2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Receiving curricular messages: Engineering students’ understandings of valued practices in their field

Presented at Student Experiences and Development – Session 1

This research paper examines the curricular messages perceived by students about what practices are valued and central to engineering work. Emphasis on certain practices, and de-emphasis on others, can impact if students see themselves as engineers and their interests in engineering. In this study, we compared the experiences of two 3rd-year Industrial and Operations Engineering students and two 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering students through semi-structured interviews. We analyzed these data guided by Holland and colleagues’ figured worlds framework to build an understanding of the engineering practices and skills students perceived as important in their courses, what values, activities, and interests were encouraged and discouraged by their instructors and peers, and how these practices and skills aligned or misaligned with student career and engineering interests. Our findings showed that teamwork, problem-solving, technical communication, and using foundational technical knowledge were perceived by students as emphasized most in their classes. Students discussed how these practices and skills built the foundation to do their engineering work, but were at times dissatisfied with the lack of social considerations around stakeholders, sustainability, and contextual aspects of their work. Students further described career interests to solve complex, societal issues. This paper identifies the practices and skills engineering students perceived as valued based on their engineering curricula and discusses how these messages can impact support and retention of diverse engineering students.

Authors

Shannon M. Clancy http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2779-0746 University of Michigan [biography]

Shannon M. Clancy (she/they) is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. She earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Her current research focuses on idea development and ideation tools, divergent thinking, and engineering curricular practices and culture. Her research interests include front-end design practices, sociotechnical knowledge and skills, and queer student experiences in engineering. Their work is motivated by their passion for and experiences with inclusive teaching and holistic mentorship of students, seeking to reimagine what an engineer looks like, does, and who they are, especially for queer folks, women, and people of color, through empowerment, collaboration, and co-development for a more equitable world. Shannon is also a Senior Graduate Facilitator and Lab Manager with the Center for Socially Engaged Design.
Berenice Alejandra Cabrera University of Michigan [biography]

Berenice Alex Cabrera (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in Higher Education at the Marsal School of Education at the University of Michigan. She earned a B.A. in Biology and Latinx Studies and a minor in Chemistry from San Francisco State University (SFSU). She also earned a Master’s in Cell and Molecular Biology from SFSU and a Master’s in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. Alex taught biology at community colleges in California before attending the University of Michigan where her research interests pivoted to engineering education. Her current research interests focus on examining the messaging
undergraduate engineering students receive with respect to the type of work that is valued in engineering. Her research is centered around the goal of making engineering curriculum more socioculturally relevant and the field more inclusive of women and students of color.
Ms. Sarah Jane (SJ) Bork http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4344-554X University of Michigan [biography]

Sarah Jane (SJ) received her B.S. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Ohio State University in 2017, and her M.S. in Engineering Education Research from the University of Michigan in 2020. As a doctoral candidate in Engineering Education Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Sarah is studying the mental health experiences of engineering graduate students.
Kayleigh Merz University of Michigan [biography]

Kayleigh Merz (she/her) is a recent master's graduate in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. She earned a B.S. in Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan, and associate degrees in Mathematics, Physics and Engineering, and Computer Science from Lansing Community College. Her research interests include the impacts of culture on students and their sense of belonging, graduate education, and the faculty experience. This work is motivated by her experience and training in student affairs and her enthusiasm for student development and inclusive environments. She is hoping to continue her work and research in an engineering education Ph.D. program in the coming cycle.
Dr. Erika Mosyjowski http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5700-641X University of Michigan [biography]

Erika A. Mosyjowski (she/her/hers) is the Research and Faculty Engagement Manager in the Center for Socially Engaged Design at the University of Michigan. She has a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Shanna R. Daly http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-2973 University of Michigan [biography]

Shanna Daly is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. She has a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University.
Dr. Lisa R. Lattuca http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1547-5992 University of Michigan [biography]

Lisa Lattuca, Professor of Higher Education and member of the Core Faculty in the Engineering Education Research Program at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Joi-Lynn Mondisa http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-3959-6548 University of Michigan [biography]

Joi Mondisa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering and an Engineering Education Faculty Member at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.

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