(153e) Impact of a Computer Programming Support Center on (Chemical) Engineering Students’ Success and Satisfaction

In the chemical/biochemical engineering curriculum at the study institution, 11 required undergraduate courses taught by the Department of Chemical Engineering include a substantial programming component, using Matlab, Python, and/or process simulation software (Aspen Plus™ or SuperPro Designer^®). In response to demand for increased out-of-class programming support specific to these courses, an expansion of existing support specific to community college transfer students was implemented in January 2020. While the focus of this program was on (bio)chemical engineering students, this support was made available to all engineering students at the study institution. The ongoing goals of this project are as follows:

1. To retain at risk undergraduates in difficult, programming intensive courses, keeping students on track for a 4-year graduation (2-years for transfer students).
2. To increase overall student success and satisfaction in programming intensive courses.

In response to an earlier study done on the barriers to success for transfer students in engineering at the study institution [1], a programming crash course in Matlab, piloted in Fall 2017, was developed to address the lack of programming preparation cited by students, and in particular those taking courses in the Department of Chemical Engineering. This crash course has been offered to incoming transfer students in the Fall of their transfer year as an optional 1-credit course for the past three years. Survey results and anecdotal feedback have shown that transfer students find the course to be valuable (course’s educational value rated 4.5/5). Additionally, it was found that a number of non-transfer students were interested in the course due to their perceived lack of programming preparation for their junior-level courses. However, despite the interest and positive feedback, students have found it difficult to complete the crash course requirements while also balancing their heavy load of required courses. What had emerged from the three iterations of the programming crash course was that both 4-year and transfer students were eager for on-demand programming support, but hesitant to commit to or persist in a formal course. Additionally, this need for programming support goes beyond the junior-year Fall quarter and transcends the entire (bio)chemical engineering upper-division curriculum. In addition to the survey and anecdotal feedback related to the crash course, students have been demanding additional support on their senior exit surveys for not only their Matlab/Python intensive courses but also for their courses that heavily utilize process simulation software (Aspen Plus™ or SuperPro Designer^®). In Spring 2017, the junior class at the study institution was also surveyed and their lack of training and support for their programming intensive coursework was also heavily cited.

In order to address this need for additional programming support for students, the Department of Chemical Engineering at the study institution established a team of graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate tutors under the direction of a faculty director who were collectively responsible for providing both one-on-one tutoring sessions and small group programming support sessions. In order to assess the goals of this project, a number of direct and indirect assessments were carried out. These included:

• Direct Assessments (indicates when assessed)
  • Grades in target courses of students who use services vs those that did not (quarterly)
  • Overall average GPA of class in target courses vs previous years (quarterly)
  • Number of students and demographics of students who used services (quarterly)
• Indirect Assessments (indicates when assessed)
  • Survey of students who use services, to include satisfaction with services, perception of gains in programming skill level, and sense of satisfaction with target courses (quarterly)
  • Comments on senior exit surveys related to programming skills and target courses as compared to previous years (annually)

In addition to answering the demand for out-of-class programming support, multiple benefits to both our students associated with this project were anticipated. The first expected benefit was that students would persist in difficult, programming intensive courses instead of dropping or delaying courses thereby delaying their graduation. Secondly, students who took advantage of this support program were expected to see improvement in their performance, particularly in the target (programming intensive) courses. Further, by becoming more adept at using these programming tools, students were expected to have a greater sense of satisfaction with respect to their programming abilities, their performance in these courses, and in their overall college experience.

References:

1. Gentry SP, Bronner CE, Choi JH, and White JR. (2018) “Successes and Difficulties Experienced by Engineering Transfer Students at a Large Public University.” Proceedings of the 2018 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition.