Outcomes of engaging engineering undergraduates in co-curricular experiences

Abstract

The effects of involvement in co-curricular experiences (i.e. internships, co-ops, service projects, and clubs and organizations) on student persistence in college is well documented in the education literature. What remains unclear are the specific ways that involvement influences the development of engineering undergraduate students. We found that when engineering students are involved in co-curricular experiences they exhibit greater leadership skills, are more thoughtful about their ethical decisions, and can articulate how involvement influences their ethical development. In this paper, we explore outcomes of participating in co-curricular experiences for engineering students at four undergraduate focused institutions.