Work in Progress: Launching an Equitable and Inclusive Human-Centered Pathway to Engineering

Petra Bonfert-Taylor; Vicki V. May

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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: First-Year Programs Division WIPS 3: Courses and Curricula
Tagged Division: First-Year Programs Division (FYP)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48502

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Paper Authors

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Petra Bonfert-Taylor Dartmouth College

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Petra Bonfert-Taylor is the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion and a Professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. She received her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Technical University of Berlin (Germany) in 1996 and subsequently spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan before accepting a tenure-track position in the Mathematics Department at Wesleyan University. She left Wesleyan as a tenured full professor in 2015 for her current position at Dartmouth College. Petra has published extensively and lectured widely to national and international audiences. Her work has been recognized by the National Science Foundation with numerous research grants. She is equally passionate about her teaching and has recently designed and created a seven-MOOC Professional Certificate on C-programming for edX for which her team won the “2019 edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning”. Previously she designed a MOOC “Analysis of a Complex Kind” on Coursera. The recipient of the New Hampshire High Tech Council 2018 Tech Teacher of the Year Award, the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching at Wesleyan University and the Excellence in Teaching Award at the Thayer School of Engineering, Petra has a strong interest in broadening access to high-quality higher education and pedagogical innovations that aid in providing equal opportunities to students from all backgrounds.

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Vicki V. May P.E. Dartmouth College

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Vicki V. May, Ph.D., P.E. is an Instructional Professor of Engineering and the Engineering Education Program Area Lead at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. Her research focuses on engineering education and K-12 outreach. She teaches courses in solid mechanics, structural analysis, and design.

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Abstract

This work in progress paper shares our efforts to create an alternative and inclusive pathway into the engineering major at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, that integrates and teaches concurrently foundational mathematics and human-centered engineering.

Despite stark warnings issued over 20 years ago, a recent study revealed that engineering schools continue to “weed out” students, especially those weighed down by negative stereotypes. Rather than fostering excitement in students and engaging them in actual practices of the discipline, faculty and courses feature scope creep, passive presentations, grading on the curve, exaggerated levels of abstraction, and other practices well known to be in stark contrast with inclusive pedagogy and active learning. One of the largest drivers of attrition in engineering are so-called “gatekeeper” prerequisite courses that introduce math and science concepts in an out-of-context, high-stakes format.

Through human-centered curricular interventions interwoven with co-curricular support we will transform students' sense of belonging in college generally and in engineering more specifically. Our focus is on changing systems to promote student success rather than "fixing" or "weeding out" students. The traditional introduction to our engineering curriculum—and that of many of our peer institutions—requires that students take prerequisite courses in mathematics and physics prior to enrolling in project-based engineering courses. This pathway works well for some students but excludes many. Rather than serving as a gatekeeper, our integrated human-centered engineering pathway will serve as a gateway, thus increasing retention and attraction to engineering, among all students but particularly among those currently struggling to find a place in engineering. We will furthermore develop a sense of community and professional identity among students through a comprehensive approach that includes advising, mentoring, internships, research opportunities, outside speakers, and more.

Our work is guided by four main research questions: 1. Are we better able to retain students in engineering on a Human-Centered Engineering pathway? 2. What are student perceptions of engineering? 3. Are students better able to apply and retain key mathematical concepts on the Human-Centered Engineering pathway? 4. Which activities, support mechanisms, and programs help students to develop a sense of belonging and professional identity in engineering?

Citation
Format

Bonfert-Taylor, P., & May, V. V. (2024, June), Work in Progress: Launching an Equitable and Inclusive Human-Centered Pathway to Engineering Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48502

TY - CPAPER
AB - This work in progress paper shares our efforts to create an alternative and inclusive pathway into the engineering major at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, that integrates and teaches concurrently foundational mathematics and human-centered engineering.

Despite stark warnings issued over 20 years ago, a recent study revealed that engineering schools continue to “weed out” students, especially those weighed down by negative stereotypes. Rather than fostering excitement in students and engaging them in actual practices of the discipline, faculty and courses feature scope creep, passive presentations, grading on the curve, exaggerated levels of abstraction, and other practices well known to be in stark contrast with inclusive pedagogy and active learning. One of the largest drivers of attrition in engineering are so-called “gatekeeper” prerequisite courses that introduce math and science concepts in an out-of-context, high-stakes format.

Through human-centered curricular interventions interwoven with co-curricular support we will transform students&#39; sense of belonging in college generally and in engineering more specifically. Our focus is on changing systems to promote student success rather than &quot;fixing&quot; or &quot;weeding out&quot; students. The traditional introduction to our engineering curriculum—and that of many of our peer institutions—requires that students take prerequisite courses in mathematics and physics prior to enrolling in project-based engineering courses. This pathway works well for some students but excludes many. Rather than serving as a gatekeeper, our integrated human-centered engineering pathway will serve as a gateway, thus increasing retention and attraction to engineering, among all students but particularly among those currently struggling to find a place in engineering. We will furthermore develop a sense of community and professional identity among students through a comprehensive approach that includes advising, mentoring, internships, research opportunities, outside speakers, and more.

Our work is guided by four main research questions:
1. Are we better able to retain students in engineering on a Human-Centered Engineering pathway?
2. What are student perceptions of engineering?
3. Are students better able to apply and retain key mathematical concepts on the Human-Centered Engineering pathway?
4. Which activities, support mechanisms, and programs help students to develop a sense of belonging and professional identity in engineering?

AU - Petra Bonfert-Taylor
AU - Vicki V. May P.E.
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Work in Progress: Launching an Equitable and Inclusive Human-Centered Pathway to Engineering
UR - https://peer.asee.org/48502
ER -