Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Developing Engineering Competencies I

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Renee M Clark, University of Pittsburgh; Samuel J Dickerson, University of Pittsburgh; Andreea Toader, University of Pittsburgh

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

/computationalanalysis courses, and industry stakeholders. The engineering backgrounds on the panel werevaried and representative of the engineering profession. The Delphi technique is a method todrive consensus among a group of experts or panelists. It involves a questionnaire to which theanonymous participants respond [1]. The researchers process the responses, which are sent backto the participants anonymously in subsequent rounds to drive consensus [1]. This studyinvolved three rounds, which is frequently or typically used [2-4].Delphi Panel. The Delphi panel for this research was primarily recruited from the publicationsuncovered during the initial literature search on engineering judgment. We contacted the authorsof these publications via email and

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Faculty Influences on Student Support

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gadhaun Aslam, University of Florida; Yuxuan Wang, University of Florida; Idalis Villanueva Alarcón, University of Florida; Edwin Marte, University of Florida

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

education.Keywords—NLP, Hidden Curriculum, Survey, Affect, Sentiment Analysis, Engineering,Engineering EducationIntroductionHidden curriculum (HC) refers to unwritten or unacknowledged messages, values or perspectivesthat are often not communicated or conveyed directly which significantly affects learningexperiences of students [1]. The exploration and identification of mechanistic HC pathways inengineering are tied to emotions, self-advocacy, and self-efficacy [1]. Within the HC pathwaysmodel, emotions are believed to be an igniter of decisions that spark action [2]. These emotionscan vary from happiness, excitement, sadness, fear, and anger [3], [4] and depending on theperspectives of the individual, each emotion can be classified as being positive

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Evolution of Engineering Education Research Methods

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jack Elliott, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Darcie Christensen, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Justine Chasmar, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Katie Scherf, Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

University, Mankato. In this role, Katie provides coaching and professional mentorship to upper-division students, focusing on guiding them through design projects and other work-based engineering challenges. Katie’s research is in reviews, social network analysis, and relevant applications in engineering education. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Methods/Theory Research Brief: A Scoping Review of Social Network Analysis in Engineering EducationInterpersonal relationships are a key aspect of success for engineers [1]-[3]. As elaborated bytheories such as the Network Theory of Social Capital [4], [5], an individual’s access to certainresources can be indirectly

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Broadening Methodological Impacts

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amirreza Mehrabi, Purdue Engineering Education & Electronic and Computer Engineering; Jason Morphew, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI)

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

targeted interventions. This study demonstrates the TDCM’s effectiveness inenhancing conceptual understanding, supporting data-driven strategies to address persistentmisconceptions, and improving outcomes in engineering education. * Corresponding authorIntroductionMisconceptions, deeply embedded in students’ cognitive frameworks, present significantchallenges in education, particularly within STEM fields such as engineering. Thesemisconceptions arise not as random errors but as coherent alternative understandings that conflictwith established scientific principles, often shaped by prior knowledge and intuitivereasoning[1, 2]. The alternative conceptions that students construct tend to be robust and persisteven after instruction, hindering

Conference Session

ERM WIP V: Assessing & Developing Competencies in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason J Saleem, University of Louisville; Edward James Isoghie, University of Louisville; Jeffrey Lloyd Hieb, University of Louisville; Thomas Tretter, University of Louisville

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

context-informed research measurement tool – a human-centered design (HCD)depth of thinking rubric that gauges undergraduate engineering students’ use of qualitative andquantitative data in a HCD task. The development of this rubric is part of a larger study that willintroduce qualitative methods training into an existing engineering curriculum so that studentsacquire both quantitative and qualitative skills (i.e., “mixed methods”). This mixed methodsapproach may better prepare engineering professionals for interdisciplinary work. There is abroad understanding that qualitative and mixed-methods approaches may be beneficial forengineering; however, there is a clear bias for favoring quantitative methods in the engineeringteaching curriculum [1

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Equity & Accessibility in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kara Bocan, University of Pittsburgh; Gaoxiang Zhou, University of Pittsburgh

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

education research interests include instructional scaffolding and gameful learning to increase student engagement and accessibility.Gaoxiang Zhou, University of Pittsburgh ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Student perspectives on attendance and instructional methods in a combined lecture and laboratory courseIntroductionMost instructors who require attendance do so with the goal of improving student learning.However, attendance does not guarantee engagement. Although attendance has been found to bepositively correlated with academic performance, studies of attendance suggest a complexrelationship among student motivation, attendance, and learning outcomes [1

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Professional Formation & Career Aspirations

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrea Lidia (Lili) Castillo, Arizona State University; Dina Verdin, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

and a sense ofbelonging on students’ persistence beliefs using data collected at one point in time [1]. However,this snapshot view offers a limited understanding of how identity and belongingness influencestudents’ persistence. It is important to consider how students are authoring and sustaining theiridentities as engineers over time. As students progress through their engineering degree programs,they are in negotiations with their role as students and engineers. While some readily take on theidentity of an engineer at present, others hold an aspirational view of one day becoming an engineer[2]. By considering the ways Latinx engineering students are operationalizing their engineeringidentity, as present-oriented or aspirational, we can

Conference Session

Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) Poster Session

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ting Jun Lin, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH); Ibrahim H. Yeter, Nanyang Technological University

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

: Problem scoping, engineering education, higher education, qualitative study.IntroductionEducating engineers begins with problem scoping—gathering data to define issues and developethical, effective solutions [1]. Research on problem scoping is limited, particularly in Easterncountries, where engineering education systems differ, making findings from Western studiesless applicable. The primary method, verbal protocol analysis (VPA), involves analyzing think-aloud interviews to compare processes between students and experts [2]. While insightful, VPAis time-intensive and unsuitable for large-scale studies. Effective training in problem scopingequips students to address technical challenges while considering stakeholder needs, societalbenefits, and

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Professional Formation & Career Aspirations

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashley Ater Kranov, Washington State University; Edwin R. Schmeckpeper P.E., Norwich University; Steven W. Beyerlein, University of Idaho

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

capacity for continued learning are amongthose identified by employers as necessary for success in the 21st century global workenvironment [1-6]. Engineering program accrediting bodies worldwide recognize this importanceand ABET has required evidence of student mastery of related student learning outcomes for aquarter century [7-13]. Yet, faculty in engineering programs continue to struggle to define, teachand measure these professional skills in their efforts to generate accurate and useful data forcourse and program-level assessment purposes. [14-19]The Engineering Professional Skills Assessment (EPSA) is the only direct method in theliterature that can be used to teach and measure student performance of five engineeringprofessional skills

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Methods in Graduate Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Malini Josiam, Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Education; Olivia Ryan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Varun Sridhar, Independent Researcher

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

on social media and other textual data. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025Using Embeddings to Uncover the Similarity Between Engineering Education Doctoral Programs and Academic Workforce OpportunitiesIntroduction and BackgroundThis is a full methods paper. Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently emerged as a powerful toolto conduct sophisticated analyses on different types of data. In education research, there has beena call for novel research that utilizes generative AI to demonstrate its efficacy and accuracy [1, p.29]. Additionally, generative AI holds significant potential in the field of engineering education,particularly in research. The community has urged scholars to document best

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Broadening Methodological Impacts

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tracy Marie Wenzl, University of New Mexico; Ruben D. Lopez-Parra, Universidad del Norte; Vanessa Svihla, University of New Mexico; Tito Busani, University of New Mexico; George Matthew Fricke, University of New Mexico

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

undergraduateengineering and computer science courses about their experiences of safety and closeness withtheir teammates and used social network analysis to investigate differences across teams andacross courses. While the engineering course used stable teams for a semester-long project, thecomputer science course used a sequence of teams for multiple small projects. Shifting teamsmay provide greater opportunities for diverse team members to locate allies.Introduction and research purposeResearch suggests diverse teams can produce more innovative ideas, but this hinges on teamsbeing inclusive, which fosters deeper, unfettered sharing of ideas [1], [2], [3]. In preparingstudents for professional practice, programs are expected to engage students in team work

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Improving Assessment in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sama Ghoreyshi, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; Andrew Olewnik, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

problem solvingIntroductionThis theory/method paper focuses on assessing student learning within a Problem-Based Learning(PBL) context. PBL is a learning approach that presents students with an open-ended, ill-structured, authentic, real-world problem [1]. In this approach, utilizing authentic real‐life clinicalproblems to structure and drive learning, students actively engage in self‐directed problem‐solvingand learning processes in small‐group settings to construct knowledge and develop a solution [2].Overall, PBL has been found to have a generally positive impact on student learning of coreknowledge and complementary skills (e.g., problem-solving) aligned with the profession, andsupporting student learning in

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Developing Engineering Competencies III

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelley E Dugan, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Heather Chenette, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

: Evaluating the Student ExperienceIntroductionThis full paper presents findings from an evidence-based practice study evaluating asustainability intervention in a polymer engineering course. In some ways, the importance ofsustainability has been recognized in engineering for decades. For example, in a 2004 report theNational Academy of Engineering called for engineering education that prepares engineers forconsidering sustainability “in all aspects of design and manufacturing” [1, p. 21]. In 2006, theNational Society of Professional Engineers added a professional obligation to its Code of Ethicsencouraging engineers to follow principles of sustainable development [2], [3]. In his 2014 book,Dr. Trevelyan stated that the

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Student Mental Health & Wellbeing I

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ava Kay Huth, Iowa State University of Science and Technology; Sarah A Wilson, University of Kentucky; Matthew Whitwer, University of Kentucky; Joseph H Hammer; Joseph Francis Mirabelli, University of Michigan

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

engineering education scholars and researches quality in mixed methods research methodologies. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Identifying response trends across mental health help-seeking beliefs in first- year engineering students using Latent Class Analysis (LCA)IntroductionTraditional variable-centered quantitative methods that are often used in engineering educationresearch, such as regressions and correlations, struggle to adequately represent the beliefs ofengineering students who do not fall into the majority, typically cisgender White men [1]. Usingperson-centered quantitative methods, researchers can avoid superficial characterizations ofgroups and issues caused by assumptions of

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Quantitative Instrument Development

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ethan Peter Lum Cisneros, Northwestern University; David P O'Neill, Northwestern University

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

identities correlate with their explicitidentities?Engineering identity has been established as a relevant factor in student persistence and success[1], [2]. While existing research has developed explicit self-report measures of engineering identity[3], [4], [5], [6], social psychology research suggests these instruments may miss critical aspectsof identity development [7], [8]. Of particular relevance is the concept of implicit self-concept—automatically activated self-evaluations or self-associations outside an individual's consciousawareness or control [9], [10], [11]. Recent studies in STEM education demonstrate that implicitmeasures can reveal identity conflicts not captured by traditional surveys [12]. While explicitmeasures can capture

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Student Mental Health & Wellbeing I

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katharine Getz, Pennsylvania State University; Stephanie Butler Velegol, Pennsylvania State University; Mechteld Veltman Hillsley, The Pennsylvania State University; Karen A High, Clemson University; Jennifer S. Brown, University of Georgia

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

Chemical Engineering students across gender, year of study, and social, academic, and identity factorsIntroductionThis full paper describes an empirical study of growth mindset among undergraduate chemicalengineering students. We specifically looked at how students differ in their growth mindsetacross gender and year of study (year) and how growth mindset correlates with social, academic,and identity factors. Growth mindset differentiates people who believe that intelligence is fixedand nonmalleable (fixed mindset) vs. people who believe that intelligence can be changed anddeveloped and can therefore improve over time and effort (growth mindset) [1]. This mindsetcan change the way students respond to challenges (like a hard engineering test

Conference Session

ERM WIP II: Equity & Accessibility in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tania Gosselin, Université du Québec à Montréal ; Lawrence R Chen, McGill University

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

thegraduate research training experience.By fostering growth as researchers and professionals, graduate education in engineering preparesstudents for careers in either academia or industry. In addition to providing technical trainingand knowledge, graduate education should help students build confidence in their capabilities,develop specialized research skills, and feel connected to both the academic and professionalcommunities [1]. While these broad goals generally align with established student outcomes,such as those specified by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) orthe Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), they also reflect the unique challengesof advanced research training.Works that empirically assess the

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Developing Engineering Competencies II

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Manish Malik SFHEA, MIET; Julie-Ann Sime FHEA, MBPsS, Lancaster University, UK

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

andmodelling team working skills in engineering education students is desirable from the point ofview of employability, developing graduate attributes and in meeting standards set by accreditingprofessional bodies [1]-[3]. Due to the range of factors and challenges in developing teamworking skills, this is an area of interest to many academic staff working and researching inengineering education [4]-[5]. Borrego et. al highlighted the complexities in this area and havecalled for engineering education researchers to work with experts from other domains, such asindustrial and organisational psychology to address some of the challenges faced by academicstaff, students and engineering education researchers [5]. These challenges became even moreprominent

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: A Focus on Faculty Experiences & Perceptions

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jasmine A Smith, University of Florida; Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome, University of Florida

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

Department at the University of Florida (UF). Her research focuses on self-efficacy and critical mentoring. She is passionate about broadening participation in engineering, leveraging evidence-based approaches to improve the engineering education environment. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Self-Awareness and Mentoring in STEMM Research: Faculty PerspectivesBackground Self-awareness is a psychological construct described within the confines ofphilosophical underpinnings of psychology, and its definition is generally accepted by manydisciplines. Self-awareness is our ability to see ourselves by becoming the object of our attention[1], [2], [3

Conference Session

ERM WIP III: Post-Undergraduate Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexander V Struck Jannini PhD, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; Eunsil Lee, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

findings to share with the research community and solicitfeedback as we continue our study. IntroductionSense of belonging (SB) is one of a number of ways to the fundamental human need for socialbonds and connections [1], [2]. Although SB has been defined and theorized in diverse ways, thisconstruct is distinguished as a subjective feeling that “persons feel themselves to be an integralpart of that system or environment” [3, p. 173]. Within education and educational psychology,ensuring that students develop SB within diverse educational settings and with the subject ofstudy has been considered crucial for their success [4]–[7]. Despite SB’s importance and growingattention, non-majority students (i.e

Conference Session

ERM WIP IV: Examining Undergraduate Recruitment & Retention

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Siqing Wei, University of Cincinnati; Alexander V Struck Jannini PhD, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; David Reeping, University of Cincinnati

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

thecultural profiles of engineering students and professionals, especially with the proper applicationof established frameworks and models. Grounded in Hofstede’s cultural value model, this workseeks to characterize personal cultural orientation (PCO) profiles of FYE students via latentprofile analysis. We surveyed over 1,700 FYE students at a large Midwestern University withSharma’s 2010 PCO instrument. Data were processed via latent profile analysis with three steps:1) conducting confirmatory factor analysis; 2) clustering data using weighted factor loadings andevaluating potential results via model fit statistics; and 3) interpreting the final chosen resultbased on PCO profiles and demographic data. The findings reveal five distinct cultural

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Quantitative Instrument Development

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harly Ramsey, University of Southern California

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

known for many years [1], [2], [3]. This gap has persisteddespite pedagogical and curricular changes, such as PBL, CDIO, capstone courses, and thebroader integration of professional skills into engineering education [4], [5], [6] [7], [8].Additionally, research documents the dissatisfaction of many early career engineers with theircareers [1], [9], [10], and their frustrations mirror those of their employers: they did notanticipate the integrated nature of professional skills in modern engineering work. Much of thisdissatisfaction, then, can be attributed to not just a “readiness gap” but also to an “expectationgap,” meaning that many engineering students have an unclear or mistaken vision of their futurework [1], [9], [11], [12]. Despite the

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: A Focus on Faculty Experiences & Perceptions

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ibukunoluwa Eunice Salami, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Kasey Moomau, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Tareq Daher, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Jessica Deters, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Yusong Li, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Ursula Nguyen, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Lance C. Pérez, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Logan Andrew Perry, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Markeya Peteranetz, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Trish Wonch Hill, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

studyingengineering culture, which is shaped by traditionally masculine values, norms, and assumptions[1], [2], [3]. These values, norms, and assumptions contribute to conditions, including negativeinterpersonal relationships, favoritism toward majority students, and subtle and overt denigrationof skills, that result in a phenomenon known as a “chilly climate” [4], [5], [6] This chilly climatehas been shown to negatively impact women and students from underrepresented groups,resulting in experiences of isolation and self-doubt [6] Ultimately, the chilly climate has beenlinked to lower rates of retention and persistence among women and students fromunderrepresented groups [6]. Experiencing an unwelcoming or “chilly” environment duringundergraduate studies has

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Equity & Accessibility in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kaitlyn Anne Thomas, University of Nevada, Reno; Adam Kirn, University of Nevada, Reno; Kelly J Cross, Georgia Institute of Technology

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

collection that captureswomen undergraduate students’ experiences of EIJ and their conceptualizations of personalepistemology. The impact of the piloting phase on the larger study includes instrumentrefinement and skill development to collect rich data through effective narrative interviewingtechniques. Future work will leverage this instrument to generate narratives of epistemicinjustice and educate engineers on how injustice manifests and can be countered to foster betterexperiences for women.IntroductionWomen are underrepresented in engineering [1], [2]. Women’s underrepresentation perpetuatesthe male domination of the engineering field and the subsequent oppression hegemony inflicts[3], including stereotypes against women [4], [5] and gender

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Strategies for Student Support

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Bahnson, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Eric Trevor McChesney, University of Pittsburgh; Allison Godwin, Cornell University; Christian D Schunn, University of Pittsburgh; Linda DeAngelo, University of Pittsburgh

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

belongingintervention, programming self-efficacy, and course grade for first-year engineering students.Improving the retention of undergraduate students in engineering pathways requires clearframeworks that include predictors and influences on continued enrollment in engineering courses.The persistence of Black, Latiné, or Indigenous (BLI) students remains lower than their peers anddisproportionate to the U.S. population [1]. The persistence of engineering students remains amajor concern with BLI students demonstrating disproportionate attrition in comparison to Whiteand Asian peers. This increased attrition from engineering pathways is often related to systematicexclusion and marginalization in engineering environments [2]-[5]. While some progress has

Conference Session

ERM WIP V: Assessing & Developing Competencies in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Holly Trisch, Mississippi State University; Mahnas Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, Mississippi State University

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

have varied access to influential resources [8]. In particular, disparities werenoted across racial, gender, and socioeconomic lines. Much of this prior literature hasemphasized disparities in students’ access to social capital, particularly in relation todemographic characteristics. However, the current study takes a different approach by focusingon grade-level differences in support, especially at the elementary level, which has receivedminimal attention in social capital research related to engineering education.More recently, the Undergraduate Supports Survey (USS) expanded the NRG to assessexpressive (emotional/motivational) and instrumental (academic/career) forms of support inundergraduate students’ networks [1], [2]. The current study

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Improving Assessment in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chinedu Alexander Emeka, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Matthew West, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Jim Sosnowski, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Geoffrey L Herman, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Craig Zilles, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Mariana Silva, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

, administering automatically graded computer-based tests reduces the amount ofmanual grading work that they have to complete, freeing up time that can be spent with studentsor on refining course content. For students, computer-based tests may allow them to receiveimmediate feedback that can be used for improvement.To facilitate computer-based testing, several institutions have deployed computer-based testingcenters (CBTC) to handle exam administration. CBTCs reduce the cost of testing for facultybecause they offload many of the logistics associated with administering quizzes and exams: (1)proctoring is handled by dedicated CBTC staff, freeing up course instructors and other coursestaff to focus on teaching and supporting student learning; (2) students

Conference Session

ERM WIP II: Equity & Accessibility in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Okoth Onyango, University of Cincinnati; Elahe Vahidi, University of Cincinnati; Kaitlyn Anne Thomas, University of Nevada, Reno; Kelly J Cross, Georgia Institute of Technology; Adam Kirn, University of Nevada, Reno; Whitney Gaskins, University of Cincinnati

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

StudentsIntroductionUndergraduate engineering students experience stressful life events before and during theircollegiate years that impact their wellbeing. The nature and extent of the events can result insignificant and sustained stress that has lasting deleterious effects. Jensen and Cross [1] foundthat undergraduate engineering students experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression,suggesting a potential mental health crisis in higher education institutions. Asghar et al. [2]established that stress in undergraduate engineering dampens students' motivation for learningdue to heavy academic workload, while also indicating that further work is needed to determinethe prevalence and impact of these experiences.In engineering, negative academic experiences add

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Improving Assessment in Engineering Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lykke Brogaard Bertel, Aalborg University; Rea Lavi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Kamilla Rathcke, Aalborg University; Nelson F. Coelho, Aalborg University; Sun Cole Seeberg Dyremose, Aalborg University

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

SAFO - aframework for teaching introductory systems thinking in first-year STEM education. We refine arubric useful for assessing systems thinking, and present initial results from applying this rubricto structured case work involving collaborative problem-solving. Finally, we discuss thepotential of applying SAFO as a research tool to compare variations of interdisciplinarity andcomplexity in collaborative problem-solving in STEM.IntroductionSystems thinking is a higher order thinking skill important for addressing complex, real-worldproblems in STEM [1-3]. Systems thinking can be assessed in a multitude of ways, includingrubrics, open- and close-ended tools, scenarios, mapping and coding schemes, and more,depending on the focus and field of

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session: Methods in Graduate Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tabe Ako Abane, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Matthew Bahnson, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

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Diversity

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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

doctoral studentschanging research labs during their academic programs in engineering graduate education.Recent research has demonstrated over 70% of engineering doctoral students contemplateleaving their programs without a doctoral degree [1]. Depending on the discipline, 40-60% ofengineering doctoral students actually depart due to conflicts with advisors and peers, financialor academic difficulties, and personal or family concerns [2]. Some students remain in theirdoctoral programs by changing research labs, advisors, programs, or even universities [3], [4].While changing research labs can help retain partially trained and qualified students, theassociated individual costs, programmatic barriers, and advisor conflicts complicate the