Work-In-Progress: Connections – First-Year Design, Students, and Life Beyond Engineering

Michael Rizk

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: First-Year Programs Division (FYP) - WIPS 3: Identity & Belonging
Tagged Division: First-Year Programs Division (FYP)
Page Count: 9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44408
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44408
Download Count: 148

Paper Authors

biography

Michael Rizk Duke University

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Michael Rizk is an Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. He is also the Associate Director of the First-Year Design program in Duke's Pratt School of Engineering. His interests include the first-year experience for engineering students, design courses, and introductory biomedical engineering courses.

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Abstract

This Work-in-Progress paper describes an effort to support first-year engineering students by connecting them with other students and providing a space to discuss the relationship between their first-year design course and life beyond the course. The engineering design course allows students to work on a real-world project and exposes them to a broad range of ideas and skills that are important in engineering. Many of these – such as communication, planning, teamwork, prioritization, and dealing with failure – are also very relevant to life beyond engineering. “Connections” is an optional supplement to this required design course that engineering students take during their first semester.

A small group of students in the first-year design course meets weekly during the semester in a gathering informally named “Connections.” This group is facilitated by a faculty member but is largely driven by the students. Since students in the Connections group come from several different sections of the first-year design course, they are exposed to other students going through a similar experience but with important differences in their experiences. For example, members of Connections are not part of the same project group and are working on different projects. Most members of Connections belong to different sections of the first-year design course and have different instructors for the course. Discussions in the group cover a wide range of topics. Examples include project-specific updates and requests for help; sharing frustrations and joys about the course and the overall first-year experience; questions about registering for classes, selecting a major, and interacting with faculty members; and broader updates and discussions on life in general. The facilitator typically suggests a possible theme or topic for each weekly discussion (often related to something going on in the first-year design course at that time), but this is only a suggested starting point and the discussion often moves to other topics.

Connections is now in its second year. Participants have particularly appreciated the opportunity for honest conversations about shared experiences. Future opportunities with the Connections group include (1) connecting students across multiple years and (2) more formally surveying participants about the benefits of participating in the group and potential areas for growth and improvement.

Citation
Format

Rizk, M. (2023, June), Work-In-Progress: Connections – First-Year Design, Students, and Life Beyond Engineering Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44408

TY - CPAPER
AB - This Work-in-Progress paper describes an effort to support first-year engineering students by connecting them with other students and providing a space to discuss the relationship between their first-year design course and life beyond the course. The engineering design course allows students to work on a real-world project and exposes them to a broad range of ideas and skills that are important in engineering. Many of these – such as communication, planning, teamwork, prioritization, and dealing with failure – are also very relevant to life beyond engineering. “Connections” is an optional supplement to this required design course that engineering students take during their first semester.

A small group of students in the first-year design course meets weekly during the semester in a gathering informally named “Connections.” This group is facilitated by a faculty member but is largely driven by the students. Since students in the Connections group come from several different sections of the first-year design course, they are exposed to other students going through a similar experience but with important differences in their experiences. For example, members of Connections are not part of the same project group and are working on different projects. Most members of Connections belong to different sections of the first-year design course and have different instructors for the course. Discussions in the group cover a wide range of topics. Examples include project-specific updates and requests for help; sharing frustrations and joys about the course and the overall first-year experience; questions about registering for classes, selecting a major, and interacting with faculty members; and broader updates and discussions on life in general. The facilitator typically suggests a possible theme or topic for each weekly discussion (often related to something going on in the first-year design course at that time), but this is only a suggested starting point and the discussion often moves to other topics.

Connections is now in its second year. Participants have particularly appreciated the opportunity for honest conversations about shared experiences. Future opportunities with the Connections group include (1) connecting students across multiple years and (2) more formally surveying participants about the benefits of participating in the group and potential areas for growth and improvement.

AU - Michael Rizk
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Work-In-Progress: Connections – First-Year Design, Students, and Life Beyond Engineering
UR - https://peer.asee.org/44408
DO - 10.18260/1-2--44408
ER -