Interdisciplinary Research Methods: Enhancing Professional Skills of Engineering Ph.D. Students

Published in: Global Partnerships for Development and Engineering Education: Proceedings of the 15th LACCEI International Multi-Conference for Engineering, Education and Technology
Date of Conference: July 19-21, 2017
Location of Conference: Boca Raton, FL, United States
Authors: Edward Hensel, PhD. (Rochester Institute of Technology, US)
Risa Robinson, PhD. (Rochester Institute of Technology, US)
Full Paper: #84

Abstract:

This paper presents assessment of course learning outcomes achieved for a first-semester doctoral engineering course intended to promote development of the professional skills in the areas of societal context, research statistics, research ethics, technical peer review, and oral / written communication needed by engineering terminal degree graduates. Results indicate student achievement of most outcomes at or above the target benchmark levels and suggest areas for continued course improvement. Direct assessment of student learning is conducted using instructor evaluation in the form of observation and examination, and coupled with peer assessment of oral and written communication skills. The authors conclude it is feasible to achieve significant improvement in doctoral student professional skills in an inter-disciplinary classroom setting. Further, peer evaluations appear to provide most value when evaluative assessments are presented to peers as binary decisions, while formative assessments are more effective in the form of short answer queries and responses. Future work includes documenting course learning outcomes related to the intersection of public policy and engineering research, technology commercialization, intellectual property management, and the process of translating research outcomes into realized systems.