丹尼尔·威尔逊

2023年9月19日

萨克拉门托 State’s Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department is taking a new approach to some of its key courses as it aims to reduce equity gaps, increase enrollment and improve graduation rates.

在美国国家科学基金会（NSF） 59.5万美元的资助下，项目- ace（主动学习为基础的工程课程转型，追求卓越的公平性）重新构想了六门EEE课程，重点是参与。

从本学期开始，工程导论、电路分析导论和网络分析等课程将不再采用传统的授课形式，而是通过实际博彩平台和本科生的研究经验来实施基于项目的学习。系里说，这些课程是关键路径的一部分，因为它们互为专业的一部分。

工程与计算机科学学院（ECS）为期三年的倡议实施了一种实践的学习方法，旨在降低辍学率，特别是在代表性不足的群体中，他们的失败率较高，并吸引更多的学生参加该计划。

“Receiving this grant from the National Science Foundation has been very important for us because it focuses on how students learn,” said Mahyar Zarghami, EEE department chair. “I hope that projects like Project-ACE would increase the satisfaction rate of our students and make them more interested in the major.”

项目负责人、EEE副教授Praveen Meduri说，虽然这种学习方式用于高年级项目课程，但院系研究表明，尽早接触学生在该领域的工作类型，将有助于学生坚持并在专业上取得更好的成功。

“It all comes down to using authentic practices that professionals use in the real field,” Meduri said. “We want to bring them into the classroom. 学生对自己的学习有自主权，能够建立项目。 It really has been shown to improve students’ self-efficacy.”

梅杜里说，也有大量证据表明，主动学习的经历有助于平等教育。

“It has been demonstrated with a preponderance of evidence that active learning can narrow the equity gaps,” he said. “Excellence is accessible to all colors; 这与种族或肤色无关。 But when we look at reality, nationwide and at 囊状态, students of color have significant academic barriers, so that has been the prime motivation for this project.”

ace项目预计将在未来三年内惠及约2500名学生。 随着研究的进展，Meduri和部门的其他人将分析结果，并在需要的地方做出调整。

“This project will narrow equity gaps among historically minoritized students in some of our most critical EEE courses,” ECS Dean Kevan Shafizadeh said. “This kind of focus on active learning to help our students graduate in a timely manner with practical, hands-on experience with equity in mind is who we are and what we do at 囊状态.”

学生对自己的学习有自主权，能够建立项目。 It really has been shown to improve students’ self-efficacy.” ——Praveen Meduri，电气与电子工程副教授，ace项目负责人

与Meduri一起，其他参与确保拨款和实施项目- ace的人包括EEE教授Mohammed Eltayeb和Milica Markovic， EEE和物理学讲师Sergio Aguilar Rudametkin以及生物科学讲师Cathy Ishikawa。

The group also had support from Offices of 研究, Innovation and Economic Development (ORIED) Senior 研究er Jill Shannon and Mariappan “Jawa” Jawaharlal, ORIED associate vice president and former ECS associate dean for Faculty Affairs.

“Graduation itself is an important milestone, but the real success comes with their learning experiences,” Jawaharlal said. “I also see a bigger impact of this kind of proposal, not just on our students, but on the campus.

“I'm hoping there will be more proposals along these lines from other colleges as well, which will transform our education, not just providing a lecture, but involving students in engaging, hands-on, authentic learning experiences.”

ace项目的另一个方面是培训教师，并培养15名本科生和研究生的学习和研究助理，他们将获得领导、指导和各种其他技能。

扎格哈米说，对于电子电气工程系来说，能够以这种方式改进课程和满足学生的需求，是使其专业更平易近人、帮助学生取得成功的重要一步。 他说，他希望获得一笔资助来支持这个项目，这将激励其他人也进行创新。

“Our educational research is very important because we take pride in ourselves as being good educators,” Zarghami said. “I think this type of grant would be something that could be a model for the rest of our department members.”

Meduri说，该系计划与自然科学与数学学院合作，将类似的主动学习策略整合到EEE学位所需的数学课程中，因为它将继续努力使更多的学生更容易接触到它的专业。

“These equity gaps are appalling. They have no place in higher education,” Meduri said. “These are not unique to 囊状态. 这是一场股权危机。 We are only doing a small part in terms of taking a step in the right direction, and that's been the motivation for us.”