You may have heard of the entrepreneurially minded learning (EML), 3C’s or the KEEN framework. But what are they? And how is RIME using EML in the EED to impact motivation and identity?
First off, KEEN [1] is a network of thousands of faculty at partner universities across the country. They collaborate to perform research on new methods and redesign engineering curricula in order to unleash the potential of their students.
How does the KEEN framework accomplish this?
The KEEN Framework is defined by the following equation:
Where the Engineering Mindset is defined by the 3C’s to teach students to understand the big picture of engineering:
- Curiosity: Question with boldness. Explore contrarian perspectives.
- Connections: Think outside the box. Place old ideas in new contexts.
- Creating Value: Think opportunity. Stakeholders. Impact.
The Engineering Skillsets are defined as:
- Opportunity: Refining concepts, thinking more broadly about the world, and understanding the customer for whom you are designing.
- Design: Developing requirements, analyzing solutions, creating models or prototypes.
- Impact: Communicating an engineering solution in economic terms, validating market interest, identifying supply chains distribution methods, and communicating an engineering solution in terms of societal benefits.
The Engineering Outcomes incorporate another 3C’s and is defined as:
- The foundation of the Engineering Mindset
- Coupled with Engineering Thought and Action: Applying creative thinking to ambiguous problems, applying systems thinking to complex problems, evaluating technical feasibility and economic drivers, and examining societal and individual needs
- Expressed through Collaboration: Forming and working in teams, understanding the motivations and perspectives of others
- And Communication: Conveying engineering solutions in economic terms, substantiating claims with data and facts
- And founded on Character: Identifying personal passions and a plan for professional development, fulfilling commitments in a timely manner, discerning and pursuing ethical practices, contributing to society as an active citizen
Where does RIME fit into this equation?
RIME is part of a four-phase pilot project at OSU focused on EML’s impact on student motivation and identity. We are utilizing the Longitudinal Model of Motivation and Identity (LMMI), developed by Dr. Kajfez, RIME’s Principal Investigator [2], which combines self-determination theory (SDT) [3] and possible-selves theory (PST) [4].
- SDT is concerned with the constructs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness to increase motivation and identity
- PST allows individuals to set goals, think to the future, and envision themselves after completing some experience.
What did we do?
We wanted to investigate how other KEEN network institutions are incorporating EML into their first-year engineering curricula in order to develop a curriculum at OSU that integrates their best practices while examining the progress of student motivation, identity, engineering skillsets, and learning over the first-year. To do so, our research question was:
In what ways do entrepreneurial minded learning (EML) experiences affect first-year engineering students’ motivation and identity development?
Members of RIME, along with other EED faculty, traveled to five different KEEN sites to collect data. We conducted focus group interviews with faculty that are incorporating EML in their classrooms, performed observations of classrooms that utilize EML, and administered a survey to students regarding EML and LMMI topics.
What did the results say we should do?
Some of the best practices showed that faculty should:
- Allow students some type of choice in their project to increase autonomy.
- Incorporate real-world elements so that students begin to see themselves as real engineers that are contributing real value to society.
- Allow students to work in teams where they build connections and relatedness through collaboration with their customers as well as other students on their teams.
- Emphasize that nothing is failure: mistakes are a learning opportunity which build competence, confidence, and character.
- Provide assistance to the student teams to strengthen their competence and relatedness.
The results were then incorporated into the redesign process of the first-year engineering courses to develop learning objectives, course activities, and assessments. These new courses are currently being piloted!
To read more about our research results, click here [5] and check back for future publications!
References:
[1] The Kern Family Foundation, “The KEEN framework,” 2019. [Online]. Available: https://engineeringunleashed.com/Mindset-Matters/Framework.aspx.
[2] R. L. Kajfez, H. M. Matusovich, and W. C. Lee, “Designing developmental experiences for graduate teaching assistants using a holistic model for motivation and identity,” Int. J. Eng. Educ., vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 1208–1221, 2016.
[3] R. Ryan and E. Deci, “Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation,” Am. Psychol., vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 68–78, 2000.
[4] H. Markus and P. Nurius, “Possible selves,” Am. Psychol., vol. 41, no. 9, pp. 954–969, 1986.
[5] R. Desing, R. L. Kajfez, K. M. Kecskemety, D. Grzybowski, and M. F. Cox, “Work-in-progress: Mapping entrepreneurial minded learning with the longitudinal model of motivation and identity in first-year engineering courses,” in 10th Annual First Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference, 2018.