E-CUE AY 2002-03 Theme: Engineering and the First Year
As an important priority in its first year, E-CUE members
proposed a study of how to improve the connections between
first year general education and upper-level engineering
study. As a means of examining the issue, E-CUE, in conjunction
with the SoE Office
of Education Innovation and Assessment,
completed three related studies.
The Engineering and the GIRs Pilot
Survey
The Engineering Enrollment Study
The Freshmen Engineering Design
Study
Based on the results of its studies, E-CUE
recommended 4 strategies for improving the connection
between engineering and the first year. These recommendations
were presented to the Presidential Task Force on
the MIT Educational Commons in June 2004:
- Improve connection of GIR math and science
subjects to engineering study through identification
of key GIR content and abilities used in upper
level engineering subjects. Identification of such
material can be accomplished by a joint School of Science / School of Engineering group,
by engineering faculty survey.
- Create engineering core subject(s) for
freshmen that introduce freshmen to key engineering
concepts and abilities.
- Create freshman subjects that develop
interest in engineering as a profession.
- Improve connections between Humanities
and Social Science (HASS) subjects so that student
ability to understand the implications of engineering
solutions in society is enhanced.
In 2003, E-CUE members developed two pilot projects
that embodied its recommendations.
The new subject, Introduction
to Science and Engineering Problem Solving (doc),
funded by the d’Arbeloff Fund, will improve
freshmen’s problem solving, teamwork, and design
abilities. This new subject will be taught for the
first time in Fall 2004.
The new subject, Introduction
to Engineering Systems Design and Analysis (doc),
funded by the SoE Curriculum Innovation Grants program,
will improve freshmen’s ability to analyze large
scale engineering system failures from multi-disciplinary
perspectives (organization, economics, engineering,
socio-political). This new subject was piloted in the
Spring 2004.
In 2004, once the results of the GIR Survey of engineering
faculty is complete, E-CUE plans to present these results
to the Presidential Task Force on the MIT Educational
Commons. E-CUE also plans to continue its development
of pilot subjects that illustrate engineering core subject
models for freshmen.
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AY 2002-03 E-CUE STUDIES
Engineering and the
GIRs Pilot Survey (doc) was developed using
E-CUE member input. It will be formally distributed
to engineering faculty in Fall 2004 so that feedback
on the connection between General Institute Requirement
(GIR) subjects and engineering study could be gathered.
This data will be presented to the Presidential Task
Force on the MIT Educational Commons in late 2004.
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Engineering Enrollment
Study (ppt)
examined undergraduate engineering enrollment trends
and how freshmen consider choice of major. The enrollment
study reviews trends in MIT and other engineering school
enrollment for the period 1995-2002 by degree field.
The study also contains student interview data on contemporary
factors determining choice of major.
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Freshman Engineering
Design Study (doc)
examined the impact of the first year curriculum on student
abilities and motivation related to engineering design
work. Abilities include problem solving, mechanical building,
use of abstract technical concepts in design, team work,
and Web search. Students were grouped by those who took
part in 2 specific freshman engineering design subjects
(experimental group completed SP753 and 16.00) and those
who did not (control group). The study, presented at
the ASEE 2003 Annual Conference, found that students
who completed design subjects improved problem solving,
mechanical building and use of abstract technical concepts
in design abilities compared to the control group. The
study was expanded in late 2003 to include other freshman
design subjects as well (2.000, 1.012) with similar results.
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Summary of other MIT reports reviewed by E-CUE
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