Two College of Liberal Arts and Sciences social scientists will lend expertise to an Iowa State University project designed to transform education for the next generation of electrical and computer engineers.
The project, Reinventing the Instructional and Departmental Enterprise (RIDE), is funded by a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation and will be led by a diverse, 15-member multi-disciplinary team featuring collaboration between the Colleges of Engineering, Human Sciences, Design and Liberal Arts and Sciences. The project’s goals include revolutionizing engineering course design to keep pace with continuously evolving technology and systems and expanding inclusive teaching and learning experiences to broaden participation of underrepresented students.
Mack Shelley, university professor and chair of the political science department, and Lisa Larson, professor of psychology, will provide expertise to examine the role of faculty in implementing new departmental and curricular practices. They will collect and analyze survey data related to faculty motivation to transform teaching engineering students based on Self-Determination Theory in areas of relatedness, perceived competence and perceived autonomy.
“Using the survey data, we will estimate statistical models of faculty transformation and the effects of that transformation on student outcomes,” Shelley said.
Reinventing the Instructional and Departmental Enterprise (RIDE) project team members at Iowa State University include:
Brian Burt, education
Lora Leigh Chrystal, program for Women in Science and Engineering
Kristen Constant, department chair, materials science and engineering
Doug Jacobson, electrical and computer engineering
David Jiles, department chair, electrical and computer engineering
Phillip Jones, electrical and computer engineering
Mari Kemis, education
Lisa Larson, psychology
Mani Mina, electrical and computer engineering
Sarah Rajala, dean, college of engineering
Sarah Rodriguez, education
Diane Rover, electrical and computer engineering
Mack Shelley, political science
Seda Yilmaz, industrial design
Joe Zambreno, electrical and computer engineeringAdditional details are available on the College of Engineering website.