Welcome!

Dr. Ruth Streveler came to Purdue University's School of Engineering Education from the Colorado School of Mines, where she was the founding Director of the Center for Engineering Education. She is PI or co-PI on several NSF–funded projects. She served as the Acting Director for the NSF–funded Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education, a multi–campus project investigating the educational experience of engineering students from August to December of 2006. Dr. Streveler received her BA in Biology from Indiana University–Bloomington, MS in Zoology from the Ohio State University, and Ph.D in Educational Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Dr. Streveler's Research Interests

Research Area 1: Difficult concepts in science and engineering

Research questions: What concepts are difficult for students to learn? How do you measure students’ conceptual understanding? Why are some concepts so difficult to learn? How do you construct learning environments that help students learn these concepts?

Research Area 2: Helping engineering faculty learn to conduct engineering education research


Selected Research Publications

Matusovich, H.M., Streveler, R.A., Miller, R. L. (2010). Why do students choose engineering? A qualitative, longitudinal investigation of students' motivational values. Journal of Engineering Education, 99(4), 289-303.

Streveler, R.A., Litzinger, T. A., Miller, R.L., & Steif, P. S. (2008). Learning conceptual knowledge in engineering: Overview and future research directions. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(3), 279-294.

Borrego, M., Streveler, R.A., Miller, R.L., & Smith, K.A. (2008). A new paradigm for a new field: Communicating representations of engineering education research. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(2), 147-162.

Streveler, R. A. & Smith, K. A. (2006). Guest editorial: Conducting rigorous research in engineering education. Journal of Engineering Education, 95(2), 103-105.