A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Youth Research Fellows Training Pilot Program

Goodman, Melody S.; Yassin, Sallie M.; Kashyap, Marisha; Thompson, Vetta L. Sanders

doi:10.4135/9781529715361

Cited by 1 publication

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“…Multiple research efforts have studied the causes of racial and gender disparities across undergraduate STEM disciplines. Underrepresentation of minoritized groups has been attributed to several causes, including: a gap in high school math and science performance or access to advanced placement courses, particularly among non-whites [3]; low self-efficacy and self-confidence, particularly in women [4]; and a STEM culture and climate within programs and classrooms that rouse feelings of isolation and non-belonging in undergraduates with minoritized identities [5]. This paper describes an approach to increase the diversity of students who major in engineering at USAFA.…”

Section: Introduction and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Work in Progress: Developing a Foundational Engineering Course to Improve Students’ Sense of Belonging and Increase Diversity

Frank,

DePorres,

Sloan

2023 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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This work in progress paper addresses the national imperative to promote involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields across all ethnicities, races, genders, and economic backgrounds. The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) developed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan in 2021, which includes an objective to increase the participation of students from diverse backgrounds in engineering majors. Additionally, the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology recently made a commitment to diversity and is considering changes to curriculum criteria which would require engineering programs to demonstrate a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion [1]. In alignment with USAFA's strategic plan and the anticipated accreditation criteria, the authors are developing a new foundational engineering course as one element of an institution-wide effort to improve students' sense of belonging, make engineering majors more accessible to a wider audience, and ultimately increase diversity among engineering graduates.In addition to exploring best practices from literature and other institutions, this paper describes how the authors conducted surveys and interviews from students that took a summer civil engineering field course, extracted lessons learned, and developed course content for the new foundational engineering course informed by the key findings. The interviews revealed student perceptions of how activities and interactions with instructors and peers affected their selfconfidence, skill development, and sense of belonging. The first-year course under development is centered on two features: 1) a problem-based learning approach to spark interest and develop the technical skills necessary for students to be successful in an engineering major, and 2) challenging stereotypes of what types of people do engineering while stimulating a sense of belonging in engineering from students of all backgrounds.

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Section: Introduction and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%