The effect of context on student engagement in engineering |
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| Authors: | Eann A Patterson Patricia B Campbell Ilene Busch-Vishniac Darrell W Guillaume |
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| Institution: | 1. Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Michigan State University , 2555 Engineering Bldg., East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA;2. Campbell-Kibler Associates , 80 Lakeside Drive, Groton, MA, 01450, USA;3. Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) , McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada;4. Department of Mechanical Engineering , California State University Los Angeles , 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA |
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| Abstract: | The self-belief, motivation, tendency to procrastinate and learning styles of engineering students are discussed. It is proposed that engineering has developed an idiom and a learning approach that favours the dominant client, i.e. men, while simultaneously undermining the self-efficacy and motivation of women. Thematic coherence and teaching within a context that is familiar to students have been shown previously to be effective approaches for engaging students and are extended here to utilise the common experiences of all students to initiate the learning cycle. These approaches are combined with a template for teaching that uses the 5Es (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate) in order to render the fundamentals of engineering more accessible to all students. This methodology can be introduced by individual instructors, who will be rewarded by students who are more engaged, more motivated and more likely to give a higher rating to the instructor and the course. |
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| Keywords: | learning style gender diversity student success recruitment retentions everyday examples |
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