A Methodology for Restructuring Our First-year Introduction to Engineering Sequence at University of Massachusetts, Lowell

This paper shares our systematic approach to a restructuring of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Introduction to Engineering program for first year engineering students. We describe the methodology and process we used to analyze best practices and to find a solution that fit the strategic requirements of the UML College of Engineering and the specific needs of our growing and changing first-year engineering cohort. Input from students as to what they wanted out of an introductory course was a key element of the process; much of what we did was based on results from a detailed student survey and a focus group with students who had already been through the introductory program. The new first-year engineering program was restructured to stress handson skills building and rolled out starting in the fall semester of 2014. In this paper we share key learning’s from this process.