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This research project is an attempt to analyze the effects of the the CEEO developed Student Teacher Outreach Mentorship Program (STOMP) on engineering undergraduate participants. Combined with data from STOMP and STOMP-like programs across the country, the goal is to determine how a leaning-by-teaching experience impacts the participants understandings of engineering; specifically engineering design.
Adam Carberry
Purpose:
The goal of this project is to analyze the learning effects directly resultant from an educational outreach experience. Much has been said of how beneficial a expert volunteers going into the classroom are for both students and teachers alike, but what exactly are the experts gaining?. This study will investigate whether or not such an experience is beneficial for the volunteer by looking at their overall change in understanding of engineering design concepts, views of the nature of engineering, and self-efficacy toward engineering design before and after their experience.
Methodology:
Tool Development
- develop tools to assess understanding of engineering design, views of the nature of engineering and self-efficacy toward engineering design
- validate each tool using construct validity
- determine each tools reliability using Cronbach's Alpha
Pre-Analysis
- assess participant understanding of engineering design, views of the nature of engineering, and self-efficacy toward engineering design using the developed tools
Intervention
- allow for each participant to endure a semester of engineering educational outreach (STOMP or other STOMP-like experience)
- each participant should prepare, present, and reflect upon their teaching experience
Post-Analysis
- assess participant understanding of engineering design to determine whether a deeper understanding has been achieved
- assess participant views of the nature of engineering to determine whether a more realistic understanding of what engineering and engineers are has been realized
- assess participant self-efficacy toward engineering design to determine if through a teaching experience participants gain a greater confidence about their engineering design ability
- triangulate the data
Results:
Tools have been developed for each construct and are currently being tested and validated. Reliability is also being determined. Data collection should resume in the Fall of 2008.
Related Literature/Presentations:
Bandura, A. (1986). The social foundation of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Bargh, J. & Schul, Y. (1980). On the cognitive benefits of teaching. Journal of Educational Psychology, 72, 593-604.
Karatas, F. & Bodner, G. (2006). Freshmen Undergraduate Students' Views of Nature of Engineering. Presented at the 19th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, West Lafayette, IN.
Pilot Study
A current pilot study related to the above research has been conducted with pending results. The context of the pilot study was to look at the effects of a one time engineering teaching experience on non-engineers. Results are forthcoming.
Links: Student Teacher Outreach Mentorship Program (STOMP)
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Research