Paper ID #44271Building Research, Teamwork and Professional Skills in an Engineering SummerBridge Program: Reflections Towards an Allyship ModelProf. Kavitha Chandra, University of Massachusetts, Lowell Kavitha Chandra is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Francis College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She directs the Research, Academics and Mentoring Pathways (RAMP) to Success summer bridge and academic program for new engineering students, preparing them with research, communication and leadership skills. Her research
Paper ID #42176Board 180: Impacting Engineering Students’ Perceptions of DEI ThroughReal-Life Narratives and In-Class Discussions with an Empathetic LensProf. Lisa K Davids, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University To continually improve the experience of the students in her courses, Lisa engages in applied pedagogical research, implementing research-based techniques in the classroom. Currently teaching Introduction to Engineering and Graphical Communications courses, Lisa has implemented active teaching techniques, team and project-based assignments, and emphasizes self-reflection in her students.Dr. Jeff R. Brown, Embry-Riddle
reality and is characterized by varied factorsthat influence this gap to continue, even with the efforts of private, public, social, andeducational initiatives to reduce it. Among the factors are the preconceptions in relation toSTEM careers, gender stereotypes, family attitudes, lack of women leaders in these areas whoare an example to inspire or to mentorship. The lack of gender equity for women inengineering is a global problem that has implications for society, as it means losing theopportunity to have this talent that is in such high demand today. [6]This context that gives us the environment leads us to reflect on the initiatives that are beingcarried out globally to further promote and create this culture of gender equality, where
that these events are deeply embedded in the intersectionalidentities of the authors and these accounts may not necessarily translate to other individualsundergoing similar situations. Also, because these challenges are layered, complex, and situatedin the authors’ intersectional identities, the findings may include multiple systemic barriers thatare intertwined in the interpretation of the findings. The authors opted to maintain the complexityof the narration as it was deemed more authentic to their lived working and personal realities.Further, the multilayered complexity in the narrative demonstrates the levels of cognitive loadand role strain associated with each presented challenge, subsequent reflection/decision, andperceived outcome. The
specific goals were twofold: a) to providea reflective perspective on participants' institutional experiences related to gender, equality, androles within the School of Engineering, and b) to shed light on the challenges and barriersencountered in institutional life. Data was collected using the LEGO® Serious Play®methodology as an innovative and dialogic facilitation method. Twenty students and professorsparticipated. A phenomenological and qualitative analysis was conducted on the workshoprecordings to discern emerging perspectives. The results of the initial pilot workshops highlightthe significance that gender equality holds for both students and faculty within the realm ofuniversity education, as it is seen as the heart of institutional life
populated by male students. Among the faculty members present was the First-Year Engineering Programs Coordinator, who posed questions about the program and soughtsuggestions on how OWISE and other faculty members could enhance and support their first-year experience.The students expressed positive reflections on their first year but highlighted certain aspects ofthe course that felt intimidating. Many shared their experiences of entering classespredominantly composed of male students, feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about where tosit—a notable departure from their high school environments. Additionally, they conveyedfeelings of under-confidence and intimidation, particularly when dealing with fabricationequipment used in the courses. There was a
elements that Latinas,as women and engineering students, face in their search for a place in engineering. There aremultiple socio-emotional, economic, cultural, and academic aspects to consider in facilitatingLatina engineering students to develop interest, persist throughout, and gain confidence.MethodsThis is a qualitative one-shot case longitudinal study that explores a phenomenon in depth withinits real-world context. There was no control group to compare the effectiveness of the ROLEprogram. Women participants pursuing engineering degrees reflected on the importance ofprograms like ROLE that helped them reinforce their self-confidence as students interested inengineering. Participants took part in a set of interviews, in the first month of
engineers face when trying to earn their professional engineering license. Her MASc 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, 2024 Are Hardhats Required for Engineering Identity Construction? Gendered and Racialized Patterns in Canadian Engineering Graduates’ Professional IdentitiesAbstractDespite ongoing efforts to increase diversity in engineering, women continue to beunderrepresented in the field, making up only 15% of licensed professional engineers in Canada[1]. This persistent
of educational strategies— such asexperiential learning opportunities, events, internships, and first-year experiences—have beenshown to significantly benefit undergraduate student learning, engagement, learning, andretention [5]. For instance, high-impact programs significantly help learners reflect on theircharacter strengths and weaknesses and allow them to take control of their successes as learnersand engineering professionals [5].Although evidence demonstrates that leadership development programs commonly described asexpanding the collective capacity of organizational members enable groups of individuals towork together and engage effectively in a meaningful way both in leadership roles andprocesses, [6] they can also lead to a
having high academicexpectations. Participants mentioned how their parents hold high academic expectations bywanting straight A's, pushing them to have extracurricular activities, and prioritizing theireducation. As an example, one participant mentioned, “They definitely set a standard when I wasin high school and of course when I got to college." This reflects the authoritative tendency to 9establish high standards while being responsive. It was also common for parents to be highlysupportive by assisting with homework, involving themselves in school selection, and supportingeducational goals. This pattern of high expectations paired with high
the podium computer and starts the projector. The lab's structure was that UTAs spread around the classroom and assisted students with their coding practice. Students would raise their hands to get the UTAs' attention. Instructors also train UTAs to be proactive, ensure the group dynamic is going smoothly, and initiate questions if the group or an individual member has challenges. Figure 4 - UTAs walking around the students' tables and helping students.Figure 4 shows two female and two male UTAs, and the instructor interacted with students ateach table as they collaborated on coding and problem-solving tasks. Our observation noted thatthe students' table conversation and facial expressions reflect comfort
journey as scholars totransform scholarly and cultural practices in STEM. In doing so, our research aim is to approachSTEM topics that decenter whiteness beginning with our own assumptions and biases throughreflection and dialogue. Mejia et al state “ a lack of reflection prevents the cognitive andmotivational tools needed to liberate themselves from condition and historical factors that thathinder their development” [13, p. 2]. Our approach towards liberation is understanding thelimitations of scholarship and praxis when whiteness is not decentered from the conversation andperspectives. Much scholarship about gendered experiences is often framed in a Eurocentric
and within a major [10, 11]. One study showed that acombination of student-advisor interaction, student-faculty interaction, participation inextracurricular activities, and utilizing the library correlated with a higher first to second yearretention rate (fall to fall) among students [12]. While each method is helpful, institutions wouldbe well served in designing academic support opportunities that include the variety ofstakeholders in their students’ social networks at college.In addition to feeling connected to the college community, educational researchers havedemonstrated the efficacy of a positive academic self-concept. Students perceive their academicabilities through self-reflection and comparison to others. This perception, their
68% 84% 0.0327Class SurveysA weekly reflection and survey were conducted with Likert scale multiple-choice questions. Forthis study, only the results from the beginning of the class (pre) and end of the class (post) wereanalyzed. The complete wording of the Likert questions and answer choices are shown inAppendix I. The survey results analyzed by gender are shown in Table 4. The table shows thesum of the top 2 Likert responses, such as Effective and Very effective to indicate the percentageof students with a positive assessment in each topics area. To show the effect of training moreclearly both the pre- and post- questions are shown when the same question were present in bothsurveys. In Table 4 the pre- and post- questions
way.Although there is no official data publicly available for comparison, given that we know manyengineering graduates do not become licensed, and even at four years post graduation onlyaround 45 percent of graduates become licensed [6], our sample consisting of 88 percent licensedProfessional Engineers was a large overrepresentation of this group; this suggests our samplewas likely missing those who have exited engineering completely. These characteristics of oursample are all considerations to keep in mind as readers reflect on our findings below.Table 1.Sample Comparison with 2021 Canadian Census Data Engineering Graduates
the mean fell between the 2.5 – 2.99 range, choice3 for both men and women, with the greater number of women choosing higher GPA ranges, thusthe higher mean. Mean scores for CSE, GCM, and FCM were computed from survey choiceswhere the value labels were as follows: Strongly Disagree (1), Disagree (2), Neither Agree norDisagree (3), Agree (4), Strongly Agree (5). Thus, the higher scores in Table 3 for CSE, GCM,and FCM reflect the strength of agreement with the question.Tests of Relationships: F-test, t-test, and Correlations. Levine’s test for inequality ofvariances (F-test) and independent t-tests (95% confidence interval) were performed for GPArange, CSE, GCM, and FCMs. Findings are depicted in Table 3 and summarized in Table 5.Findings from
disciplinespresents complex dynamics that require further exploration. Understanding the nuancedexperiences of grief among women in academia, especially those in STEM, is crucial fordeveloping tailored support systems and a more inclusive and supportive academic environment.Coping StrategiesCoping is defined as the cognitive and behavioral ways that an individual responds tochallenging circumstances [68]. Everyone copes differently with grief due to differences andvaried life experiences, and there are evidently many ways that individuals can respond to grief,as reflected in the BRIEF COPE questionnaire, a 28-item survey that contains 14 sub-scales tocapture various coping strategies[69]. These are: active coping, planning, positive reframing,acceptance
similar proportion of LCOEenrollment as men constituted in CHHS. This difference in perception between colleges couldindicate that these perceptions disproportionately discourage women from pursuing engineeringrelated careers relative to men pursuing health and human services careers, which could explainthe relative low participation of women in engineering compared to other countries. Consideringthat these responses are only from students who are already pursuing degrees in these colleges, itis possible that these perspectives were developed while in the degree programs and may notaccurately reflect perspectives held by individuals at the time of selecting a major.Because differences exist between the proportion of Black/African American and/or
research.IntroductionDespite decades of efforts to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering andmath (STEM) fields, most professionals in these generally high-paying, high-statusoccupations continue to be white men. In the United States, the STEM job-growth rateoverall is more than twice the average rate for the total workforce [1, p. 201], with most jobopenings in computer science and engineering (CS&E) [2]. The limited representation ofwomen in these fields is apparent: Women comprise just 28 percent of workers in science andengineering fields overall, and even less in CS&E fields [3].These labor-force dynamics also reflect trends in U.S. higher education: Although women’spostsecondary attainment rates exceed men’s, women remain
research. This disconnect frequently results in exhortations that reflect thepast and ignore the progress that has been made to date.This paper comprises a case study of a successful and long-standing Women and MinorityEngineering Program at NC State University from the perspective of the program director. It willdiscuss a theoretical framework for the components of a complete program and how the variouspieces of the framework map to practice.Background “In a comprehensive study of successful programs and practices in minority serving institutions, intentionality, that is a “calculated and coordinated method of engagement…to effectively meet the needs of a designated population” was the common thread that distinguished
bondswith the community at an early age.Role models and their representationsThe feeling of isolation, balancing an engineering career with family life, academicdissatisfaction, and lack of minority role models on campuses can reduce representation. Thereis a need for equitable access of students to role models of similar gender and race. Most femalesindicated that encouragement and validation from someone like them can help build theirengineering confidence and level of self-efficacy. College administrators should seek diversefaculty to reflect the student body and to encourage/motivate an increase in femalerepresentation.Quality Teachers with engineering knowledgeThe participating students emphasized the need for early exposure to engineering via
gender choice of “Other”was excluded due to the limited number of degrees awarded, reported only for 2019. Our“Native” category reflects combining the racial reporting options of “American Indian/AlaskaNative” and “Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.” Similarly, our “Multi” category reflectscombining “Foreign,” “Multiracial,” and “Unknown.” Other racial categories are used asreported by ASEE (e.g., “Asian,” “Black,” “Hispanic,” and “White”). Procedurally, the data was first downloaded into a CSV file. A self-generated Jupyter filewas created to clean the data and create the tidy format [21] XLSX files needed by Tableau forcreating the infographics [11]. Once the charts were styled with shapes, colors, and categorieschosen for visual