The role of Socio-technical Design Challenges in the Early Formation of Civil Engineers

Sydney Donohue Jobe; Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow; Ruben D. Lopez-Parra; Paris Eisenman; Ethan Kapp; Carl Lyle Abadam; Vanessa Svihla; Anjali Mulchandani

Download Paper | Permalink

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: Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) Technical Session - Professional Practice 1
Tagged Division: Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48132

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Sydney Donohue Jobe University of New Mexico orcid.org/0009-0009-6920-5921 

visit author page

Sydney Donohue Jobe works as the Outreach Coordinator and Education Specialist for the Center for Water and the Environment and the Accelerating Resilience Innovations in Drylands Institute at the University of New Mexico. She holds a Master of Water Resources degree from the University of New Mexico and a B.A. in Ecology from the University of Georgia.

visit author page

author page

Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow University of New Mexico orcid.org/0000-0002-0509-2720

biography

Ruben D. Lopez-Parra Purdue University orcid.org/0009-0007-8901-5688

visit author page

Ruben D. Lopez-Parra is a Post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico. His Ph.D. is in Engineering Education from Purdue University, and he has worked as a K-16 STEM instructor and curriculum designer using various evidence-based active and passive learning strategies. In 2015, Ruben earned an M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, where he also received the title of Chemical Engineer in 2012. His research interests are grounded in the learning sciences and include how K-16 students develop engineering thinking and professional skills when addressing complex socio-technical problems. He aims to apply his research to the design of better educational experiences.

visit author page

author page

Dr. Vanessa Svihla is a learning scientist and associate professor at the University of New Mexico in the Organization, Information and Learning Sciences program and in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department.

visit author page

biography

Anjali Mulchandani University of New Mexico orcid.org/0000-0001-6529-8336

visit author page

Dr. Anjali Mulchandani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Mexico. She leads the Environmental Resource Sustainability group, which studies themes related to environmental and water resources engineering, atmospheric water harvesting, waste-to-energy technologies, and environmental remediation. Her work integrates and highlights science communication and community needs-based research. Her passions include designing hands-on learning tools and leading public outreach initiatives for STEM awareness and engagement among all levels of learners

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

While design is common in first-year civil, construction, and environmental engineering (CCEE), it is uncommon to include sociotechnical design challenges. Design problems are ill-structured, meaning they have many possible solutions. Faculty sometimes make this more manageable by reducing the problem to technical aspects. However, research suggests sociotechnical problems—where technical aspects are related to social factors—help students engage with the problem. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of two sociotechnical design challenges in a first-year CCEE course. We sought to understand how students experience framing and solving ill-structured sociotechnical design problems, guided by research question: To what extent does participating in socio-technical design challenges impact civil engineering student self-efficacy, identity, motivations and intention to persist? We conducted the study as design-based research, the hallmark method of the learning sciences, in which learning designs are tested under real-world conditions. The study was in a first-year CCEE course at University of New Mexico, a Hispanic-serving institution in the American Southwest. The 3-credit course was taught in two sections, with 92 enrolled, and 64 students providing informed consent for survey data analysis. The first challenge focused on environmental engineering as students addressed acid mine drainage in the Southwestern states. The second challenge focused on concrete mixes for the American Society of Civil Engineers concrete canoe competition. The challenges were structured in a series of deliverables addressing research of the problem, design and testing of a proposed solution, stakeholder and customer analysis, proposal of design solution that integrated data and stakeholder assessment, and final presentation. We collected student work and survey data and analyzed survey responses using either t-tests or descriptive statistics when appropriate. We found student self-efficacy significantly increased after both design challenges, identity as a civil engineer or construction manager significantly increased before and after the course, and intent to persist remained consistent from the beginning of the course to after the second challenge. Students were motivated to work on challenges that addressed environmental, humanitarian, and social justice causes. These findings demonstrate how design challenges can promote professional formation of civil engineers through development of engineering identity, sense of belonging to the profession, and motivations to pursue civil engineering and continue to persist in the degree and career.

Citation
Format

Donohue Jobe, S., & Wilson-Fetrow, M., & Lopez-Parra, R. D., & Eisenman, P., & Kapp, E., & Abadam, C. L., & Svihla, V., & Mulchandani, A. (2024, June), The role of Socio-technical Design Challenges in the Early Formation of Civil Engineers Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48132

TY - CPAPER
AB - While design is common in first-year civil, construction, and environmental engineering (CCEE), it is uncommon to include sociotechnical design challenges. Design problems are ill-structured, meaning they have many possible solutions. Faculty sometimes make this more manageable by reducing the problem to technical aspects. However, research suggests sociotechnical problems—where technical aspects are related to social factors—help students engage with the problem. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of two sociotechnical design challenges in a first-year CCEE course. We sought to understand how students experience framing and solving ill-structured sociotechnical design problems, guided by research question: To what extent does participating in socio-technical design challenges impact civil engineering student self-efficacy, identity, motivations and intention to persist? We conducted the study as design-based research, the hallmark method of the learning sciences, in which learning designs are tested under real-world conditions. The study was in a first-year CCEE course at University of New Mexico, a Hispanic-serving institution in the American Southwest. The 3-credit course was taught in two sections, with 92 enrolled, and 64 students providing informed consent for survey data analysis. The first challenge focused on environmental engineering as students addressed acid mine drainage in the Southwestern states. The second challenge focused on concrete mixes for the American Society of Civil Engineers concrete canoe competition. The challenges were structured in a series of deliverables addressing research of the problem, design and testing of a proposed solution, stakeholder and customer analysis, proposal of design solution that integrated data and stakeholder assessment, and final presentation. We collected student work and survey data and analyzed survey responses using either t-tests or descriptive statistics when appropriate. We found student self-efficacy significantly increased after both design challenges, identity as a civil engineer or construction manager significantly increased before and after the course, and intent to persist remained consistent from the beginning of the course to after the second challenge. Students were motivated to work on challenges that addressed environmental, humanitarian, and social justice causes. These findings demonstrate how design challenges can promote professional formation of civil engineers through development of engineering identity, sense of belonging to the profession, and motivations to pursue civil engineering and continue to persist in the degree and career.
AU - Sydney Donohue Jobe
AU - Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow
AU - Ruben D. Lopez-Parra
AU - Paris Eisenman
AU - Ethan Kapp
AU - Carl Lyle Abadam
AU - Vanessa Svihla
AU - Anjali Mulchandani
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - The role of Socio-technical Design Challenges in the Early Formation of Civil Engineers
UR - https://peer.asee.org/48132
ER -