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GIFTS: Broadening Students’ Self-Knowledge and Self-Development in an Introductory Engineering Design Course

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Conference

14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference

Location

University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee

Publication Date

July 30, 2023

Start Date

July 30, 2023

End Date

August 1, 2023

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

3

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44835

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44835

Download Count

62

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Paper Authors

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Ashish D Borgaonkar New Jersey Institute of Technology Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-3375-889X

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Dr. Ashish Borgaonkar works as Asst. Professor of Engineering Education at the New Jersey Institute of Technology's (NJIT) Newark College of Engineering (NCE) located in Newark, New Jersey. He has developed and taught several engineering courses primarily in first-year engineering, civil and environmental engineering, and general engineering. He has won several awards for excellence in instruction; most recently the Saul K. Fenster Award for Innovation in Engineering Education. His research focuses on increasing diversity in STEM education and the STEM workforce. He has received multiple grants to run workforce development training programs as well as undergraduate research experience programs to train underrepresented minority and first-generation students. He is the Founding Director of NJIT's Grand Challenges Scholars Program. He also has worked on several research projects, programs, and initiatives to help students bridge the gap between high school and college as well as to prepare students for the rigors of mathematics. He is also involved in various engineering education initiatives focusing on the integration of novel technologies into the engineering classroom, and excellence in instruction. His additional research interests include water, and wastewater treatment, civil engineering infrastructure, and transportation engineering.

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Miosotis Hernandez New Jersey Institute of Technology

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Dr. Miosotis Hernandez is the Assistant Director for First-Year Engineering Programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Newark College of Engineering (NCE). Her research interests involve the impact of collaborative learning environments on first-year students in STEM programs and their effect on retention. She has taught and developed courses in the Humanities Department. Prior to her current role at NJIT, she worked in enrollment management for the University. She is a member of the instructional team of the Fundamentals of Engineering Development course. She earned her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies at William Paterson University, her Master’s degree in Education Administration and Supervision at Montclair State University, and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Higher Education from Saint Peter’s University.

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Lucie Tchouassi New Jersey Institute of Technology

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Jaskirat Sodhi New Jersey Institute of Technology

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Dr. Jaskirat Sodhi is interested in first-year engineering curriculum design and recruitment, retention and success of engineering students. He is the coordinator of ENGR101, an application-oriented course for engineering students placed in pre-calculus courses. He has also developed and co-teaches the Fundamentals of Engineering Design course that includes a wide spectra of activities to teach general engineering students the basics of engineering design using a hands-on approach which is also engaging and fun. He is an Institute for Teaching Excellence Fellow at NJIT and the recipient of NJIT's 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award - Lower Division Undergraduate Instruction, 2022 Newark College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award, and 2018 Saul K. Fenster Innovation in Engineering Education Award.

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Abstract

Introducing students to experiential learning opportunities that stimulate self-reflection, self-awareness, and personal growth into a Fundamentals of Engineering Design course is an excellent strategy to widen students' self-knowledge and self-development. Self-knowledge and self-development are lifelong processes, and college is the perfect season in students’ lives to help them further develop this fundamental information. First-year students are introduced to a variety of opportunities to engage in experiential learning such as: academic clubs and organizations, internships and co-op, as well as research. This is coordinated in a dedicated module within an introductory Engineering Design course. Through collaborative exercises, students identify things they like and desire to learn more about, skills they perform well and want to develop further, and qualities about their personality that make them distinctive. At the conclusion of the module, students will start to consider how their self-knowledge and self-development could be further enhanced through engagement in one or more experiential learning opportunities. This module also helps students self-reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, and their personal and professional goals. This can help them become more effective engineers and better equipped to navigate their path to degree completion.

Borgaonkar, A. D., & Hernandez, M., & Tchouassi, L., & Sodhi, J. (2023, July), GIFTS: Broadening Students’ Self-Knowledge and Self-Development in an Introductory Engineering Design Course Paper presented at 14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference, University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--44835

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