Document Type

Article - On Campus Only

Publication Date

2015

Abstract

First-year engineering students at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), a primarily liberal arts private undergraduate institution, can participate in service-learning projects through an engineering living-learning community. In addition, service-learning projects were recently offered at LMU for first-year engineering students not participating in this living-learning community. The impact of service-learning on students' engineering design self-efficacy and engineering learning outcomes were assessed. An instrument was adapted from a combination of previously validated instruments that measure engineering design self-efficacy and interventional impacts on technical and professional engineering learning outcomes. The instrument also includes a reflection component on personal development, social impact, academic enhancement, university mission, and ethics. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine differences between first-year engineering students who participated in service-learning projects during the fall semester of 2014 and those who did not. Students participating in service-learning projects showed significantly higher gains in confidence in both technical and professional engineering skills. Female students in particular showed the most dramatic gains, with an average increase of 81.6% in technical engineering confidence as a result of their service-learning course. The higher gains in confidence can be attributed to the students learning more about how to identify and understand stakeholder needs and design requirements.

Original Publication Citation

Siniawski, M. & Luca, S.G. & Pal, Jeremy & Saez, J.A.. (2015). Impacts of service-learning projects on the technical and professional engineering confidence of first year engineering students. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings. 122.

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