, andthe richness of human experiences—and write it up based on the simplified, linear sequencedemanded in academia. It was not just about the aesthetic structure (introduction, literature,methods, results, discussions, etc.), it was how this dominant dissertation rhetoric silenced thetrue ambivalence and complexities of my findings. This traditional style and structure focused onknowledge production more than depth of holistic understanding (Kociatkiewicz & Kostera,2023). I relate to this reflection from another PhD student as she considered this same challenge: “How could I condense my research into a series of neatly defined chapters? I was attempting to follow the normative pattern of a conventional thesis [...] It seems
belonging at theuniversity level consists of five items that assess students’ sense of belonging within theiruniversity. Items were answered on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1= Not at all, 7= Very much so).An average score across items was calculated with higher scores reflecting higher sense ofbelonging at the university level. A sample item for sense of belonging- university level is “I feelthere is a sense of community at this school.” Sense of belonging- engineering major level. Sense of belonging at the engineeringmajor level consists of ten items that measure students’ perceptions of belonging within theirengineering major. Items were answered on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1= Not at all, 7= Verymuch so). An average score across items
, efforts made to diversity campuscannot be chalked up to individual accomplishments or failures, but rather demonstrate howinstitutional cultures determine which policies are adopted and acted upon [13]. We have selected these frameworks to reflect our commitment to better understanding howinstitutions, in conjunction with individual actors, can improve their diversity outcomes.Furthermore, our rationale is to look specifically at the institutional barriers that participantsmention that prevent them from being effective at carrying out diversity work, even if they arecommitted to that effort.Methods, Context and SampleThis paper developed from a larger project aimed at creating a sociotechnical framework toview, analyze and understand the
have on thelived experiences of scholars in the field (e.g., as it relates to their citation count, academicprestige, and career progression).The above discussion led to the hypothesis that the CS collaboration networks in the literaturewere overly representative of the collaboration networks of white and Asian scholars incomputing. By extension, reported network measures such as degree (or the average number ofunique coauthors) would not be reflective of the collaboration experiences of non-white andAsian computer scientists. Further, this work posited this difference would skew in favor ofwhite and Asian scholars. That is, if the “average” (e.g., race-neutral approach) computerscientist has x number of unique collaborators, then minoritized
,2014, p. 13). As such, PD activities should enable BIPOCx contingent faculty in engineering to 3authentically design, develop, and implement intended outcomes. Notably, asset-based practicescannot be disconnected from the realities and multiple worlds that BIPOCx people in engineeringface (Mejia et al., 2022). Thus, PD activities should provide room for deep reflection andpurposeful iteration and center the voices of those impacted.Comparative Critical Theories Derived from legal scholarship, critical theories offer an analytical lens to examine racialand ethnic inequalities experienced by BIPOCx individuals. Over the years, critical
developmental research &implementation phases:Influencers for Transformative Education [5, 2]:1. Critical awareness of culture2. Professional identity development3. Participation in communities of mentoring and learning4. Holistic skill integration through reflection5. The development of professional integrity through affective awarenessFig. 2 [3] is a visual representation of the process of these five influencers’ impacts on studentexperiences in an electrical and computer engineering program. This model of the fiveinfluencing factors was then used in the development of the subsequent study's interventions.Figure 2. Process of Transformative Learning as Affected by the 5 Influencers: Culture,Participating in Communities, Reflection, Professional
-STEM mentor, encouraged her to pursue computing based on her performance and interest inclass. He specifically told her that “every computer scientist” answers questions in the same waythat Leyla does and confirmed that she belongs in computing. Leyla reflected, “impostersyndrome wasn’t a thing that semester.”Each participant reported that her family was supportive of her pursuing a STEM degree. ForDiana, a first-generation student, interest in STEM began early—reinforced by her parents’ valueof education and STEM: “Since I've been a kid, there's always been that STEM influence in mylife.” Families were also supportive of Scholars’ well-being more generally.College Experiences in Computing - Low PointsAll of the “low” points described by
addnew examples to the list, for instance, examples identified by the students. If a student reportsthat they did not find relevant examples in our list, but they provided a new one, we will analyzeand consider for addition the new example provided.After the students identify a potential role model that inspires them in the course's domain (e.g.,databases or programming), each student will describe this role model on a discussion board andindicate the main criteria on which the selection was based. A moderated discussion will takeplace with feedback from the instructor and other students. The second part ends with a shortassignment serving as self-reflection for the role model identification process. In this assignmentthe students will summarize
about the opportunities andchallenges available to them; this also relates to their identity work. For example, students maywonder whether they are being heard in the group and if they belong in a particular communityof practice. Content uncertainty includes questions about the ideas, approaches, or intended endresult of an activity. This type of uncertainty is similar to what Hartner-Tiefenthaler et al. refer toas epistemological uncertainty, which they define as a “subjective feeling of being unsure aboutthe content, process or outcome of a task.” (p. 21, 2018). We adopt the latter term,epistemological uncertainty, to reflect that questions about process can include questions aboutwhat counts as valuable ways of knowing and doing
, such as multi-layered and culturallyrelevant mentoring and support, in amplifying the participants’ resilience and personal andprofessional development. The three participants’ community-serving mindset and authenticreciprocity with high school students prompted them to become reflective and critical advocatesof the program’s original intent. As a result, they played a pivotal role in fulfilling the ultimategoal of institutional collaboration—diversifying the STEM workforce.IntroductionDiversity is widely recognized as a pivotal factor for innovation and ground-breakingtransformation in scientific research [1]. As a result, the National Science Foundation (NSF) andother federal funding agencies have long supported the creation of diverse
involved framing of the BPC goals, assessingcurrent data systems for points of vulnerability and opportunity, a data request from the statesystems, data visualization, utilization and reflection.Data was drawn from reflective team journals; notes, collaborative materials and observationsmade during collaborative meetings; and the technical assistance requests made during theproject.When developing data infrastructure in support of BPC, diverse teams matter. Teams neededrepresentation from people who can access institutional or state data, understand the practicalcontext of the data to support interpretation, and help tie data to broader advocacy efforts.Ongoing team engagement, both within and across states, allowed the space to consider
inclusion and equity are not. Some viewinclusion as a tool wielded by those in authority. Inclusion requires the group to include theindividual, rather than for the individual to take on that burden. An ideal DEI environmentencourages and hears authentic selves. People who want to improve DEI should engage inrepeated reflection to allow their ideas to evolve over time. Those at the top of the hierarchy,who are often not from minoritized groups, particularly need to reflect on their privileges andpositionalities in order to enact effective change [10].Engineers are still viewed by society as oblivious and antisocial, which lessens the appeal ofengineering to some. Others see engineering as heavily aligned with military and corporateinterests rather
student populated surveyed consisted of 68% male and 32%female, of which 95% are Hispanic/Latino. The authors employed a qualitative research design,and the primary method of data collection was a self-developed survey instrument consisting of atotal five open-ended questions. The process for developing the survey items consisted ofquestions that sought to examine instructional and pedagogical strategies implemented to teachstudents rigorous engineering concepts based on students’ experiences in the course. As such, thequestions provided students the opportunity to delineate, reflect, and share valuable insight andexperiences that can help develop and refine effective and equitable engineering pedagogy.The data analysis consisted of an open
Figured Worlds serves as a powerful frame for ourwork because it captures the complex influence of socially- and culturally-produced systems(i.e., figured worlds) on one’s capacity (i.e., agency) to purposefully and reflectively act withinthem. The ways we choose to – or choose not to – represent ourselves as we navigate figuredworlds, and the feedback we receive while interacting with them, serve as indicators ofidentification with social groups and their privileges [13]. For a system to be considered afigured world, it must have four characteristics: (1) historically developed through the works ofparticipants; (2) include social encounters in which participant positions matter; (3) sociallyorganized and reproduced; and (4) relate individuals to
types corresponding to each of the variables, as well as the mean andstandard deviation scores, are presented in Table 1. The highest mean motivation scores wereobserved in the following items (a) item 3, “Because I think that a college education will help mebetter prepare for the career I have chosen,” with a mean of 4.32; (b) item 22, “In order to have abetter salary later on,” reflecting a mean of 4.32; (c) item 8, “In order to obtain a moreprestigious job later on,” registering a mean of 4.26; and (d) item 10, “Because eventually it willenable me to enter the job market in a field that I like,” with a mean of 4.16. As it may beobserved, all items displaying the highest mean values are associated with extrinsic motivationelements. Items 3
rigorousdiscipline focusing heavily on math and science [4], [5], [6]. Due to these attitudes, students andlab instructors tend to focus more on technical knowledge rather than communication skills inlabs. Another study found that the written engineering documents seldom contained socio-cultural features of engineering and the trade-offs between productivity and safety or health of anoperator [7]. This type of neutral and objective text couldn’t reflect the complexity and human-related real-world engineering problems [7]. In this study, we want to model engineeringthinking to increase students’ awareness of rhetorically-focused writing in ME labs. Manyengineering programs have writing-intensive lab courses designed to simultaneously improveengineering
ideas (Figure 1). The bridge design challenge drewfrom a similar project in a first-yearengineering reflection course and asecond-year engineering foundationscourse in the authors' academic programbased on work by Chen andWodin-Schwartz [14]. The bridge designproject began with a prompt from a citymayor hoping to connect two parts oftown with a bridge. However, the bridgehad to begin and end in specific zones oneither side which were to be demolishedto make way for the bridge. Context wasalso added in the prompt, saying, "TheMayor says they trust your decision aslong as you can explain it!" to helpalleviate the youth's fears aboutpreemptively having a "correct" answer.Six zones were created, three on eachside, of which youth had to
What were the Alliance members’ prior experiences in collaborativenetworks that they bring into the new Alliance? and In the context of equity, how are the newlyformed Alliance’s members’ funds of knowledge being honored and valued?. To answer thesequestions, we used the Framework Method [40] for conducting a qualitative study using a semi-structured interview protocol with members from partner organizations within this Alliance2 .3.1 Data CollectionTwo of the researchers conducted the interviews in which participants reflected on the first fourmonths of the start of the Alliance to gain baseline knowledge of the type of early patterns andnorms being established and factors that may contribute to their establishment. We asked questionsdesigned
held by women but the number of departmentheads and other decision-makers is not effectively reported. The same goes for private firms thatmay list a woman in a leadership role, however, what their real levels of responsibility anddecision-making abilities are, remains unknown.Motivation, Resiliency, and Persistence in STEM To combat the barriers women and minorities face when pursuing academic and careerpathways in technology and engineering, universities, professional organizations, and privatecompanies are taking action to increase gender equity, diversity, and inclusionary practices.Agencies and organizations have taken it upon themselves to study and report the inequities inacademics and careers that reflect the negligence with
Tribe. My neighbors were lovely, and we even had a biggarden to grow our own produce. I consider Kenya my second home now.In Chimamanda Adichie’s TED talk [1], she discusses the dangers of a single, and one-dimensional, story. This concept helped me reflect on the ways my travels opened more complexstories about the places I traveled to. There were simple stories that influenced my ideas of theUnited States and Kenya before I traveled and experienced them personally. Now those storieshave been replaced by more holistic and complex stories through lived experience.When I started a Ph.D. in engineering and computing education in 2021, and started reading theliterature, I saw different stories being told about women in computing. Some scholars
mentorship indicators. Fromthere, the researcher sought out additional literature. After having read and reflected on theinformation, the researcher constructed a draft conceptual framework for the purposes ofcategorizing and conceptualizing the types of mentorship, including traditional, effective, andcritical mentorship, as well as identifying the relevant mentorship indicators associated with thesementorship types.3.2 Scoping ReviewFor this study, a scoping review protocol based on Arksey and O’Malley’s framework [4] wasutilized as described previously [5]. Scoping reviews are useful when probing the literature as theyemulate the rigor of systematic reviews while keeping laser-focused on answering the researchquestions [4], [5]. Scoping reviews
engineering education research and practice, theories reflecting the experiences ofmultiply marginalized students remain elusive in engineering education. Oftentimes, multiplymarginalized students’ experiences are explored through identifying particular marginalizedidentities within study participants and applying theories of engineering education to theirexperiences. Other approaches situating certain standpoint theories emerge from single-identitytraditions that identify specific identities and deepen understandings of only those facets ofidentities relevant to those theories. While these approaches are often immensely helpful indeveloping new knowledge about the experiences of marginalized students, they often do notaccurately reflect the unique
including communication, teambuilding techniques, and team identity. Burchfield et al.[12] evaluated teamwork in undergraduate engineering courses where they offered interpersonaland intercultural communication-based teamwork training. By embedding interculturalcommunication notions into their course activities, they minimized the number of dysfunctionalteams compared to prior experiences and gained positive feedback from students. They alsoconducted a qualitative analysis of students’ self-reflections which revealed an emphasis on theimportance of diversity in engineering and teamwork.Huang et al. [13] explored how teamwork can be improved by using a team process framework.They employed an exploratory case study research approach to evaluate
engage in those reflections needed to evaluate complex situations, which often involve socio-economic and political considerations. Case studies have been shown to be an effective way to do that, and an effective case study allows students to go beyond the simple facts of the case by looking at laws past and present, historical context, and current practice and lead them to make informed decisions [16]. This process not only enhances their analytical abilities but also encourages them to explore new dimensions of the engineering practice, facilitating that much needed shift to a more equitable and socio-centered engineering practice. This broader perspective encourages students to consider the
%, respectively (ASEE,2019). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019) projected higher job growth for computationalroles (12%) compared to mechanical, electrical, and computer hardware engineering (4-6%).Reflecting this demand, computer science and computer engineering faculty emerged with thehighest salaries in academia, surpassing their engineering counterparts (ASEE, 2022).These disciplinary distinctions permeate beyond academic and professional spheres, influencingsocialization, enrollment, and persistence, and carrying significant implications forunderrepresented groups. Hocker and colleagues (2019) pinpoint challenges in academiacontributing to a noteworthy doctoral dropout rate in engineering, particularly impacting womenand URMs. The prevalence
, stickers, fun pens and pencils, etc. After this, there is another short lesson where theproposed questions are answered and the science behind it is explained. The students are thenencouraged to reflect and self-evaluate their own experience of the activity so they can determinewhy their solution to the problem did or did not work [5].An alphabetical, non-comprehensive list of activities put on by STEM 4 Kids is in the tablebelow. Activities are hyperlinked to web pages with instructions or to sources for purchasingmaterials, with the exception of the 3D Printing, which links to CSU’s Idea 2 Product Lab (I2P). Table 1: List of STEM 4 Kids Activities 3D Printing Apple-Powered Clocks
areversed in this and many other tools that are far more advanced?Dr. Watford later comments on how curricular change does not need to happen all at once.Indeed, change an assignment, change a module, do this over time. She also reflects on howstudents do not do their homework. Why? Because faculty do not have the time to grade theassignments. She goes on to suggest the use of digital technologies to not only submit homework,but to grade it. She is certain that the practice of homework and feedback can only help. She alsogave the example of using data analytics to assess student performance. Again, use thetechnology! Dr. Watford also offered that computer science students could take on how todevelop electronic homework, how to grade it, and more
University (OSU), earned a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.S. and B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from OSU.Dr. Monica Farmer Cox, The Ohio State University Monica F. Cox, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair in the Department of Engineering Education at The Ohio State University. Prior to this appointment, she was a Associate Professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University, the Inaugural Direc ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Unexpected Accomplices: Effective Mentoring between a Black and White Woman Despite Historical Issues of Privilege, Power, and PositionalityAbstractIn this reflection
had the occasion or courage to explore.” [1] Before Ibecame chronically ill as a person assigned female at birth, I rarely considered that the decisionsthat engineers made were as much social and political as they were technical. The decline in myhealth coincided with a strong desire and motivation to self-reflect and interrogate how engineersshaped medical realities, realities I dealt with every time I entered a clinic and failed to receive adiagnosis or a regime of care. Autoethnography inspires an analysis of the gaps in technologythat harm populations, how expertise-driven engineering cultures exacerbate these inequities, andwhy critical reflection alongside communities with lived experiences of health injustices canimprove the way we do
graduatestudents during this time period. The pronounced rise in publications during these years, with overhalf of the total articles between 2020 - 2023, suggests that the pandemic may have intensified thefocus on graduate student mental health, reflecting an obvious and heightened scholarly responseto a critical aspect of student life exacerbated by the global crisis.Figure 1: Temporal trends showing the number of publications before, during, and after the COVID-19global pandemic.Mental health-related terminologies. In our examination of the 616 identified peer-reviewedarticles, we cataloged the terminologies employed to discuss mental health. We conducted adetailed review of the abstracts from each paper and counted every mention of a mental health