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Our aim was to explore the usefulness of Use, Change, Value (UCV) discussions to facilitate Transformative Experiences (TE) in online engineering courses. We investigated the predictive relationship between perceived instrumentality (PI) and interest on TE. We also investigated gender differences in the predictive relationships between the variables. In a quasi-experimental study with 74 students, we investigated two teaching approaches (UCV discussions and traditional) on TE, PI, and interest. Students' interest positively predicted higher TE in both groups, however, PI did not predict TE in the treatment. Interest and PI predicted TE in the control. Furthermore, male students TE was predicted by PI and interest, whereas female students TE was predicted by interest but not PI. PI is only a predictor of TE in female students and students who do not receive the intervention, suggesting that TE may generate an in the moment instrumentality experience, while PI is future-oriented.

Background: Little research exists on students' misconceptions about semiconductors, why they form, and what role educational resources like simulations play in misconception formation. Research on misconceptions can help enhance student learning about semiconductors. Purpose (Hypothesis): This project sought to identify students' misconceptions about three semiconductor phenomena -- diffusion, drift, and excitation -- and to determine if prior knowledge, knowledge acquired from watching animated simulations, or both were related to students' misconceptions. We hypothesized that students would hold misconceptions about those phenomena and that students' prior knowledge and knowledge acquired from watching animated simulations would be associated with their misconceptions. Design/Method: Forty-one engineering students completed an instrument that asked questions about three semiconductor phenomena after the students had observed the animated simulations. Responses were analyzed and coded using two frameworks: misconception and knowledge use. Results: Misconceptions were prevalent for all three phenomena. Misconceptions were associated with use of incorrect prior knowledge, a combination of correct or incorrect prior knowledge, and the knowledge acquired from watching the animated simulations alone or in combination with correct and incorrect prior knowledge. Misconceptions indicated a lack of understanding of chemistry and physics concepts. Conclusions: Findings indicate that students hold many misconceptions about semiconductor phenomena. These misconceptions were common among our participants. The knowledge acquired from the animated simulations alone or in combination with prior knowledge could reinforce or contribute to misconception formation. Our findings can guide instructors to use or create better simulations to aid student learning.

Background: Technical, nonengineering required courses taken at the onset of an engineering degree provide students a foundation for engineering coursework. Students who perform poorly in these foundational courses, even in those tailored to engineering, typically have limited success in engineering. A profile approach may explain why these courses are obstacles for engineering students. This approach examines the interaction among motivation and self-regulation constructs. Purpose (Hypothesis): This project sought to determine what motivational and self-regulated learning profiles engineering students adopt in foundational courses. We hypothesized that engineering students would adopt profiles associated with maladaptive motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning behaviors. The effects of profile adoption on learning and differences associated with student major, minor, and gender were analyzed. Design/Method: Five hundred and thirty-eight students, 332 of them engineering majors, were surveyed on motivation and self-regulation variables. Data were analyzed from a learner-centered profile approach using cluster analysis. Results: We obtained a five-cluster learning profile solution. Approximately 83% of engineering students enrolled in an engineering-tailored foundational computer science course adopted maladaptive profiles. These students learned less than those who adopted adaptive learning profiles. Profile adoption depended on whether a student was considering a major or minor in computer science or not. Conclusions: Findings indicate the motivational and self-regulated learning profiles that engineering students adopt in foundational courses, why they do so, and what profile adoption means for learning. Our findings can guide instructors in providing motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning scaffolds in the classroom.

Our aim was to explore the usefulness of Use, Change, Value (UCV) discussions to facilitate Transformative Experiences (TE) in online engineering courses. We investigated the predictive relationship between perceived instrumentality (PI) and interest on TE. We also investigated gender differences in the predictive relationships between the variables. In a quasi-experimental study with 74 students, we investigated two teaching approaches (UCV discussions and traditional) on TE, PI, and interest. Students' interest positively predicted higher TE in both groups, however, PI did not predict TE in the treatment. Interest and PI predicted TE in the control. Furthermore, male students TE was predicted by PI and interest, whereas female students TE was predicted by interest but not PI. PI is only a predictor of TE in female students and students who do not receive the intervention, suggesting that TE may generate an in the moment instrumentality experience, while PI is future-oriented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Technical, nonengineering required courses taken at the onset of an engineering degree provide students a foundation for engineering coursework. Students who perform poorly in these foundational courses, even in those tailored to engineering, typically have limited success in engineering. A profile approach may explain why these courses are obstacles for engineering students. This approach examines the interaction among motivation and self-regulation constructs. Purpose (Hypothesis) This project sought to determine what motivational and self-regulated learning profiles engineering students adopt in foundational courses. We hypothesized that engineering students would adopt profiles associated with maladaptive motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning behaviors. The effects of profile adoption on learning and differences associated with student major, minor, and gender were analyzed. Design/Method Five hundred and thirty-eight students, 332 of them engineering majors, were surveyed on motivation and self-regulation variables. Data were analyzed from a learner-centered profile approach using cluster analysis. Results We obtained a five-cluster learning profile solution. Approximately 83% of engineering students enrolled in an engineering-tailored foundational computer science course adopted maladaptive profiles. These students learned less than those who adopted adaptive learning profiles. Profile adoption depended on whether a student was considering a major or minor in computer science or not. Conclusions Findings indicate the motivational and self-regulated learning profiles that engineering students adopt in foundational courses, why they do so, and what profile adoption means for learning. Our findings can guide instructors in providing motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning scaffolds in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains are of particular importance for bioremediation due to their unique capability of transforming perchloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) to non-toxic ethene, through the intermediates cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). Despite the widespread environmental distribution of Dehalococcoides, biostimulation sometimes fails to promote dechlorination beyond cis-DCE. In our study, microcosms established with garden soil and mangrove sediment also stalled at cis-DCE, albeit Dehalococcoides mccartyi containing the reductive dehalogenase genes tceA, vcrA and bvcA were detected in the soil/sediment inocula. Reductive dechlorination was not promoted beyond cis-DCE, even after multiple biostimulation events with fermentable substrates and a lengthy incubation. However, transfers from microcosms stalled at cis-DCE yielded dechlorination to ethene with subsequent enrichment cultures containing up to 109Dehalococcoides mccartyi cells mL−1. Proteobacterial classes which dominated the soil/sediment communities became undetectable in the enrichments, and methanogenic activity drastically decreased after the transfers. We hypothesized that biostimulation of Dehalococcoides in the cis-DCE-stalled microcosms was impeded by other microbes present at higher abundances than Dehalococcoides and utilizing terminal electron acceptors from the soil/sediment, hence, outcompeting Dehalococcoides for H2. In support of this hypothesis, we show that garden soil and mangrove sediment microcosms bioaugmented with their respective cultures containing Dehalococcoides in high abundance were able to compete for H2 for reductive dechlorination from one biostimulation event and produced ethene with no obvious stall. Overall, our results provide an alternate explanation to consolidate conflicting observations on the ubiquity of Dehalococcoides mccartyi and occasional stalling of dechlorination at cis-DCE; thus, bringing a new perspective to better assess biological potential of different environments and to understand microbial interactions governing bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]