RAPID: Faculty Adaptability and Community Engagement when Teaching in a Crisis
Project PI's: Drs. Grace Panther & Heidi Diefes-Dux
Amount and Years: $224,572, 2020 - 2022
Funding: National Science Foundation Award #2027471
Abstract: The alarming spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a national emergency. Many universities announced in mid-March 2020 that all courses taught in classrooms will be delivered online for the remainder of the semester. RAPID response funding enables real-time documentation of the faculty experience during this crisis and helps explain the results of studies of teacher-design instruction generated during the COVID-19 event. The results of this study will help future efforts to build supports of individual faculty development with teaching.
Exploring the Intersection of Mental Health and Retention in Engineering Education
Project PI's: Drs. Jessica Deters & Mun Yuk Chin
Amount and Years: $20,000, 2023
Funding: John C. and Nettie V. David Memorial Trust Fund via UNL Research Council Interdisciplinary Research Grant
Abstract: Improving undergraduate student retention in engineering has been a longstanding concern in engineering programs across the U.S. Our study aims to develop recommendations and strategies to address barriers that students may face in engineering with the goal of improving retention and improving students’ overall experiences in engineering.
Developing a Learning Community to Support Student Success in MECH 223 Engineering Statics
Project PI: Dr. Logan Perry
Project Co-PIs: Drs. Jessica Deters, Libby Jones
Amount and Years: $100,000, 2023 - 2024
Funding: Fred J. Kelly Fund
Abstract: Engineering mechanics courses like Statics (MECH 223) are the backbone of the civil, architectural and mechanical engineering curricula and provide foundational knowledge upon which later engineering courses depend. The DFW rate for MECH 223 is significantly higher than DFW rates for the university, which leads us to classify it as a bottleneck course and draws attention to its impact on student retention and student success. Ultimately, this research aims to reduce the DFW rate in MECH 223 at UNL to improve student retention and success in engineering.
The Science of Safety Training
Project PI: Dr. Logan Perry
Project Co-PIs: Drs. Siddharth Bhandari & Matthew Hallowell (CU Boulder)
Years: 2022-2024
Funding: Construction Safety Research Alliance
Training is the cornerstone of an effective safety program. It allows us to impart knowledge, improve skills, and reinforce safety culture. However, in contrast to rapid advancements in science and technology, safety training has been slow to change. By studying training from a scientific perspective, we will unpack the fundamental drivers of adult learning and reimagine training as it is currently delivered. Specifically, we will explore how time-tested strategies like storytelling and humor pair with modern technologies like simulations, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. With input from front-line employees and controlled experiments, we will test how these potentially transformative methods of training impact the acquisition, retention, and application of new safety knowledge. This project is critical for equipping the next generation with training that is purposely designed to be more effective, efficient, and engaging.