RSECS SI-NPW offering mightbecome. As the committee was reviewing the 14 NAE Grand Challenges on the NAE website[3], the “Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery” was represented by a photo of one of theMars Exploration Rovers (Figure 1). Having just created a project for my “IntroductionAerospace Engineering II” course that explored some of the science and engineering from thenovel and movie “The Martian” [4] [5], I mentioned that maybe an entire course could be createdaround “The Martian” with the Grand Challenge theme. These discussions ultimately led to thecreation of a whole new course series based on the Grand Challenges theme starting with thecourse described in this paper. The first course was named “Exploring Engineering Tools
Software Quality (CISQ) document ‘The Cost of Poor Software Quality inthe US: A 20220 Report’, “the cost of poor software quality in the US has grown to at least $2.41trillion”. The report goes on to state “by 2025, 40% of IT budgets will be spent simplymaintaining TD, and it’s a primary reason that many modernization projects fail”.In short, the software industry is drowning in TD, and by extension one can surmise ethical debtis in turn dramatically rising. Hence the quality of our global digital culture is degrading onseveral levels, a sobering unhealthy trend.A number of improvement recommendations have been posed by CISQ, which revolve around aDevQualOps Model [27]. Areas for improvement include: 1. Quality standards/software problemtaxonomies
building stuff today, I'm trying not to repeat the same code over and over again, you know? Like you can find better ways to do that. Just like overall design, really being thoughtful about your approach [and] if-then statements. Beyond the technical knowledge picked up, Mac said the other very important outcomesfrom the online bootcamp was “a portfolio [and] projects that you can point to and say, yes, Ibuilt this stuff” and the training he received on what comes after earning the certification. Macshared: A whole module [was] just on, like, the job search and […] advertising yourself as a software engineer […] They had us update our [professional profile websites], add connections, update your job title as an engineer […] not a
fluctuated overtime. For the purposes of this study, a representative subset of approximately 790 student sampleswas selected from the full dataset. This subset was chosen to balance computational feasibilitywith the ability to capture meaningful trends and variations within the data. A heuristic analysiswas conducted on this subset, with findings presented in the main text.Literature ReviewRecently, more and more research and projects [8] have been conducted to analyze factors thatpredict students’ journeys and academic success in academic institutions. With the trend, manyrelated datasets are crafted, such as StudentLife [9] and MIDFIELD [1]. Some of these datasetscan be specific to a certain case (such as within a specific institution/course
(BLS) projects that occupations in Science, Technology,Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) will grow by 10.4% from 2023 to 2032, significantlyoutpacing the 3.6% growth expected for non-STEM occupations [1]. The technology sectorremains a key driver of this expansion, fueled by advancements and the demand for innovationacross industries. Therefore, in response to the growing need for a larger and more diverse poolof STEM professionals—including educators, researchers, and practitioners—governments andeducational institutions continue to prioritize STEM education [2]. Data from the NationalCenter for Education Statistics (NCES) highlights a 15% increase in STEM major enrollmentover the past five years, with 2024 showing a notable rise in
compliance with the Criteria. As one respondednoted: “It is not difficult to mention that all projects should include diversity of perspectives and users, be inclusive in the development [of] the solution of a project, and consider the needs of users for a particular project. It is more difficult, in my opinion, to instill these concepts into basic engineering curriculum courses.”Some responses requested examples that could also be compliant with State-level policies thatprohibited DEI-focused initiatives. Several responses requested examples and methods to assessthe curricular topics, but as mentioned previously, Criterion 5 does not require assessment.Finally, one respondent requested clarification of how to address diversity vs
primary goals of Ff is student empowerment through providing variousinstructional resources and blended learning opportunities. Ff offered students the affordance andflexibility to tailor resource use to fit their needs (Tran et al., 2024, In press), which aligns wellwith the principles of promoting DEI.Context of the study and participants 7This study is part of a larger research project with participants from more than six institutions.The two instructors considered in this paper taught at a small, primarily teaching-focuseduniversity in the Southeastern region and a medium-sized Carnegie R2 university in the Midwestof the United States. Prof
unpredictable environments and overcome thelimitations of rigid systems [1-5]. Similarly, compliant mechanisms, which are considered thecore of soft robotics, consist of bendable links to deform and large-deflecting hinges to createrelative motion between two adjacent members. They offer several advantages, includingincreased precision, reduced cost, single-piece manufacturing, and the elimination of assemblyrequirements [6-8].Projections indicate that the U.S. soft robotics market is expected to reach $8.7 billion by 2030,with applications spanning diverse fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, bio-inspired design,and environmental exploration [9]. However, the challenges for both soft robotics and compliantmechanisms lie in meeting user experience
, Texas A&M University Associate Professor of Environmental EngineeringProf. Kai Jin, Texas A&M University - Kingsville Dr. Kai Jin is a Professor of Industrial Engineering and Co-PI of the MERIT project. Her research interests include Sustainable Energy, Green Manufacturing, Quality Control, and Multi Objective Decision Making and Optimization as well as Engineering Educa ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Documenting takes on recycling, honing rapid ethnographic skills:Transdisciplinary graduate student explorations in a rural U.S. southwestern campus communityAbstract While recycling has become a mainstream behavior in many urban U.S
in the Engineering Pedagogy and Design Lab at UCSD, where he assists with concept generation and manufacturing for inquiry-based learning activity models and demonstrations. He performs quantitative and qualitative analysis on student survey responses to contribute to the development and implementation of innovative pedagogical techniques. In addition, Richard is an instructional assistant for MAE 3 Introduction to Mechanical Design at UCSD, leading a lab section in learning CAD and manufacturing methods, technical report and presentation techniques, as well as team and project management in a group robotics project. Richard will be completing an internship with the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program in
and tomorrow. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Paper ID #45755Prof. Kurt Paterson P.E., Arizona State University Kurt Paterson enjoys re-imagining higher education with others, then making it happen.Joshua Mitchell, Milwaukee School of Engineering ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Leveraging the Collective Wisdom of a Network to Identify Behaviors Linked to Entrepreneurial MindsetIntroductionThis paper reports on the results of a four-year project to identify a set of observable behaviorsassociated with entrepreneurial mindset
University, Mankato. In this role, Katie provides coaching and professional mentorship to upper-division students, focusing on guiding them through design projects and other work-based engineering challenges. Katie’s research is in reviews, social network analysis, and relevant applications in engineering education. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Methods/Theory Research Brief: A Scoping Review of Social Network Analysis in Engineering EducationInterpersonal relationships are a key aspect of success for engineers [1]-[3]. As elaborated bytheories such as the Network Theory of Social Capital [4], [5], an individual’s access to certainresources can be indirectly
variouscharacteristics and factors impact the decision making process differently for the part-time andfull-time student populations.Overall Project Scope and Context of Current WorkThis paper is part of a much larger effort spearheaded by Dr. Diane Peters and Dr. ElizabethGross to understand all aspects of the graduate student experience; much of the literatureresulting from this project revolves around returners and direct pathway master’s students. Thesetwo groups are characterized by length of time out of undergraduate studies before attendinggraduate school. Direct pathway students are characterized as those who complete a jointbachelor-master degree or attend graduate school less than five years after their bachelor degreehas been completed. Returners are
project to provide actionablerecommendations for STEM and engineering recruitment and retention.MethodsBased on findings from a face-validated pilot survey instrument [25], we developed (1) a surveyinstrument for SVSMs and (2) another instrument for engineering faculty. Both instrumentsfeature Likert-scale statements and open-ended qualitative questions about the SVSMeducational experience. Designed to be implemented independently with several question itemsmade identical for cross-comparison, the survey instruments seek to better understand theperceptions of the SVSM engineering education experience from the perspective of SVSMsthemselves and from an engineering faculty audience.Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) will be deployed to look for
Paper ID #48454Student perception on Inquiry Based Learning Ordinary Differential EquationcourseDr. Thiwanka Nethali Fernando, University of Virginia Professor Nethali Fernando’s research interests are in machine learning and in projects that combine data science with pedagogy. Prior to joining the Center for Applied Mathematics at UVA Engineering she served as a postdoctoral research associate and adjunct teaching faculty at The University of Texas at Arlington and as a lecturer at Northern Arizona University. Professor Fernando is originally from Sri-Lanka and earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University
; application is about the practice of conceptslearned in class; and feedback in active learning focuses on how feedback to student learninghappens frequently [22], [35] - [38].MethodsResearch DesignThis study is part of a larger project investigating the propagation of the CW in undergraduateengineering courses at diverse two- and four-year institutions. Here, we ask instructors toimplement the CW in their classes in any manner they choose (e.g., in-class clicker, homework,quiz, etc.), followed up by three short-answer follow-ups that ask students to 1) justify theiranswer choice, 2) Likert-scale rating of confidence, and 3) provide comments on theeffectiveness of the question, as shown in Fig. 1. Student data is anonymized to protect privacy.Fig. 1
earned by all students, and thosestandards were chosen to prepare students for other courses that required those concepts asprerequisite knowledge. Other tokens could be earned through Professionalism tokens (e.g.turning in notes, attending class, and turning in assignments on time), as well as completing“choose your own adventure” activities (e.g. Fundamentals of Engineering practice exams,challenge problems, and projects). Although these activities helped students grow in theirlearning, they were not deemed required to pass the course. If a student completed all of therequired standards, they earned a C. Earning additional tokens increased their grade.A token tracking spreadsheet was created to show students their token progress, and the
the United States, it remains a challenge to identifyindividuals who have NDCs and use them to obtain employment [17].NDC Trends in the U.S. STEM Workforce. According to Chen and colleagues [1] over 36million U.S. workers were employed in STEM-related occupations in 2019. Because STEM-related jobs often require specific expertise, STEM workers commonly receive specific forms ofeducation and training to equip them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities toperform effectively within STEM industries [18]. It is projected that, from 2020 to 2033,employment in architecture and engineering occupations will grow faster than the average, withan average of 195,000 job openings each year due to the employment growth and the need
onunderstanding these impacts is crucial for developing adaptive educational strategies that can sustainthe quality of engineering education in face of such global disruptions.Literature Review:The global outbreak of COVID-19 has brought about significant changes in higher educationworldwide, necessitating a shift from traditional face-to-face teaching to online formats. Thisunplanned transition posed unique hurdles, particularly for engineering students, who rely heavily onhands-on learning and access to specialized resources (Sukackė et al., 2022). Graduate engineeringstudents often depend on educational experiences such as collaborative projects, working withhuman subjects, and specialized equipment (Sukackė et al., 2022). The abrupt move to
incorporating this research into standard methodology courses withinECE and STEM programs—particularly capstone design projects—studentsgain hands-on experience with emerging technologies and power gridinfrastructure protection. The study supports the development of skills indata analytics, system modeling, and cybersecurity, ultimately enhancingstudents' technical expertise and problem-solving abilities in a rapidlyevolving engineering landscape.Specifically, the research focuses on investigating the vulnerabilities ofsmart grid networks to false load-flow data injection, and discussesimprovements in detection and mitigation strategies to strengthen gridresilience. The study contributes to critical aspects of security, monitoring,and predictive
technical experimentationdesigned to respond to scenarios representing a client’s needs. The systems studied, theexperiment design, and communication expectations grow in complexity through the labprogressions across the two courses. They aim to have students integrate experiment design andtechnical communication design in a way that enables them to become decision makers whilepracticing project management and teamwork skills. During a typical fall or spring semester, 220to 240 students are enrolled in each course. Both courses consist of two 50-minute lectures aweek to support a 3-hour lab section. Each lab contains approximately 24 students divided intostudent teams of three or four, with two graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to facilitate and
Problems (19 mentions) 4. Visual Representations (14 mentions) 5. Time to Work on Labs and Projects (13 mentions) 6. Structure and Organization (11 mentions)A similar analysis of common responses to “What was the most confusing concept in this week’sclasses?” found that results were highly specific to each course’s content. We have thereforeomitted them here.Exit survey scoresThe response of the seven instructors completing the exit survey was universally positive. Allinstructors agreed (i.e., selected “agree” or “strongly agree”) with the statements “'The TicketHome helped me to identify barriers to learning,” “The Ticket Home helped me identify points ofconfusion,” “The Ticket Home helped my students feel heard and valued,” and “I
extracurricular activities.Possibility• Major Exploration – Guides students in understanding different engineering disciplines, helping them make informed decisions about their major and career path.• Undergraduate Research – Introduces opportunities for hands-on research experiences, including how to get involved in faculty-led projects and independent studies.• Career Exploration – Helps students connect coursework with career pathways, including internships, co-op programs, and networking with industry professionals.• Engineering Ethics – Discusses ethical responsibilities in engineering, covering topics such as professional conduct, societal impact, and technological accountability.Facilitated Dialogues Concurrently with
], prioritizing physical and mental healththrough exercise and a balanced diet [20, 21], and establishing strong personal routines [21].Family and social support networks are consistently identified as crucial coping mechanisms [19,20, 21, 22]. Specifically, [21] highlights the importance of building networks and seekingemotional support.Institutional support plays a vital role in helping students manage stress. Universities canintegrate stress management into curricula [19, 20], offer time management courses [19, 20],provide career counseling [19], and create opportunities for real-world project experiences [19].[21] emphasizes the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and aligning academicexperiences with career goals. At the same time, [22
concepts to solve real-world problems. Unlike modern digital instruments, whichoften obscure the underlying principles, the quadrant’s simplicity and transparency make it anideal teaching tool. Its historical signi cance adds an element of curiosity and context, allowingstudents to connect engineering principles with their historical applications.Some museums and other organizations have developed small-scale projects targeting k-12students that make and use paper quadrants as an interactive geometry and history lesson[10-13]. The Mariner’s Quadrant activity presents in this paper has been enhanced withengineering principles and data collection methodology to elevate the complexity for universityundergraduate curriculums. It is particularly well
pursue further interests in engineering [7]. In this study, weexamine family interactions occurring at home during online sessions by looking at the authentic,naturally occurring parent-child conversations. By adopting sociocultural perspectives oflearning, we aim to deeply understand how family dynamics and cultural contexts influence eachchild’s experience during moments of frustration and engagement in engineering learning.MethodsStudy ContextThis case study is part of a larger design-based research project that developed an onlineengineering program for rural libraries. With seven rural libraries across seven different states inthe U.S., we co-designed and developed six 1.5-hour synchronous Zoom sessions. These onlinesessions were delivered
(IEEE-RITA), and a guest editor for the journals Education Sciences, Frontiers in Education, and Discover Sustainability. Her main research areas are: interdisciplinarity in science, gender studies in STEM, and faculty development. Due to her interest in women’s participation in science, she has been a mentor in several programs, received the Mentor in Science distinction from the British Council Mexico, and coordinates mentoring program at the Tecnologico de Monterrey and at Universidad Andres Bello. Angeles leads projects on gender studies in STEM, mathematical and interdisciplinary modeling, and teacher training.Prof. Genaro Zavala, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico; Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago,Chile
what AIrendered correctly and where it missed the mark. The course also highlighted the examples fromSupan 22 to show that in addition to simpler applications of AI to classroom exercises, the sametechniques can be used to solve sophisticated thermodynamics applications.To collect data about the effectiveness of these AI-focused activities, surveys were taken at thebeginning and the end of the course. Surveys were voluntary, results were de-identified, andparticipation counted for no points, but time during class was given for students to complete them.The surveys asked a variety of questions to assess several objectives, in line with theuniversity-wide AI project effort. Namely, the objectives include the following: 1. Examine the effects
. According to Kang et al., the following learning objectives were importantfor accessibility education [25]: (1) understanding fundamental principles of inclusive design, (2)interacting with diverse people, (3) showing increased empathy towards people with disabilities,(4) viewing accessibility from cultural, social, and legislative perspectives, and (5) showingmotivation to continuously learning about accessibility.Accessibility has been taught in various college contexts, such as human-computer interaction(HCI) [26]–[30], software engineering [31], [32], web design [33], and non-CS [34] courses.Both traditional pedagogical methods, such as lectures [3] and projects [35], and novel ones, suchas experiential labs [6] and games [7] have been utilized
, the Dean of Research Office, the InternationalRelations Office, the Bureau of Partnership Initiatives, the Bureau of Prevention and Security,departments, and research groups. To improve response time to the ever-increasing demands, the´ETS library team sought ways to optimize report production time. They were motivated tocollaborate with the project developers to create a time-saving solution that also allowed them toreflect on priorities, improve deliverables, and enhance workflow. The chosen name for thisproject is AutoBib (Automation of Bibliometric reports).The early involvement of library staff in the development of AutoBib facilitates its adoption, astheir specific needs and work environment were taken into account. To ease the