2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Do Independent Studies Help Students Learn Better? A Case Study on Student Perception and Attitude

Presented at Joint Session: Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies Division and Civil Engineering Division

Independent study called “Undergraduate Research” at our university is a highly effective method to inspire students in scholarly work through research. A literature review underscores the manifold benefits of independent study/undergraduate research, including enhanced academic performance, increased motivation and confidence, heightened awareness of students’ limitations, and improved self-management skills. Notably, this approach allows teachers to tailor tasks to individual students, fostering social inclusion and mitigating feelings of alienation. Another inspiring factor for students is the flexibility afforded by not having to attend traditional for 3 hours per week in-class lecture to earn course credit. Over the years, the authors have implemented this course within the engineering disciplines of the authors, diligently collecting data on the student perceptions and attitudes towards independent study through a questionnaire survey via Qualtrics. The survey questions were strategically designed to explore the benefits of learning, the long-term retention of acquired knowledge, and the overall learning processes. Analysis of the data demonstrated a positive student perception and attitude towards a few crucial skills, such as teamwork and time management, technical writing and subject matter proficiency, Excel uses, data analytics, communications, and organizational timeline skills. Students expressed a preference for the hands-on aspect and freedom associated with the undergraduate research. Furthermore, students acknowledged the significant influence of undergraduate research on their academic careers, citing improved understanding of their chosen fields, and a heightened interest in pursuing graduate school.

Authors

Dr. M A Karim http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9663-4443 Kennesaw State University [biography]

Kennesaw State University, Marietta Campus,
655 Arntson Drive, Marietta, L-114, Georgia 30060, USA.
Phone: (470) 578-5078 (W) / (804) 986-3120 (Cell);
Emails: mkarim4@kennesaw.edu / makarim@juno.com

Dr. Karim spent about six years as a full-time faculty at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) after he graduated from the same university in 1989. He came to the USA in 1995 and finished his PhD in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Cleveland State University in 2000. He worked for about three years for ALLTEL Information Services in Twinsburg, Ohio, as an Applications Programmer. Then he worked for about eight years (in two separate times) for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) as a Senior Environmental Engineer and taught at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as an Affiliate Professor before he went to Trine University in January 2008, as a full-time faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering. He taught part-time at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) while employed at Trine University. During his time at Trine University, he taught an online course for VCU. He also taught at Stratford University, Richmond, Virginia campus as an adjunct faculty while working for VDEQ. Since the fall of 2011, Dr. Karim has been working for Kennesaw State University (KSU), Marietta Campus, Georgia, as a full-time faculty in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He served as an Assistant Department Chair and an Interim Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at KSU. He is a registered professional engineer for the State of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the state of Georgia. He has more than forty journal and proceeding publications and three professional reports in soil and sediment remediation, environmental management, waste treatment and management, wastewater treatment, statistical hydrology, engineering education including project- and problem-based learning (PBL). He is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (F.ASCE), a member of the American Society for Engineering Education (M.ASEE), and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES). He is also an ABET EAC and ETAC Program Evaluation Volunteer (ABET EAC PEV) for civil engineering, environmental engineering, and environmental engineering technology programs.
Dr. Youngguk Seo Kennesaw State University [biography]

Youngguk Seo is interested in the characterization of multi-phased transportation materials such as asphalt concrete, Portland cement concrete, and foundation soils. Research tools include Accelerated Loading Facilities (ALF) at TFHRC in Virginia and a full-scale test road at ETRI of Korea Expressway Corporation. His research topics also cover the design and build of sustainable infrastructure, greenhouse gas emission quantification during construction and operation of highways, and snow melting using new and renewable energy sources.
Parth Bhavsar Kennesaw State University

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