forstudents to hone a valuable writing skill.In this work-in-progress, we provide a novel approach for guiding students to effectively revisetheir writing assignments. The novelty of our work is twofold: (1) using grading rubrics on roughdrafts to help students target specific areas of improvement, and (2) providing extensivescaffolding of the revision process.Course Overview: Technical Writing for Biomolecular EngineersWe piloted our approach in a class of 35 undergraduates (juniors and seniors) in a technicalcommunication course required for all students in our major.The learning objectives of the course include: 1) Implement successful communication strategies based on audience, purpose, and context. 2) Integrate text and visuals to convey
, and they will be analyzedfurther in future work. Overall, the preliminary data suggest that the curated video seriesresonates with students on multiple levels, including the meaningfulness of the alumni adviceand the representation of the alumni themselves. The model of a curated video series is scalableand transferrable to other types of institutions and diverse student populations.IntroductionRecent scholarship documents a “misalignment” between engineering education and engineeringpractice; despite increased attention to elements of professionalism in engineering education andadoption of problem-based learning approaches, employers still find students lacking in non-technical, professional skills [1]. Additionally, studies have shown that
lessonswith non-STEM faculty (Al Salami et al., 2017). Moreover, it can be difficult for faculty fromany single discipline to understand how knowledge is constructed, valued, and/or transmittedacross different disciplines, given that disciplines often vary from one another in these beliefs(Demarest & Sugimoto, 2015; Osbeck and Nersessian, 2017). Thus, we use a case studyapproach to answer three research questions: 1. What implicit epistemologies can be discerned when professors describe their approach to design and develop the HDSTEM courses that are a synthesis of history and engineering? 2. How do professors’ personal beliefs and epistemological alignments inform the way that they teach HDSTEM courses? 3. How do
) is the lead author and primary data collector and teaching coordinator. SeanFerguson (California State University Channel Islands, CSUCI) has worked with all threemembers of the team in various capacities. As the syllabus suggests, this course aims to“promote engineering humanities education across borders” for the engineering studentsacross the two universities. During the course period, for the purpose of fostering adialogue-based classroom, each NYCU student will be paired with a UST partner to conductinterviews, homework assignments and a collaborative research project. Four teachingformats were used to facilitate the course progress:1. Synchronous Lectures: Synchronous GC was hosted by two instructors from NYCU and UST
it's going to leave a worse world for future generations. … now we're the tree, we're the whale.” - Justin Rosenstein in The Social Dilemma [1]The word “engineer” is derived from the Latin root word “ingenium,” which refers to “innatequalities, ability; inborn character” [2]. To engineer means to contrive or devise. Through anontological lens, every invention and technological advancement has inevitably shaped andreshaped the world. At the heart of this practice is the modern-day engineer whose role is tobridge the gap between what is and what could be. And so, engineers function as the manifestorsof the designed world. The praxis of engineering is giving birth to the seen, felt, and tangible inthe
engineeringtechnology students’ written communication skills at these participating campuses, it haspotential use for other institutions to positively impact their students’ written communication.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under GrantNos. 2013467, 2013496, and 2013541.IntroductionCommunicating content knowledge effectively in oral and written formats is important forengineering and engineering technology students. Additionally, it is essential for the ABET-accredited programs from which they graduate to ensure that students hone and demonstratethese skills [1]. Anecdotal observations by engineering and engineering technology instructorsand prior research have shown that this is not the outcome observed by
and valued professional roles of engineers among engineering students in FinlandIntroductionEngineering as an endeavor is thousands of years old, and engineering as a profession ishundreds of years old. Yet, many engineering students lack a clear understanding of whatengineers actually do. Descriptions of engineering practice tend to emphasize technicalproblem solving and design [1], and value creation in engineering is often perceived asresulting from technological innovation [2]. Interviews and field observations amongpracticing engineers show that some engineers “tend to hide the social dimension of theirwork behind a technical facade” [1]. Faulkner sees this as a manifestation of a broadercultural phenomenon, which
, and from psychology. The overarching goal of the course was to develop aninterdisciplinary understanding of the necessary balance between the needs of society andengineering design. It explicitly addresses four societal impact outcomes in ABET Criterion 3:public health and safety impacts of design, ethical decision-making, collaborative productivity,and effective communication with diverse audiences [1]. This course is supportive of theEngineering One Planet (EOP) program of the American Society for Engineering Education(ASEE) [2]. In addition, the importance of making design decisions in economic, environmental,and societal contexts is emphasized from the perspectives of engineering and physical andmental health.IntroductionA new technical
engagement [1]. Yet,civic education is increasingly enhanced through the integration of technology and design-thinking methodologies, fostering student engagement and critical thinking. Project RISEconsiders civic education the process of enabling students to have civic knowledge, civic skills,and civic dispositions and actions [2]. Civics education, within the context of Project RISE, is theactive, informed, and justice-oriented participation of individuals in their communities anddemocratic institutions. It encompasses the development of civic knowledge, skills, anddispositions that enable individuals to critically analyze societal challenges, collaborate acrossdisciplines, and employ problem-solving frameworks—such as engineering design thinking
, we performed a systematic, mixed-methods analysis offirst-year engineering students’ perceptions of their curiosity before and after their first-yearintroduction to college and the value of the University of Portland’s liberal arts core curriculum.Through surveys that allowed for both quantitative and qualitative analysis, along with case studyinterviews, we explore engineering students’ interests, what experiences they found engaging, andhow their first semester of college may have impacted the breadth of their intellectual curiosity.Ultimately, we hope to use these insights to help engineering students see themselves as wholehumans with lifelong aspirations of curiosity.MotivationOne way to frame our effort is to start with Detweiler’s [1
. Incorporating contentrelated to equity in engineering has been shown to support broadening participation, sinceminoritized students often pursue STEM degrees due to an interest in learning how to leveragetheir degree for positive social impact (e.g., [1] - [5]). A broadened view of what counts asengineering content is aligned with a sociotechnical view of engineering and educational effortsto authentically prepare students to address real-world engineering challenges (e.g., [1], [6] -[8]). While a sociotechnical view of engineering does not necessarily center equity, curricularand instructional efforts to integrate the social and technical dimensions of engineering affordopportunities to engage issues of equity as instructors seek to develop students
for Master’s and upper-divisionundergraduate engineering students. The course had three learning goals: (1) teach students torecognize their public welfare responsibilities, (2) motivate students to act on public welfareissues, and (3) equip students with intervention strategies (e.g., understanding whistleblowingprotections, writing an op-ed) to confront issues they may encounter in their future professionalwork. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the course and present data from pre-and post-class surveys and open-ended reflections to illustrate how the class produced notablechanges in students’ (a) recognition of their public welfare responsibilities, (b) motivation totake action, and (c) familiarity with intervention
could, in turn, be useful in understanding overall technical communication skills in furtherresearch.IntroductionThe subsequent sections of this paper will introduce the background of spatial andcommunication skills in the context of engineering and discuss research findings on theintersection between these two skillsets.Spatial Skills in EngineeringThere has been a significant body of research that suggests a relationship between strong spatialskills and overall success in engineering [1]-[6]. Further research has shown that spatial skillscan be correlated with success in the subjects of mathematics [7]-[9], physics [10], chemicalengineering [11], and areas of programming and computer science [12]-[15] Research has alsoshown differences in
and teamwork, into a technical course to betterprepare students for industry challenges. Proposed interventions include reflective assignments,mock meetings, and mental health workshops, aimed at fostering resilience and broadeningengineering identity. By aligning technical and professional development, this work offers aroadmap for holistic curricular reform, ensuring students are both competent and confident asthey transition into the workforce.1. IntroductionWhat does it mean to be an engineer? The field of engineering education has long recognized thesignificance of developing both technical and professional skills to prepare students for complexworkplace challenges. With the rapid rise of enrollment in software engineering, and
evaluating models of hopeful attitudes leading to motivation to take political action, andconcluding that utopian visioning – imagining a better society – has a positive effect onmotivational attitudes [1, 4, 5]. One major attitude that factors into approach emotions, the subject of this study, is hope.Discussions of hope are common among leading figures in social change. Macy, in her workActive Hope, describes hope as both involving believing in an outcome and desiring a betterfuture, but also as a practice and process [19]. West, in Democracy Matters, discusses what hecalls “tragicomic hope” as preserving the belief in better futures while “staring into the face ofhate and hypocrisy,” countering nihilism [29]. Kaba shares her view of hope
behavior. However, limitedresearch has examined how the language differences of cross-disciplinary students influencedenergy discourses. Understanding these language differences will improve communication andcollaboration between interdisciplinary students for effective energy literacy solutions.Keywords: Latent Dirichlet Allocation, Mixed Methods, Energy Discourses, Energy Literacy1. IntroductionEnergy has become an important part of our daily life, which helps in powering our homeappliances, driving hybrid cars, charging laptops/mobile phones, etc. Energy usage has beenincreased by the growth of population and technological advancements. The increase in energyusage could negatively impact our access to clean, affordable, and renewable energy [1
is an important and complex site of negotiationbetween control and care: how do lab principal investigators (PIs) create environments that nurturethe development of individual trainees at multiple career stages, while advancing their own careerand research agenda in ways that will satisfy institutional expectations? This is fraught territory,grounded in an academic reward system that prioritizes individual performance. Persistent surveysof STEM trainees struggling with mental health [1], [2] highlight a culture of control linked tomeritocratic systems that can prioritize PI career advancement over the well-being of lab members.This culture is increasingly being challenged, by both trainees and mentors. How to support lableaders invested in
writing applicable across different formats. This paperfurther offers sample classroom activities to teach these principles and provides practicalstrategies to assist students in effectively modifying their written communication to suit differentaudiences. I. INTRODUCTION The importance of effective communication in engineering has long been recognized. In 1916,for example, the Cleveland-based engineering educator Barker wrote: “To be successful inengineering, training in mathematics and science is absolutely necessary; a good knowledge ofwritten and spoken English is a further requirement” [1]. In its report on “The Engineer of 2020,”The National Academy of Engineering listed communication skills as a key
resources that instructors can use in theirclassrooms. An example of a classroom exercise will be demonstrated.BackgroundPlain language is “clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices according tothe subject or field and intended audience” [1]. It allows the reader to (a) find what they need, (b)understand what they find the first time they read or hear it, and (c) use what they find to meettheir needs [2], while being understandable, actionable, and culturally relevant [3]. Definitionsvary slightly, but in general, plain language documents are written appropriately to the audienceand can be understood the first time they are read or heard: prioritizing important information, inwords that will be clear to the intended audience
iterative process of problem-solving thatintegrates creativity, systematic analysis, and user-centered considerations to developsolutions[1]. This approach is increasingly recognized as valuable in non-STEM fields, includingcivics education, where complex social challenges require structured problem-solving strategies[2]. Civic engagement, within the context of Project RISE, is the active, informed, and justice-oriented participation of individuals in their communities and democratic institutions. Itencompasses the development of civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that enable individualsto critically analyze societal challenges, collaborate across disciplines, and employ problem-solving frameworks—such as engineering design thinking—to
to problem-solvingmentioned above, this work seeks with explicit intentionality to observe the processsurrounding formation of the team, and specifically, observing what that informs as itrelates to a team working together on a sociotechnical research project. We 2conceptualize this work underpinned by the assumptions stated here: 1) ascriptions tomeritocratic and depoliticized ideologies are pervasive across engineering; 2) suchbeliefs are socialized into and through engineering education; and 3) the values heldby an engineer will translate to some extent, at a minimum, into their technologies andinnovations. Given the situated assumptions, the “who, how
path to follow are some of life’s biggest.Further, decisions about where and who to work for are value-laden. Especially for soon-to-beengineering graduates, job choices can have distinct social and ethical pressures from oneself,friends, family, and society given that engineering work can conflict with societal beliefs aboutwhat is “good” (i.e., manufacturing weapons for the military, mining for precious metals, drillingfor oil, etc.). Although what is “good” may differ from person to person, the engineeringprofession has a duty to society often referred to as social responsibility. Social responsibility ishighlighted by professional societies and academic bodies as a key engineering principle [1], [2][3], and several Bodies of Knowledge (BOK
]. Addressing systemicinequities can be challenging in any profession, but particularly so when members are socializedto think of themselves as free agents, unencumbered by social structures [2,3]. Our paperexamines the prevalence of agentic and structural explanations of career mobility among 952Canadian engineers who responded to a national engineering career path survey. We found that49.3% of racialized men, 71.6% of white women, 75.6% of racialized women and 68.0% ofLGBTQ2SI+1 engineers, compared to only 26.3% of white men, believed their social locationhad impacted their careers suggesting that individuals who are relatively under-represented in theengineering profession are more inclined to view their social location as a non-neutral feature
decision-making; and theintegration of human rights into systems and product design. Sessions explored the evolving integrationof human rights in the engineering profession and identified areas where further efforts are needed. Theevent also raised awareness of human rights issues among practicing engineers and within engineeringeducation communities.This paper and an accompanying presentation at the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education(ASEE) Annual Conference summarize the major findings identified, issues raised, and the suggestionsfor future action put forward by the symposium participants. These takeaways are framed using thehuman rights principles for engineering outlined by Chacón-Hurtado et al. [1]. These are also comparedto
infrastructure projects andhighlight the problems and solutions faced at the time. Additionally, we show ways to leveragethis history to improve the current education of engineers and other workers for the purpose ofelectrifying roadways.As of 2023, 18% of the world’s new cars sold were EVs, including battery-electric and plug-inhybrid vehicles, as well as 10% of new cars sold in the United States [1]. In China, 38% of newcars are EVs and in Norway 93% of new cars are EVs. In 2023 alone, there were 13,800,000 newEVs sold worldwide and 1,390,000 new EVs sold within the United States [1]. One estimatepredicts the yearly number of new EV sales in the United States will increase to 2,320,000 by2029 [2]. It is clear that EV adoption is here and will only
the curriculum’s relevance. Longitudinaltracking of graduates will further assess the curriculum’s long-term impact on theirprofessional engagement with climate-related issues.1 IntroductionThe climate crisis poses a profound threat to the planet, disrupting ecosystems, destabilizingsocieties, and crippling economies. From rising sea levels and extreme weather events toresource scarcity and mass displacement, the impacts are far-reaching and deeply concerning.Engineers, with their ability to design and build the technologies that shape our world, play apivotal role in both exacerbating and mitigating this crisis. Many of the technologies we rely ontoday, from fossil fuel-powered transportation and energy generation to resource
their research and practice.IntroductionAn increasing number of engineering curricula across K-12 and undergraduate levels is pushingfor social, political, and technical integrations to steer away from the traditional engineeringculture of solely privileging the technical dimension while downplaying the social and politicaldimensions [1]. Many of these curricula are discussion-based, where students have conversationsabout real-world engineering problems and how designs can impact the community [2]. In somecases, students work on design projects related to those conversations in their classrooms [3], [4].While these contexts are certainly beneficial for students to become aware of and think about thesociopolitical aspects of engineering, it is
box. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Creative Changemaking within Complex Institutional ContextsIntroduction and Literature ReviewAs one of the core institutions of society, higher education has contributed to the public good,supported local and regional communities, broadened democratic participation, and supportedstudent learning. However, as both critics and supporters point out, this traditional role of highereducation is under attack [1]-[5]. As market-oriented values like productivity, efficiency, andcompetition gain traction across many areas of social life, these pressures–combined with theevolving political environment [6], [7] and financial challenges tied to the expansion of
expertise [1] and to develop ideas [2]. Findings from early studies afterthe public release of ChatGPT have found that students see GenAI as a useful but limited tool[3-6]. GenAI tools saturate digital writing ecologies and continue to gain power with eachiteration, yet student use of GenAI remains an understudied aspect of generative AI uptake inhigher education literacy [7]. Engineering education has unique features (e.g., coding,calculations, design processes, technical communication) and deserves its own empiricalresearch on student writing practices in relation to GenAI, not yet done to our knowledge.Additionally, it is still unclear how generative AI technologies will shape the engineeringeducation landscape as students grapple with the
minoritizedidentities from their engineering identities [1], identity scholarship has long established thatstudents’ experiences, activities, relationships, and environments outside the classroom cansignificantly influence how they engage with, interpret, and learn material in the classroom.One potential reason behind the limited diversification of the engineering workforce could be thetendency to acknowledge only the social and psychological effects of marginalization instead oflooking at cognitive effects on student learning, thereby only considering one aspect of thelearner. This paper considers the whole learner using a method known as “thinking with theory”[2] to theoretically examine the implications and impacts of navigating marginalized andminoritized