WIP Striving towards Equitable Team Dynamics in First-Year Engineering Design
- Conference
- Location
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Baltimore , Maryland
- Publication Date
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June 25, 2023
- Start Date
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June 25, 2023
- End Date
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June 28, 2023
- Conference Session
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First-Year Programs Division (FYP) - WIPS 3: Identity & Belonging
- Tagged Division
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First-Year Programs Division (FYP)
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Page Count
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9
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--44064
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/44064
- Download Count
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121
Paper Authors
Evelyn Walters Temple University
Cory Budischak
Temple University
orcid.org/0000-0003-0986-4297
Cory is a teacher and researcher who strives to reduce the harmful effects of energy production and use. Teaching has always been his central passion. He started as a group tutor in college, which led him to his full time career as an Associate Professor of Instruction at Temple University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has also taught a course "Electric Vehicles and the Grid" at the University of Delaware. He employs innovative instructional methods such as problem based learning, flipping the classroom, and teaching through interactive games. He finds it rewarding to reach students with these methods who may not have been reached by traditional lectures. His research focuses on the transition to 100% renewable energy and effective engineering instruction/support using problem based learning, flipped classroom approaches, design thinking, and co-curricular supports such as mentoring.
His main research focuses on two research questions:
1) What would our energy system look like if we make the shift towards 100% renewable energy and how much would the system cost? The research focuses not on a single energy system (electricity, transportation, agriculture), but the interaction among systems and taking a systems thinking approach.
2) How can learning and educational outcomes be improved with innovative instruction and co-curricular supports?
His research has appeared in Discovery News, The Huffington Post, Scientific American, and Rolling Stone Magazine. His outreach to the community has been featured in many local publications. He has presented his work all over the country including on the TEDx stage. He has done consulting work, including for the Chief Investment Officer of JPMorgan Chase, Michael Cembalest.
Cory received his Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware. He spent 8 years at Delaware Technical and Community College in the Energy Management Department as an Instructor and Department chair before transitioning to his current role at Temple University.
When Cory is not educating or researching, he enjoys backpacking, yoga, volleyball, and hiking with his family.
Abstract
To be competitive in the job market and successful in their careers, engineering graduates must possess well-developed T-shaped skills. This means that their deep technical skills should be complemented by broader traits such as communication and the ability to work effectively in teams. Engineering programs traditionally experience elevated rates of attrition, the result of a multitude of factors including a lack of self-efficacy and unwelcoming academic climates. In this study, a first-year engineering course is used to examine students’ perceptions of team effectiveness, specifically cognitive trust. The course has implemented Pfeifer & Stoddard’s [11] “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Tools for Teamwork: Asset Mapping and Team Processing Handbook” as part of a ~6-week-long, team-based design challenge sponsored by Engineers Without Borders UK entitled: Engineering for People Design Challenge. The intervention was initially implemented in Fall 2022 and was generally well-received. The next iteration will occur in Fall 2023, whereby data will be collected with pre and post surveys. Furthermore, students will be asked to write a reflection on stereotyping and what role, if any, the asset map protocol played in overcoming it throughout the project.
Walters, E., & Budischak, C. (2023, June), WIP Striving towards Equitable Team Dynamics in First-Year Engineering Design Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44064
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