First-Year Experiences – How the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Model Addresses Grand Challenges and ABET Outcomes

This Innovative Practice, Work in Progress paper examines first-year student perceptions and learning outcomes in an experiential learning program. The Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) model affords students an opportunity to earn academic credit by working on teams while contributing to faculty-led research and design projects. The real-world context of the VIP projects facilitates student engagement in projects that address Grand Challenges. As part of the innovative model of our VIP Program at Purdue University, we have incorporated student self-reflection of their progress on each of the seven ABET outcomes as part of the student assessment. The VIP model was recently expanded as a pathway for first-year students at our institution, which requires all engineering students to complete a first-year program. This work addresses the ways in which first-year students participating in VIP address Grand Challenges and explores the ways in which these students meet ABET outcomes using the following research questions: 1) How are first-year VIP students reflecting on ABET outcomes? 2) How does participation in VIP affect first-year students’ interest, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging in engineering? The study uses a mixed methods approach, triangulating qualitative and quantitative student evaluation data from Fall 2020 – Fall 2021. Survey results indicate that VIP participation has a positive effect on student perception of engineering, and, although they may not address all ABET outcomes as first-year students, students effectively connected their project work with specific outcomes. By understanding how VIP and, more generally, experiential learning affects first-year students’ perceptions and connection to ABET outcomes, educators can adopt this model and strengthen student experiences from the beginning.