CAEE Research Briefs: Examining Student Learning and Skill Development

The following summaries of CAEE research findings on Learning and Skill Development include topics such as: learning engineering and building confidence in skills and knowledge conceptual difficulties coursework demands and challenges student decision-making

A Qualitative Study of the Early Work Experiences of Recent Graduates in Engineering. (ASEE 2008)
The social and organizationsl contexts within which newly hired engineers worked influenced the problems and processes they experienced--often introducing greater complexity, ambiguity, and subjectivity than expected. Read the brief >

Moving From Pipeline Thinking to Understanding Pathways: Findings from the Academic Pathways Study of Engineering Undergraduates. (ASEE 2008)
Overall, the preliminary APS findings indicate a large variation in student pathways and institutional influences. Read the brief >

Will I Succeed in Engineering? Using Expectancy-value Theory in a Longitudinal Investigation of Students' Beliefs. (ASEE 2008)
The data demonstrate that students who lack confidence in skills they perceive to be important to successful engineers can still have a positive expectancy of success in engineering. Read the brief >

Competition, Confidence, and Challenges in the Engineering Classroom: American and International Students Speak Out. (ASEE 2007)
International engineering students exhibited a higher level of confidence in the areas of mathematics, science, and in themselves than American students at one university. Read the brief >

Creative, Contextual, and Engaged: Are Women the Engineers of 2020? (ASEE 2007)
Women in this study defined engineering, approached engineering problems, and engaged in their overall engineering education more broadly than men. Read the brief >

Breadth in Design Problem Scoping: Using Insights From Experts to Investigate Student Processes. (ASEE 2007)
By describing both novice and expert approaches to engineering design, researchers are contributing to the formulation of more specific design learning outcomes that may be addressed in curriculum design and program planning. Read the brief >

Considering Context: A Study of First-Year Engineering Students. (ICREE 2007)
During problem scoping of two design tasks, women's responses were more likely to be context-oriented than men's. Read the brief >

Identifying and Investigating Difficult Concepts in Engineering Mechanics and Electric Circuits. (ASEE 2006)
Interviewees used language suggesting they viewed fundamental concepts like “force” and “voltage” as substances when in fact they are processes or interactions. Read the brief >

What Brings Women to the Table? Female and Male Students' Perceptions of Ways of Thinking in Engineering Study and Practice. (FIE 2006)
Academic Pathways Study results suggest that regardless of gender, students view math, science, and other technical abilities as foundational in engineering. The findings also provide a complex picture of gender differences in the experiences and ways of thinking that beginning undergraduates associate with engineering. Read the brief >

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	This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. ESI-0227558. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).