Improving first-year engineering education

Abstract

In September of 1998, the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD) piloted an innovative, integrated, first-year curriculum. It dramatically changed 31 credits across two semesters. The program was modeled after several previous successful undergraduate experiments at other universities such as those in the NSF Foundation Coalition and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The new program at UMD included integrating the introductory sequences in physics, calculus, chemistry, English and engineering teaching and using teamwork among students and faculty using a specially designed technology oriented classroom using active and cooperative learning methods encouraging formation of a community of students by block-scheduling classes and grouping students in the dorms using rigorous assessment to evaluate performance. This paper describes the new curriculum, some of the practical considerations in its design, and the way it has functioned. Significant improvements demonstrated after one year of operation include the attrition rate of first-year engineering students more than halved the percentage of students passing two semesters of physics on schedule nearly doubled the percentage of students passing calculus on schedule increased by 40% the performance of students on common final exams in both physics and calculus significantly increased.