WIP: Fostering Professional Skills Development through Application in Core Engineering Subject Courses: A Pathway to Holistic Student Development

Surupa Shaw; Randy Brooks

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Conference: 2025 ASEE -GSW Annual Conference
Location: Arlington, TX, Texas
Publication Date: March 9, 2025
Start Date: March 9, 2025
End Date: March 11, 2025
Page Count: 9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--55091
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55091
Download Count: 9

Paper Authors

biography

Surupa Shaw Texas A&M University

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Dr. Surupa Shaw has been associated with Texas A&M University since 2015, most recently as the Assistant Professor at the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering. Texas A&M University, Higher Education Center. Prior to this, she was a faculty member at Ocean Engineering Department, TAMU.

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biography

Randy Brooks Texas A&M University orcid.org/0000-0002-8266-7428

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Howdy,

After 23 years in Telecom building LD, internet, and email platforms and networks, I observed that the front line personnel that I was hiring didn’t have what I considered to be skills that they should be bringing to the table.

I began investigating why, and that led me to high school. Alas, I began my journey in Education in 2010 inhabiting the classrooms of Lovejoy High School, where my two daughters attended. I redubbed my PreCalculus course as Problem-Solving with Brooks and was also afforded the opportunity to lead an impactful Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Principles of Engineering (PoE) course, a project-based learning survey of the engineering discipline.

Since the Summer of 2015 I have been privileged to work with the Texas A and M Sketch Recognition Lab (TAMU SRL) to evaluate a couple of online tutorial tools (Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS)) currently under development, Mechanix and Sketchtivity, that provide immediate constructive feedback to the students and student-level metrics to the instructors. I presented on this work at the state and national PLTW Conventions and at CPTTE in 2016.

I also spent 5 semesters beginning the Fall of 2015 taking online courses learning how to construct and deliver online courses. This resulted in a MSEd from Purdue University in Learning Design and Technology (LDT).

This widely varied background prepared me well for my next big adventure. Beginning in August 2018 I became the Texas A and M Professor of Practice for the Texas A and M Engineering Academy at Blinn College in Brenham. Texas A and M Engineering Academies are an innovative approach to providing the planet with more Aggie Engineers. In Fall 2023 I moved to the College Station campus to drive development of the 2nd semester First-Year Program Course, Intro to Mechanics.

I am concurrently pursuing a PhD focused on enhancing the high school through first-year college experience and am an engaged member of the Texas A and M IEEI (Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation).

My foundations were set by an upbringing on the family ranch near Joshua, Texas and 4 memorable years at Texas A and M where I met my wife, I led Bugle Rank #7 in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band (Class of ’86 Whoop!), and dove into Telecom Engineering. Once in Telecom, my learning continued at MCI, Vartec, and Charter.

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Abstract

This paper-in-progress examines how integrating professional skills development into STEM classrooms can enrich the educational experience and better prepare students for their careers. Drawing on a literature review, it establishes the groundwork for ongoing research in this area. While technical skills are essential in STEM fields, employers increasingly value professional skills (historically termed “soft” or “essential” skills) as career differentiators. Key professional skills (PS) such as communication, presentation, project management, teamwork, social engagement, and innovative thinking are critical for students’ progression during and post-college. Feedback from industry partners and employers highlights that, while students typically excel in technical abilities, they often lack PS in their early employment.

Instead of limiting PS instruction to standalone seminars, integrating PS development into core courses, through assignments involving creative submissions and active learning, allows students to understand how these skills aid in mastering and communicating technical concepts. For example, a multimedia presentation that demonstrates technical understanding provides a deeper engagement than a traditional exam. This integration offers students chances to practice and refine their PS in authentic contexts, providing instructors with impactful frameworks and artifacts that benefit future teaching iterations.

Citation
Format

Shaw, S., & Brooks, R. (2025, March), WIP: Fostering Professional Skills Development through Application in Core Engineering Subject Courses: A Pathway to Holistic Student Development Paper presented at 2025 ASEE -GSW Annual Conference, Arlington, TX, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--55091