Flanagan, E., & Crocker, G. F., & Kiernan, M. J., & Chapa, J. O., & Stephan, E. A. (2025, June), A Systems Engineering Approach to Metacognition in a Final Synthesis Project  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--55405

\bibitem{asee_peer_55405}
  Flanagan, E., \& Crocker, G. F., \& Kiernan, M. J., \& Chapa, J. O., \& Stephan, E. A. (2025, June), \emph{A Systems Engineering Approach to Metacognition in a Final Synthesis Project}
  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada .
  10.18260/1-2--55405

Elizabeth Flanagan, Grace F Crocker, Michael Joseph Kiernan, Joseph Overlin Chapa, and Elizabeth Anne Stephan.  "A Systems Engineering Approach to Metacognition in a Final Synthesis Project".  2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada , 2025, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2025.  https://peer.asee.org/55405 Internet.  23 Aug, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_55405}
  Elizabeth Flanagan, Grace F Crocker, Michael Joseph Kiernan, Joseph Overlin Chapa, and Elizabeth Anne Stephan.
  "A Systems Engineering Approach to Metacognition in a Final Synthesis Project".
  \emph{2025 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada , 2025, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2025.
  https://peer.asee.org/55405 Internet.  23 Aug, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_55405
author = "Elizabeth Flanagan, Grace F Crocker, Michael Joseph Kiernan, Joseph Overlin Chapa, and Elizabeth Anne Stephan"
title = "A Systems Engineering Approach to Metacognition in a Final Synthesis Project"
booktitle = "2025 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition "
year = "2025"
month = "June"
address = "Montreal, Quebec, Canada "
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/55405}
number = {10.18260/1-2--55405}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This complete evidence-based practice paper examines the implementation of a final synthesis project within a success skills course for first-year engineering students enrolled in General Engineering Learning Community at Clemson University designed to support students with low calculus readiness. The program’s goal is to enhance retention and foster academic and professional success by providing holistic support, including a co-enrollment in a professional skills and learning strategies course. The course focuses on cultivating key habits in students, encompassing professional behaviors, effective learning strategies, and mindfulness practices. Through the final project, students apply systems engineering principles to synthesize course topics into meaningful groupings, reflecting on their personal and academic growth.

The study addresses three research questions: (1) Which course topics do students identify as most influential and useful for their future? (2) What common grouping strategies do students use, and do these align with the course framework? (3) Does the systems engineering approach foster unique metacognitive insights? A qualitative analysis of student submissions from the Fall 2024 cohort reveals that time management and rest are identified as the most impactful skills. Grouping strategies ranged from simple categories aligned with the course framework to more complex, systems-based analogies. The systems engineering approach provided valuable metacognitive insight, helping students understand the interconnections between course content and its relevance to their academic and professional lives.

The findings suggest that integrating systems thinking into first-year courses can deepen students' understanding of their learning processes and improve their ability to apply study strategies in diverse contexts. This approach not only promotes academic success but also supports the development of essential professional skills, highlighting the importance of holistic, student-centered instructional practices in higher education.
AU  - Elizabeth Flanagan
AU  - Grace F Crocker
AU  - Michael Joseph Kiernan
AU  - Joseph Overlin Chapa
AU  - Elizabeth Anne Stephan
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - A Systems Engineering Approach to Metacognition in a Final Synthesis Project
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55405
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--55405
ER  -