The Effects of Length of Participation on Student Mental Health, Professional Identity, and Perceptions of Inclusion in Project-Based Engineering Programs

Lin Chase; Rob Sleezer

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) Technical Session 6
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48094

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Paper Authors

biography

Lin Chase Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Lin Chase is an experienced executive with an extensive track record in the successful application of artificial intelligence technologies in complex business environments. She has spent thirty years developing emerging software and telecommunications technologies in the commercial world.

Lin earned a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. She was then awarded the NATO/NSF postdoctoral fellowship which she took to CNRS in Paris. Afterwards she served in a series of international leadership roles with speech technology companies including SpeechWorks International (Director of European Operations), Rhetorical Systems (VP Marketing and Partnerships, and NeoSpeech (CEO). She then joined Accenture as a Senior Executive (Partner), where she founded both the firm’s R&D organization in India and a joint venture with Cisco in the data center space. Since 2010, Lin has been running the Silicon Valley based technology consulting firm Big Tech Strategy and Woo Factor Music, a production music studio.

In 2021 Lin joined Minnesota State University, Mankato as director of their new entirely project-based undergraduate program in computer science.

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Rob Sleezer Minnesota State University, Mankato orcid.org/0000-0003-0753-2707

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Rob Sleezer earned his Ph.D. in Microelectronics-Photonics from the University of Arkansas. He attended Oklahoma State University where he graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S. and B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He is currently a faculty in the Twin Cities Engineering program of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

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Abstract

Background: This research paper extends previously reported results in which we demonstrated that students in project-based engineering programs report less self-reported stress and depression, stronger personal vision of an engineering career, more positive perceptions of department caring and diversity, and greater pride in their department than those the student population in Jensen and Cross’s study of engineering stress culture. No statistically different differences were found for reported anxiety or engineering identity in that work.

Purpose: We examine how these reported measures of engineering stress culture change over time as students participate in entirely project-based engineering and computer science programs. We seek to establish a baseline of measured changes in mental health (stress, anxiety, and depression), professional identity, and inclusion for students in project-based contexts as they progress through from program entry to graduation.

Design/Method: Our continued study uses the validated instrument developed by Jensen and Cross to gather data from the perspective of students pursuing engineering and computer science degrees in entirely project-based learning environments. We compare reported mental health, professional identity, and inclusion measures between students at different stages in their programs.

Results: Students who are new to project-based programs report less stress, less depression, a greater expectation of a career in engineering, and more positive reported feelings of department caring, pride, and diversity than the students studied by Jensen and Cross. After completing one project semester, however, their stress, anxiety, and depression levels become similar to the reference population even though their reported feelings of engineering career orientation and department inclusion remain significantly more positive.

Conclusions: Our results indicate the need for the important future work of determining the nature of the stress that students experience as they progress through our project-based programs, considering their much higher levels of engineering career orientation and feelings of inclusion. This may have important implications for further research into how the structure of project-based learning programs influence student learning and growth.

Citation
Format

Chase, L., & Sleezer, R. (2024, June), The Effects of Length of Participation on Student Mental Health, Professional Identity, and Perceptions of Inclusion in Project-Based Engineering Programs Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48094

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Background: This research paper extends previously reported results in which we demonstrated that students in project-based engineering programs report less self-reported stress and depression, stronger personal vision of an engineering career, more positive perceptions of department caring and diversity, and greater pride in their department than those the student population in Jensen and Cross’s study of engineering stress culture. No statistically different differences were found for reported anxiety or engineering identity in that work.

Purpose: We examine how these reported measures of engineering stress culture change over time as students participate in entirely project-based engineering and computer science programs. We seek to establish a baseline of measured changes in mental health (stress, anxiety, and depression), professional identity, and inclusion for students in project-based contexts as they progress through from program entry to graduation.

Design/Method: Our continued study uses the validated instrument developed by Jensen and Cross to gather data from the perspective of students pursuing engineering and computer science degrees in entirely project-based learning environments. We compare reported mental health, professional identity, and inclusion measures between students at different stages in their programs.

Results: Students who are new to project-based programs report less stress, less depression, a greater expectation of a career in engineering, and more positive reported feelings of department caring, pride, and diversity than the students studied by Jensen and Cross. After completing one project semester, however, their stress, anxiety, and depression levels become similar to the reference population even though their reported feelings of engineering career orientation and department inclusion remain significantly more positive.

Conclusions: Our results indicate the need for the important future work of determining the nature of the stress that students experience as they progress through our project-based programs, considering their much higher levels of engineering career orientation and feelings of inclusion. This may have important implications for further research into how the structure of project-based learning programs influence student learning and growth.
AU  - Lin Chase
AU  - Rob Sleezer
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Effects of Length of Participation on Student Mental Health, Professional Identity, and Perceptions of Inclusion in Project-Based Engineering Programs
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/48094
ER  -