Benefits and examples of finding and developing true personal stories in engineering courses

Conference: 2023 ASEE PNW Section Conference
Location: Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington
Publication Date: April 6, 2023
Start Date: April 6, 2023
End Date: April 7, 2023
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44764
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44764

Paper Authors

Abstract

Workshop motivation:

Feeling as though one doesn't belong is common for students navigating STEM degrees, and these negative experiences occur more frequently to Black, Latinx, Native, and Female students. Worse, little improvement has been observed in STEM student population demographics, despite decades of efforts attempting to shift population-level metrics. Our collaboration wonders why this is, what can be done, and how such issues of belonging and exclusion manifest locally, so we focus on writing and sharing student stories for two reasons: (1) To improve the agency students have over their own professional identity development, and (2) To build accurate community narratives representing the lived experiences of our local student populations. Basically, we hypothesize that writing and sharing ones' stories related to their degree can be an antidote to imposterism and help improve department culture. We'll discuss a collaboration with The Story Collider that has been expanding in the College of Engineering since 2017, describe improvements in professional identity we've measured through this work, and demonstrate interactive examples of our workshop materials for finding and developing your own personal science stories.

Workshop goals include:

Introductions, and the concept of storytelling. Understand why stories matter and search into what matters to you about your story. Find the main character in your story (hint: it’s you!) We will focus on the elements of a story including “Events” and “Consequences” and begin brainstorming events from our own lives to tell stories about. Through this activity we will be able to help you select a story that you will be able to work on during the workshop.

We will explore the role of stakes and change in storytelling and analyze how people show instead of tell who they were at the time of their story. Tell a short version of your story and explore yourself as a character at the time of your story. By the end of this activity you will be able to share a semi-draft of your story.

Learn how to integrate science into your story seamlessly and from your own perspective. Discuss the role of beginnings and endings in stories, and the traits of effective beginnings and endings. Practice your story.

Workshop duration: 2 - 3 hrs

Citation
Format

(2023, April), Benefits and examples of finding and developing true personal stories in engineering courses Paper presented at 2023 ASEE PNW Section Conference, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--44764

TY - CPAPER
AB - Workshop motivation:

Feeling as though one doesn&#39;t belong is common for students navigating STEM degrees, and these negative experiences occur more frequently to Black, Latinx, Native, and Female students. Worse, little improvement has been observed in STEM student population demographics, despite decades of efforts attempting to shift population-level metrics. Our collaboration wonders why this is, what can be done, and how such issues of belonging and exclusion manifest locally, so we focus on writing and sharing student stories for two reasons: (1) To improve the agency students have over their own professional identity development, and (2) To build accurate community narratives representing the lived experiences of our local student populations. Basically, we hypothesize that writing and sharing ones&#39; stories related to their degree can be an antidote to imposterism and help improve department culture. We&#39;ll discuss a collaboration with The Story Collider that has been expanding in the College of Engineering since 2017, describe improvements in professional identity we&#39;ve measured through this work, and demonstrate interactive examples of our workshop materials for finding and developing your own personal science stories.

Workshop goals include:

Introductions, and the concept of storytelling. Understand why stories matter and search into what matters to you about your story. Find the main character in your story (hint: it’s you!) We will focus on the elements of a story including “Events” and “Consequences” and begin brainstorming events from our own lives to tell stories about. Through this activity we will be able to help you select a story that you will be able to work on during the workshop.

We will explore the role of stakes and change in storytelling and analyze how people show instead of tell who they were at the time of their story. Tell a short version of your story and explore yourself as a character at the time of your story. By the end of this activity you will be able to share a semi-draft of your story.

Learn how to integrate science into your story seamlessly and from your own perspective. Discuss the role of beginnings and endings in stories, and the traits of effective beginnings and endings. Practice your story.

Workshop duration: 2 - 3 hrs
CY - Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington
DA - 2023/04/06
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Benefits and examples of finding and developing true personal stories in engineering courses
UR - https://peer.asee.org/44764
DO - 10.18260/1-2--44764
ER -