Undergraduate Researchers
James Cover
Biological System Engineering
Program & Project Year: Undergraduate Research Fall 2022 - present
Project Advisor: Drs. Grace Panther and Heidi Diefes-Dux
Description: Significant and sudden disruptions can bring normal university classroom activity to a halt and have many effects on how instructors teach going forward. Disruptions cause instructors to utilize different teaching practices and strategies including different Learning Management System (LMS) features. The research question being addressed in this study is: How do engineering instructors’ Learning Management System (LMS) use change before, during, and after a sudden disruption to higher education?
Project Dissemination: Poster
Cover, J., Panther, G., & Diefes-Dux, H. A. (2024). Learning management system feature use in mechanical engineering second- and third-year courses before, during, and after a disruption. Proceedings of the 131st ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Portland, OR.
Cover, J., Panther, G., & Diefes-Dux, H. A. (2023, Apr. 3). Changes in course delivery: The effect of a significant disruption on instructors’ LMS feature use. [Poster Presentation]. X-DBER Conference, Virtual.
Emily Fitzpatrick
Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Program & Project Year: John Woollam Scholar October 2022 – present
Project Advisor: Dr. Jessica Deters
Project Title: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Undergraduate Student Readiness for Engineering
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational systems across the globe, including K-12 education and higher education. As students graduate high school and transition into college, they will likely have gaps in their knowledge base, which will impact their readiness for engineering coursework. This research project will investigate the following research question: 1) What impacts has the COVID-19 had on first- and second-year engineering students’ readiness for engineering coursework, according to faculty who teach first- and second-year engineering courses?
Gracie Kerr
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Program & Project Year: Undergraduate Research Fall 2023 - present
Project Advisor: Dr. Grace Panther
Description: Examining the ways that instructors adjusted their teaching activities before, during, and after a disruption and identify whether adaptations resulted in long-term teaching changes. Methods involve qualitative analysis of core course syllabi for one engineering department.
Project Dissemination: Poster
Chloe Mann
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Program & Project Year: Undergraduate Research Fall 2024 - present
Project Advisor: Dr. Jessica Deters
Project Title:
Description:
Project Dissemination:
Hayden Wulf
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Program & Project Year: Undergraduate Research Fall 2022 - present
Project Advisor: Dr. Grace Panther
Description: Examining the ways that instructors adjusted their teaching activities before, during, and after a disruption and identify whether adaptations resulted in long-term teaching changes. Methods involve qualitative analysis of core course syllabi for one engineering department.
Project Dissemination: Poster
Wulf, H., Panther, G., & Diefes-Dux, H. A. (2024). Indicators of change in mechanical engineering instructors’ teaching practices across five years. Proceedings of the 131st ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Portland, OR.