This project by Cabrillo College is working to develop an effective approach in undergraduate engineering education for students at this two-year Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). This research focuses on developing strategies that enhance interest and motivation of students and improve persistence and graduation rates in undergraduate STEM programs at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. This project will evaluate the impact that an engineering service-learning abroad project has on Latino and low-income students' academic commitment and persistence in completing engineering degrees. Engineering service-learning abroad activities are effective motivators and career development experiences for students. Such experiences instill an appreciation for the world-changing potential that engineering offers. However, often the high cost of participation in service-learning abroad makes these experiences effectively out-of-reach for many engineering students attending two-year colleges. This project will expand the existing engineering service-learning abroad program at Cabrillo and make it possible for low income students to participate. It is expected that engineering service-learning abroad will have a positive influence on their commitment to engineering careers and persistence to degree completion. This study will accumulate data to test this hypothesis. A positive result will provide useful information regarding strategies that might be used to increase the number of low-income and Latino students who persist in engineering majors and complete degrees.
Cabrillo College Engineering Abroad Program conducts engineering service-learning abroad activities. The out-of-county component to this program takes place in Latin America. The existing program will be expanded in the course of this study. Projects focus on areas of dire need and the recent engineering abroad project was a rainwater catchment system to provide potable water to a small village. Initial work at Cabrillo indicates the potential of this engineering service learning abroad program to enhance the interest and motivation of students and improve their persistence. Initial work shows Latino student participants are integral to the project team because of their unique understanding of Hispanic culture and their skill as translators. Many Latino students have not traveled outside the United States. However their unique background results in their serving as leaders of the group which is the reverse of their experience in traditional classrooms. These experiences were found to have a dramatic impact on Latino student feelings of self-efficacy and empowerment. This project will more thoroughly investigate and document these results.
The project will yield evaluation data regarding the extent to which these activities have improved the skills of the participants. Established service-learning assessment methods will be used to measure: civic engagement, industry-relevant skills, global/cultural skills, personal growth, academic and career growth, and engineering skills. Other quantitative measurements will compare the academic performance and degree progress of students participating in the engineering abroad experience to corresponding outcomes achieved by students in a comparison group. Qualitative analyses will be employed to explore how the experience abroad may have contributed to changes in students' confidence, plans for the future, perception of themselves as leaders, and commitment to the field of engineering.
