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Increasing the number of transfers and graduates in engineering who start at community colleges (CC) requires strategic partnering between institutions. Reflecting on the results of a five-year partnership between a large, multi-location CC and a large four-year university, we present the goals, conceptual framework, specific results, and best practices for developing and sustaining STEM partnerships to increase the number of transfers and graduates in engineering. There were four foundational practices to this partnership: (1) inter-institutional collaboration, (2) creating a CC engineering orientation course, (3) developing an engineering admissions partnership program for CC students, and (4) data collection and analysis for informed decision making. The specific foundational practices described in this paper are part of a larger effort to increase the persistence of CC transfers in engineering by creating or enhancing a transfer-friendly environment, a community of practice through partnerships, greater awareness about engineering and engineering careers, student-faculty interaction, and new datasets for research and evaluation. Results of the partnership include a notable increase in the number of pre-engineering students, the number of students participating in the engineering admissions partnership program, the number of students transferring to the university, the number of transfer students participating in a learning community, and an increase in first-year retention rates of CC transfer students in engineering.

This study uses a unique synthesized set of data for community college students transferring to engineering by combining several cohorts of longitudinal data along with transcript-level data, from both the Community College and the University, to measure success rates in engineering. The success rates are calculated by developing Kaplan-Meier survival curves measuring retention in engineering over time by grades received in Calculus and Physics courses at both institutions. For each course, survival curves are compared to determine if statistically significant differences exist between levels of grades received. The levels of course grades at which statistically significant differences in retention rates exist are documented. To validate these findings the actual graduation rates in engineering for the same groups of students are estimated using grades received in Calculus and Physics. Policy recommendations based on these findings, including the best time to transfer for this group of community college students, are incorporated.

There is no doubt that college-industry collaborations are vital to the success of undergraduate students with engineering and technology majors. This collaboration provides students with an opportunity to bridge the gap between classroom education and real-world experience. Inviting industry representatives to engage in the classroom and involving students with professional organizations, student field trips, virtual plant tours, and industry-focused final projects are ways in which an instructor can incorporate student-industry engagement into their course. During their undergraduate degree program, students are required to participate in an internship program where they gain substantial industry engagement and opportunities to learn and apply classroom knowledge. To assess the impact of industry engagement on student learning, we disseminated a survey instrument among undergraduate students to identify which activities had the most and least impact on student learning. For this study, we analyzed student perceptions of the effectiveness of industry engagement activities using multivariate analysis of variance. The objective was to determine which industry engagement activities are more effective when looking at student learning. The data gathered included survey responses from senior-level technology students at Iowa State University along with their comments about the various activities. Results indicate that there is a difference in students' perception of how various industry engagement activities impact their learning.

This study investigated the role of a new paradigm in teaching large introductory, fundamental engineering mechanics (IFEM) courses that combined student-centered learning pedagogies and supplemental learning resources. Demographic characteristics in this study included a total of 405 students, of whom 347 (85.7%) are males and 58 are (14.3%) females. The students' majors included aerospace engineering, agricultural engineering, civil engineering, construction engineering, industrial engineering, materials engineering, and mechanical engineering. Results of this study, as tested using an independent samples t-test, validated using a nonparametric independent samples test, and a general linear multivariate model analysis, indicated overwhelmingly that there is a difference between a class taught passively using the teacher-centered pedagogy and a class taught actively using student-centered pedagogy. The principal focus of this work was to determine if the new paradigm was successful in improving student understanding of the course concepts in statics of engineering using student-centered pedagogies in large classes. After evaluating the effects of several variables on students' academic success, the results may provide important information for both faculty members and researchers and present a convincing argument to faculty members interested in academic reform but hesitant to abandon conventional teaching practices. By promoting a new paradigm, the potential for improving understanding of engineering fundamentals on a larger scale may be realized.

In the past ten years, engineering classrooms have seen an exponential growth in the use of technology, more than during any other previous decade. Unprecedented advancements, such as the advent of innovative gadgets and fundamental instructional alterations in engineering classrooms, have introduced changes in both teaching and learning. Student learning in introductory, fundamental engineering mechanics (IFEM) courses, such as statics of engineering, mechanics of materials, dynamics, and mechanics of fluids, as in any other class, is influenced by the experiences students go through in the classroom. Thus, bold new methodologies that connect science to life using student-centered approaches and scaffolding pedagogies need to be emphasized more in the learning process. This study is aimed to gain insight into the role of student-centered teaching, particularly the implementation of scaffolding pedagogies into IFEM courses. This study also attempts to contribute to the current national conversation in engineering education of the need to change its landscape--from passive learning to active learning. Demographic characteristics in this study included a total of 3,592 students, of whom 3,160 (88.0%) are males and 432 (12.0%) are females, over a period of six years, from 2007 to 2013. The students' majors included aerospace engineering, agricultural engineering, civil engineering, construction engineering, industrial engineering, materials engineering, and mechanical engineering. Results of the study, as tested using a general linear univariate model analysis, indicated that overwhelmingly the type of class in statics of engineering is a significant predictor of student "downstream" performance in tests measuring their knowledge of mechanics of materials. There is a statistically significant difference in students' performance in mechanics of materials depending on whether they were taught passively using the teacher-centered pedagogy or taught actively using the student-centered pedagogy in statics of engineering. Mechanics of materials is commonly the next immediate course, or a downstream course, following statics of engineering. [Cover title varies: "Scaffolding in Introductory Engineering Courses."]

The Department of Mathematics at Iowa State University teaches a freshman-level Discrete Mathematics course with total enrollment of about 1,800 students per year. The traditional format includes large lectures, with about 150 students each, taught by faculty and temporary instructors in two class sessions per week and recitation sections, with about 35 students each, taught once per week by a teaching assistant. In this format, the course experienced the standard academic problems associated with the multi-section large lecture format: over 30% D/F/Withdraw rates; lack of uniformity and inconsistency in course objectives, delivery, and testing; low student morale and performance; and insufficient individualized feedback from instructors. In addition, students failed to see the connection of the material to subsequent courses and real world problems; spent great effort on repetitive calculations and little or none on computing; lacked skills in analyzing problems, data presentation, and graphical analysis; and often had substantial gaps in basic algebra skills that were not addressed properly by course content. Discrete Mathematics was redesigned to address these challenges with a Web-based, self-paced model. The Web-based environment integrates WebCT as learning management software, MapleTA as an online testing program, and textbook and related materials by Barnett, Ziegler, and Byleen (Prentice-Hall) as the content basis. The redesigned course includes weekly small recitation sections, additional office hours, availability of the Math Help Room, and peer-mentoring through study groups and Supplemental Instruction. Integrated and proactive student support includes Web-based feedback through online office hours, a Web-bulletin board for each class, and Web-published individual current scores and class standing. The redesigned course syllabus is divided into manageable modules, with clearly communicated learning outcomes and objectives. Expansion of learning and understanding through the application of technology are achieved through incorporating Microsoft EXCEL spreadsheets for instantaneous graphics and simplification of extensive repetitive calculations. The Web environment also includes a new fourth main course topic of basic algebra skills early in the material as preparation for the other sections. Assessment of the course redesign was performed by the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE), in the College of Education, at Iowa State University. The general assessment strategy included a pretest-posttest control group design and long-term study of academic success. Student performance data were used to determine which differences in learning outcomes may be attributable to specific course components. Students in the Web-based sections performed no worse, and usually performed better, than did classroom-based students. These results are based on student performance on learning outcomes in Fall 2002, Spring 2003, and Fall 2003. In a straight comparison, the design sections did significantly better than the control sections on eleven out of thirteen exams compared, with comparable results on the remaining two exams. This difference exists despite significantly higher cumulative GPAs for students in the control sections for two semesters and insignificant differences in the third semester. This suggests that the Web-based course design is able to enhance the performance, and hence the chances for retention, of even less-highly achieving students (as determined by their lower GPAs). A longer-term study of academic success has tracked students through subsequent courses for which Discrete Mathematics is a prerequisite. These results are also positive, though less conclusive. The traditional course used 12 faculty and 15 teaching assistants to deliver the course at a cost of $129 per student. The redesigned course is staffed with 3 faculty and 9 teaching assistants. The redesign costs $77 per student, resulting in savings of $93,600 per year.

An integrated series of courses on embedded systems has been developed at Iowa State University, Ames, spanning early undergraduate to graduate levels. The newest course in the series is CPRE 488: Embedded Systems Design, an advanced undergraduate course that fills a gap in the curriculum by providing system-level design experiences and incorporating new technology advancements. CPRE 488 development focused on lecture-lab integration and laboratory learning. Course and lab activities were designed using a learning model that captures lower-order and higher-order cognition levels of Bloom's taxonomy. The learning experience in the laboratory is characterized using a technique to assess cognitive behavior. Results of applying the Florida Taxonomy of Cognitive Behavior are presented to summarize the depth of student learning and the opportunities for students to progress to higher-order thinking in the laboratory. After two years of experience with the new course, the authors reflect on the course design and outcomes, from both disciplinary and pedagogical viewpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the complicated relationship between high technology industry as an engine of economic development and the public policy-making process. Economic benefits accruing from high technology industries; Background on the State of Iowa's investment for a center of excellence in biotechnology and the opinions of key groups involved in the policy development process; Pertinent groups studied.

Background Evidence supports the use of social marketing campaigns to improve nutrition knowledge and reinforce the effects of nutrition education programs. However, the additional effects of parent-focused social marketing with nutrition education have received little attention. Objective Our aim was to assess the impact of the Iowa Nutrition Network’s school-based nutrition education program (Building and Strengthening Iowa Community Support for Nutrition and Physical Activity [BASICS]) and the benefits of adding a multichannel social marketing intervention (BASICS Plus) to increase parent-directed communication. Design and intervention A quasi-experimental design with three study conditions compared a school-based nutrition education program (BASICS) with a school-based and social marketing intervention (BASICS Plus) and a no-treatment comparison group. Participants/setting The study included 1,037 third-grade students attending 33 elementary schools and their parents. Main outcome measures Measures included parents’ reports of their children’s in-home consumption of fruits and vegetables (F/V) and use of low-fat/fat-free milk. Data on F/V were collected using a modified version of the University of California Cooperative Extension Food Behavior Checklist; and data on milk use were collected using two questions from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Statistical analyses Multilevel, mixed-effect regression models that account for correlation within repeated measures and children within school were used to compare the mean change over time in the outcome variable for one study group with the mean change over time for another study group. Results Children in BASICS increased mean consumption of fruit by 0.16 cups ( P =0.04) compared with children in the comparison group. Children in BASICS Plus increased mean consumption of fruit by 0.17 cups ( P =0.03) and mean consumption of vegetables by 0.13 cups ( P =0.02). Children in BASICS Plus were 1.3 times ( P =0.05) more likely to use low-fat/fat-free milk than children in either the BASICS group or the comparison group. Conclusions Gaining parents’ attention and engaging them in healthy eating practices for their children can be a useful way to increase the effectiveness of school-based nutrition education programs. This study demonstrates the benefits of incorporating a parent-focused social marketing campaign in nutrition education interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insights into barriers and facilitators for healthy eating are needed to improve low-income women's diets and to decrease disease risk. The study objectives were to explore women's qualitative perceptions of influences on their food choices such as food security, their knowledge of nutrition-related health risk factors and self-efficacy for diet change, and their dietary intakes in practice. Thirty-six women, aged 19-50, who were eligible to receive income-based assistance were recruited in central Iowa. Focus group discussions on defining healthy foods, influences on food choice, and nutrition information sources were analyzed using a socioecological model framework. Demographics, nutrient intake estimates, food security status, health behaviors, and self-efficacy for nutrition behavior change were collected by survey. Most participants were White (61%), single (69%), food insecure (69%), and living with children (67%). Few women met dietary recommendations. Barriers to healthy eating include cost, convenience/preparation time, family taste preferences, and limitations of federal food assistance programs. Facilitators are high self-efficacy for nutrition change and health knowledge on average. These results challenge the strategy of using nutrition education to improve healthy eating and instead show that intervention messaging should focus on limited, achievable steps to improve dietary choices that fit within cost, convenience, and taste constraints.

This study evaluated the influence of temporal variation on the occurrence, fate, and transport of tylosin (TYL) and sulfamethazine (SMZ); antibiotics commonly used in swine production. Atrazine (ATZ) was used as a reference analyte to indicate the agricultural origin of the antibiotics. We also assessed the impact of season and hydrology on antibiotic concentrations. A reconnaissance study of the South Fork watershed of the Iowa River (SFIR), was conducted from 2013 to 2015. Tile drain effluent and surface water were monitored using polar organic integrative sampler (POCIS) technology. Approximately 169 animal feeding operations (AFOs) exist in SFIR, with 153 of them being swine facilities. All analytes were detected, and detection frequencies ranged from 69 to 100% showing the persistence in the watershed. Antibiotics were detected at a higher frequency using POCIS compared to grab samples. We observed statistically significant seasonal trends for SMZ and ATZ concentrations during growing and harvest seasons. Time weighted average (TWA) concentrations quantified from the POCIS were 1.87ngL -1 (SMZ), 0.30ngL -1 (TYL), and 754.2ngL -1 (ATZ) in the watershed. SMZ and TYL concentrations were lower than the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for E. coli. All analytes were detected in tile drain effluent, confirming tile drainage as a pathway for antibiotic transport. Our results identify the episodic occurrence of antibiotics, and highlights the importance identifying seasonal fate and occurrence of these analytes., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

At-risk older adults need community-based nutrition programs that improve nutritional status and practices. This 6-month study assessed the impact of the traditional Chef Charles (CC) program (Control) compared to a theory-based CC program (Treatment) on nutritional risk (NR), dietary intakes, self-efficacy (SE), food security (FS), and program satisfaction for congregate meal participants. Participants were mostly educated, single, "food secure" White females. NR change for the treatment group was significantly higher (P = 0.042) than the control group. No differences were noted for SE or FS change and program satisfaction between groups. The overall distribution classification levels of FS changed significantly (P < .001) from pre to post. Over half (n = 46, 76.7%) reported making dietary changes and the majority (n = 52, 86.7%) rated CC as good to excellent. Results suggest the theory-based CC program (treatment) is more effective in reducing NR and dietary practices than the traditional CC program (control).