The perception of science as boring is a major issue for teachers at all instructional levels. Tertiary classes especially suffer from a reputation for being dry, instructor-centered, and irrelevant to the lives of students. However, previous research has shown that science can be interesting to students if it is presented in such a manner as to…

Background: Score improvements and retention are important metrics in studying the efficacy of any learning intervention. Research studies have shown a positive correlation between time spent completing online homework assignments and student performance on final exams. Yet these studies are not only rare in the field of engineering; they are…

This paper examines the development of students' metacognitive skills in a data-rich environment. The study involves the development and use of a Metacognitive Inventory, which evaluates students' awareness of their cognitive processes as they approach and solve problems. This 26-item inventory is based on the Problem Solving Inventory and State…

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) uses specially designed activities and cooperative learning to teach content and to actively engage students in inquiry, analytical thinking and teamwork. It has been used extensively in Chemistry education, but the use of POGIL is not well documented in other physical and biological sciences. This…

In the fall of 2012, 20 General Chemistry Honors students at the University of New Haven were issued the new iPad 3 to incorporate these devices both in the classroom and the laboratory. This paper will focus on the integration of the iPad into the laboratory curriculum while creating a paperless experience, an environment where no paper would…

STEM education has since become perhaps the largest reform movement in PK-12 education over the last decade. The rationale for increased emphasis in STEM education is driven largely by lackluster national assessments of PK-12 students over the last decade or two. These assessments continue to indicate that the United States is failing to compete…

Communicating research findings with others is a skill essential to the success of future STEM professionals. However, little is known about how this skill can be nurtured through participating in undergraduate research. The purpose of this study is to quantify undergraduate participation in research in a materials science and engineering…

Undergraduate research opportunities are valued by university faculty and administrators in part because of the belief that they are useful for attracting students to graduate school. Other perceived benefits are that these programs improve students' engagement in their respective disciplines, enhance students' understanding of theory by…

The ability to increase the number of engineering graduates depends on many factors including our country's P-16+ educational system, the job market and the engineering professions. Students need to be prepared for the rigorous math and science components of engineering programs, but they also must have interest in engineering as a profession,…

The Benjamin Banneker Scholars Program (BBSP) was designed at an HBCU to increase the academic performance, retention, and graduation of minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). At the end of each academic year, students completed a BBSP Post-Program Satisfaction Survey. Each year Mentoring was consistently…

The foundations of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education begins in the early years of schooling when students encounter formal learning experiences primarily in mathematics and science. Politicians, economists and industrialists recognise the importance of STEM in society, and therefore a number of strategies have been…

The heart and soul of engineering is innovation and our ability to improve the human condition through design. To enrich engineering education, it is critical that we advance our teaching in innovation and design processes. This research focuses on the ideation component of innovation through the investigation of a suite of concept generation…

This paper explores the current Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education research base through an analysis of articles from eight journals focused on the STEM disciplines. Analyzed are both practitioner and research publications to determine the current scope of STEM education research, where current STEM education…

This study sought to find student perceptions of how the engineering design process is learned and applied by pre-service teachers at the University of Georgia. The course description read "demonstration and hands-on learning, including problem solving, designing, construction and testing of prototypes, and activities that increase aesthetic,…

This study examined the characteristics of 10 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focused high schools that were selected from various regions across the United States. In an effort to better prepare students for careers in STEM fields, many schools have been designed and are currently operational, while even more are in the…