Students' Experiences of their 2nd, 3rd and 4th Years in an Engineering Program: Results Based on Questionnaires

In the 1st Annual CDIO conference in 2005, we presented a paper about the expectations and first year experiences of four cohorts of engineering students in Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at Linköping University. A comparison between the four cohorts showed a changing approach to studying between the first cohorts (starting in 1998 and 1999) and the latter (starting in 2000 and 2002). The first approach was categorised as “achievement and future oriented”, while the other was categorised “as gratifying here- and now oriented”. This paper will draw on the same longitudinal study, and will be based on results from questionnaires. In the presentation, the focus will be on discussing students’ experiences of their 2nd, 3rd and 4th years as students. In 1999 the implementation of the CDIO curriculum started and in 2002 the first CDIO-project course was introduced during the 1st and 3rd study year. The implementation of the CDIO curriculum has continued. Results are based on 664 questionnaire responses from three questionnaires given to all registered students, in all four cohorts, in the beginning of their 3rd, 4th and 5th year. Comparisons are made within cohorts over time and between cohorts with regard to the students’ self reported experiences in a number of areas: (1) estimated work hours/week and perceived work load; (2) achievement, study results and satisfaction with their achievement; (3) influence on their study situation, cooperation and feed back from faculty and peers; (4) study related health and social isolation; (5) engagement in and identification with the study program; (6) thoughts about withdrawing/dropping out and study breaks; (7) the courses, in terms of most and least instructive courses. The results will be discussed in relation to other research on student approaches to studying and learning, with focus on studies made within engineering study contexts. As the cohorts starting in 1998 and 1999 have not followed the CDIO curriculum whereas the cohorts starting in 2000 and 2002 to different extents followed the CDIO curriculum, differences between the cohorts in various areas can be related to the implementation of the CDIO curriculum.

2nd International CDIO Conference, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, 13 – 14 June 2006