Project Info

Enhancing Core Mathematics with Concepts from Educational Psychology: A Mixed-Method Assessment

Learning is a process that, for many of us, occurs on a subconscious level. Consequently, learners may have difficulty adapting to changing expectations and procedures from the myriad of different learning environments they will encounter throughout their life. That said, a great deal is known about cognition and behavior which characterizes how learners interact with change. Our goal with this project is to explore the question, “how does exposure to concepts from educational psychology affect student outcomes in technical coursework?” The results of a mixed-method assessment of this change in course design will inform how educators and students can leverage this shared humanity to motivate educational activities and find support throughout the learning process. To achieve this goal we will:

1. Curate and adapt technical material from educational psychology for the use of low-cost self-reflection exercises for students in Mines core mathematics.

2. Develop an evaluation plan, e.g., the systems evaluation protocol from Cornell, which takes into account the various stakeholders associated with our specific course design, e.g., students, faculty, administration, etc.

3. Collect and analyze the data outlined by our evaluation plan.

4. Communicate results with the regional educators at the 2021 Rocky Mountain Sectional meeting of the American Society for Engineering Education.

More Information

Motivational sources and outcomes of self-regulated learning and performance, Zimmerman (2011)
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-12365-004

Motivation to learn: an overview of contemporary theories, Cook (2016)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/medu.13074

Self-regulation of health behavior: social psychological approaches to goal setting and goal striving, Mann (2013)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23646832

The Guide to the Systems Evaluation Protocol: Evaluation Planning (2016)
http://www.core.human.cornell.edu/

Quantitative and Mixed Methods: Approaches and Limitations, Moskal (2015)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290654569_Quantitative_and_mixed_methods_research_Approaches_and_limitations

Grand Engineering Challenge: Advance personalized learning

Student Preparation

Qualifications

Motivation to learn on the “softer” side of STEM. Experience with academic literature, e.g., know where to find it, how to parse it, notetaking, etc. Desire to learn about assessment and evaluation.

Time Commitment

4-5 hours/week

Skills/Techniques Gained

1. Evaluation planning and implementation.
2. Quantitative and qualitative assessment techniques.
2. Understanding of advanced educational/learning techniques.
3. Practice with scientific communication.

Mentoring Plan

In our weekly meetings, we will:

1. Review research practice, e.g., note-keeping, time management, prospecting, and planning.
2. Reflect on topics in educational assessment, course design, and educational psychology.
3. Learn about evaluation design and implementation.
4. Discuss results, their communication, the manuscript lifecycle, and technical presentation.