2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Measure of Engineering Instructors’ Adaptability Based on Cognitive, Behavioral, and Emotional Dimensions

Presented at Faculty Development Division (FDD) Technical Session 7

This Research paper considers an adaptability framework for providing insight into faculty development in the face of engineering being slow to adopt best practices in teaching. As traditional change models (e.g., Diffusion of Innovations) have not produced the results that are hoped for, a look through a lens of adaptability has the potential to help identify how to assist instructors implement and sustain a wide array of teaching practices and strategies (WATPS) during and after times of change. The purpose of this study was to quantify the variability of adaptability of engineering instructors at a United States R1 Midwest university using the Cognitive-Behavioral-Emotional adaptability model instrument. Females’ Cognitive/Behavioral and Total Adaptability scores were found to be statistically higher than males. These differences had a medium or large effect size as indicated by Cohen’s d. No statistically significant differences were found for academic position or rank. Differences found may be attributed to work culture; lack of differences may be attributed to individuals with a certain adaptability profile being drawn to a career in academia. Accounting for adaptability when considering the extent to which WATPS are used can enable more individualized support for instructors during periods of change.

Authors

Prof. Heidi A. Diefes-Dux http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3635-1825 University of Nebraska, Lincoln [biography]

Heidi A. Diefes-Dux is a Professor in Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL). She received her B.S. and M.S. in Food Science from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Food Process Engineering from the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University. She was an inaugural faculty member of the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. Her current role in the College of Engineering at UNL is to lead the disciplinary-based education research initiative, growing the research enterprise and the engineering education research graduate program. Her research focuses on the development, implementation, and assessment of modeling and design activities with authentic engineering contexts; the design and implementation of learning objective-based grading for transparent and fair assessment; and the integration of reflection to develop self-directed learners.
Dr. Grace Panther University of Nebraska, Lincoln [biography]

Grace Panther is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. She has experience conducting workshops at engineering education conferences and has been a guest editor for a special issue of European Journal of Engineering Education on inclusive teamwork.
Kayla Osen

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