2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work-in-progress (WIP) paper seeks to assess the current state of a first-year seminar (FYS) program in the College of Engineering (COE) at Penn State University (Penn State), a large, public University in the northeast United States.

Background

Engineering education scholars have noted the importance of engaging engineering students in the first year of their engineering academic studies.

The current first-year engagement program at Penn State's COE was developed more than 20 years ago. The cornerstone of the existing program is the COE’s FYS courses, which have only seen minor changes since initial implementation. Successful completion of a FYS course has been imagined as a steppingstone for successful completion of a Penn State engineering degree.

The present COE FYS model consists of a one credit course taught in classes of no more than 25 students, typically meeting once weekly. Specific student engagement approaches generally vary widely by section. Sections of the courses span a variety of academic topics and are collectively taught by 50+ faculty members or adjunct instructors. Each course has a topical focus of either an academic major (e.g., mechanical engineering), an engineering-related topic (e.g., sustainability), or a specialty area relevant to student success (e.g., undergraduate research). A small number of the sections have a broader, generalized focus to holistically support first year student success. However, it should be noted that the program generally does not consider the unique needs of transfer students, who are often exempted from the program.

Given the current decentralized and varying topic model, the experience and perception of the FYS courses vary greatly by COE departments, instructors, and students.

Study Motivation

Given the known significance of first-year engagement for students, transforming the first-year experience is a critical objective of Penn State’s present COE strategic plan. It is expected that FYS courses should support students to effectively transition to Penn State, enable students to develop effective strategies for academic and professional success, explore engineering majors, build COE community and identity, explore opportunities for personal growth, and to become ethically responsible citizens.

Likewise, upon entering Penn State, COE undergraduates are expected to build a network for academic support. It is hoped that the FYS program will contribute to the development of students as they transition from high school to college and develop a system to promote student success in their college years. A survey of current instructors identified a willingness and readiness for curricular reimagination. Student surveys show strong outcomes achieved from the course with faculty interested in additional tools for student success. Concerns have also been expressed that the FYS program has not scaled effectively as enrollments have surged (typically between ~1,600-1,800 students/year).

Research Questions

This evaluation study's primary aim is to understand better the efficacy of Penn State COE FYS courses. A further objective of this study is to collect the necessary information to inform policymaker decision-making on the program’s future.

Methods

This study utilizes a multi-stage mixed methods research design, combining elements of both exploratory and explanatory mixed methods research design typologies.

Preliminary data sources included FYS instructor syllabi and orienting conversations with both COE FYS faculty and undergraduate degree program coordinators.

Evaluation of these data streams yielded information needed to successfully design a survey used to collect additional information from FYS stakeholders (e.g., faculty, students) and administrative policymakers. The data from these surveys were then collated and examined utilizing thematic analysis.

Finally, these collective data sources then informed follow-up focus groups and individual interviews to explore participants’ feelings further, both about the present FYS model and potential alternative FYS models that the COE at Penn State might consider adopting.

Interim Results and Future Direction

The interim results from this study confirm that the stakeholders hold conflicting views on the value and purpose of the COE’s FYS courses at Penn State. This finding underscores the importance of ensuring that program participants agree on – and for students, also achieve – program learning outcomes in support of student learning and development.

Given conflicting views on the FYS program and the subjects’ responses, it has been determined that potential educational scaffolding opportunities are presently being overlooked. By holistically rethinking the FYS program, it is now believed that student learning and achievement of the COE FYS program outcomes could be more effectively advanced. Future considerations along those lines are presently being explored and described herein, including discussion of current efforts to redevelop the FYS program at Penn State’s COE, which are likely to be of interest to those in other varying institutional contexts.