academic curricula have gained momentum across disciplines [3], [9], [10],[11], [12]. Such efforts foster awareness of societal power dynamics, inequalities, and oppressivestructures while encouraging critical analysis and action for social change. These approachesempower students to challenge dominant narratives, reflect on their roles in systems of privilegeor marginalization, and engage as agents of transformation. Engineering education presents unique challenges for fostering critical consciousness anddisrupting entrenched mindsets, largely due to the persistence of Technical/Social Dualism,which upholds a rigid separation between technical and social dimensions of engineering. As aresult, the field often resists the integration of
thatanother engineer could use to help them with their mental health, 2) four short-form lessonsregarding mental health concepts, and 3) individual reflections those mental health concepts. Atfour intervals, students took a survey based on an existing mental health survey with strongvalidity evidence, where we gathered data on students' responses to the intervention.Quantitative analysis used MANOVA and Multivariate Kruskall-Wallis comparison tests ofstudents' factor scores. We found that student stress slightly decreased and student sense ofsupport slightly increased. The qualitative analysis examined students' reflections thematicallyand found that although many students expressed having concerns about their mental health atthe start of the project
prompt reflection and integration of sociotechnical perspectivesinto every step of the design work students engage in, which requires students to keep thebroader impacts of their work in mind both in the course and beyond the classroom inprofessional practice. To properly understand the development and implementation of the CEQs,background on the course will first be provided.Course HistoryIn 2019, administrators at a large public mid-Atlantic university began a study of their FYEprogram to evaluate whether it was providing students with the skills and knowledge that wouldbe most useful to them in their professional careers. To do so, a survey was sent to engineeringfaculty, university alumni, and employers who had hired university graduates in
undergraduate curricula. However, traditionalengineering education often delays the introduction of SE/ST concepts, leaving studentsunprepared to manage interconnected systems and competing priorities. This paper explores atinkering-based approach to hands-on learning as a method for embedding SE/ST principles infirst-year mechanical engineering courses. By engaging students in activities that emphasizeexploration, iteration, and reflection, the tinkering framework aligns with Kolb’s ExperientialLearning Theory, making abstract SE/ST concepts tangible and accessible.The paper presents the deployment of three hands-on activities designed to foster SE/ST skills:product decomposition, the Titan Submersible case study, and a paper airplane design
of engineering, requires a reorganization of how learning environments are designed and how engineering programs and faculty evaluate how learning occurs. he need to prepare students to work on socio-technical issues is better reflective of how theyTwill be working as an engineer and the types of 21st century problems that are currently in need of attention[1]. Global-scale, complex, socio-technical problems are often referred to as convergent problems in the field of engineering[2]. A key characteristic of convergent problems is that they are not well addressed by traditional approaches, because they require the sharing and application of ideas and methods across multiple disciplines and partners in
principles. These topics were aligned with specific learningoutcomes, as outlined in Table 1, to ensure students developed competencies in recognizingenvironmental challenges, applying whole life cycle thinking, and assessing inclusive andsustainable business models.Throughout the course, participants completed photo-voice assignments to reflect theirunderstanding of the EOP topics. The photo-voice assignments required students to submit animage that represented a sustainability concept discussed in class and to write a short narrativeexplaining its relevance. The assignment prompt encouraged students to connect their selectedimages to lean engineering principles, environmental sustainability, and responsible businesspractices. By requiring students
through the development and implementation of strategies geared towards increasing student sense of belonging. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 GIFTS: Addressing Bias in Engineering Design with a Classroom ActivityThis Great Ideas for Teaching, and Talking with, Students (GIFTS) paper presents a classroomactivity designed to address bias in engineering design and foster social responsibility amongfirst-year engineering students. Through analysis of real-world examples of bias in technology,students explore how cultural, personal, and societal factors influence engineering decisions andoutcomes. Analysis of student reflections demonstrates the activity's effectiveness
sociology [1]. In this work we focuson the methods dimension. “Methods” is the largest dimension of the CA framework, as itfocuses on the distribution and evaluation of the knowledge and skills required for expertise [1].The Methods dimension contains six principles: modeling (model.), coaching (coach.),scaffolding (scaffold.), articulation (art.), reflection (reflect), and exploration (explore). The firstthree principles reflect typical apprenticeship through an expert providing a demonstration of thework, followed by a collaboration with their mentor to guide them in their execution, andprovide feedback [1]. As individuals gain experience, the mentor assists them in progressing tomore complex tasks though scaffolding. The later three stages focus
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework guided theuse of digital tools such as Canva, Flipgrid, and Google Suites, which supported collaborativeinquiry, data visualization, and reflective practice. PSTs adaptations establishedtransdisciplinary connections across STEM and non-STEM subjects, while also emphasizingDEI by incorporating accessibility and availability of educational technology and support,Indigenous knowledge, and culturally relevant teaching strategies. The results indicated thatPSTs deepened their understanding of sustainability through reflective practices, including foodtracking and storytelling, while simultaneously developing critical thinking and technologicalcompetencies. The study concludes that the 100-Mile
Paper ID #48942Generative AI as a Thinking Partner in Doctoral Education: An AutoethnographicExplorationDr. Jennifer A Turns, University of Washington Dr. Jennifer Turns is a full professor in the Human Centered Design & Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at the University of Washington. Engineering education is her primary area of scholarship, and has been throughout her career. In her work, she currently focuses on the role of reflection in engineering student learning and the relationship of research and practice in engineering education. In recent years, she has been the co-director of the
surveys, end-of-semester interviews, and reflective essays, thisstudy provides a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between ICC and SOB. Thefindings will offer practical insights for faculty development programs and suggest pathways forembedding ICC training across engineering curricula.Moreover, the study contributes to the broader discourse on educational equity by highlightingthe role of culturally competent teaching in mitigating the systemic barriers faced byunderrepresented students. By fostering an inclusive and culturally aware classroomenvironment, ICC-trained professors can help bridge the gap between diverse studentpopulations and the traditionally homogenous engineering community. This research not onlyunderscores the
the program designers' engineering workforce development intentions? As a part of the summer program, participants produced multiple forms of reflection thatgenerated insights into the program’s design and impact, and recommendations for futureimprovement. These reflections included pre and post-surveys, daily reflections, post-activityreflections, and focus group discussions. Our research questions focus on investigating participant engagement and learningexperiences from the program activities. Hence, post-activity reflections are a suitable choice touse for this study. Since there are multiple ways to engage and draw from a single activity, weadopt a basic qualitative research design approach and photovoice as an investigation
isoften limited by a lack of institutional support for the IDP creation process. The insufficientunderstanding of the value of updating the IDP, lack of training in techniques or skills forplanning and assessment needed in IDP, and an inability to customize the IDP to each student'sspecific needs and aspirations, hinders students’ voluntary pursuit of IDP revisions. Therefore,the IDP creation activity ends up merely as a one-and-done effort focused on a written product,rather than forming a career-enhancing habit to engage in review and reflection to update a planwith personally meaningful goals.Under an NSF S-STEM grant we implemented a year-long professional development course forinterdisciplinary computational science and engineering students
experiential learning and intensive self-reflection [4]. These two courses:Service Learning in STEM and Leadership in STEM, are required in the new curriculum of thishonors program. Both are offered exclusively and purposefully in a face-to-face format topromote interpersonal exchanges and build a strong peer network. They also allow students tofulfill general education requirements, and therefore, do not burden the students’ schedules.Course ContentService Learning in STEM pairs student teams with community partners for a service project.Students work with community leaders to identify a problem, design and implement solutions,and present their work. The course requires regular communication between the student teamsand community partners, as well as
the primary focus is directing students toengage with the tool to reflect on their experiential learning activities such as project teams,study abroad or research so they can build a story bank of their growth and development toprepare for interviews or other employer interactions. In the business school, the tool isintegrated into the undergraduate curriculum, and students achieve different levels of eachcompetency through the courses they take, with some direct interaction with the tool. Lastly,public health has fully integrated the tool with a masters program, where students use the tool toexplore the pathways to different careers as they gain proficiency in various skills, and much ofwhat happens in the tool is automated through the
, and develops student leaders to embody the principles of professional academic advising and leaders within their academic, professional, and social communities. These student leaders serve as invaluable resources for their peers, offering guidance, support, and insights into the biomedical engineering experience. Grounded in student development and servant leadership principles, the PALs program fosters ethical and inclusive leadership, building strong peer-to-peer relationships that facilitate knowledge transfer and personal growth. Dr. Paige’s unwavering commitment to guiding and educating students in higher education drives her to advocate for the development of critically reflective students, scholars, leaders
will beshared in the study) also expose students to another aspect of the pedagogical framework: Amindful awareness of the AI Usability Spectrum. For instance, while Bloom’s revised taxonomyis instrumental in the creation of Human-AI learning outcomes and course content, theframework also encourages faculty to reflect upon the AI Usability Spectrum. To maintainacademic integrity and embrace the full use of Human-AI learning, faculty can engage studentsin the learning process, determining the ‘right’ amount of AI usage for every task. This practiceincludes breaking down tasks into categories pertaining to writing, critical thinking, and researchwhile classifying AI use into low, medium, and high intensity. This interactive processintroduces
hierarchies.This paper describes a research design that integrates participant-centered methods such asnarrative inquiry, reflective journaling, and member-checking to ensure participants’ experiencesare authentically captured and interpreted. Additionally, the design includes interviews withparticipants’ self-identified mentors to provide a holistic view of the mentorship dynamics thatsupport early-career success. By situating the research design within NSF’s broader mission todiversify STEM fields, this paper serves as a foundational resource for researchers committed toconducting inclusive, asset-based studies that advance equity in engineering education andpractice.Importantly, this paper does not present empirical findings; instead, it is a detailed
projectthat directly influences performance. With this intervention, we intended to cultivate a learningenvironment where students truly improved their ability to maturely and equitably handle a largeintegrated hands-on project. To measure the success of this initiative, the team analyzed the collectedpeer evaluations to examine the data provided by the tool and data obtained from reflective reports bothpre and post-intervention to provide comparative insight on the success of this intervention.Additionally, the paper describes the use of the software in various projects and analyzes the outcomes,offering recommendations for broader implementation. While acknowledging the complexity andnuance of team dynamics, we anticipate this research will
communication (ICC) and cohort-building before traveling abroad over spring break,where they engage with researchers and practitioners during tours, site visits, and lectures. Using a combination ofsurveys and reflections from four cohorts, we discuss participants’ pre- and post- trip assessments regarding their holisticunderstanding of sustainability, perceptions of their engineering disciplines, and their global, intercultural, andcommunication competencies. We assert that short-duration SA is an efficient, effective, and non-disruptive approach toproviding engineering students access to the high-impact benefits of SA experiences. Additionally, our preliminaryfindings align with prior research showing that combined ICC instruction and SA can improve
, and navigate evolving constraints. Thisapproach bridges the gap between theory and practice, allowing students to rapidly prototype,test, and observe the impacts of their engineering decisions in real time. This paper describes theinstructional approach and focuses on how students responded to the learning activities asdescribed in their reflective journals.KeywordsSystems engineering, project-based learning, real world applications, student reflectionIntroductionThe notion of scar tissue is well known among systems engineering practitioners. It representsthe knowledge gained from navigating the ambiguity and unpredictability of projects. You’vebeen there, you’ve suffered the consequences of your own decisions and the decisions of
the3Cs by challenging them to explore location selection and environmental factors (Curiosity), createfunctional and aesthetically valuable designs for clients (Creating Value), and assess how theirdesign decisions might impact stakeholders (Connections). To evaluate the project's effectiveness,students completed an open-ended survey designed to reflect on their learning outcomes and theirexperiences with EML principles. The survey responses were analyzed using thematic coding toidentify patterns and insights related to entrepreneurial learning. Preliminary results indicate thatstudents developed increased adaptability, innovative problem-solving abilities, and a deeperunderstanding of value creation in construction, validating the integration
displacement of marginalized communities to be the most impactful aspect of the assignment.Students also highlighted increased ethical awareness, practical applications of communityfeedback, and a broader perspective on engineering’s societal implications. This paper reflects onthe course design and early outcomes of the intervention, demonstrating how historicallygrounded assignments can foster greater awareness of DEI considerations among engineeringstudents. By equipping students with the skills to critically assess the societal implications ofengineering decisions, the intervention lays the groundwork for creating inclusive urbanenvironments. Future efforts should focus on institutional support and scaling such initiatives topromote a more
developthe skills and mindset needed to tackle complex, real-world challenges in biomedical design. Weaim to address the question of how the middle years of college (sophomore and junior years)serve as a bridge between foundational learning and advanced application of BME designattitudes, beliefs, mindsets, and skills.This course is designed to guide students in reflecting on their strengths, areas for growth,interests, and past experiences while creating an online resume. Through weekly 50-minutesessions, the seminar addresses ABET Student Outcomes 1–7, fostering a reflective approach tolearning in BME. However, the course’s impact has been limited by insufficient engagementwith real-world biomedical engineering challenges and the biodesign process
in Communicating Mathematical ContentAbstractThis Work in Progress study explores the impact of weekly journaling assignments onengineering students’ ability to communicate mathematical concepts effectively in designprojects. At Louisiana Tech University, first-year engineering students participate in the “Livingwith the Lab” course sequence, culminating in the First-Year Projects Showcase. While studentsexcel at explaining their product’s purpose and hardware, they often struggle to articulate theunderlying STEM principles, especially in mathematics.To address this gap, a targeted journaling assignment was integrated into the calculus sequence toenhance reflection on mathematical concepts and their connection to engineering
identities. Fourconstructs describe the connections between time domains as ways individuals make meaning ofthe task at hand or their identity: Attribution of current task to past identity, Past identityexperience to explain current identity, Perceived Instrumentality of current task on futureidentity, and Future Identity Goals impact on current task planning For data analysis, a particularfocus was placed on the connection constructs and how identity and motivation impact eachother. Data collection was structured to capture personal reflections on events and theirmotivations.Another way of conceptualizing how identity motivates action is through teacher disposition.Along with teacher knowledge and skill, teacher disposition is a third essential
course. In addition, pre-service teachers also completed reflective journals throughoutthe course in which they were asked to reflect on how specific aspects of the course impactedtheir understanding of the nature of engineering and confidence in their ability to teachengineering. All reflective journals were collected and analyzed qualitatively using an opencoding method to identify common themes in responses.Based on quantitative survey results, the self-efficacy of pre-service teachers with teachingengineering increased as a result of participating in this course. Furthermore, qualitative analysisof reflective journal entries revealed that pre-service teachers felt more confident in their abilityto teach engineering after completing the
Ladson-Billings, centers students’ livedexperiences, cultural knowledge, and linguistic practices as essential in the learning process [4].This framework shaped how lessons were designed to reflect community contexts andencouraged student agency in engineering problem-solving. The project also incorporatedprinciples of culturally sustaining pedagogy, with emphasis maintaining and supporting students’languages, Dominican Spanish and Haitian Creole, as part of a broader commitment to identityaffirmation and linguistic inclusion in education [5], [8].Positionality theory further guided the project by acknowledging that the social, cultural, andeducational backgrounds of us as instructors shaped how we engaged with students and makesense of the
learning, critical reflection in ethics, and high-impact practices.Dr. Steven Higbee, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) Steve is an Associate Professor of Engineering Practice in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University in Indianapolis. He received his PhD in Bioengineering from Rice University (Houston, TX) in 2013, after earning his BS and MS degrees from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN).Jennifer M Hatch, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) Jennifer Hatch is a Continuing Lecturer of Biomedical Engineering in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. She earned her BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering from Indiana University - Purdue University
implementation and effects.Despite its potential, the teaching of love and its attributes remains largely absent from U.S.engineering curricula. The dominant emphasis on technical mastery often sidelines students'emotional and relational development, as well as their deeper understanding and engagementwith the social, historical, and ethical contexts of technological development—limiting theircapacity for ethical reasoning and critical reflection on technological impacts [10], [11].This absence raises a central question: can the compassionate and caring dimensions of love betaught and conceptualized through a transdisciplinary and holistic design thinking methodology,and serve as a foundation for engineering education? Addressing this question involves