Finding
Often built from classroom embedded research, a student will take on a more detailed look at a question over (usually) a semester-long research project.
Paper
Incorporating Research and Design in a Community College Engineering Program
Abstract
Traditional engineering undergraduate research and design is typically seen in four-year institutions, restricted to juniorand senior-level students. In large institutions, freshmanand sophomore-level students are generally seen to be ill-equipped to take on complex projects, particularly while muddling through the basics of calculus, physics, and electronics. Our institution, McLennan Community College, through a partnership with the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), has been challenging that assumption. Students are being introduced to research and design methods in the very first semester and immediately take on projects that are challenging, and most importantly, relevant to the students themselves. The preliminary results are encouraging and indicate that an early focus on research can positively impact a students’ academic and professional prospects. The Importance of Undergraduate Research for Freshmanand Sophomore-Level Engineering Students The advantages of undergraduate research have been well-documented. Some of the most consistently-found benefits include increased retention rates and a higher likelihood of pursuing graduate education 1,4,6 . Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering (STEM) fields seem to specifically benefit from engaging their students in research and inquiry-based projects, since it has been shown that they increase students’ likelihood to persist in these fields 5 . For many students, getting involved with undergraduate research is a life-changing experience, one that allows them to get excited about science and thus, clarify their career paths 7 . Most studies, however, have focused on the value of undergraduate research in general, or specifically in reference to programs targeting juniorand senior-level students. This is not all that surprising, since not too long ago research was mostly reserved for graduate students. The fact that many studies have come out in last decade listing the benefits of undergraduate research has driven a paradigm shift which has had notable positive results. However, since research projects are considered an experience ideal for the culmination of a learning experience, or the final application of gained knowledge, some may not consider research for firstand second-year students useful or worthwhile. Recent studies have shown, however, that there is no compelling reason to limit access to research experience to upperclassmen alone. Freshman and sophomore students who have not yet acquired the key engineering, science, and math skills considered necessary can still participate and gain a lot from engaging in research. Actually, according to Bahr & Norton (2006), the earlier a student participates in research, the more likely it is that their involvement helps retention and graduation rates in engineering and STEM fields. Interestingly, they also noted that all students benefit from research experiences, not just students with high GPAs. Therefore, it seems appropriate to start students on the research path early on. Challenges of Undergraduate Research at a Two-Year College P ge 26942.2 Incorporating undergraduate research at the community college level presents unique challenges. A two-year college will usually not have a built-in structure for supporting undergraduate research. Particularly in engineering, where expensive laboratories or equipment may be necessary, cost itself can be very prohibitive. The college may not have lab space to dedicate to research, or even have a large enough space to provide for adequate testing of prototypes. Another serious impediment to conducting research can be the lack of an Institutional Review Board (IRB), whose involvement is fundamentally required for any research involving human subjects. The philosophy of two-year colleges, with its focus on teaching, may also pose its own challenges to the inclusion of research in the curriculum. Talented individuals are often drawn specifically to the community college due to their passion for instruction, as opposed to a drive to produce research. Some faculty members may not have had exposure to research, as not all will hold doctoral degrees and some may have non-thesis master’s degrees. This lack of background in formal research may make the idea of incorporating research in the undergraduate classroom considerably more intimidating. Also, faculty members are usually teaching 5-7 classes per semester (as opposed to the 2-3 a year by their four-year counterparts). It can be particularly daunting to add research students on top of this teaching load. The college will often not have the resources to fund an expensive laboratory or even provide an appropriately-size space for large-scale testing. In addition, in an environment where the emphasis is on instruction, taking on research students in addition to a heavy teaching load can be quite daunting to faculty. Another threat to research at a community college is the push for courses to be transferrable. Most four-year engineering schools have not institutionalized undergraduate research at all, let alone research at the freshman and sophomore level, so any class in research methods or research experience is highly unlikely to transfer. As the demand for guaranteed transferability increases, faculty wishing to expose their students to research and design must find non-traditional ways to provide those opportunities. For those offering full-semester research-based courses, students must be sold on the idea of the experience has having intrinsic value, since it is unlikely to transfer. Broadening the Scope of Research None of these challenges are easily addressed in the traditional model. To overcome these challenges, we must rethink the purpose of research at an undergraduate institution. Rather than focusing on research that is novel to the field, the focus instead should be on research that is novel to the student. This is a fundamental paradigm shift. In a model focused on research novel to the field, the faculty member leads research in a particular area, and the student will assist with that research, sometimes receiving a stipend to serve as a research assistant. In a flipped student-driven model, the student approaches the faculty member with a research idea, and the faculty member will assist with that research, occasionally receiving a stipend from the college to serve as a research facilitator. P ge 26942.3 For example, rather than a student assisting a faculty researcher in analyzing blackbody radiation data (passive role), the faculty member assists the student in designing a radio telescope from the ground up and analyzing the data collected by that student’s own instrument (active role). This unique perspective opens up an entirely new field of options. First, there is no longer a need for faculty members to focus on research. Serving as a research facilitator rather than driving the research itself allows the faculty member to focus on helping the student find resources rather than directing the actual work done. The faculty need not be a subject matter expert in the field; rather, the student is the subject matter expert. Since research need not be novel to the field, students can scale research to their own abilities. A student with an extensive background in welding can choose a research project that requires those skills. An experienced programmer can choose a design project that requires them to learn complex data structures. Also of importance is that this model reduces the required financial backing. Engineering projects become more of the tinkering that was more common fifty years ago. Without access to a CNC machine or experienced technician to build to their specifications, students must be resourceful and find other ways to solve a problem. Rather than the lack of financial resources limiting the research, it actually becomes part of the learning process as students become more resourceful. Implementing Student-Driven Research In the engineering classroom, research is most accessible at the level of design. It is easy for students to recognize the immediate benefits of design experience to their career goals. There are three ways that we have introduced research and design into the classrooms at our institution: embedded research, independent research, and travel-study courses. Classroom embedded research is usually the student’s first exposure to undergraduate research. Rather than cookbook labs (“Measure 3 g of sodium, stir briskly”) or projects (“Create a program to analyze thermocouple data”), where appropriate, labs and projects are refocused to allow students to explore the material in a way that becomes relevant to them. Independent research on the surface appears to follow more of the traditional model, with the important exception that the research itself is student-driven. Often built from classroom embedded research, a student will take on a more detailed look at a question over (usually) a semester-long research project. The project will culminate with a 30-minute presentation to an appropriate classroom audience as well as a poster presentation. By requiring students to present results in both a presentation and poster format, they are getting experience with those skills that will likely be most relevant to their immediate prospects. Travel-study courses are one step beyond the independent research. In this option, students not only complete independent research, but do so with a travel component. At McLennan there are two options for travel-based engineering research, with travel to Australia/New Zealand and a humans-to-Mars simulation habitat. An additional opportunity for work in the American Southwest is in development. P ge 26942.4 Examples of Embedded Research Certain classes lend themselves more easily to embedded research than others. Our experience has shown that classes that already had labs or projects work better to embed research and design experience than th
Authors
April K. Andreas, P. Sidwell
Journal
Journal name not available for this finding