Assessing and Characterizing Perspective-Taking Abilities in Undergraduate Students: A Case Study Approach

Laura Harriss; Ian McGill; Elizabeth Gray; Aparajita Jaiswal; Sakhi Aggrawal

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: ERM Technical Session: Developing Engineering Competencies II
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 12
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55466

Aparajita Jaiswal is an Intercultural Research Specialist with CILMAR, Purdue University. Her research endeavors revolve around exploring strategies for seamlessly integrating intercultural learning into both regular STEM curriculum and study abroad programs. Aparajita actively engages in offering guidance in developing research studies, curriculum enhancements, and assessment methods pertaining to integration and cultivation of intercultural competence. Her expertise extends to facilitating workshops and training sessions, catering to the needs of both staff and students within Purdue University.

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biography

Sakhi Aggrawal Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI) orcid.org/0000-0002-2274-0152

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Dr. Sakhi Aggrawal is a lecturer and research scientist in Purdue University’s Department of Computer and Information Technology. Her work explores how project-management frameworks, teamwork dynamics, intercultural competencies and AI tools can enhance STEM and engineering education. She also serves as a technical program manager at Google—industry experience that underpins her research on data-driven project management and agile methodologies. She is currently leading efforts to incorporate AI into educational curricula and teaching methods. Additionally, Aggrawal mentors students at various levels and is actively seeking collaborative opportunities in her field.

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Abstract

This Empirical Research Paper (Full Paper, 10 pages) investigates the development of perspective-taking abilities in undergraduate students utilizing a case study approach.

Background: The increasing emphasis on preparing graduates for a globalized workforce necessitates the development of intercultural communication skills. Perspective-taking is key to this skill as it allows individuals to consider different people’s viewpoints. While perspective-taking is recognized as crucial for effective human interaction and conflict resolution, there remains a gap in understanding how to effectively teach and assess these skills in higher education settings. The goal of the study is to understand the perspective-taking abilities of undergraduate students and inform curriculum enhancements to help students develop such abilities.

Methods: The study employed a case study approach to analyze reflections from 15 undergraduate students enrolled in an honors course at a large midwestern university. Following the completion of a communication module, students wrote 200-word reflections on their key learnings. A four-point rubric was used to assess these reflections based on three criteria: critical reflection, perspective shift, and application of new perspectives. The rubric scores were then used to divide the students into three groups: emerging, proficient, and competent perspective-takers, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns within each group’s reflections.

Results: Analysis revealed distinct characteristics among the three groups of perspective-takers. Competent perspective-takers demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of contextual factors and provided specific strategies for communication improvement. Proficient perspective-takers showed awareness of intent versus impact but struggled with practical application. Emerging perspective-takers recognized basic communication strategies but had difficulty challenging their assumptions and implementing perspective-taking concepts effectively.

Implications: The findings emphasize that critical self-reflection is fundamental to developing perspective-taking abilities in STEM education. The study reveals that even students with strong theoretical understanding often struggle to identify specific applications, suggesting curriculum design should focus on bridging this theory-practice gap through concrete implementation strategies. These insights point to the need for restructuring perspective-taking education to emphasize practical application alongside conceptual learning.

Citation
Format

Harriss, L., & McGill, I., & Gray, E., & Jaiswal, A., & Aggrawal, S. (2025, June), Assessing and Characterizing Perspective-Taking Abilities in Undergraduate Students: A Case Study Approach Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55466

TY - CPAPER
AB - This Empirical Research Paper (Full Paper, 10 pages) investigates the development of perspective-taking abilities in undergraduate students utilizing a case study approach.

Background: The increasing emphasis on preparing graduates for a globalized workforce necessitates the development of intercultural communication skills. Perspective-taking is key to this skill as it allows individuals to consider different people’s viewpoints. While perspective-taking is recognized as crucial for effective human interaction and conflict resolution, there remains a gap in understanding how to effectively teach and assess these skills in higher education settings. The goal of the study is to understand the perspective-taking abilities of undergraduate students and inform curriculum enhancements to help students develop such abilities.

Methods: The study employed a case study approach to analyze reflections from 15 undergraduate students enrolled in an honors course at a large midwestern university. Following the completion of a communication module, students wrote 200-word reflections on their key learnings. A four-point rubric was used to assess these reflections based on three criteria: critical reflection, perspective shift, and application of new perspectives. The rubric scores were then used to divide the students into three groups: emerging, proficient, and competent perspective-takers, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns within each group’s reflections.

Results: Analysis revealed distinct characteristics among the three groups of perspective-takers. Competent perspective-takers demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of contextual factors and provided specific strategies for communication improvement. Proficient perspective-takers showed awareness of intent versus impact but struggled with practical application. Emerging perspective-takers recognized basic communication strategies but had difficulty challenging their assumptions and implementing perspective-taking concepts effectively.

Implications: The findings emphasize that critical self-reflection is fundamental to developing perspective-taking abilities in STEM education. The study reveals that even students with strong theoretical understanding often struggle to identify specific applications, suggesting curriculum design should focus on bridging this theory-practice gap through concrete implementation strategies. These insights point to the need for restructuring perspective-taking education to emphasize practical application alongside conceptual learning.

AU - Laura Harriss
AU - Ian McGill
AU - Elizabeth Gray
AU - Aparajita Jaiswal
AU - Sakhi Aggrawal
CY - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DA - 2025/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Assessing and Characterizing Perspective-Taking Abilities in Undergraduate Students: A Case Study Approach
UR - https://peer.asee.org/55466
ER -