Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 4: Fostering Belonging - Identity, Self-Efficacy, and Retention

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Patrick O'Connell, Northeastern University; Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University; Constantine Mukasa, Northeastern University; Susan F Freeman, Northeastern University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

Paper ID #47096Fruitful Endeavors: Continuous Peer Feedback to Develop Positive TeamDynamicsBrian Patrick O’Connell, Northeastern University Dr. O’Connell is an associate teaching professor in the First-Year Engineering program at Northeastern University. He studied at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2006 then worked in industry as a Mechanical Engineer working on ruggedized submarine optronic systems. He returned to academia in 2011 at Tufts University planning to work towards more advanced R&D but fell for engineering education and educational technologies. His research now focuses on developing

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 2: Skills Development and Career Preparation

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Grace Hellen Ford, University of Virginia; Brian P. Helmke, University of Virginia

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

Paper ID #48209WIP: A Peer-Taught Course to Lower Barriers to Undergraduate ResearchExperiencesMs. Grace Hellen Ford, University of Virginia Grace Ford is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing her bachelors in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia.Dr. Brian P. Helmke, University of Virginia Brian Helmke is Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA), where he teaches courses in diverse topics such as physiology, mechanobiology, biotransport, and bioelectricity. Brian also serves as Faculty Consultant to the UVA Center for Teaching Excellence, acting as facilitator

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 2: Skills Development and Career Preparation

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Megann P Hedgecock, Pennsylvania State University; Sally Sue Richmond, Penn State Great Valley

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

improve thementee’s technical writing skills and gain general guidance about college life [5]. A near-peerframework in a mechatronics camp highlighted the importance of underrepresented minoritystudents being able to identify with a mentor [4]. A study of the impact of near-peer mentoring inan introductory engineering course found that “some students gained a better sense of placewithin engineering over the course of the semester” [6].Project ApproachThe authors did not plan this project as a research study. It was a response to a perceived need tohelp students acquire skills that employers expect them to have but report that recent graduatesoften lack. These non-technical, yet vitally important, skills are not formally taught in theircourses. In

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 12: Bridging the Gap - Strategies to Support Diverse Learners in Early Engineering Courses

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hermine Vedogbeton, Holy Cross

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

equation [2], StudyHabitsi represents the number of hours a student i spends onacademic activities including studying, reading, writing, completing homework, and conductinglab work. Xi includes covariates that measure experience with high school and college academicwork for grade in addition to the student characteristics described in equation 1.Gradesic = 𝛼 + 𝛽1Xi + 𝛽2SenseofBelongingi + 𝜀 i (3)In this third equation [3], SenseofBelongingic measures the sense of belonging of student i incourse c. This includes various measures of sense of belonging, such as peer support, facultysupport, comfort in the classroom, and sense of belonging in the classroom and STEM field. Keymeasures incorporated in

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) GIFTS Session 1: Human-Centered and Project-Based Innovation in First-Year Engineering Design

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kushal Adhikari, Juniata College

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

engineering pursue? d. Choose one of the engineering society and learn about their goalsTools & a. Visit the Writing Center What have you learned about theResources b. Tour a Library, Labs or Career Services resources available to you to c. Visit Raystown Field Station, EcoHouse assist you in meeting your d. Visit SPOT or Unity House academic or professional goals?Relationships a. Meet with an academic advisor to discuss

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 7: Teams that Work - Collaboration and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Corrie Walton-Macaulay, Pacific University; Bailey A Weber, Pacific University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

, information literacy, community resilience, and student peer mentorship. The‬ ‭interdisciplinary focus blends engineering and community-based learning to foster a holistic‬ ‭understanding of sustainability and inclusion. Active learning emphasized communication,‬ ‭teamwork, active reading, and participation to enhance student engagement and critical thinking.‬ ‭Information literacy promoted effective research and information evaluation skills. Community‬ ‭resilience addressed local and global challenges through project-based learning and the student‬ ‭peer mentorship was provided by a student who successfully completed the first-year community‬ ‭course. The paper delves into the course development

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 1: Tech-Forward Teaching - Digital Tools to Enhance Engagement

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Caroline Cvetkovic, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Madison Christine Fanning, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Shreya Khosla Gustafson, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Sarah Meece, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Divya Bendigeri, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Trisha Patnaik, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Trisha Patnaik, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Experiential Activities Demonstrating Mass Transfer in Porous Materials in an Introductory Bioengineering CourseAbstractThis Complete Evidence Based Practice paper describes how hands-on experiential learning canbe utilized in an introductory bioengineering course to teach complex topics and help studentsfeel a sense of identity and belonging to the field. Bioengineering encompasses manymultidisciplinary concepts, techniques, and applications from other disciplines; as such, studentscan feel underqualified or ‘othered’ compared to their peers. This is

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 8: Division Best Papers

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sonia Travaglini, Stanford University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

they would face in ensuring they have a computerable to run the software they may need to complete their research project within the program.Alongside technical skill-building, the participants are also supported to develop communicationskills such as presenting and science writing, and are provided with peer mentors who help shareimplicit hidden curriculum knowledge. A goal of the program is to also boost students'confidence and sense of belonging within engineering, as both are key factors in the persistencein students pursuing engineering studies [1]. A program capacity for two students annuallyensures robust funding and individualized support for the participants, including post-programcareer support by program staff. To date, all eight

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 13: Equity in Action - Identity, Mentorship, and Inclusion

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Morgan F Rooney, North Carolina State University at Raleigh; Nathalie Lavoine, North Carolina State University at Raleigh; Julio Enrique Terán, North Carolina State University at Raleigh

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

likely are you to consider participating in research activities if you are given the chance? (1-5 slider scale) 9.​ I can conduct scholarly research on a topic. (1-5 slider scale) 10.​I can explain research findings in my own words. (1-5 slider scale) 11.​I can cite references appropriately in my research. (1-5 slider scale) 12.​I work well in project teams. 13.​I am comfortable taking feedback on my work from my peers. (1-5 slider scale) 14.​I am confident that I can name three campus resources that are available for me (1-5 slider scale) 15.​I know what it means to be interdisciplinary. (1-5 slider scale)Survey Block 2: Writing Assignment 16.​Rate the impact that you believe your course writing assignments will have

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 6: Learning by Doing - Contextual and Community-Based Engineering

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebeka Lynn Yocum, Oregon Institute of Technology; Ashton Danielle Greer, Oregon Institute of Technology

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

in the first year of an engineering curriculum reinforcestheir foundational nature. As first-year students enter university with a wide range ofbackgrounds, it can be difficult to create an immersive and engaging introductory experience thatreinforces these foundational skills without relying on a deeper understanding of technicalmaterial. In fact, for some students, introductory projects with roots in highly technical materialmay be alienating, damaging to student confidence, and ultimately detrimental to measures ofacademic success and degree persistence. It has been shown that student confidence in their ownacademic ability is affected by self and peer performance [1],[2] and the first year of a student’suniversity experience impacts

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 4: Pathways, Belonging, and Early Experiences

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cynthia Howard-Reed, Pennsylvania State University; Lauren A Griggs, The Pennsylvania State University; Eduardo Granata Rodriguez, Pennsylvania State University; Enrique D Gomez

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

, students collaborated on mini projects that involved hypothesis testing andexperimental design/optimization. To elevate the learning with all course activities, students weregiven an official laboratory notebook to organize their notes and collect data. Students wereasked to write the answer to the following questions in their laboratory notebooks followingevery research encounter: - Why should anyone care about this research? Why is it important? - What are the researchers trying to do? What methods are they using to solve the research problem? What is new and exciting about this approach? - Does this kind of research spark my interest? Why or why not?To ensure students finished the program with the wherewithal to find

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 4: Pathways, Belonging, and Early Experiences

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth A Sanders, The University of Illinois at Chicago; Miiri Kotche, The University of Illinois at Chicago; Houshang Darabi, University of Illinois Chicago

Tagged Topics

Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

challenge this narrative [3, p. 5]by elevating low-income students' unique experiences and contributions [4], [5]. Cohort-based programs can support low-income, academically talented students’engineering identity development (through a “community of peers”) [6] and can offer a structurefor more equitable educational experiences [7]. Cohort models can offer students community-building opportunities with peers who share similar experiences. Lewis et al.’s [8] review foundthat peers and role models can support academic belonging by promoting belonging in the socialcontext surrounding educational experiences. Moreover, Hansen et al. [7] found thatunderrepresented STEM students who participated in a cohort-based program with academic, co

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) GIFTS Session 2: Foundational Skills in the First-Year Engineering Classroom

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Evans Tang, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Allyson Faith Miller; Olivia Guptill; Clara Elisa Hortua; Aparajita Jaiswal, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Sakhi Aggrawal, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Paul J. Thomas

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

seniordesign project team struggling with interpersonal conflicts and miscommunication during a peerassessment session, which led to unresolved tensions and stalled progress on their websiteredesign project for a local non-profit. The case highlights challenges in team dynamics,including feedback mismanagement and differing conflict styles. After reading the case studentswere required to write a 300–500-word essay, to analyze the conflict, identify the styles anddynamics involved, and propose strategies for resolution. The goal of the reflection is to assessthe students in terms of their understanding of the module’s concepts and their practicalapplication in resolving conflicts. Students answer the following reflection questions: • Why are things

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 4: Pathways, Belonging, and Early Experiences

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Danielle Grimes, Cornell College; Tyler B George

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

(WIP) paper, we propose investigating why students who initiallyindicate interest in STEM are not enrolling in a STEM major using a detailed interview protocoland an analysis of enrollment data.At our small liberal-arts college, students declare a major in their second year. However, in thesummer preceding their arrival they declare academic interests and are matched to advisors in thedisciplines they self-selected. Throughout their first year, students take a common first-yearseminar, a first-year writing course (of their selection), and STEM students take 1-3 introductorySTEM courses. Several years of data shows that a large proportion of the students who initiallyexpressed interest in STEM declare a non-STEM major in their second year. We

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 3: Session 3: Curriculum in Motion - Redesigning the First-Year Experience

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ivan E. Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University; Abbie Canale, Pennsylvania State University; Erin A Hostetler, The Pennsylvania State University; Bradley J. Sottile, The Pennsylvania State University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

-economic disparities, inadequate K-12 preparation, and social isolation[8-9]. Studies have shown that these students often experience lower self-efficacy and a weakersense of belonging, which can negatively impact their persistence in engineering programs [10-11]. According to researchers, well-structured first-year seminar courses permit students toexperience a better transition from high school to college, understanding the new expectationsand work demands, developing time-management and study skills, particularly for students atrisk [12]. Besides, small group seminars facilitate the interaction with faculty and peers creatinga community of support leading to a better outcome of persistence and performance [13]. First-year seminars offer also an