Vertical Integration of Engineering Education

Evaluation

Program assessment was based on focus groups conducted
with the VIE students in Fall 2004 and Spring 2005. Overall
the students felt the VIE program promoted student-to-student
interaction, faculty-to-student interaction, continuity of class
material, and encouraged a deep understanding of the course
concepts. All students involved in the evaluation exercise
would take the sequence of courses again if given the
opportunity. Despite student support of the program, they
believe that the course structure may not be suitable for all
students because it is intense and time-consuming. This
section is summarized into prominent themes that emerged
through the analysis of focus group notes. Themes are
presented in order of perceived importance to the students. As
a reminder the 281X and 381X courses refer to the classes
taken by the VIE students in the Fall and Spring, respectively.

Theme 1. Continuity in the course structure promoted
student learning

Students believe that their learning experience was enhanced by continuity in the structure of the course. Continuous flow of material and lab projects permitted students to have the knowledge needed to begin spring course material or as one student said they could, "pick right up instead of backtracking." Faculty involvement from the fall to the spring semester provided students with an understanding of teaching methods and expectations as well as an opportunity for a connection with the faculty members. Maintenance of the same students in both the 281x and 381x courses provided students with connections to other students that promoted opportunities for small group learning. One student commented that in a class of 80 students (e.g., the 210 and 211 courses), they may know five students, but in a class of 15 students they know all the other students.

Laboratory exercises that are cumulative and connected
provided opportunities for learning. Cumulative labs over
both semesters were described as "very big" and required
great understanding to complete. Because they were
continuous, one student indicated that he learned more by
building a project from start to end, than if the lab exercises
were disconnected and unrelated to one another. Another
student supported this by indicating the advantage of working
at his own pace.

Theme 2. Intense course structure promoted a deep
understanding of the material

Because students were enrolled in the course and labs for eight hours per semester, they were deeply immersed in the course material and believed that they had a greater understanding for the concepts. One student indicated that he was able to
understand and experiment with the concepts because of the
depth of the instruction and labs. Students agreed that they
felt the challenge of the course and the heavy requirements for
learning this material would benefit them in the future as
engineers because they will have better ability to recall the
information taught.

Theme 3. Small class structure promoted accountability,
interaction, and flexibility

Students believed that the small class structure promoted interaction with other students and faculty. This led to more accountability to instructors and peers, while allowing flexibility based on unforeseeable developments in learning and instruction. Students had a close connection with the two faculty members and had open communication with them about class expectations. As noted earlier, the students had close interaction with one another, so they felt comfortable asking each other for help. Also, the small class structure, combined with the relationships
developed among faculty and students, permitted the faculty
instruction to be flexible to the learning styles and pace of the
students.

Theme 4. Course structure may promote opportunities
after completion of the classes

Students felt that there would be benefits of the course structure after completion of the academic year because of the connection between the students to other students, students to the faculty, and the intense learning that took place. Students indicated the relationships formed with other students would be beneficial in their senior year when they will need additional feedback on their senior projects. Students felt that their candidacy for an internship or job after graduation were strengthened because
recommendation letters from faculty would be informed by
active involvement with them, and that they were better
prepared than their peers.