Teamwork in First-Year Engineering Projects Courses: Does Training Students in Team Dynamics Improve Course Outcomes and Student Experiences?

Abstract

Boulder's College of Engineering and Applied Science. A former high school and middle school science and math teacher, she has advanced degrees in teaching secondary science from the Johns Hopkins University and in civil engineering from CU-Boulder. She is also a First-Year Engineering Projects Instructor, Faculty Advisor for SWE, and on the development team for the TeachEngineering digital library. Her primary research interests are on student identity, recruitment, and retention in K-12 and undergraduate engineering. Ms. Janet L Yowell, University of Colorado Boulder Janet serves as the Associate Director of K-12 Engineering Education for the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. Involved since 2000, she collaborates on the College's ambitious K-12 engineering initiatives, including their capacity-building and school partnership programs. She coordinates the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program's NSF-funded TEAMS Program (Tomorrow's Engineers.. . creAte. iMagine. Succeed.) which engages more than 2,200 K-12 students in engineering throughout the academic year and summer months. She is also a contributing curriculum writer and editor for the TeachEngineering digital library, also an NSF-funded project. Janet holds a BA in Communication from CU-Boulder and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Information and Learning Technology at CU-Denver.