Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington.William Charles Sobolewski, University of California, Santa Cruz ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Work in Progress: Scaffolding the Revision Process with Rubrics, Peer Review, and Reflection in a Technical Communication CourseIntroduction: Promoting Effective Revision of Rough DraftsTechnical communication is an essential skill for engineers. Unfortunately, many graduates ofengineering undergraduate programs report that they do not feel prepared or confident in theirtechnical communication abilities. In addition, although effective communication skills arerequired for success in all engineering
communication skills via dialog with peers and facilitators (giving and receiving feedback, active listening, collaborative learning). • Practice compassionate behaviors towards oneself and others. • Develop and evaluate a plan for maintaining a balance of both reflection and action for future advocacy efforts.Guiding FrameworkThe course is built from a guiding framework for effective and enduring advocacy, which we havedefined as the work we do to transform our world’s systems and cultures in ways that we believewill make life, love, and liberation more possible. Inspiration for the framework comes from ourown experiences, current leaders [9], and past advocates for social change through education[10, 11]. The four steps that make up
liberatory pedagogy in bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress. Ibegin by summarizing some key ideas from the book and subsequent calls for more liberatorypedagogies in engineering education. Next, I provide some context for my specific course as wellas my positionality. I discuss the course redesign along four themes: creating a community oflearning, transgressing against objectivity and apoliticism in engineering, promoting legitimacyand intellectual authority, and centering critical reflection. Finally, I conclude by reflecting onmy successes and challenges, and providing some lessons learned about “teaching to transgress”in an engineering technology and society course that I hope will be useful to instructors ofsimilar courses.BackgroundTeaching to
ofdesigning and building technologies. However, they do this within the context of unique placesand among distinct milieu that reflects its own engineering culture [8]. Thus, engineering cultureand the development of engineering identity is inextricably tied to the places that reproduce itand contains within it specific organizational patterns, embedded norms and routines, sharedbeliefs, and values that often mediate how students engage with faculty, staff, and one another.In short, culture cannot be decoupled from the place in which it is experienced and imparted.Extant research delineates visible manifestations of culture as “ways of doing things” within theclassroom and laboratory spaces—which often prioritizes the teaching and development
, gender and sexuality studies(WGSS) or ethnic studies empowers minoritized engineering students to develop criticalconsciousness relative to the culture of engineering. Our work investigates the influence of twosuch courses on student attitudes and motivation by gathering both qualitative and quantitativedata from students in two STEM-themed courses in WGSS and ethnic studies, “Gender andSTEM” and “Race and Technology.” We argue that in these courses students acquire skills thatenable them to critically reflect on both the socially constructed nature of STEM and on thehistorical patterns within engineering culture that exacerbate existing inequities and injusticedespite claims of “neutral” objectivity. In preliminary data, students report that
, 2024Beyond the Algorithm: Empowering AI practitioners through liberal educationAbstractAs AI technology continues to transform society, there is a growing need for engineers and technologists to developinterdisciplinary skills to address complex, society-wide problems. However, there is a gap in understanding how toeffectively design and deliver inter-disciplinary education programs for AI-related training. This paper addressesthis gap by reporting on a successful summer school program that brought together specialists from around theworld to engage in deliberations on responsible AI, as part of a Summer School in Responsible AI led by Mila -Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. Through deep dive auto-ethnographic reflections from five
program is actively involving business andindustry experts in the development of their curricular activities. Yet, while faculty andadministrators argue that the new curriculum has immense value for advancing undergraduateeducation, they simultaneously worry that such collaborations will circumspect thetransdisciplinary goals of their curriculum. As one academic stakeholder reflected, the degreeprogram has the potential to transform how the university thinks about individual learning plansfor undergraduates that exist outside of traditional disciplinary frameworks, but it also “shouldn’tbecome a pipeline for business and industry.”Alongside this tension—and partly in response to it—the authors of this paper were hired toconduct an external
determining the extent to which students’ engagement with Frankensteinwas able to facilitate ethical reflection and professional identity formation. To address thisquestion, the current study begins by situating the class discussion of the novel within thebroader aims and structure of the course; then, it analyzes a series of student written reflectionson moral aspects of the novel and its portrayal of Victor Frankenstein specifically. The analysisorganizes the data into salient themes that emerge from the written reflections illustrated byselections of student writing. The data indicate that students were able to articulate severalethical themes that emerge from the novel’s depiction of Victor Frankenstein’s practice of roguetechno-science and
masculinity and competition in engineeringculture [6]. A review of engineering identity synthesized common aspects that defineengineering as problem solving and knowledge in math and science [7] reflecting thetechnical focus. In light of these dominant narratives, there is ongoing work to disrupt thetechnicist identity and exclusionary culture of engineering to better reflect the multifacetedroles of engineers and the diverse populations they serve (see, for example, [8]). One framingto broaden the scope of what it means to be an engineer and do engineering is macroethics,the collective societal responsibility of engineers [9].MacroethicsRelative to other subjects, ethics has a shorter history in the engineering curriculum withformal inclusion
Engineering Education, 2024 Design Iterations as Material Culture Artifacts: A Qualitative Methodology for Design Education ResearchAbstractStudying design processes requires the researcher to move with the designer as they negotiate anaction-reflection cycle comprised of a multitude of relationships, including the designer’srelation to themselves, to human and more-than-human others, and to the beliefs, values, andassumptions that design us every day. This paper’s goal is to introduce a qualitative methodologyfor studying the complex relationality of design, particularly (but not exclusively) in anarchitectural design education context. This methodology has theoretical and methodologicalunderpinnings in Process Philosophy and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and donot necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. 1Fisher identified significant gender differences in major selection for male- and female-identifiedstudents in computing based on individuals’ attention to “computing with a purpose” [9].However, it is important that we recall Slaton’s cautions against the operation of essentialismwithin this approach to diversity and inclusion and not predicate calls for change on a “naturaldifference” in approaches to engineering, rather we call for a change in values for liberation [10].Our department is at the beginning of a multi-year journey of
casestudies are taught as situative learning experiences, and consider professional practice throughanalysis of an engineering standard/regulation. During a situative learning experience, learningoccurs through a collaborative activity, with knowledge presented within an authentic context [2,3]. Second, Keenan’s Model of Conscience Formation provides students with a framework forevaluating inequities in each case study. Finally, the social justice case studies facilitate criticalconsciousness regarding engineering practices. This provides students an opportunity to reflect onthe inequity perpetuated through engineering irresponsibility and take critical action to identifyunethical practices and articulate a socially responsible engineering approach
unpack tensions, historicalcontext, and practice of a liberal engineering education. Engineers have long positionedthemselves as “problem-solvers” uniquely situated to use technical knowledge to proposesolutions to complex problems. Recent work has identified the need to better integratenontechnical knowledge into engineering education as a way of reflecting the complex social andpolitical landscapes that structure engineering practice (Reddy, Kleine, Parsons, & Nieusma2023). Here we explore using a framework for “engineering as conflict” as a compelling practiceof sociotechnical integration at the undergraduate level. Here, conflict refers to the practice orprocess of disagreement, difference of opinion, or tensions.From the perspective of
literature review (ScLR) conducted toelucidate the current landscape, trends, methods, and potential gaps in the literature surroundingequitable design pedagogy in engineering education. The ScLR follows the methodologypresented by Arksey and O’Malley (2005), which breaks the process into five stages: (1)identifying the research questions, (2) identifying the relevant studies, (3) study selection, (4)charting the data, and (5) collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. These stages wereperformed iteratively, which allowed for reflection and study team collaboration along eachstage. The study was grounded in four central inclusion criteria: (1) equitable design, (2)engineering education, (3) engineering course, and (4) secondary education
. Engineering Design Process.PATHWAYS are thematically based curricular units reflecting categories of injustices that havegreat impact at the individual and community level which can also be connected to each other tohighlight systemic consequences. There are five PATHWAYS: Health, Traffic & Transportation,Economics, Gentrification, and Environment. The PATHWAYS have historical roots and policydecisions intended to sustain inequities which led to engineering artifacts that continue to haveimpact on students and communities today. One such example is the evolution of transportationsystems across the nation. The gentrification PATHWAY highlights a phenomenon that is a rippleeffect of redlining, which has connections to housing, schools, pollution
the paper, we offer some reflections onlimitations of our analysis based on our positionality.Sociotechnical Integration LiteratureEngineering students are routinely exposed to framings of engineering that privilege thetechnical aspects of their work while presenting social issues as less important or ignoring themaltogether [1], [2], [3], [4]. Sociologist Erin Cech has famously shown how engineeringeducation’s privileging of technical content and bounding of students’ aspirations surroundingsocial impact produces a “culture of disengagement” among engineering students [5]. Othercritics have explored various sociopolitical forces shaping engineering education—even as therole of those forces has been stripped from most observers’ imagination
Emily Macdonald-Roach is an MASc student in Engineering Education at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include engineering identity formation, engineering culture, and equity, diversity, and inclusion in engineering career paths.Ms. Saskia van Beers, University of Toronto Saskia van Beers (she/her) is a MASc. student in Engineering Education at the University of Toronto. She holds a BASc in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on understanding how Canadian engineers reflect on the impact that their social location has had on their career.Sasha-Ann Eleanor Nixon, University of Toronto ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024Why would
healthcare spaces, our project aims to sharethe perspectives of engineering students engaged in an authentic activity and reflection. Theexercise allows for students to pursue any activities that they may associate with mental wellnessand their reactions highlight the impact that the activity had on them. This activity aims toimprove students’ wellness not only in the hour required but for the lessons to be carried onthroughout their educational and professional career. To better understand the goals and impactsof our intervention, we examine existing literature on mental wellness and how to share it as aresource.Literature ReviewAwareness towards mental wellness has an increasing importance placed on it for studentsstudying in higher education
: Encourage students to think creatively by expressing engineering concepts, principles, or experiences through poetic language and imagery. 2. Exploring Metaphorical Thinking: Introduce students to the use of metaphor, simile, and other figurative language techniques to convey complex engineering ideas in a vivid and imaginative manner. 3. Developing Communication Skills: Improve students' ability to communicate technical information effectively by practicing concise and expressive language, which can be valuable in writing reports, proposals, and presentations. 4. Encouraging Reflective Practice: Promote self-reflection and deeper understanding of engineering concepts by encouraging students to explore
engineering programs [3], but reflections and critical events werefocused on experience in the first-year engineering course at the institution. The first-yearengineering course is a design, build, test course that enables and encourages communicationbetween students on teams. The teams are broken up into small groups of four or five and taskedwith designing, building, and testing an engineering solution to a pre-conceived problem. Thisclassroom serves as an ideal setting for intervention, as the students are early in theircoursework. This chronological positioning yields students who are more focused oncommunication than mathematical analysis, which they may be less certain of, and makes anychanges more impactful, as they have three more years to
their interconnectednessmay be invisible to those in power. Tara noted that people who hold individualistic mindsetsmight be less receptive to seeing problems related to social justice and macroethics. “sometimes the attitude of the people in [this city] is a lot more individualistic, but they don’t understand the impact of the society on their life. So the privilege of living in a developed country, having your roads always working, your police not taking bribes, your systems always being in place, your infrastructure always being there, has made you not understand the impact of having people who can actually do these things in the future.” (p. 8)Individualism is also reflected in the culture Tara observed at the
class consciousness. This hegemonic adherence to businessprofessionalism is reflected in how Pawley has described the continual reproduction of anengineering education and workforce development that serves to “indoctrinate students into neoliberalism as the only possible mode of economic development. Their job will be to work in an industrial machine; we do not articulate alternative modes of thought or help students develop cognitive lenses to conceive of a way of being outside this neoliberal worldview” [13, p. 449].An imperative task in the (re)development of the US engineering workforce is to transform theconsciousness of those who take on the title of engineer to break away from the continuedideological imposition
result reflecting the observation of Maharaj and Banta [11]. Despite thatacceptance, the bulk of the students displayed the typical attitude that writing has little ifanything to do with learning engineering statics, although a significant minority embraced theidea of writing being a part of engineering career practice. Because of their expected attitudetowards writing, students saw little if any benefit from requiring more writing in an engineeringstatics class. Again, those results conformed to expectations. However, three aspects of the resultsfrom the present work were unexpected. First, considering the substantial practical differencebetween mean exam grades shown in the inset table in Figure 2, a statistically significantdifference
academia and industry to better understand industry’s specificcommunication needs and priorities [19]. There have been many attempts to alleviate theseconcerns, which include requiring technical writing courses, modifying assignment structure toimprove the iterative writing process, introducing engineers to interdisciplinary writing contexts,and teaching writing via self-reflection for experimental lab report writing [20]-[22]. Theseefforts are a useful start to address these issues, but there is a dearth of studies that demonstratethe long-term effectiveness of these interventions.Spatial and Verbal Skills for Engineering StudentsPrior work by Project Talent, which conducted a longitudinal study following 400,000 highschool students 11+ years
imaginative context invoked by the comparison may influenceaudience response. Implied comparisons are powerful modes of representation andcommunication but notoriously imprecise, in part because what is evoked depends a great deal onthe knowledge and prior experience of the audience. Analogical reasoning puts us in a position tobe more deliberate in our choice of analogies and more creative with respect to the rhetoricalstrategies we use. As the next section explains, our choice of rhetorical strategy should reflect thekind of relationship we wish to establish with the intended audience.III. A New Metaphor for the Discourse on Diversity: FromOration to ConversationBoth classical rhetoric and modern social psychology suggest that conversation is a
increasingly directinfluence on higher education [8], [9]. Further, the specific institutional relations formedbetween AMUT and MIT reflect the friendly relations between the U.S. and Iran in the 1970s,and routine educational and cultural interactions between the nations in that era [11]. Mutualnational interests and reciprocity were built into the fabric of U.S.-Iran relations. For the U.S.,the Shah was the most significant strategic ally in the Middle East, truly an unimaginable featureof U.S. policymaking in the current geopolitical context. Further, as early as the 1950s, the Shahhad actively recruited those he deemed the most talented of Iranian students to attend Westerninstitutions for graduate education and return with advanced skills to lead
is because knowledge and ways of knowing play a rolein power dynamics and control such that the hegemonic majority maintains dominance over thecultural narrative [42]–[44]. The hidden curriculum in engineering reflects the epistemic originsof the profession, which assert the values and norms upheld in engineering learning spaces aswell as the field. These engineering epistemologies are unspoken and unacknowledged (hidden),which can serve to limit underrepresented and underserved communities in engineering learningenvironments. We identify the hidden epistemologies that emerge from the teaming experiencesof African American females and recognize their role in impacting these students’ experiences asengineers.MethodsMethodologyWe performed
this mindset is often dampened or diluted by otherengineering mindsets and ideologies [1]. This reason points to why student agency as a form ofresistance against and liberation from the hegemony of dominant ideologies and social structuresis so commonly invoked [15]. Building off bell hooks [15] work, Secules and colleagues [13]identified a form of student agency that emerges from theorizing narratives about one’sexperiences encountering dominant mindsets and ideologies [1-2, 5] of an engineering program.They explored the experience of a student from a historically marginalized underrepresentedgroup in engineering and found that “constructing and reflecting on narratives about [student]experiences and relating them to cultural narratives
broadly. (2) Do these ECE masters students feel equipped to handle the ethical challenges and dilemmasof AI technologies? As they reflect on their past and current training in engineering acrossinstitutional contexts (including but not limited to their formal engineering education and workexperiences), do these students feel as though they are receiving the training and guidance thatthey need to navigate the complex landscape of AI development and management? Or do theyfeel ill-equipped to face these ethical and professional challenges, even if they have the technicalcapabilities to engage in this work?(3) To what extent do they hold their engineering education programs accountable for(in)adequate training? If ECE masters students express concern