The Value of Co-curricular Experiences: Perspectives of Third-year Biomedical Engineering Students

Cassandra Sue Ellen Jamison; Aileen Huang-Saad; Shanna R. Daly; Lisa R. Lattuca

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Biomedical Engineers and Professional Development - June 23rd
Tagged Division: Biomedical Engineering
Page Count: 18
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--35381
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/35381
Download Count: 588

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Cassandra Sue Ellen Jamison University of Michigan orcid.org/0000-0002-0253-1636

visit author page

Cassandra (Cassie) Woodcock is a doctoral student at the University of Michigan. She is pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering with an Emphasis in Engineering Education. Her research interests involve interdisciplinary engineering programs and the professional, personal, and academic outcomes of students engaged in these programs. She is also involved in student outcomes research focused in graduate student beliefs on learning and teaching. Cassie received a B.A. in Engineering Sciences at Wartburg College (Waverly, IA).

visit author page

biography

Aileen Huang-Saad University of Michigan

visit author page

Aileen is faculty in Engineering Education and Biomedical Engineering. Previously, Aileen was the Associate Director for Academics in the Center for Entrepreneurship and was responsible for building the Program in Entrepreneurship for UM undergraduates, co-developing the masters level entrepreneurship program, and launching the biomedical engineering graduate design program. Aileen has received a number of awards for her teaching, including the Thomas M. Sawyer, Jr. Teaching Award, the UM ASEE Outstanding Professor Award and the Teaching with Sakai Innovation Award. Prior to joining the University of Michigan faculty, she worked in the private sector gaining experience in biotech, defense, and medical device testing at large companies and start-ups. Aileen’s current research areas include entrepreneurship engineering education, impact and engaged learning. Aileen has a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctorate of Philosophy from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Aileen is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Sigma Gamma.

visit author page

biography

Shanna R. Daly University of Michigan orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-2973

visit author page

Shanna Daly is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. She has a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton (2003) and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University (2008). Her research focuses on strategies for design innovations through divergent and convergent thinking as well as through deep needs and community assessments using design ethnography, and translating those strategies to design tools and education. She teaches design and entrepreneurship courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, focusing on front-end design processes.

visit author page

biography

Lisa R. Lattuca University of Michigan

visit author page

Lisa Lattuca is Professor of Higher Education, a member of the Core Faculty in the Engineering Education Research Program, and holds a courtesy appointment in Integrative Systems and Design at the University of Michigan. She studies curriculum, teaching, and learning in postsecondary settings, most often in engineering and interdisciplinary undergraduate programs. She is particularly interested in how faculty attitudes, beliefs, and cultures influence their curricular and instructional practices and how these in turn affect students' learning.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Many studies have examined student engagement in university settings as a predictor for learning and development, finding that generally, higher engagement is linked to gains in professional outcomes and persistence. Engineering student engagement research has been performed on co-curricular experiences and has led to an increased emphasis from institutions on students’ participation in those experiences. Similarly, BME students regularly engage in co-curriculars to supplement their experience in the formal curriculum because of concerns about their professional marketability when they graduate. To help students make an informed co-curricular engagement choice, it is important to understand not only what professional outcomes students gain from their co-curriculars as has been previously studied, but also what about the co-curricular is valuable to their initial engagement and continued participation. This study employs a qualitative study design and the four dimensions of subjective task value described in Eccles’ expectancy value theory of motivation to explore BME students’ engagement in co-curricular experiences. The goal of the study was to better understand why students participate in co-curricular experiences beyond the findings of previous studies which focus on the technical and professional outcomes of participation as well as more deeply explore the way students relate their participation to their preparation for future careers. The results of the study indicated that BME students are largely motivated to participate in co-curricular experiences for their utility value in leading to a career in BME, which is consistent with outcomes-focused prior studies. Beyond that, students discussed the ability to connect how they see themselves as a biomedical engineer and a general interest in the work and non-career related opportunities available to them through their co-curriculars. While the discussion of cost was minimal in our study, time was also a factor for students’ decision to participate in co-curriculars. These additional findings indicate that students can also be motivated to participate in co-curriculars through other means than just the outcomes studied in prior co-curricular literature.

Citation
Format

Jamison, C. S. E., & Huang-Saad, A., & Daly, S. R., & Lattuca, L. R. (2020, June), The Value of Co-curricular Experiences: Perspectives of Third-year Biomedical Engineering Students Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35381

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Many studies have examined student engagement in university settings as a predictor for learning and development, finding that generally, higher engagement is linked to gains in professional outcomes and persistence. Engineering student engagement research has been performed on co-curricular experiences and has led to an increased emphasis from institutions on students’ participation in those experiences. Similarly, BME students regularly engage in co-curriculars to supplement their experience in the formal curriculum because of concerns about their professional marketability when they graduate. To help students make an informed co-curricular engagement choice, it is important to understand not only what professional outcomes students gain from their co-curriculars as has been previously studied, but also what about the co-curricular is valuable to their initial engagement and continued participation. This study employs a qualitative study design and the four dimensions of subjective task value described in Eccles’ expectancy value theory of motivation to explore BME students’ engagement in co-curricular experiences. The goal of the study was to better understand why students participate in co-curricular experiences beyond the findings of previous studies which focus on the technical and professional outcomes of participation as well as more deeply explore the way students relate their participation to their preparation for future careers. 
The results of the study indicated that BME students are largely motivated to participate in co-curricular experiences for their utility value in leading to a career in BME, which is consistent with outcomes-focused prior studies. Beyond that, students discussed the ability to connect how they see themselves as a biomedical engineer and a general interest in the work and non-career related opportunities available to them through their co-curriculars. While the discussion of cost was minimal in our study, time was also a factor for students’ decision to participate in co-curriculars. These additional findings indicate that students can also be motivated to participate in co-curriculars through other means than just the outcomes studied in prior co-curricular literature.
AU  - Cassandra Sue Ellen Jamison
AU  - Aileen Huang-Saad
AU  - Shanna R. Daly
AU  - Lisa R. Lattuca
CY  - Virtual On line 
DA  - 2020/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Value of Co-curricular Experiences: Perspectives of Third-year Biomedical Engineering Students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/35381
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--35381
ER  -