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The Role of International Diversity in Graduate Engineering Education

The Role of International Diversity in Graduate Engineering Education. Advisory Board Meeting (“Research Results So Far and Timeline for Surveys” on Agenda). Erin Crede Department of Engineering Education Virginia Tech. Study design. Completed May 2010. In Progress.

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The Role of International Diversity in Graduate Engineering Education

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  1. The Role of International Diversity in Graduate Engineering Education Advisory Board Meeting (“Research Results So Far and Timeline for Surveys” on Agenda) Erin Crede Department of Engineering Education Virginia Tech

  2. Study design Completed May 2010 In Progress Delayed until Fall 2010 In Progress Fall 2010

  3. Research Questions • The research questions guiding this study are: • How does the presence of a high percentage of international students influence the culture of graduate-level engineering education communities, particularly related to identity, socialization and ultimately retention of domestic graduate students? • To what extent are similar perceptions present among engineering undergraduates, and how do these contribute to enrollment of domestic students into graduate programs?

  4. Theoretical Framework Students increase their IDENTITY CAPITAL through the process of SOCIALIZATION as they move from newcomer to more active participants in a COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE Newcomer Socialization Socialization Central Community Member

  5. Preliminary Qualitative Findings (Graduate) • Informal and peer learning • Graduate student identity development • Socialization to graduate research groups • Structure of graduate engineering research groups • Differences between highly diverse versus less diverse research groups The findings from these smaller studies are being used to draft the survey that will be administered during the fall of 2010.

  6. Graduate Survey Construction • Currently plan on 50, five point Likert style questions along with questions regarding demographic characteristics • Survey will have several sections originating from either the literature or the qualitative findings

  7. Survey Construction • Graduate Student Survey • Model student learning/satisfaction based on survey sections for both international and US students • Explore differences between international and domestic students • Disaggregate by nationality (based on country or groups of countries) • Consider each of the sections separately (major themes) • Consider implications for designing more effective work environments for all students • Undergraduate Student Survey • explore the expectations and potential misconceptions that students have regarding graduate school: • Currently plan on 25, five point likert style questions along with questions regarding demographic characteristics • Examine undergraduate student expectations regarding international diversity in graduate school • Examine potential misconceptions regarding graduate school

  8. Pilot Testing Expert review for both graduate and undergraduate surveys from advisory board • Graduate Survey • The instrument will be given to a sample of approximately VT 30 students twice • Test/retest reliability • Software functioning • Sample data analysis • Students from the ethnography research groups will review question wording and content as a second validity measure • Undergraduate Survey • Administer the instrument at VT to a sample of approximately 30 students • Software functioning • Sample data analysis • Students from focus groups will be asked to review the instrument prior to administering

  9. Final Survey Participants Source: 2010 US News and World Report 2009 ASEE Profiles of Engineering Colleges

  10. Survey Release Timeline Each institution will have two separate survey links, one for graduate and one for undergraduate Virginia Tech-classes begin August 23 USC-classes begin August 23 UMBC-classes begin August 31 University of Michigan-classes begin September 7

  11. Next Steps • Begin IRB paperwork- • Collect Listserv/email information • Report to NSF -Erin will create summary document this week • Finalize the draft survey questions -Erin to complete by July 19 • Advisory Board Review of Instrument(s)-completed by August 2 • Complete Pilot Test at VT -week of August 2, second round for graduate students the second week of August • Sample Analysis and Final Survey Construction- completed by August 25th • Release Survey in August-September 2010 -based on previous timeline

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