Assessing student outcomes in a pedagogically reformed engineering service course

Michigan State University (MSU) received an educational research grant from the GE Fund in 1997 for the purpose of seeking ways to reform the early undergraduate engineering learning experience. This educational research project - which is now in its seventh year - has investigated strategies for augmenting introductory core courses with innovative instructional approaches, including cross-disciplinary experiences in teamwork, design, and the use of advanced teaching technologies. Project goals include: improving the quality of the undergraduate student learning experience, encouraging faculty use of innovative instructional techniques, and institutionalizing these reforms. This paper presents a description of one of the course's evolution during the project, methods used to evaluate the course, and the effect of instructional innovations on student learning outcomes.