2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Predicting Student Performance in Selected Engineering Courses from Introductory Physics Performance: A Multi-Course Regression Analysis

Presented at DSAI-Session 13: Equity, Inclusion, and Diverse Learner Needs in Engineering Education

Engineering curricula rely on many courses out of the major to build foundational knowledge and provide breadth within the programs. However, many pre-engineering students struggle to see the relevance of some lower-level math and science requirements in their academic plan. For example, at Penn State University almost all engineering students take at least one Physics course before declaring their chosen engineering major, but student evaluations and anecdotal evidence indicate pre-engineering students view Physics as a roadblock or gatekeeper course and unnecessary for their intended engineering degree. This perception is reinforced by the fact that there has been an increase in the number of pre-engineering students who take the required Physics course(s) elsewhere, even during the academic year, and transfer the credits back.

This paper examines students’ performance in discipline-specific engineering courses in relation to their performance in introductory Physics courses and investigates whether differences exist between students who completed Physics at the University’s flagship campus, University Park (UP), and those who completed it at one of the Commonwealth Campuses (CWC).

Authors

Dr. Jennifer X Wu Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Jennifer Wu is the Chief Engineering Analytics Officer and Professor of Practice in the College of Engineering at Penn State. She has a PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She has 30 years of experience in higher education, including managing student engagement programs, academic advising, and currently leading the College’s analytics team. Jennifer leads the development and exploration of applied research questions that are fundamental to student success and institutional effectiveness in engineering education. Her office collaborates with stakeholders at all levels to provide data and insight that guide the day-to-day operations and support the strategic priorities of the College. She is also tasked by the university leadership to collaborate with the central institutional research office to provide consultation on data analytics for the academic deans.
Dr. Robert J. Rabb P.E. The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Robert Rabb is the associate dean for education in the College of Engineering at Penn State. He previously served as a professor and the Mechanical Engineering Department Chair at The Citadel. He previously taught mechanical engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United Military Academy and his M.S. and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His research and teaching interests are in mechatronics, regenerative power, and multidisciplinary engineering.
Dr. Ivan E. Esparragoza The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Ivan E. Esparragoza is a Professor of Engineering at Penn State. His interests are in engineering design education, innovative design, global design, and global engineering education, professional skills in engineering, curricular innovation, and program assessment.
Dr. Ibukun Samuel Osunbunmi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-7821-9059 The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Ibukun Samuel Osunbunmi is an Assistant Research Professor, and Assessment and Instructional Specialist at Pennsylvania State University. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Education from Utah State University. Also, he has BSc and MSc degrees in mechanical engineering. His research interests include student engagement, design thinking, learning environment, evidence-based pedagogy, e-learning, broadening participation in STEM education, sustainable energy, and material characterization.

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