The creation of the multiple-institution database for investigating engineering longitudinal development (MIDFIELD)

Abstract

A longitudinal database containing student records from each of the universities participating in the Southeastern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education (SUCCEED) has been under continuous development since 1996. The database compiles records from 1987 through the present. An extensive body of research has been conducted using this database. Technological advancements have made it possible to expand the scope of the data included in the database, and thus expand the studies that can be conducted. The partner universities have agreed to contribute transcript information - the courses that students have taken and the grades they have earned in them. With these data from nine universities placed in a common format, exciting research questions can be addressed. This paper discusses the development of the original database, plans for the design of the MIDFIELD database, and expected uses of this valuable resource.