Evaluating the Impact of Teaching Undergraduate Engineering Students Strategies to Become Leaders in Diverse Environments

Renee M. Desing; Cathryne Jordan; Arron Corey Clay; Joyce Yen; Ali Cho; Robin Neal Clayton; Karen Thomas-Brown

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Special Session: Engineering Leadership—The Courage to Change
Tagged Division: Engineering Leadership Development Division (LEAD)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47355

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Paper Authors

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Renee M. Desing University of Washington orcid.org/0000-0002-4052-2423

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Dr. Renee Desing is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington. Her research interests include diversity, equity, and inclusion in the engineering classrooms and workplaces. Dr. Desing graduated from Ohio State with her Ph.D. in Engineering Education, and also holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the Pennsylvania State University.

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Cathryne Jordan University of Washington

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Cathryne, UW College of Engineering, Assistant Director, Office of Inclusive Excellence, Gender Equity and Student Groups.
Directing and working with the educational K-20 community, university, public and/or private sector outreach an

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Abstract

The purpose of this work-in-progress practice paper is to assess the effectiveness of our course, Leadership Development to Promote Equity in Engineering Relationships, in building undergraduate engineering students’ skills to be leaders in diverse environments, both on campus and in their future careers. Historically, engineering education has focused on technical skill development, where non-technical skills such as teamwork and communication have been emphasized only recently. Furthermore, while historically marginalized groups remain underrepresented in engineering, the field is starting to see growth in diversity. With this growth comes the responsibility to ensure that engineering students know how to advance social justice and be leaders in diverse engineering learning and working environments. In support of the changing landscape within the engineering field and engineering education, we aim to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership to the forefront of engineering education through the implementation of our course. As educators, we believe it is imperative to explicitly teach inclusive leadership skills and to continuously evolve our course to meet the pedagogical advancements in engineering education and to modernize course content per current engineering and societal issues.

This paper presents the preliminary data analysis that is part of a larger course evaluation project which seeks to assess the impact the course has on current and past students with regards to their skills related to advancing DEI and social justice in engineering. The objective of our course is for engineering students to acquire leadership skills and implement behaviors that create a more supportive and inclusive engineering environment. Topics covered in the course include implicit and systemic bias, creating inclusive cultures, community engagement, and leadership in diverse engineering environments. Using a conceptual framework based on social justice education, engineering for social justice, and situated engineering learning, we engage students through various active learning techniques to allow them to practice leadership skills, such as how to be an ally, engage in diverse teams, and develop a sense of belonging, in a safe, inclusive learning environment.

For the first phase of our assessment, we administered pre- and post-course surveys to current students for each term of the past academic year. The surveys included both quantitative Likert-style questions and qualitative free-response questions to evaluate students’ knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics both before and after the course, their expectations for the course, and the impact the course has on students’ abilities to utilize the skills learned in their future leadership and professional roles. We analyzed the survey responses with descriptive statistics and paired t-tests of the quantitative questions and thematic analysis of the qualitative questions. Ultimately, the results of the analysis will inform continuous improvement to the course’s pedagogy to ensure students are obtaining the skills necessary to be leaders in diverse engineering environments.

Citation
Format

Desing, R. M., & Jordan, C., & Clay, A. C., & Yen, J., & Cho, A., & Clayton, R. N., & Thomas-Brown, K. (2024, June), Evaluating the Impact of Teaching Undergraduate Engineering Students Strategies to Become Leaders in Diverse Environments Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47355

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The purpose of this work-in-progress practice paper is to assess the effectiveness of our course, Leadership Development to Promote Equity in Engineering Relationships, in building undergraduate engineering students’ skills to be leaders in diverse environments, both on campus and in their future careers. Historically, engineering education has focused on technical skill development, where non-technical skills such as teamwork and communication have been emphasized only recently. Furthermore, while historically marginalized groups remain underrepresented in engineering, the field is starting to see growth in diversity. With this growth comes the responsibility to ensure that engineering students know how to advance social justice and be leaders in diverse engineering learning and working environments. In support of the changing landscape within the engineering field and engineering education, we aim to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership to the forefront of engineering education through the implementation of our course. As educators, we believe it is imperative to explicitly teach inclusive leadership skills and to continuously evolve our course to meet the pedagogical advancements in engineering education and to modernize course content per current engineering and societal issues.

This paper presents the preliminary data analysis that is part of a larger course evaluation project which seeks to assess the impact the course has on current and past students with regards to their skills related to advancing DEI and social justice in engineering. The objective of our course is for engineering students to acquire leadership skills and implement behaviors that create a more supportive and inclusive engineering environment. Topics covered in the course include implicit and systemic bias, creating inclusive cultures, community engagement, and leadership in diverse engineering environments. Using a conceptual framework based on social justice education, engineering for social justice, and situated engineering learning, we engage students through various active learning techniques to allow them to practice leadership skills, such as how to be an ally, engage in diverse teams, and develop a sense of belonging, in a safe, inclusive learning environment. 

For the first phase of our assessment, we administered pre- and post-course surveys to current students for each term of the past academic year. The surveys included both quantitative Likert-style questions and qualitative free-response questions to evaluate students’ knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics both before and after the course, their expectations for the course, and the impact the course has on students’ abilities to utilize the skills learned in their future leadership and professional roles. We analyzed the survey responses with descriptive statistics and paired t-tests of the quantitative questions and thematic analysis of the qualitative questions. Ultimately, the results of the analysis will inform continuous improvement to the course’s pedagogy to ensure students are obtaining the skills necessary to be leaders in diverse engineering environments.
AU  - Renee M. Desing
AU  - Cathryne Jordan
AU  - Arron Corey Clay
AU  - Joyce Yen
AU  - Ali Cho
AU  - Robin Neal Clayton
AU  - Karen Thomas-Brown
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Evaluating the Impact of Teaching Undergraduate Engineering Students Strategies to Become Leaders in Diverse Environments
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47355
ER  -