM funded SPIRIT: Scholarship Program Initiative via Recruitment, Innovation, and Transformation program at _______ ________ __________. SPIRIT is a scholarship program focused on building an interdisciplinary engineering learning community involved in extensive peer and faculty mentoring, vertically integrated Project Based Learning (PBL), and undergraduate research experiences. The program has provided 26 scholarships and academic resources to a diverse group of engineering and engineering technology students.

Results from several project initiatives have been promising. Recruitment efforts have provided for a demographically diverse group of participants whose retention rates within the program have held at 82%. A vibrant learning community has organically developed where participants are provided both academic and non-academic support across several majors and grade classes. Since May 2014, SPIRIT undergraduate research projects have resulted in forty-five presentations at seven different undergraduate and professional conferences. Twenty-seven PBL and five integrated open-ended design challenges have been completed involving several corporate sponsors and encompassing a wide-range of engineering topics.

Results from a ninety-question participant survey revealed several perceived program strengths and areas of needed improvement. Overall, the participants agreed or strongly agreed that the program had been a positive experience (4.0/4.0) and had helped them to prepare for a career in engineering (3.8/4.0). Undergraduate research activities conducted through the program have helped the participants to understand the steps involved in research processes (3.8/4.0), to appreciate the need for a combination of analysis and hands-on skills (4.0/4.0), and to become more tolerant of academic challenges and obstacles (3.8/4.0). The program’s learning community helped participants build relationships with other students outside of their major (3.1/4.0) as compared to normal course communities. Several participants believed that they were more comfortable with seeking advice from upper class students in the program (3.7/4.0) as compared to upper class students outside of the program (2.7/4.0). Vertically Integrated PBL activities helped participants understand project management techniques (3.8/4.0), teaming techniques (3.7/4.0), and to assume a leadership role on projects (3.6/4.0).

Indicated areas of program improvement included the desire and need for a system of peer-review for the students’ undergraduate research papers; a perceived hindrance to benefit from &quot;journaling&quot; about their program experiences (3.6/4.0); and a need for continued strengthening of activities associated with graduate school application processes as well as preparations for career entry. This paper presents details of the program initiatives, a compilation of survey results with necessary discussion, and areas of possible improvement going forward.
AU - Chip W. Ferguson
AU - Yanjun Yan
AU - Sudhir Kaul
AU - Paul M. Yanik
CY - Salt Lake City, Utah
DA - 2018/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 43: Scholarship Program Initiative via Recruitment, Innovation, and Transformation (SPIRIT): SSTEM Program Initiatives and Early Results
UR - https://peer.asee.org/30033
DO - 10.18260/1-2--30033
ER -