Conference Session

GIFTS II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Joseph A Lyon, University of Notre Dame; Andrew Charles Bartolini, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

Students (GIFTS) paper outlines the development of a two-pathway engineering computing program at a private midwestern university. Given the variedexperiences and backgrounds of modern first-year students, the design aims to address how tobest support students of all experience levels.Computer programming and robotics education are being implemented in many high schoolssooner and with greater success than ever before [1]. Unfortunately, not all school systems havenecessarily had the opportunity to implement computer programming into their secondaryeducation, but the number is growing [2], [3]. Because of this, the range of ability among first-year engineering students in computing can vary widely as students arrive at university, rangingfrom

Conference Session

GIFTS I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Andrew Charles Bartolini, University of Notre Dame; Joseph A Lyon, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

purpose [1], which included:​​1) Using historical data, a trigger that, when met, increased the likelihood that the student wouldbe non-thriving by the end of the semester was identified. The aim was to create a trigger thatidentified as many ultimately non-thriving students as possible while minimizing theidentification of students who would ultimately thrive by the semester's end (i.e., false positives).The trigger must be based on the first few weeks of performance so the faculty can boost thesestudents before the semester progresses too far. The trigger was based solely on the student’sperformance for two reasons: (i) the authors did not want to identify students based on theirdemographics or preparation levels; instead, only on their

Conference Session

GIFTS II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Dante Charles Scalfi, Northeastern University; Turner Marks; Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Leila Keyvani, Northeastern University at Oakland

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

students with the necessary skills and know-how tointegrate MAD with the MAHSP to create the previously discussed educational exhibits. Eachwalkthrough begins with an overview of the physical and digital components involved as well as alinked video summarizing the resulting function of the walkthrough. A summary of the componentsinvolved for each walkthrough are summarized in the table below. Table 1: Summary of Components by Walkthrough Component App Arduino Walkthrough Input Output Input Output

Conference Session

GIFTS I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Lee Kemp Rynearson, Campbell University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

a survey-based method to rapidly gain insight into the impact ofdifferent course topics on students, which is useful for courses with many topics to cover.It is not uncommon for first-year engineering classes or seminars to cover a variety of topics,which could include student success material, technical content, and introductions to variousengineering majors, concentrations, or fields of practice [1, 2]. The first-year seminar atCampbell University covers fifteen topics across in a one-semester, one-credit, 1.5 weekly-contact-hour course. The two main themes of the topics are student success and professionalpreparation.With many different topics presented, sometimes by parties who are not the course instructors, itis not always obvious

Conference Session

GIFTS I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Mirna Mattjik, Colorado School of Mines; Michelle Marincel Payne, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

. Michelle also mentors undergraduate researchers to investigate the removal of stormwater pollutants in engineered wetlands. Michelle was a 2018 ExCEEd Fellow, and was recognized as the 2019 ASCE Daniel V. Terrell Awardee. FYEE 2025 Conference: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland Jul 27 GIFTS Work in Progress: Role-playing in Service of Developing Psychological Safety in TeamsIntroductionTeamwork is a vital professional skill and a key student outcome identified by the AccreditationBoard for Engineering and Technology (ABET) [1]. Psychological safety is a shared belief heldby team members that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking [2]. In a student team,psychological

Conference Session

GIFTS II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Aris Cleanthous, University of Maryland College Park

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

. Once students have a better appreciation of the real structure, the example isworked out on the screen in typical fashion using colorful pens.ExampleFigure 1. A physical model of a mechanism and the schematic drawing that represents it.

Conference Session

GIFTS II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Patrick Thornton, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Jaskirat Sodhi, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Ashish D Borgaonkar, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

infrastructure, and transportation engineering. FYEE 2025 Conference: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland Jul 27GIFTS: Using Robotic Arm Project to Introduce Students toEngineering Design Through Experiential LearningIntroductionIntroductory engineering design courses play a vital role in motivating and inspiring first-yearstudents as they begin their engineering education and start shaping their engineering career.Many institutions leverage such first-year engineering courses not only to cover fundamentalconcepts but also to give students transferable skills. At the New Jersey Institute of Technology(NJIT), we feel that the best way to do this is through engaging and hands-on activities andprojects [1-5]. We are always

Conference Session

GIFTS II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Nicole Dufalla, University of Virginia

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

Great Ideas for Teaching (GIFTS): Guiding Students to Technical Report Writing Success with Scaffolded Technical Writing AssignmentsIntroductionTechnical writing can be a challenging skillset for first year engineering students. During a twosemester first year engineering course, technical communication has been incorporated into thecurriculum, including oral, written and visual communication. In alignment with ABETaccreditation requirements, which indicate that students should be able to conductexperimentation, analyze and discuss results, and draw conclusions based on engineeringjudgement [1], students are expected to write a full technical engineering report during thesecond semester of the

Conference Session

WORKSHOP IV: Play as Prep Workshop: Time & Resource-Efficient Strategies for Developing Effective Undergraduate TAs of First Year Students

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Christine Alexander, University of Maryland, College Park

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

worked as a Teaching Artist in schools, museums, and theaters. Her training includes 7 years of applied improvisation for educational contexts (Smithsonian Associates), and three years of Gestalt Theatre training for educators (Gestalt Theatre Association), along with coursework in Design Thinking. FYEE 2025 Conference: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland Jul 27 WORKSHOP: Play as Prep: Time & Resource-Efficient Strategies for Developing Effective Undergraduate TAs of First Year StudentsIntroduction Pedagogical training for TAs improves their teaching efficacy, and effective TAspositively impact students’ engagement [1] and sense of support in class [2]. But running aparallel pedagogical

Conference Session

WIP I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Laura Albrant, Michigan Technological University; Leo C. Ureel II, Michigan Technological University; Lynn A. Albers, Hofstra University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

with the GK-12 Outreach Program at NCSU where she began Energy Clubs, an out-of-school-time program for third, fourth and fifth graders to introduce them to renewable energy. FYEE 2025 Conference: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland Jul 27WIP: Both sides now, examining the faculty side of a student code critiquer from a human factors perspectiveIntroduction & BackgroundThe code critiquer application, called WebTA, provides “rich, immediate feedback” [1] to studentson their submitted code in order to aid them in following best practices while programming. Theapplication depends on a database of two overarching types of patterns: antipatterns and good pat-terns. Antipatterns, in this

Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Lesly Samantha Murillo, University of Maryland College Park; Tabatha Cuadra Rodriguez, University of Maryland College Park; Paige E Smith, University of Maryland, College Park

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

residential communities grounded in inclusivecurriculum, peer support, and professional development can foster a strong sense of belongingand academic engagement, factors that contribute to student success and apply to all participantsin similarly designed programs (Amelink et al., 2017; Samuelson et al., 2014).​Program DesignThe LLPs offer an integrated curricular and co-curricular approach to achieve the programmaticprimary goals shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. The primary goals of the LLPsCurriculum: LLP students are required to complete four one-credit seminars during their twoyears in the program - one per semester. The focus of the first semester seminar is engineeringidentity development and support, with an emphasis

Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

David Kriesberg, University of Maryland College Park; Evan Hutzell, University of Maryland College Park; Richard Blanton, University of Maryland College Park

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

Engineering SuccessIntroduction For first-year students, the transition into campus life can be overwhelming and researchhas shown that early access to creative, technical, and social communities tips the odds in favorof positive student outcomes. Our review of the literature found that a strong sense of belongingis predictive of both persistence and academic success, especially in engineering disciplineswhere imposter syndrome and identity gaps are common [1] [2]. Beneficially, campus identifiedinterdisciplinary engagement and experiential learning as strategic goals, MSI is able to perfectlyfill this need. This Work-in-Progress paper introduces the University of Maryland’s MakerspaceInitiative (MSI), a campus-wide collaborative effort to

Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Olukemi O. Akintewe, University of South Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

An Effective Mentorship Structure for Student Success inHigher EducationIntroductionMentoring practices play an essential role in students’ academic success and retention, especiallyfor women [1-5]. A positive and significant relationship was determined between mentees’academic self-efficacy and academic performance, as well as their self-regulated learning [6-8].Concurrently, a sense of connectedness or belonging to a campus community is also a criticalfactor in academic achievement and retention [9, 10]. The mentor’s self-efficacy cansignificantly impact the success of the mentoring relationship and the mentee's self-perception.Alternatively, ineffective mentoring can occur due to a lack of training, culturally responsivepractices

Conference Session

WIP I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Rui Li, New York University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

WIP: First-year Student Support System: A Multi-agentic AI ApproachIntroductionThis works-in-progress paper presents an innovative AI-powered educational support systemdesigned to address diverse student needs through a hierarchical expert framework. First-yearengineering students frequently face considerable hurdles as they go from high school touniversity [1-3]. These problems can be academic, emotional, social, or psychological.Implementing a support system that is targeted to their specific requirements is critical forimproving their overall well-being and academic performance [4-7].The system employs a sophisticated two-tier semantic routing architecture that efficiently

Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Ronnie L Brown, University of the District of Columbia Community College

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

research usually highlights the transformative prospect of pedagogical methods thatlook beyond traditional lectures and towards more active and collective models. Studies byFreeman et al. [1] have shown that collaborative and student-centered pedagogies lead to vastenhancements in student achievement and retention. Theoretical viewpoints, such as Wenger’s[2] concept of communities of practice, suggest that students evolve a stronger professionalidentity when they actively collaborate with peers in significant, discipline-specific tasks.Similarly, Vygotsky’s [3] social constructivist theory emphasizes that learning is highly effectivewhen it happens within a community that employs collaboration. Furthermore, research onengineering identity

Conference Session

WIP I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Atheer Almasri, West Virginia University; Todd R Hamrick, West Virginia University; Robin A.M. Hensel, West Virginia University; Akua B. Oppong-Anane, West Virginia University; Lizzie Santiago, West Virginia University; Carter Hulcher, West Virginia University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

WIP: Measuring Student Engagement in Simulated Excel Instruction — Methodological Limitations and Future DirectionsIntroductionProficiency in Microsoft Excel is a foundational skill in engineering education as it enablesstudents to process large amounts of data, perform calculations, and engage in problem solvingacross diverse technical problems. Many first-year engineering programs include spreadsheetinstruction in the programs to boost students’ computational and analytical thinking skills [1],[2]. However, instructional scalability remains a challenge, particularly when attempting todeliver uniform instruction to a large and diverse population of students. This study contributesto addressing this challenge by

Conference Session

WIP I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Todd R Hamrick, West Virginia University; Robin A.M. Hensel, West Virginia University; Atheer Almasri, West Virginia University; Carter Hulcher, West Virginia University; Lizzie Santiago, West Virginia University; Susie Huggins, West Virginia University; Akua B. Oppong-Anane, West Virginia University; WenJuan Mo, West Virginia University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

States.Despite this growth, most teaching faculty primarily focus on instruction and service to theirhome institutions. Although many teaching faculty recognize the importance of educationalresearch, only a limited number actively engage in it. This research, including engineeringeducation research, is a rigorous and interdisciplinary field that draws on methods fromeducation and the social sciences to explore and address a wide range of issues relevant toteaching and learning [1-3]. Although the reasons that relatively few faculty engage ineducational research are not fully understood, it is widely recognized that advancing educationalreform through this type of research requires several key supports: meaningful training forinterested faculty

Conference Session

WIP I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Evelyn Walters, Temple University; Laura Riggio, Temple University; Cory Budischak, Temple University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

learning, alternative grading, and design thinking, he also co-founded the STEPS program (funded through NSF S-STEM) to support low-income, high-achieving engineering students. Budischak holds a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and enjoys outdoor activities with his family. FYEE 2025 Conference: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland Jul 27Work In Progress: Enhancing Student Collaboration Through Growth-Based Assessment PracticesIntroductionBackgroundIn a broad literature review, Geisinger and Raman summarized many factors related to studentattrition from engineering majors [1]. The authors noted that competitive grading environmentscommonly found in STEM disciplines have been linked with

Conference Session

WIP I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Roshina Babu, The University of Utah

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

Work in Progress: Enhancing Teaching and Learning in a First-Year Course Through the Dual Lens of Student Reflection and FeedbackBackground and MotivationFirst-year engineering students experience significant academic and non-academic challengeswhen transitioning from high school to university [1]. While various institutional support systems[2] have proven to improve academic performance and retention [3], course-specific interventionstrategies are needed to address the unique challenges of each student cohort [4]. Learners’perspectives on the course, obtained through end-of-semester course feedback can highlight areasfor improvement [5]. Interventions that proactively address course feedback have shown toenhance student

Conference Session

WORKSHOP I: Designing Active Learning Activities with Ethics in Mind, and Body (no matter if this is a fundamental principles class or an ethics-as-a-stand alone class, or any class in-between)

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Nicole Farkas Mogul, University of Maryland, College Park; David Tomblin, University of Maryland, College Park; Timothy Duane Reedy, University of Maryland, College Park

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

about integrating ethics andengineering inside of technical engineering courses, or engineering education doctoral students.This high-energy workshop will be similar: after a brief orientation to a framework/method thatwe have developed at the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland CollegePark (STS Postures) [1] [2], smaller groups will leave the classroom to conduct an abridgedversion of activities we have run in an engineering ethics course. Once back in together, we willdebrief to highlight how the STS Postures framework showed up in those activities. Finally,participants will use the framework to design activities for their programs based on their ownlearning outcomes.Our work has emerged from over a decade working with

Conference Session

WORKSHOP I: First-Year Engineering Forums: Planning & Organizing Idea-Sharing Sessions with Program Stakeholders to Increase Collaboration and Mutually Beneficial Relationships

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Cassie Wallwey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Juan David Ortega Álvarez, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Benjamin Daniel Chambers, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; David Gray, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Daniel Newcomb, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

experience. The forum wasstrategically designed to meet 4 goals: (1) identify preconceived notions other engineering facultyand administrators had about the FYE program, (2) illustrate the complexity of the FYE program andour many stakeholders, (3) provide a space for us to share what we do and prioritize in the FYEprogram, and (4) give our stakeholders a platform to bring forward their thoughts and ideas incollaboration with other stakeholders rather than in competition with them and to initiate acollaborative working environment. We hoped for this “First-Year Forum” to serve as the first steptowards regular communication between stakeholders.Ultimately, we found this forum to be incredibly successful in (1) helping those who work withsecond

Conference Session

WORKSHOP III: From Ideas to Action: Integrating Entrepreneurial Mindset in FYE Programs

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Kaitlin Mallouk, Rowan University; J. Blake Hylton, Ohio Northern University; Jack Bringardner, Colorado School of Mines; Krista M Kecskemety, The Ohio State University; Cassie Wallwey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Andrew Charles Bartolini, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

-driven activities. However, identifying‬‭appropriate intervention points and enacting lasting curricular change can be challenging. This‬‭interactive session guides participants from insight to implementation by combining two key‬‭areas: (1) identifying where the entrepreneurial mindset (EM) can be embedded in existing FYE‬‭courses, and (2) developing a strategic plan to support adoption and stakeholder buy-in.‬‭Drawing on outcomes from the EMIFY project and the‬‭Change Maker’s Toolkit‬‭1‬‭, this workshop‬‭walks participants through identifying EM opportunities using a community-developed‬‭framework (Figure 1) and design heuristic, then transitions to change planning activities that‬‭build stakeholder support and implementation readiness

Conference Session

WORKSHOP I: Integrating Service Learning into First-Year Engineering Courses: A Hands-On Workshop

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Brian Patrick O'Connell, Northeastern University; Anne Shea, Northeastern University; Kennedy Gallagher, Northeastern University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

will provide actionablestrategies grounded in educational research and real-world implementation.Background and ContextWhy Service Learning?Service-learning is a dynamic teaching tool that empowers faculty to seamlessly integrateacademic course content with meaningful community-based experiences. This pedagogicalapproach purposefully engages students in active learning situations that foster deeperunderstanding of subject matter while simultaneously developing competencies tied to criticalconsciousness and social impact [1]. The classroom and community components work in tandem,creating a symbiotic relationship where theoretical knowledge enhances practical application andreal-world experiences enrich academic discussions. Through this process

Conference Session

WORKSHOP II: Wired for Connection, Not Perfection: Embracing Imperfection in the Engineering Space

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Audrey Gilfillan, Applied Wellness Initiatives; Alison West, Applied Wellness Initiatives

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

Conference Session

GIFTS I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Lynn A. Albers, Hofstra University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

GIFTS: S.W.O.T. Analysis: Who AM I?This Great Ideas for Teaching and Talking with Students (GIFTS) paper shares the implementationof an adapted S.W.O.T. Analysis that prepares students for the “Who AM I?” writing assignment ina first-year course, ENGG 010 - Computer Programming for Engineers. It is one of two academicidentity activities that have been incorporated into the newly designed, activity centric course [1, 2,3]. The in-class activity takes between 15-30 minutes depending on the number of students, theirwillingness to participate, and the length of discussion. It can be incorporated into the curriculumat any time. The author includes the activity around week five of a 16-week semester.S.W.O.T

Conference Session

GIFTS I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Laura Ann Gelles, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Laura Knight, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Darren K Maczka, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

curriculum includes content on physics (e.g., kinematics,forces), modeling with Excel, and student success topics (e.g., communication and goals, campusresources, career and major exploration, etc.) to equip students for the first year. This course wasfirst piloted in 2021-2022 and further information about this course is provided in [1], [2].Student Success Content: Time Management and Stress ManagementWhile students may not recognize or acknowledge that their time management skills are lacking,they can better recognize when they are stressed out. Time Management, which was previouslytaught on its own, was reframed as a way to manage student stress. We created several learningpages on our LMS about how stress impacts students and examples of