Paper ID #48021Using student-led case studies in engineering to build cultural awareness,self-knowledge, and ethical engagementKelsey McLendon, University of Michigan Kelsey McLendon is a Lecturer in the Program in Technical Communication in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research interests are technical writing, social and emotional learning, and DEIJ in engineering education.Dr. Katie Snyder, University of Michigan Dr. Snyder is a lecturer in the Program in Technical Communication at the University of Michigan. She teaches writing and presentation strategies to students in the College of
all engineering disciplines, but especially Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering. His research focuses on the interplay between identity, experience, and agency in language and literacy practices in technical and workplace communication contexts through translingual and linguistic justice frameworks. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Ethical Engineering Practice through Language: A Case Study Based on the Flint Water Crisis for Teaching Language and Style1 Introduction & BackgroundThis study explores student’s perceptions of how to practice being an ethical engineer throughlanguage and was spurred by an interest to make the teaching of language diversity
purelytechnical and independent of the subjectivities of the practitioners and the sociopolitical contextin which engineering work is performed. Engineering students are often unaware of howengineering intersects with aspects of social justice due to the way they learn engineering. As aresult, they develop an apathy toward social and ethical considerations. To address this issue, theauthors of this paper designed a one-credit elective course. This course was offered to studentspursuing engineering and engineering technology degrees at the Rochester Institute ofTechnology. This paper documents in detail the design and delivery of the course along withstudent and instructor reflections of the experience. Student experiences are captured through thejournal
classrooms have long been sites of both struggle and possibility,where technical expertise can be cultivated alongside a critical understanding ofsocietal inequities and the systemic challenges faced by marginalizedcommunities. The integration of social justice and sustainability into engineeringeducation reflects a growing recognition that engineers are not just problem-solvers but also ethical actors with responsibilities to society and the environment.This transformative vision aligns with the Engineering for One Planet (EOP)framework, which equips engineering educators with tools to embedsustainability, equity, and justice into their curricula. By incorporatingframeworks like STEEP (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, andPolitical
. Sociotechnical thinking, defined as engaging “the interplay betweenrelevant social and technical factors in the problem to be solved,” encourages students toapproach engineering challenges holistically, integrating technical analysis with societal,cultural, and ethical considerations [17]. This perspective seeks a more inclusive and sociallyresponsible approach to engineering, challenging traditional paradigms and expanding students’critical thinking. By engaging students with sociotechnical thinking by way of the ambiguities inherent ingeophysical methods in such cases and then collecting their responses, this study explores howengineering students perceive and respond to the integration of diverse ways of knowing andcultural knowledge systems
project is approved by the Cal Poly IRB (2024-120-CP) and does not require anonymization of the department or institution. We intentionallysituate this project in the specific context of this work.This paper examines seven different syllabi in two junior-level courses and highlightssimilarities and differences in policies, teamwork dynamics, and emphases on ethics anddiversity in different sections of these courses via thematic analysis. ● “Computer Architecture” is the second course that students are introduced to in the realm of Computer Architecture and Organization, following one of two introductory Computer Organization courses. The course includes quizzes, labs, and exams focused on a particular ISA (Instruction Set
education culture and institutional change, focusing on marginalized students and educators. An AI enthusiast, Kellam explores the ethical and equity implications of generative AI in engineering education, leveraging AI to foster human connection, challenge inequities, and prepare students for an AI-driven future. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Critical Consciousness, Equity, and Speculative Futures: Reframing AI as a Catalyst for Human Connection and Systemic Change in Engineering EducationThis practice paper explores the intersection of power, equity, and artificial intelligence (AI).Through a theoretical argument and three narratives about my
1Engineering Just Futures: Preparing Engineers to Integrate Technical, Sociocultural, and Environmental Perspectives [Work in Progress]Engineers of the future need to not only be technically skilled but also able to address complexproblems that include social, cultural, ethical, and environmental dimensions. Undergraduateengineering education therefore needs to prioritize the diverse skills needed for complex problem-solving practice [1]-[3]. Traditionally, undergraduate engineering education programs havefocused on technical training in the engineering sciences, to the exclusion of broader concerns [4]-[6]. There are, however, a growing number of programs that aim to expand engagement withsocial, cultural, and environmental
values, power dynamics, and systems of oppression. The infrastructure, technologies, and products created by engineers shape how peoplelive, work, and interact, often reinforcing existing inequities or creating new ones. From thedevelopment of weapons used in war to technologies that perpetuate surveillance and control,engineering has a direct impact on societal structures and human rights [4]. Even choices thatseem purely technical, such as material selection or energy sources, carry ethical implications, asthey affect environmental sustainability and global resource distribution. By failing to questionthe broader implications of their work
-word challenges with equity and justice. In recent years, there has been considerableimprovement in providing students in higher education with professional skills needed to beemployable and successful in their respective profession. Such skills include communication,ethics, collaboration, leadership, and global awareness (including the social and environmentalimpacts of engineering). Yet, much of the engineering education employed in the K-12 settingfocuses on the technical outcomes and skills. This study explores the use of an environmentaljustice-focused curriculum, namely StoryMaps that facilitate a deeper exploration of the complexinterconnections of air quality, transportation, and engineering, as a part of a larger CreativeEngineering
, such as information covered by the HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights andPrivacy Act (FERPA), as well as facilitating the investment in innovation by protecting theconfidentiality of intellectual property under development. As such, they can be an importantpart of both engineering education and engineering practice. According to the National Societyof Professional Engineers (NSPE) code of ethics III.4 “Engineers shall not disclose, withoutconsent, confidential information concerning the business affairs or technical processes of anypresent or former client or employer, or public body on which they serve” [2]. Keeping tradesecrets confidential enables trust and facilitates communication
responses to four interview questions regarding theirunderstanding of engineering and their engineering identities.1. What are some words and phrases to describe engineering or what engineers do?Students used different phrases to answer this question. A few themes emerged in theirresponses, which can be summarized as follows: • altruism was described as “helping others”, “engineering ethics”, “safety [of people and structures]”, “respect for the environment,” “[having] good morals,” “philanthropists” • adaptability was described as “constructive criticism”, “flexibility [in a team environment]” • planning and analytical thinking, described as “thinking before doing”, “[engineers are] analytical and
increasing numerical representation [3]. While demographic diversityis important, this approach fails to address deeper structural barriers and power dynamics thatcreate hostile environments for marginalized students. Recent work by Rankin et al. [6], [7], [8],[9] reveals how traditional engineering classrooms can become "saturated sites of violence"where multiple forms of oppression converge to create hostile environments, particularly forBlack women. These sites include traditional classrooms, predominantly white institutions, andprofessional spaces like internships - all contexts where seemingly neutral educational practicescan perpetuate exclusion through interconnected systems of power.Riley et al. [2] propose an "ethic of care" framework that
ensure that findings weregrounded in data, not our pre-established understanding of ECSJ or prior relationships withparticipants. Additionally, the participants had all completed their work on each project, withsome participants being 3 years removed from their photovoice research experience. Thus, thedata is post-reflective and may not capture their perspectives immediately following the researchexperience.QualityWe used Walther and colleagues’ (2013) Qualifying qualitative research quality (Q3) frameworkto embed quality through this project. In using this framework, we were attentive to theoretical,procedural, communicative, pragmatic, and ethical validation during “making” and “handling”data [27, 28]. For example, in making data, we leaned
that my personal experiences do not introduce bias. I will follow all ethical guidelines and research protocols established by Clemson University to maintain academic integrity and ensure the validity of the findings.Dr. D. Matthew Boyer, Clemson University Dr. Boyer is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering and Science Education and an Educational Proposal Writer in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Examining the Experiences of Neurodivergent Learners in STEM Fields in Their Transition to and Engagement
(overwhelmingly negative) state of the students’ mental health in general. Workload wasidentified as a major contributor to poor mental health, but, perhaps more importantly, thestudents identified a toxic attitude within the engineering community with respect to workload.As a student shared on the visioning board, they wished for a future in which “[they] don’t feellike [they are] not doing enough if [they are] not extremely stressed out all the time.” This pointsto an existing environment in which students have come to identify poor mental health as asignifier of good work ethic and react to not experiencing mental health issues with guilt.There was a shared understanding amongst the participants that professors’ actions wereexacerbating issues
., & Jayasuriya, S. (2020, January). A review of the state of LGBTQIA+ student research in STEM and engineering education. In ASEE annual conference.Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic injustice: Power and the ethics of knowing. Oxford University Press.Ng, J. C., Lee, S. S., & Pak, Y. K. (2007). Chapter 4 contesting the model minority and perpetual foreigner stereotypes: A critical review of literature on Asian Americans in education. Review of research in education, 31(1), 95-130.Garcia, J., Elaouinate, M., Bond-Trittipo, B., & Secules, S. (2023, February). Comparing the Narratives of Two LGBTQ+ Undergraduate Engineering Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution. In 2023 Collaborative
, thepeople that are core to the functioning of that system, that is violence. Our participants wereeager to talk about their practices, and were grateful to have been asked the question. It leads usto wonder just how much of the self is separated from the professional identity for theparticipants in our study? We understand and appreciate that people are complex and boundariesare important; however, in an industry that is clearly harming people as evidenced by the highrates of burnout, what is the ethical obligation to support and address this routine violence? In asociety that demands that we give so much of ourselves to a profession, we suggest that ourprofessional spaces should then be required to give something back to our humanity.While it is
discussions the students could test each other’sunderstanding of the course content, through the group debate the students could developawareness regarding their social and ethical responsibilities as engineers. Through the debates, thestudents learned to consider the pros and cons of controversial topics like gene editing, human-animal chimera, brain organoids, and so on, and got the opportunity to learn how to be respectfulto those with different perspectives. Before beginning the group activities, the students submitteda teamwork contract. The students read online articles and watched a YouTube video on effectiveteamwork before filling out the contract, where they discussed their individual roles in the team,preferred methods of communication
.[18] B. Reynante, “Learning to design for social justice in community‐engaged engineering,”Journal of engineering education (Washington, D.C.), vol. 111, no. 2, pp. 338–356, 2022, doi:10.1002/jee.20444.[19] N. W. Sochacka, J. Walther, and A. L. Pawley, “Ethical Validation: Reframing ResearchEthics in Engineering Education Research To Improve Research Quality,” Journal ofengineering education (Washington, D.C.), vol. 107, no. 3, pp. 362–379, 2018, doi:10.1002/jee.20222.[20] L. T. Smith, Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples, 3rd ed. ZedBooks, 2021.[21] J. Holly and S. Masta, “Making whiteness visible: The promise of critical race theory inengineering education,” Journal of engineering education (Washington, D.C.), vol
ancient Hindu texts such as the Manusmriti, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vedas, andUpanishads, provide moral and ethical justifications for the caste system through the concept ofreincarnation and spiritual purity/pollution [8], [10], [11]. These religious affiliations have madethe caste system difficult to challenge because it is perceived as divinely ordained [7], [9].Historically, the caste system legitimized the oppression of Dalit communities, relegating them tothe lowest social roles and subjecting them to severe discrimination and exclusion, such as beingdenied access to education [8], [11]. One prominent outcome of the caste system isuntouchability, a practice that prohibits social interactions, resource sharing, and even physicalcontact with