1. Comparison of Mechanical Aptitude, Prior Experiences, and Engineering Attitude for Male and Female Mechanical Engineering Students Michele Miller, Anna Pereira, and Ben Mitchell Mechanical Engineering

2. Outline  Introduction  Mechanical Aptitude Measures  Role of Prior Experiences  Attitudes About Engineering  Conclusions and Future Work

3. Introduction  We’re studying hands-on ability  what it is  why it is important  how to measure it  where it comes from  whether it predicts interest in engineering and who will study engineering  how to teach it

4. “Hands-On Ability” Engineering Attitude Prior Experiences

5. What is Hands-On Ability?  Practical ingenuity (NAE)  Tinkering ability (Baker, et al.)  “The use of tangible items (tools, machines, equipment, etc.) with a mental understanding (theoretical and practical) in the physical world to accomplish a task (fix, create, problem solve, build, etc.)”

6. Measures  Paper and pencil mechanical aptitude test  Gears, valves, mechanisms  Mechanical trades exam  16 questions, 10-20 minutes to complete

7. Sample MAT Question In Figure 1, the threaded block can slide in the slot but cannot revolve. If the hand wheel is turned 20 revolutions clockwise, the threaded block will move (A) I inch to the left (B) a 1/2 inch to the left (C) I inch to the right (D) a 1/2 inch to the right

8. Measures  Paper and pencil mechanical aptitude test  Gears, valves, mechanisms  Mechanical trades exam  16 questions, 10-20 minutes to complete  Observations of students doing hands-on tasks  Videotape and code actions  Rate expertise level

9. Hands-On Tasks

10. Measures  Paper and pencil mechanical aptitude test  Gears, valves, mechanisms  Mechanical trades exam  16 questions, 10-20 minutes to complete  Observations of students doing hands-on tasks  Videotape and code actions  Rate expertise level  Online physics games

11. Physics Games Fantastic Contraption game

12. Sample Sizes

13. Mechanical Aptitude Measures Academic Performance Indicators MAT correlated weakly to GPA and ACT Math and Science Hands-on expertise did not correlate with any of the academic performance indicators One of the physics games correlated weakly with ACT English and Science

14. Mechanical Aptitude Measures – Gender Comparison

15. Role of Prior Experiences  Prior experience questionnaire –version 1 (PEQ1)  147 items  Adapted from Deno’s Spatial Experience Inventory  Pre-school to post-high school activities  Never-Seldom-Occasionally-Frequently  Prior experience questionnaire-version 2 (PEQ2)  Eleven experiences  Detailed information about the number of hours

16. Mechanical Aptitude Test Prior Experiences Top Correlating Activities for Males M/HS: target shooting HS: woodworking courses M/HS: used hand tools M/HS: canoeing postHS: repaired automobiles, toys, bicycles, equipment, motorcycles etc. M/HS: used power tools postHS hours: Tech classes post HS: electronics courses M/HS: archery M/HS: repaired equipment M/HS: marching band postHS hours: used power tools Total hours: repaired automobiles, toys, bicycles, equipment, motorcycles etc. HS: small engines courses

17. Mechanical Aptitude Test Prior Experiences Top Correlating Activities for Females post HS: mfg tech courses M/HS: camping HS: physics courses ES: instrumental music M/HS: operate machinery post HS: hydraulics/pneumatics courses post HS: metalworking M/HS: read blueprints ES: worked puzzles M/HS: scouting MS: construction courses Top Correlating Activities for Males M/HS: target shooting HS: woodworking courses M/HS: used hand tools M/HS: canoeing postHS: repaired automobiles, toys, bicycles, equipment, motorcycles etc. M/HS: used power tools postHS hours: Tech classes post HS: electronics courses M/HS: archery M/HS: repaired equipment M/HS: marching band postHS hours: used power tools Total hours: repaired automobiles, toys, bicycles, equipment, motorcycles etc. HS: small engines courses

18. Mechanical Aptitude Measures Prior Experiences Top Correlating Activities for Females post HS: mfg tech courses M/HS: camping HS: physics courses ES: instrumental music M/HS: operate machinery post HS: hydraulics/pneumatics courses post HS: metalworking M/HS: read blueprints ES: worked puzzles M/HS: scouting MS: construction courses Key: Top Correlating Activities for Males M/HS: target shooting HS: woodworking courses M/HS: used hand tools M/HS: canoeing postHS: repaired automobiles, toys, bicycles, equipment, motorcycles etc. M/HS: used power tools postHS hours: Tech classes post HS: electronics courses M/HS: archery M/HS: repaired equipment M/HS: marching band postHS hours: used power tools Total hours: repaired automobiles, toys, bicycles, equipment, motorcycles etc. HS: small engines courses

19. Gender Differences in Relevant Prior Experiences

20. ActivityMaleFemalep Worked construction (median total hours) 7240.0000 Repaired automobiles, toys, … (median total hours) 32629 0.0000 Repaired automobiles, toys, … (median post HS hours) 724 0.0001 Used power tools (median total hours) 483.5820.0002 Target shooting (median total hours) 354 0.001 Used hand tools (median M&HS frequency) frequentlyoccasionally0.0012 Repaired equipment (median M&HS frequency) occasionallynever0.0018 Target shooting (median frequency) seldomnever0.0263

21. Attitude Toward Engineering  Pittsburgh Freshman Engineering Attitude Survey (EAS1)  50 items  13 factors including: general impression of engineering, perception of how engineers contribute to society, and confidence in engineering knowledge and skills  Engineering Attitude Survey-version 2 (EAS2)  35 questions total  29 questions from EAS1 plus 6 questions from Arizona State tinkering self-efficacy questionnaire

22. Is there a relationship between hands-on ability and interest in engineering?

23.  Prior experiences that correlate most closely with a high “general impression of engineering”  Repaired equipment  Bicycling  Carpentry  Product design courses  CAD courses and mechanical drawing

24. Statistically Significant Gender Differences in Attitude Items Attitude statementMaleFemalep I have the knowledge and technical skills to create mechanisms or devices. 43 0 I enjoy figuring out how things work.540.0054 I can troubleshoot technical problems. 430.0001 When I look at something, I cannot imagine how it works. 120.0314 median values 1=strongly disagree….5=strongly agree

25. Conclusions  Male and female mechanical engineering students bring different prior experiences with them to college  Male students have spent more time doing the activities that correlate most with higher mechanical aptitude test scores  Male students have higher self-ratings of their abilities to create mechanisms, to figure out how things work, and to troubleshoot  Male students “enjoy figuring out how things work” more than female students

26. Conclusions  In 2009, women received 11.4% of mechanical engineering degrees in the US  Is mechanical engineering similar to these other male dominated professions?  auto mechanics – 1.6% women  carpenters – 1.5%  machinists – 6.9%

27. Future Work  Develop a better test of “hands-on ability”  Examine how hands-on ability, prior experiences, and attitude items relate to a student’s decision to study mechanical engineering  Investigate the factors that lead to enjoyment in figuring out how things work, in tinkering, …  Create and assess improved learning experiences for teaching hands-on ability

28. Acknowledgments  Funding from National Science Foundation, grant no. EEC-0835987

29. Thank You! Questions?