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Description
Makers are those who enjoy creating things and learning new skills, as well as interacting within a connected community (Doughtery, 2012). Through the analysis of Makers as part of a larger study (Jordan & Lande, 2013) a researcher had noticed the emergence of leadership traits within the Maker community (Oplinger, Jordan, and Lande, 2015). The National Academy of Engineering has determined that leadership is a key quality for the engineer of the future (Clough, 2004). The Engineering Accreditation Commission has determined several necessary outcomes for engineering students that coincide with leadership roles (Engineering Accreditation Commission, 2012). Proactiveness, confidence, motivation, communication, coaching will be important skills for engineers so that they can effectively lead teams, adjust to change, and synthesize (Ahn, Cox, London, Cekic, and Zhu, 2014). In National Academy of Engineering's The Engineer of 2020 (Clough, 2004) future engineers are expected to be in position to influence "in the making of public policy and in the administration of government and industry." The Maker community offers a broad spectrum of individuals engaged in informal engineering and tinkering activities across multiple pathways (Foster, Wigner, Lande, and Jordan, 2015). This study explores leadership using a theoretical framework of competing values (Quinn, 1988) (Zafft, Adams, and Matkin, 2009) including relating to people, managing processes, leading change, and producing results. The study relies upon artifact elicitation (based on photo elicitation (Harper, 2002)) with 40 of these Makers at four Maker Faires in the United States. The artifact elicitation interviews were conducted at the Maker Faires in front of participants' inventions, where the Makers were asked to describe the invention and the process behind it. Using a theoretical framework of competing values (Quinn, 1988) (Quinn, Faerman, Thompson, and McGrath, 1990) and through parallel inductive-deductive analysis, the emergent themes among our sample of Makers include that they express leadership qualities of (1) innovators \u2014 they utilize different skillsets to develop unique products and solutions; (2) monitors \u2014 they evaluate projects and respond to results; (3) directors \u2014 they set goals and expectations of their projects and processes; and (4) producers \u2014 they are determined and possess a personal drive. From the findings a call to action is made on implementing leadership lessons in the engineering classroom.
ContributorsOplinger, James Logan (Author) / Lande, Micah (Thesis director) / Jordan, Shawn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
A concept found that students struggle with in statics and dynamics is free body diagrams. To capture the difficulties students have with this concept, faculty interviews were conducted to determine common errors seen in a classroom setting. The feedback was used to pull questions from a statics concept inventory focused on free body diagrams. Students who have passed statics and dynamics courses in their engineering degree were asked to participate in talk alouds to confirm the faculty input. The talk alouds provided first hand observations of the student thought process when they perform common errors in creating free body diagrams. The results highlighted that students commonly add forces that are not there or fail to only depict the external forces acting on the system in question. A professor describes the occurrence when students insist on adding forces that are not there as phantom forces. To remedy the idea of phantom forces, an intervention was proposed to be implemented into the classroom.
ContributorsTwet, Samantha Ann (Author) / Brunhaver, Samantha (Thesis director) / Lande, Micah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Adaptive expertise is a model of learning that posits two dimensions of development: efficiency and innovation. The mindset of an adaptive expert will serve any engineer by drawing upon diverse experiences to develop novel solutions to problems. Their mindset is based in lifelong learning, characterized by applying past experience to current design challenges. Solution design requires a process, and a breadth of experience is among the adaptive expert's greatest tools in identifying the approach to take in an unfamiliar situation. The fluidity and agility of their mind allows them to work effectively throughout their career in technical design, as the situation of an engineer's design work can vary drastically over the course of time. This paper describes a study on an innovative junior-level electrical and robotic systems project course taught at a large southwestern university that encourages students to develop adaptive expertise in the context of real-world design projects. By fabricating prototypes, students learn strategies for troubleshooting and technical design, and iterations of the part demand reflection on previous design thinking. This study seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) How does user-centered design stimulate abstractive design thinking? (2) How does fabrication of prototypes stimulate active design thinking? And (3) How is the classroom culture enabling engineering design in the optimal adaptability corridor? Critical incident interviews were conducted with stakeholders in the course, and a thematic analysis of the transcripts conducted. Results show that this project-based curriculum fosters adaptive expertise by stimulating both abstractive and active design thinking. This provides a framework for practicing adaptive design thinking in classrooms. Disseminating these findings to curriculum designers will encourage more engaging, effective classes that graduate adaptive experts.
ContributorsLarson, James Robert (Author) / Jordan, Shawn (Thesis director) / Lande, Micah (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Parents in STEM careers are more apt to guide their kids towards STEM careers (Sherburne-Michigan, 2017). There are STEM programs and classes for students who are interested in related fields, but the conundrum is that students need to be interested in order to choose to participate. The goal of this creative project was to introduce engineering concepts in a high school class to reveal and investigate the ways in which engineering concepts can be successfully introduced to a larger student populace to increase interest in engineering programs, courses, and degrees. A lesson plan and corresponding materials - including circuit kits and a simulated ball launching station with graphical display - were made to accomplish this goal. Throughout the lesson students were asked to (1) use given materials to accomplish a goal, (2) predict outcomes based on conceptual understanding and mathematical calculations, (3) test predictions, (4) record data, and (5) analyze data to generate results. The students first created a simple circuit to understand the circuit components and learn general electrical engineering concepts. A simple light dimmer circuit let students demonstrate understanding of electrical concepts (e.g., voltage, current resistance) before using the circuit to a simulated motor in order to launch a ball. The students were then asked to predict the time and height of a ball launched with various settings of their control circuit. The students were able to test their theories with the simulated launcher test set up shown in Figure 25 and collect data to create a parabolic height versus time graph. Based on the measured graph, the students were able to record their results and compare calculated values to real-world measured values. The results of the study suggest ways to introduce students to engineering while developing hands-on concept modeling of projectile motion and circuit design in math classrooms. Additionally, this lesson identifies a rich topic for teachers and STEM education researchers to explore lesson plans with interdisciplinary connections to engineering. This report will include the inspiration for the product, related work, iterative design process, and the final design. This information will be followed by user feedback, a project reflection, and lessons learned. The report will conclude with a summary and a discussion of future work.
ContributorsBurgess, Kylee Rae (Author) / Jordan, Shawn (Thesis director) / Sohoni, Sohum (Committee member) / Kinach, Barbara (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Cooperative education has a long-standing tradition within engineering education. As part of the experiential education field, it carries many success stories. Several universities offer a robust cooperative education track. In recent years, Arizona State University has made the decision to formalize a cooperative education program. Arizona State University, like many other institutions, has long since provided career support and promoted internships as an excellent work experience option before graduation. The decision to formalize a cooperative education program speaks to a need for a more rigorous path to work experience for engineering students. This paper is an investigation into the barriers and enablers behind a young cooperative education program. These results indicate that while students do benefit from the program, growth of the program may be tied to creating a meaningful distinction between cooperative education and other learning opportunities.
ContributorsGolka, Margaret (Author) / Jordan, Shawn (Thesis director) / Morrell, Darryl (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Engineering, and more specifically, electrical engineering can be a difficult topic to explain through spoken communication. Along with taking years of education to learn and understand necessary topics, the field is riddled with jargon and items that may take lectures to explain. However, this type of education may not be feasible for a younger or inexperienced audience. Therefore, engineers must find new ways to explain such difficult topics, especially in an attempt to garner interest in children, for example, through art.
ContributorsHedges, Madison (Author) / Aukes, Daniel (Thesis director) / Weeks, Eric (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor)
Created2023-12
Description
This study sought the lived and told stories of Native American women working in engineering and technology so that their voices may be heard in engineering education scholarship and challenge assumptions surrounding universal understandings of what it means to be a minority woman in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The study was directed by two research questions: (1) What are the lived and told stories of Native women in engineering and technology who are leading initiatives to improve their Native communities and (2) How do Native women’s understandings of their identities influence their work and acts of leadership? The study employed narrative inquiry as the methodological framework and was guided by theoretical frameworks of identities as constructed, multiple, and intersectional (Crenshaw, 1989; Tajfel & Turner, 1979), hybridity, and “third spaces” (Bhabha, 2012). The inquiry was also informed by feminist theories of Native scholars (Green, 1983; Kidwell, 1978) and engineering education (Beddoes & Borrego, 2011; Riley, Pawley, Tucker, & Catalano, 2009). The narrative analysis presented three narratives, based upon interviews, field notes, observations, and documents: (1) the story of a Navajo woman working within a large technical corporation (Jaemie); (2) the story of an Akimel O’odham-Mexican woman working within a tribally-owned technical business (Mia); and (3) the story of a Navajo woman growing her own technical business (Catherine). The narratives revealed a series of impactful transitions that enabled Jaemie, Mia, and Catherine to work and lead in engineering and technology. The transitions revolved around themes of becoming professionals, encountering and overcoming hardship, seeking to connect and contribute to Natives through work, leading change for their Native communities, and advancing their professional selves and their Native communities. Across the transitions, a transformation emerged from cultural navigation to leadership for the creation of new hybrid spaces that represented innovative sites of opportunity for Native communities. The strength of the Native spaces enabled Jaemie, Mia, and Catherine to leverage their identities as Native women within the global context of engineering and technology. The narratives denote the power of story by contributing the depth and richness of lived realities in engineering and technology.
ContributorsFoster, Christina Hobson (Author) / Jordan, Shawn (Thesis advisor) / Fixico, Donald (Committee member) / Lande, Micah (Committee member) / McKenna, Anna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
The 21st century will be the site of numerous changes in education systems in response to a rapidly evolving technological environment where existing skill sets and career structures may cease to exist or, at the very least, change dramatically. Likewise, the nature of work will also change to become more automated and more technologically intensive across all sectors, from food service to scientific research. Simply having technical expertise or the ability to process and retain facts will in no way guarantee success in higher education or a satisfying career. Instead, the future will value those educated in a way that encourages collaboration with technology, critical thinking, creativity, clear communication skills, and strong lifelong learning strategies. These changes pose a challenge for higher education’s promise of employability and success post-graduation. Addressing how to prepare students for a technologically uncertain future is challenging. One possible model for education to prepare students for the future of work can be found within the Maker Movement. However, it is not fully understood what parts of this movement are most meaningful to implement in education more broadly, and higher education in particular. Through the qualitative analysis of nearly 160 interviews of adult makers, young makers and young makers’ parents, this dissertation unpacks how makers are learning, what they are learning, and how these qualities are applicable to education goals and the future of work in the 21st century. This research demonstrates that makers are learning valuable skills to prepare them for the future of work in the 21st century. Makers are learning communication skills, technical skills in fabrication and design, and developing lifelong learning strategies that will help prepare them for life in an increasingly technologically integrated future. This work discusses what aspects of the Maker Movement are most important for integration into higher education.
ContributorsWigner, Aubrey (Author) / Lande, Micah (Thesis advisor) / Allenby, Braden (Committee member) / Bennett, Ira (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017