Increasing the Success of Lower Division Undergraduate Students through the Use of Common Teaching Tools
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This paper describes the development and use of common teaching tool, the Construction Industry Simulation (COINS), at Hartnell College community college and in the lower division undergraduate level at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo designed to increase the success of community college transfer students and lower division undergraduate students.A partnership built through the use COINS seeks to educate civil and construction engineering students at the lower division and to introduce students to core engineering fundamentals that form a basis for the knowledge on which they can build in upper division courses and at the same time increase interest and excitement about engineering by incorporating project-based learning early in the curriculum.The benefits for students include better preparation of students, as demonstrated by increasing deeper understanding of project controls and constructability issues, for upper division coursework by implementing project planning and control systems engineering design and implementation, realize an increase of 25% in the retention of students who currently transfer from engineering to other non-engineering majors prior to commencing upper division coursework, and increasing the number of transfer students to civil and construction engineering programs at 4-year institutions.This paper describes the proposed collaboration and work between Cal Poly and Hartnell College community college to utilize common teaching tools and increase the success of lower division undergraduate students and community college transfer students. Introduction and BackgroundCalifornia Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (CPSLO) is one of the three most selective public universities in California and one of the least diverse, yet the faculty still struggle with developing appropriate instructional methods and content to engage students and prepare them in the civil and construction engineering industries.This struggle results from the desire to involve students in authentic activities that teach how to develop constructible designs while retaining the delivery of core engineering fundamentals.Implementing more engaging, authentic learning activities would increase the retention of engineering students who switch majors because instruction does not link theory to practice and would attract and retain a more diverse student population in the engineering majors.Research and the demands of the industry and the current global environment compel diversity 8,19,23,41 , thus it is imperative that CPSLO increase diversity in its engineering departments while preparing graduates to enter the workforce with the skills necessary to make immediate contributions.Further, industry reports that students' limited preparation often delays their making contributions to integration, collaboration, productivity, and accuracy, all of which are necessary in the engineering and construction industries.Project-based learning, combined with simulations and multidisciplinary learning opportunities, not only significantly enhances the ability of students to successfully enter the
Authors: Thomas Korman, Hal Johnston, Kay Gore
Institution: California Polytechnic State University
Language: English
Subfield: Architecture
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4409668234