Educational Research Being Performed
The Hands-On MADE 4 ME project contains an educational reseach component that aims to study how desktop CNCs used in the classroom for hands-on activities can affect motivation towards learning engineering material. Students are surveyed pre- and post- course as well as weekly/bi-weekly during the semester. The longterm surveys examine attitudes toward learning and self-efficacy, while the more frequent surveys examine student motivation.
Student Motivation
Student motivation is assessed using the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) [1]. The SIMS is a survey instrument that can be used to assess a student's level of situational motivation according to the scale defined by Self Determination Theory [2]. The motivation subscales include: intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation.
Preliminary results indicate that students report more internally manifested motivation (intrinsic and identified regulation) when they are exposed to integrated, hands-on, design oriented laboratory activities. Further investigation with a larger participant pool is planned for Fall 2014.
Student Attitudes Toward Learning
Further investigation will be performed using subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)[3], Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) [4] and Learning Inventory (LI) [5] instruments. Results will be reported when a substantial participant pool has been surveyed.
[1] Frédéric Guay, Robert J. Vallerand,and Céline Blanchard, "On the Assessment of Situational Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS)", Motivation and Emotion, Vol. 24, No. 3, 2000.
[2] Deci, E. L., & R. M. Ryan, "Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior" New York: Plenum, 1985.
[3] P.R. Pintrich, D.A.F. Smith, T. Garcia, W.J. McKeachie. "A manual for the use of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)". Ann Arbor, MI: National Center for Research to Improve Post-Secondary Teaching (1991).
[4] G. Schraw, R.S. Dennison. "Assessing Metacognitive Awareness". Contemporary Educational Psychology, 19, 4, pp. 460-475 (1994).
[5] S. Bolhuis, M.J.M. Voeten. "Teachers’ Conceptions of Student Learning and Own Learning." Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 10, 1, pp. 77-98 (2004).
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