Washington Sarah Coppola is an Assistant Teaching Professor the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington. Dr. Coppola is an educator and researcher whose work focuses on how people are excluded by design. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, a MS in Human Factors Engineering from Tufts University, and a Doctorate in Ergonomics from Harvard University. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Reflecting on Adapting Visual Oriented Classes for Blind and Low Vision Students Sourojit Ghosh, Kunal Mehta, Alainna Brown, Maxwell Coppock, and Sarah Coppola
and Outreach STEM Education graduate student at Tufts University ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 1 Context Matters: Characterizing First-Year Engineering Students’ Shifting Perspectives when Reflecting on Different Sociotechnical and Justice TopicsIntroductionThis practice paper relates to the overall mission of ECSJ, specifically transformative learningtoward action. For well over a decade, there have been numerous critiques of the social/technicaldualism present in engineering education and calls to disrupt it [1]. Researchers have varyingmotivations
collaborative inquiry methodology to explore researchpractices that do not have strong consensus within EER, such as reflection [25], positionality[26], qualitative research quality [27], and more [28], [29]. Following this methodology, ourvirtual group met regularly and we reflected individually on prompts related to our inquiry inbetween meetings. Our reflections and discussion meetings fostered group meaning andsense-making of our experiences as neurodivergent engineering education researchers.Collaborative inquiry also allowed us to recognize our agency, strengths, and challenges asneurodivergent engineering education researchers.Data CollectionFor this project, we met semi-regularly since ASEE 2022 and initially discussed differenttheoretical
present helpful resources to instructors to alleviate part of this labor, as a set of resourcesthat are readily available to be used in their courses (e.g., [2]–[4]), while also equipping studentswith knowledge of how to individually and collectively foster inclusive classroom practices andstronger agency in advocating for changes they wish to see in their courses by pointinginstructors to existing resources within such toolkits.In this work-in-progress paper, we present an Inclusive Teaching Toolkit, a set of resources,tools, and guides for instructors and students to foster inclusive and accessible practices in theirclassrooms, created through a reflection-based co-design with instructors and students. While avariety of similar toolkits have
human-centered design approach, (2) the intersection of socialjustice and design thinking, and (3) the implications of design choices on historicallymarginalized groups. Course artifacts, student reflections, and instructional team reflections areused to understand the growth in mindset of the students and instructor through this course.Additionally, these resources are used to present key learnings for future implementation.This project focused on examining systems. Groups historically excluded from engineering,including people of color, disabled, LGBTQ+, and women, were recentered through the humancentered design process. Students evaluated engineering systems for exclusion and ideated on thesource of these design flaws. In doing so, they
of Technology. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Socio-technical and culture-inspired projects in freshman engineering design course bring context and emotion to learningAbstractLearning is not an unemotional consideration of facts but emotion is integrally woven into theexperience of learning [1]. Situated cognition model [2] is a theoretical approach to learning thatsupports the idea that learning takes place when an individual is interactively doing somethingthrough situated activity that has social, cultural, and physical contexts. This paper presents post-activity reflections in student design projects with socio-technical and socio-culturalinterventions in a freshman design
EJE's relevance in addressing sustainability and social equity. By promotinginclusive pedagogical approaches and continuous reflection, we aim to equip students with theskills to design ethical engineering solutions. Through collective efforts, we aspire to contributeto a more sustainable and equitable future, fostering understanding and action in EnvironmentalJustice Education.Key words: Environmental Justice, Equity, Engineering Education IntroductionThe purpose of this Work in Progress research paper and ECSJ-DEED joint technical session isto highlight the crucial role of Environmental Justice Education (EJE) in bridging the gapbetween educators and students, particularly in the context of engineering
], [34]), etc.Given the variety of terms and approaches, we first sought to define our goals for equity-centeredengineering curriculum and instruction. To challenge conceptualizations of engineering thatreproduce and maintain inequitable processes and outcomes, educators must interrogate whatcounts as engineering and support such reflection in their students. Educators must teach thatengineering is sociotechnical in nature [7]; authentic engineering problem-solving is contextual[13], [23]; and engineering is part of justice movements [1], [20]. Such teaching requires bothequitable pedagogy – to model equitable practices and create environments in which students canlearn to be equity-minded engineers – as well as equity-centered content – in
Engineering Education at Purdue University. He keeps a balanced life connecting with nature, staying mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially active, constantly learning and reflecting, and challenging himself to improve. He is interested in learning/teaching collectively, engineering philosophy, and social and environmental justice. His purpose is to help people freely and fully develop in a sustainable world.Mr. Leonardo Pollettini Marcos, Purdue University Leonardo Pollettini Marcos is a 3rd-year PhD student at Purdue University’s engineering education program. He completed a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Materials Engineering at the Federal University of S˜ao Carlos, Brazil. His research interests are in
thequestion: How are metaphors used for epistemological boundary-making in engineeringeducation research (EER)? The first section on epistemological views in EER defines epistemology and synthesizesliterature to illustrate 1) why it is essential to study epistemologies in EER, 2) why EER needsepistemic pluralism, and 3) why it is significant to reflect on the language we use to engage withdiverse epistemologies. The second section on crystalizing epistemological lenses synthesizesliterature across disciplines to show how metaphors crystallize the fluid concept of epistemology.Finally, in the section on seeing the spectrum, we briefly review how metaphors have been usedin EER to clarify epistemologies and propose a study design to investigate
prototypesolution. Action research was chosen to shift the learning towards developing systemicperspectives on larger societal challenges and social justice. This was accomplished bydeveloping graphical and written representations [33] for perspectives (2)-(4) in Figure 1 toenable students to better perceive and address societal issues impacting upon their designprojects.Methodologically a combination of primarily first-person with some elements of second-personaction research was used. The course was either co-taught or engaged an embeddedethnographer over the five semesters the study was performed and all of the team engaged incritical reflection. The course instructors recognized at the outset of the course that the ‘capstonein miniature’ format was not
know?Systems, andScientific Read fictionalized medical case studies where a organ systems. Identify Doctor Diaries (3) argument components within these texts.Argument Transplant Watch and reflect on a video testimony about an individual’s organTranslating Testimony transplantation journey.Knowledge intoReal-World History of Organ Read and discuss the history of organ donation and transplantation. Transplantation Identify the primary challenges facing the organ transplantation system.Applications:Organ Watch video(s) about animals which have evolved to
be done through incorporating collaborative autoethnographic and Indigenousresearch methods to share the story of the program through the experiences of all those involved. Thesemethods position the participants as both coauthors and coresearchers in this work as we co-create thisnew program and new knowledge together. Participants will be asked to regularly reflect on theirexperiences within the program, their growth, and any conflicts or feelings that arise. These reflectionswill then be analyzed by the coauthors and coresearchers both for emerging themes and narrativestructures to inform the story-building process. Stories will be created for both the individual participantsand the program. One goal of this work is to develop the current
in college and beyond. The EcologicalValidation Model of Student Success and its educational practices reflecting the social evolutionframed this study. Information was collected through surveys and interviews from three studentcohorts. The findings revealed how this culturally asset-based program reinforced the identity ofstudents as Hispanics by centering culture and community aspects that students were familiarwith, promoted teamwork with peers as a strategy to make learning better situated in theirinterest to support each other, and contributed to creating a research space where students feltintegrated, included, and valued considering who they were or represent. Programs that center onstudent asset-based features and pedagogical
decision was made by this group that the incorporation ofdialogue was critical to students reflecting on their own identity and learning to communicateacross different identities effectively. Therefore, dialogue experts were hired and help co-facilitatethese courses, which are known as Race, Justice and Dialogue courses (RJDC).The aim of the RJDC is to expand and deepen students’ critical consciousness of power anddifference using an antiracist lens, and to promote student antiracist action in the service of socialjustice. Put differently, this course aims to expand students’ antiracist literacy and advocacy inhopes of making Villanova, and beyond, more inclusive, equitable, and just for all.The College of Engineering decided that this antiracist
, SaP can also support STEM students’ engagement in DEI efforts. For example, in2015, Bunnell et al. [26] developed a course titled “Being Human in STEM (HSTEM)” atAmherst College, which engages students in action research projects on topics related todiversity and inclusion in STEM. In personal reflections, HSTEM course alumni noted that theirparticipation in the course supported them in making sense of their own and other students’experiences of marginalization, combatting feelings of isolation, and feeling empowered aschange agents within the Amherst STEM community [26].3. FrameworksThe design of the JEDI was guided by notions of liberative pedagogy [27]-[28]. From a Freireanperspective, liberative education facilitates conscientização, or
within department curricula. PD.2 Examination of disparities related to identityPP.3 Expand the definition and balance of scholarly (racism, sexism, xenophobia, classism, work that is valued in computing departments. ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and more)PP.4 Recognize and address the oppressive nature (e.g., and how they’re reflected in CS education and ableism, elitism, misogyny, and racism) of the the tech industry. hiring, promotion, and tenure processes. PD.3 Reflection on the current state of identity-PP.5 Provide comprehensive, IIC-informed professional inclusive computing in schools, departments, development for faculty, staff
provocative lens toprovoke thoughts from the students by having them reflect and juxtapose their current learningexperience in engineering classrooms with hypothetical environments envisioned by hook. Theoutcome of such reflection and juxtaposition can provide foundational knowledge to assist in theefforts to identify “features” in engineering classrooms and pedagogies that perpetuate cisgenderand heteronormative elements in engineering education. It must be noted that this is a pilotresearch study that strives to produce knowledge to help contribute to future efforts to reimagineengineering classrooms and pedagogies. Thus, no direct engagement with faculty andadministrators is expected in this pilot study.Literature review In engineering
participation in postsecondary spaces. We willdefine disability and describe our choice to use both identity- and person-first language. We willdiscuss our choice to prioritize research that highlights disabled student voices.Our literature review will explore: which disabilities have been the focus of research in highereducation; problematic practices that require increased disabled student self-advocacy rather thansystemic changes; the reasons for students’ reluctance to use accommodations; the weaknesses ofthe accommodations approach; and suggestions for moving beyond accommodations. We willconclude by offering recommendations and reflections for researchers who want to researchdisabled students.The purpose of this paper is to provide a place to
participant identity, allresponses were collected anonymously to encourage free sharing without repercussions [17].Moreover, respondents indicated who could read their story by answering the question, “Whowould you share this story with?” and they had the option of answering: 1) Everyone 2)Researchers Only, or 3) No one [17]. Participants who chose options 1 and 2 were used to completedata analysis and reported responses to this question were filtered by option 1.SenseMakerData collection was accomplished through the platform SenseMaker. Sensemaking is a researchapproach used to understand complex and ambiguous data such as narratives [18]. This tool usesmixed methods analysis to allow participants to use quantitative responses to reflect on their
urban communities within the mid-Vancouver Islandregion.1.2 OverviewThis paper is the first in a series that chronicles the development and honing of the survey instrumentand the preliminary results, analyses and observations leading from it. The primary purpose of thispaper is to summarize the iterative process that was involved in creating the surveys. Subsequentpapers will provide detailed analyses of the survey results.The presentation of the development of the survey mirrors our iterative process, which moved frominitial development of a fourth-year survey, follow-up interviews, a reflection based on the responsesand literature, followed by a first-year survey, and follow-up interviews. While the primary objectivefor both the survey and
organizational change at the graduate level within one university’s College ofEngineering (COE). As members of this center strive to make equity-focused changes within theCOE, we must ensure our thinking considers the decentralized nature of graduate educationwithin the institution. Moreover, we must also grapple with faculty resistance to change,regardless of reason. The purpose of this work-in-progress research study is to report on thedevelopment of a reflection instrument that can be used to assist change leaders in determiningtheir unit’s readiness for change. In particular, we will report on instrument development,piloting results, and the current instrument iteration. We leverage the Competing Values CultureFramework (CVCF) to better understand
disclosed in the application. The final participation pool was from four different engineering departments, representedmultiple gender and sexual identities, disability statuses, and racial identities. Additionally, manyof the students in the program were international students. Exact identities and participationdemographic statistics have been withheld to protect participant anonymity.Program Facilitation The program itself was based on the success of other first year mentorship programs at theuniversity [11]. The mentorship program officially began in January of 2024. The mentors werefirst invited to attend a one-hour onboarding and mentorship training, in which they were providedwith program specifics, and we reflected on
convey their values and goals. Meaningfulcollaboration between engineers and community partners can empower students, but superficialengagements may undermine their transformative potential. This research uses signaling theoryand the Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale to assess whether local diversity is reflected on websites andunderscores the importance of diversity representation for credibility in environmental advocacy,offering a valuable approach for educators seeking authentic community partnerships.Key words: Diversity, representation, community partnershipsIntroductionAcross many fields of education, leveraging organizational websites proves instrumental incultivating connections and diversifying partnerships for faculty and students
, requiring us to consistently reflect on oursubjectivities as researchers. Two of the authors self-identify as neurodivergent learners, whichmakes having two neurotypical learners as collaborators ideal for identifying our reflexivities,including assumptions and overgeneralizations. We consistently review our work for logicalfallacies that influence interpretation. In addition to addressing positionality, the initial surveycollected a relatively small sample size for data analysis, given the institutional size. We chose topursue our personalized implementation method to avoid current institutional barriers regardingspecific topics that would have required lengthy administrative review. However, the process didallow for further insight that we can
participation in engineering [9]. Engineering faculty receive limitedpedagogical training during their academic preparation, and they are even less likely to haveexposure to inclusive teaching practices [10]. Faculty play a critical role in fostering minoritizedstudents’ sense of belonging within engineering culture [11], [12], which has importantimplications for student success [13]. When instructors do not reflect on the impact of theirpositionality on the student experience, they may inadvertently perpetuate systemic biases andinjustices through their academic policies, teaching strategies, and assessment practices [14].Marginalization within engineering education is further impacted by faculty mindsets related tostudent learning [15]. When faculty
, materials utilized, and the contextual environmentsin which everyday ingenuity manifests. Figures 1 to 3 display the participants' words about theeveryday ingenuity examples sourced from the online blog by Marjoram & King [31]categorized into Furniture, Outdoors, Indoors, and Transport.Figure 1 Shower Curtain RailFigure 2 Chair RepairFigure 3 Bicycle Wagon BedThe collection of the blog photos served as a catalyst for participants to recognize and reflect onthe prevalence of everyday ingenuity in their own lives and cultural contexts. It prompteddiscussions among participants and facilitators about their parents' involvement in everydayingenuity and the reuse of items in their childhood households. This exercise helped participantsto recall
]), I present an argument in this paper that ChatGPT is animportant tool for creating equitable access, especially for international students or students withtraditionally marginalized identities in engineering education. I present this from thepositionalities of student educators in engineering courses with reading and writing componentsand as international students in the US having relied on machine translation in their own studentexperiences. Using an approach similar to Coppola and Turns [11], I draw upon findingsgathered from interviewing other instructors of engineering courses within my department, aswell as a reflection of my own experiences as an instructor in engineering courses. I presentmicrocultures of student experiences of using
; Paper StyleThe team of authors was formed through a shared interest in exploring life as engineeringeducators outside academia. The call for collaboration was extended via LinkedIn, which yieldeda diverse group of participants, though perhaps not uncoincidentally – all women. Our team,initially intended as a panel for the ASEE 2023 conference, evolved into this collaborative paperafter the panel's rejection, emphasizing the importance and relevance of our stories in the broaderdiscourse of engineering education.Thus for the paper, each author was invited to respond to a set of six questions crafted by thelead author, reflecting on their individual journeys outside academia. This panel-style approachallowed for both personal reflection and
descriptions of stretch assignments, theirlearning experiences around stretch assignments, and the insights they have gleaned aboutadvancement, placing their words in conversation with previous sociological research on workassignments and workplace inequality. Our findings show how the dimensions of these types ofassignments are not at all clear and unified, with participants’ descriptions reflecting a mixture ofoften inconsistent and contradictory understandings, such as: random, meritocratic, ad hoc,sought on one’s own, given by top leaders, exploitative, beneficial, enjoyable, and scary. Suchassignments are conceived as important for advancement or even “secretly” required forpromotion, but there is no consensus on how to access them or connect