Introduction
In collaboration with KEEN, a network of thousands of engineering faculty working to unleash undergraduate engineers so that they can create personal, economic, and societal value through the entrepreneurial mindset, a large mid-western university added multiple entrepreneurial minded learning (EML) elements to an existing first-year course. This paper represents the assessment findings from the spring 2019 implementation of the new curriculum.
Methods
We used a mixed methods quasi-experimental investigation to assess student learning and EML competencies. Students self-selected enrollment (72 capacity) in either one of 8 sections of the Integrated Transportation System (ITS) course or one of 8 sections of the Advanced Energy Vehicle (AEV) course (control group). The ITS sections were the EML integrated curricula while the AEV sections were the traditional sections. Quantitative data included pre- and post-collection of Kashdans’ Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale, which measures students’ curiosity in the following areas: joyous exploration, deprivation sensitivity, stress tolerance, social curiosity, and thrill seeking [4]. Assessment of EML skillset related to creating value and creating connections, defined as the ability to integrate information from many sources to gain insight, were measured using students’ grades for project assignments. Technical learning was assessed using four common engineering graphics exams and one lab proficiency quiz.
Results
With IRB approval, we conducted the consent process with 1,072 students in 16 sections (8 AEV and 8 ITS). We received and documented consent for participation in the assessment study from 857 students.
Of these 857 students, a total of 767 students participated in the pre-data collection and 634 participated in the post-data collection. For the AEV group, the average score for stress tolerance decreased from 4.51 in the pre-survey to 4.35 in the post-survey (p
Dr. Deborah Grzybowski is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Engineering Education and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Ohio State University. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and her B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University. Her research focuses on making engineering accessible to all students through the use of art-infused curriculum and integration of entrepreneurial minded learning (EML).
Xiaofeng Tang is Associate Professor in the Institute of Education at Tsinghua University. Prior to his current position, Dr. Tang worked as an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University. He did postdoctoral research in engineering ethics at Penn State University. He received his Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Alexia Leonard is a second year PhD student in the Engineering Education program at The Ohio State University. She is currently working as a Graduate Teaching Associate for the First Year Engineering program within the Department of Engineering Education.
Kai Zhao is a research faculty at the Center for Postsecondary Success within Florida State University. He received Ph.D. degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the Ohio State University. His research His research interests broadly focus on two areas: (1) higher education policy, particularly policies related to college access and success; and (2) internatinalization of higher education, with an emphasis on the global mobility of students and scholars.
Are you a researcher? Would you like to cite this paper? Visit the ASEE document repository at peer.asee.org for more tools and easy citations.
