ERIC Number: EJ1096188
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1557-5284
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Individual Learning Styles on Student GPA in Engineering Education at Morgan State University
Hargrove, S. Keith, Sr.; Wheatland, John A.; Ding, Duowen; Brown, Cordelia M.
Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, v9 n3-4 p37-46 Jul-Dec 2008
The Clarence M. Mitchell School of Engineering at Morgan State University (MSU) is one of nine historically Black colleges and universities with undergraduate engineering programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Since 2001, the School of Engineering at MSU has been a participant in a multi-school project called "Implementing the BESTTEAMS ("Building Engineering Student Team Effectiveness and Management System") Model of Team Development Across the Curriculum." The project's primary purpose is to introduce collaboration and teamwork in engineering education to improve the educational process and prepare students to work in collaborative environments after graduation. As part of the BESTTEAMS model, students in the freshman course, Introduction to Engineering, are given the "Kolb's Learning Style Inventory," a survey designed to measure learning styles. This paper will examine the relationship between students' learning styles, major, gender, and academic performance in engineering at MSU. The cumulative GPA at the end of the first year for first-time freshmen that completed Introduction to Engineering was recorded and analyzed to determine the relationship between learning style preference and cumulative GPA by major and gender. It is the long term intent of this exploratory study to determine if learning styles are a major consideration in designing courses to improve academic performance and achievement in engineering and if there is a significant difference between the relationship of learning styles and academic performance when gender is considered.
Descriptors: Black Colleges, Engineering Education, Undergraduate Study, Cognitive Style, Grade Point Average, Teamwork, Cooperative Learning, Measures (Individuals), College Freshmen, Gender Differences, Majors (Students)
Institute for STEM Education and Research. P.O. Box 4001, Auburn, AL 36831. Tel: 334-844-3360; Web site: http://www.jstem.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Learning Style Inventory
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A