<p>Ongoing efforts seek to develop engineering students into entrepreneurially minded engineers. Often, work to achieve that goal relies on theories drawn from entrepreneurship research from business disciplines to develop interventions and ground research on engineering entrepreneurship education. However, despite repeated warnings by multiple scholars, there has been limited evaluation of whether such theories are appropriate to design interventions or understand the development of students’ entrepreneurial expertise. Theories of entrepreneurship developed in the field of entrepreneurship typically make several assumptions or research design choices pertinent to their usefulness in education. Those assumptions include assuming those studied make no errors, building expert-comparative rather than expert-novice theories, and mythicizing and reifying certain types of entrepreneurs. One such theory, the <i>Theory of Effectuation</i>, is representative of these assumptions as well as being commonly used in entrepreneurship education as a model of correct decision-making. Prior studies have used the Theory of Effectuation to compare experts and students and track students’ growth, but have presumed error free reasoning by both experts and students.</p> <p>My dissertation focuses on empirically evaluating the appropriateness of one assumption from the Theory of Effectuation when applying the theory to engineering students’ decision-making. The assumption I focus on is what errors engineering students make when working on typical early stage entrepreneurship decisions. The existence of such errors would call into question whether the Theory of Effectuation, which does not allow for such errors, can usefully describe engineering students’ decision-making. Interpreting the resulting errors can also help educators inform educators about pre-existing knowledge and beliefs that students bring to entrepreneurship classrooms. This can enable the design of more effective research studies and interventions to improve the state of the field</p> <p>To do so, I completed a verbal protocol study with engineering students at two universities. The verbal protocol used is based on one previously used to develop the Theory of Effectuation and asks participants to think aloud while making decisions typical of an early-stage entrepreneurial venture. I then coded the transcribed data from those protocols for conceptual errors related to business and management concepts. A thematic analysis of the results showed several consistent patterns of errors. Those included misinterpreting market research data as representative of their company’s financial performance, misunderstanding and using faulty analogies to analyze different outside investment options, and perceiving that they would personally receive all proceeds from a company’s sale. In general, two overarching patterns emerged – overestimating the value of their venture and overestimating their control.</p> <p>I end by interpreting the results through three existing areas of literature to provide new knowledge to engineering entrepreneurship educators. First, the patterns of errors appear similar to other misconceptions in that a potential alternative ontology that students rely on may exist in mythicization work, however more evidence is necessary to formally establish that the patterns of errors are in fact ontological miscategorizations. Second, the patterns of errors are strikingly similar to the myths about entrepreneurs that have been identified in media and research that reports on entrepreneurs. This suggests a specific source of students’ preconceptions about entrepreneurship that educators should actively engage with. Third, the findings validate existing theoretical critiques of how entrepreneurship theory is used in engineering education. Specifically, theories developed in entrepreneurship literature appear to be a poor fit for engineering education research because of their embedded assumptions.</p>

Code decomposition (also known as functional decomposition) is the process of breaking a larger problem into smaller subproblems so that each function implements only a single task. Although code decomposition is integral to computer science, it is often overlooked in introductory computer science education due to the challenges of teaching it given limited resources. Earthworm is a tool that generates unique suggestions on how to improve the decomposition of provided Python source code. Given a program as input, Earthworm presents the user with a list of suggestions to improve the functional decomposition of the program. Each suggestion includes the lines of code that can be refactored into a new function, the arguments that must be passed to this function and the variables returned from the function. The tool is intended to be used in introductory computer science courses to help students learn more about decomposition. Earthworm generates suggestions by converting Python source code into a control flow graph. Static analysis is performed on the control flow graph to direct the generation of suggestions based on code slices.

Due to increasing changes in the power industry, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's electrical engineering department introduced a set of initiatives to adequately equip students with the skills and knowledge to interact with new technologies. Specifically, the department proposed a microgrid and power systems protection and automation laboratory to strengthen students' knowledge of microprocessor-based relays. This paper outlines a microgrid laboratory system that fulfills the initiative's goal and proposes a collection of laboratory experiments for inclusion in a new laboratory course at Cal Poly. The experiments provide students with practical experience using Schweitzer Engineering Laboratory (SEL) relays and teach fundamental concepts in semi-automated generator synchronization and power system data acquisition. The microgrid laboratory system utilizes SEL relays and a centralized SEL controller to automate frequency regulation through load shedding, power factor correction, generator and utility synchronization, and relay protection group switching.

Computer programming is a difficult subject to master. Introductory programming courses often have low retention and high failure rates. Part of the problem is identifying if students understand the lecture material. In a traditional classroom, a professor can gauge a class's understanding on questions asked during lecture. However, many struggling students are unlikely to speak up in class. To address this problem, recent research has focused on gathering compiler data from programming exercises to identify at-risk students in these courses. These data allow professors to intervene with individual students who are at risk and, after analyzing the data for a given time period, a professor can also re-evaluate how certain topics are taught to improve understanding. However, current implementations do not provide information in real time. They may improve a professor's teaching long term, but they do not provide insight into how an individual student is understanding a specific topic during the lecture in time for the professor to make adjustments.This research explores a system that combines compiler data analytics with in-class exercises. The system incorporates the in-class exercise into a web-based text editor with data analytics. While the students are programming in their own browsers, the website analyzes their compiler errors and console output to determine where the students are struggling. A real-time summary is presented to the professor during the lecture. This system allows a professor to receive immediate feedback on student understanding, which enables him/her to clarify areas of confusion immediately. As a result, this dynamic learning environment allows course material to better evolve to meet the needs of the students.Results show that students in a simulated programming course performed slightly better on quizzes when the instructor had access to real-time feedback during a programming exercise. Instructors were able to determine what students were struggling with from the real-time feedback. Overall, both the student and instructor test subjects found the experimental website useful.Case studies performed in an actual programming lecture allowed the professor to address errors that are not considered in the curriculum of the course. Many students appreciated the fact that the professor was able to immediately answer questions based on the feedback. Students primarily had issues with the bugs present in the alpha version of the software.

The academic subject of mechatronics has been definedpreviously in numerous publications. This study aims atanalyzing mechatronics by using categories developed within theeducational science of Didactics. The result of the analysis,that relies on data from mechatronics education at KTH andother universities, shows that the identity of mechatronics canbe described as thematic, and the legitimacy as functional,which gives implications for the questions of communication andselection: what should be taught, and how. This is combinedwith a study of the evolution of the subject of mechatronics,where it is possible to see the gradually changing identity,from a combination of a number of disciplinary subjects to onethematic subject. The first part of the thesis concludes that mechatronics isautonomous, thematic and functional. Teaching and learningmechatronics according to the identity and legitimacy of thesubject benefits from collaborative, experimental andinternational settings. The functional legitimacy todayrequires the collaborative and the international setting,meaning that the mechatronics employer requires these skillswhen employing a mechatronic engineer. Further, an exemplifyingselection requires the experimental setting, in particular whencomparing a representative selection with the reproduction ofknowledge, and an exemplifying selection with the creation ofknowledge. To conclude, there are a number of important aspects to takeinto account when teaching and learning mechatronics. Three ofthese aspects, collaborative, experimental and internationalare suggested as important, and also a direct consequence ofthe identity of mechatronics. This thesis shows that thesethree aspects are indeed possible to integrate intomechatronics education, which will benefit greatly fromthis. / QC 20100609

This thesis traces the growth and development of the Division of Technology at the Utah State Agricultural College from 1890, when the first mechanic arts classes were taught as part of the offering in Mechanical Engineering, to the present, covering as thoroughly as possible from the source material available, the chain of events out of which the present expansive and complex program has evolved. The intention here is not merely to itemize the steps in this development, but wherever possible to investigate the influences involved; also, to give some attention to the industrial, education, and war-time needs that have created a demand for competently trained industrial personnel--needs which have been met by a constantly expanding educational and training program. Since no comprehensive data are available on the development of what has now become a major division of the college, and since the nee for such information will be felt by anyone making a future study of the growth of the division, it is hoped that this thesis will be useful. Thus, an intent of secondary importance is that the data made available here will prove useful to even more comprehensive studies. It is also hoped that the study may have some human interest as a sidelight on the history of the college. Because the development of the industrial work at the college has been such a concrete symbol of the growth of the institution as a whole, and because the work shows so well the constant effort made over the years to keep the offerings of the school on as pragmatic a basis as possible, the author has felt that rather complete and accurate record of this progress should be made. One of the principle reasons for writing this thesis has been to give a comprehensive survey of the illuminating growth of the industrial work and its contribution to the educational offering of the college. It is hoped that the planning of the future course of the Division of Technology will be aided by a closer understanding of what has been accomplished in the past. It appears obvious to the author that such an understanding will also make the importance of the work that has been done readily apparent to anyone. A branch of education that has expanded so rapidly, often ingeniously, to keep pace with the needs of our modern industrial period readily justifies the recording of its own history. Finally, such a record can hardly fail to be an inspiration to anyone connected with the work or to anyone with an appreciation for demonstrable values and accomplishments.

The technologist needs and training requirements were determined from a selected cross-section of Utah industrial firms. The larger industries were significantly more aware of the training requirements and capabilities of four-year technologists than were the smaller firms. A significant difference was found regarding general and specialized training required by each firm. Thirteen of the 16 responding firms indicated specialized training as being most important. The 10 areas of technical training rated most critical in their order of importance were: electronics I, technical writing I, electricity, English, mathematics (calculus and above) I, machine shop I, manufacturing processes, physics, and metallurgy and design. There was no significant difference found between the wages offered by selected Utah industrial firms and the national average of comparable occupations.

The purpose of this research was to study the benefits of having middle school students attend a summer camp focused on the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). A lot of research funding is being used in such camps to help get more students into STEM fields as there is a lack of graduates in those fields. Therefore, it is important to understand the benefits and effectiveness of such camps. Students, teachers and parents were involved in this research. Students and teachers attended a one-week engineering camp at Utah State University while parents were involved via a blog updated daily with a summary of the activities of the day, pictures, and quotes from the students. The results show that those kinds of camps are effective at increasing students’ interest in STEM fields and in improving parents’ perceptions about those fields. Interestingly, students who started the camp with low interest in STEM fields gained a lot more from the camp than the other students. Similarly, female students also gained a lot more through the camp than male students. This leads us to believe that future camps should target students that stand to gain more from such camps.

Lean construction is considered a valuable solution for the declining productivity of the construction industry. This study seeks to answer the general research question: What does it take to become lean? The research explored the possible paths to becoming lean by examining the journeys of three successful lean construction firms in the U.S. The results are intended to assist other construction firms with their own transformations. This study is especially useful to executives and management because it describes the cultural transformation process of each participating company, the expectations of company employees, and the best practices that each company employed. A qualitative, multiple-case study methodology was used to find common patterns among all three firms as well as unique attributes. Eight research themes shaped the interview dialog that probed the participants’ experiences and insights regarding lean— from the companies’ initial discovery of lean to their implementation of tools and trainings. The themes further prompted responses regarding the roles that were critical to successful lean implementation as well as the barriers that inhibited lean adoption. Finally, interviews also sought out strategies to successfully promote and implement lean into the future. The research discusses the assertions and conclusions that emerged from the findings, which identify several successful paths to becoming lean. Findings show how people, the environment, and actions positively or negatively influence the adoption of a lean culture. The study concludes with recommendations for future firms regarding lean planning to transform the organization into a successful, top-performing, lean construction company. It emphasizes personalized application for each employee to create a positive environment for the new culture to develop. The conclusions also include five phases of lean saturation: discovery and learning, commitment, strategic planning, implementation, and training company partners in lean.

In 2013, developers of the Next Generation Science Standards implemented national K -12 directives and elevated engineering design to the level of scientific inquiry. Teaching design, however, is challenging to educators due to the complex nature of design problems, which cannot be solved via simple algorithms. Solving design problems requires a more reflective and iterative approach that emphasizes metacognitive skills like planning, monitoring, and taking another person’s perspective. Educators are further challenged by children’s immature metacognitive skills, which may be insufficient to engage in the entire design process. A qualitative study of paired seventh graders demonstrated a pragmatic learning activity for enhancing adolescent designs during their earliest phases through guided peer interactions with metacognitive prompts. Four distinct interaction styles were observed among the pairs. Each style varied by which verbal and social phenomena were used to make changes. The metacognitive prompts used in the learning activity can be adapted to any design challenge. Furthermore, an additional, exploratory case demonstrated a restructuring of the learning activity in which the metacognitive prompts were generated naturally by the students themselves. The student-generated prompts were design-specific and timely; delivered in the moment when a student was struggling with a design element. The result was a dynamic co-construction and co-ownership of the designs.