1. Lisa Benson Clemson University
Keywords: Graduate education; Evidence-based practice; Action research
Sustaining the Engineering Education Ecosystem Through a “Research to Practice Co-Op”
Lisa Benson
Clemson University

2. Research to Practice Co-Op
Why? Engineering education is a complex ecosystem of interconnected stakeholders.
Need for engineering education research to better serve education practice
Strengthen connections and increasing awareness of interconnections between components of the ecosystem (research and practice) to better sustain it
Research to Practice Co-Op
ESED
Engineering and science disciplines S S S S S S S S F F F F F F F F

3. When: Existing programs in engineering education are launch point
Engineering and Science Education (ESED) Certificate established in 2009; target audience is grad students in engineering and science discipline
ESED PhD established in 2011; research-based STEM education degree program focused on issues in higher education

4. Where: Research-to-practice partnership underway with Statistics and ESED
Partnership between statistics and ESED (1 grad student + 1 faculty member from each department)
Stats and ESED grad students work on a research project with Stats and ESED advisors
Independent work in their respective areas
Group meetings to interpret data and plan
Informal team; no course credit

5. What: One-credit graduate course
Establish the co-op course as an option for ESED PhD and Certificate students
Partnerships between ESED PhD students, Certificate students, and faculty advisors
Discussions of short and long-term effects and implications of proposed projects
Supervise partnerships, provide feedback to students, identify outside resources and unanticipated or unsustainable outcomes
Assess project outcomes and student outcomes

6. Prognosis: Collective expertise in translating education research to practice
Assessing student performance: weekly reflections and end-of-term evaluations by stakeholders
Long term goals: launch co-op online, open to nationwide ecosystem
Challenges: Logistics and feasibility
Seeking input: How to apply Participatory Action Research (PAR) model to effect change