Why on earth do I have to take a class in [fill-in-the-blank]?

Stephany Coffman-Wolph, Kimberlyn Gray, Marcia Pool, John T. Hird, Aida Jimenez

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

Anyone who has interacted with first-year students (or their parents) was asked the dreaded question – “Why do I have to take _____?” or heard “I do not see how this will help me become a __(fill in the blank)__ engineer”. For first-year engineering students, their Introduction to Engineering course supports making these connections. However, high school students, community college students, and pre-engineering university students (those who are required to take foundational courses before being admitted to an engineering program) may not have access to someone who is able to clearly articulate how applications of early science and math courses connect to engineering careers. For many students interested in pursuing engineering, the “why” of the course is important. When students fail to see the connection between the material they are learning and their career interest, they may lack motivation to learn the material, thus hindering their performance in future engineering curriculums, or they may choose not to pursue engineering altogether, thus contributing to the “leaky pipeline” in STEM. Therefore, it is essential to support students understanding of the connection between foundational coursework (basic math, science, and biology) and future engineering careers. We have developed examples that instructors may use to show students the connection and hopefully retain their interest in pursuing engineering.

Original languageEnglish (US)
StatePublished - 2023
Event14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference, FYEE 2023 - Knoxville, United States
Duration: Jul 30 2023Aug 1 2023

Conference

Conference14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference, FYEE 2023
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityKnoxville
Period7/30/238/1/23

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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