2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Toward Bidirectional Faculty Development: A Collaborative Model for Designing and Implementing Faculty Trainings on Evidence-Based Strategies for Supporting Student Learning in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Presented at International Division (INTL) Technical Session #5: Best Practices

This evidence-based practice paper describes a collaborative, bidirectional faculty development project implemented by engineering faculty from Malawi and the United States. The aim of the project was improving undergraduate educational practices at a university in Malawi by integrating active learning strategies across the undergraduate engineering curriculum and catalyzing curricular transformation. First this paper describes the framework used for the project, and then it describes how it was applied for the design and implementation of a week-long faculty development workshop for 52 engineering faculty and staff from two universities in Malawi. This project was collaboratively implemented by a faculty team from Malawi and the United States in a way that facilitated bi-directional exchange between facilitators and participants.

This paper contributes to the literature by offering a novel perspective on engineering faculty development programs that have been collaboratively designed, developed, and implemented by partners in a low-income country (LIC), i.e., Malawi, and high-income country (HIC), i.e., the United States. Often models for global faculty development involve a one-way transfer of knowledge from higher-resourced to lower-resourced settings (Olayemi, et al., 2021), despite increased calls for bidirectional exchanges between faculty in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries. Further, such models are not usually evaluated for whether they are best framed for LMICs. These kinds of unilateral and untested models create problematic power imbalances between partners, prohibit parity in educational experiences for engineering faculty in LMICs and may not lend themselves well to eventual self-sustaining efforts among faculty in LMICs. As a result, engineering educators in LMICs often lack access to workshop-style faculty development training, including training on evidence-based instructional strategies to improve student learning. From the perspective of faculty facilitators, this paper offers practical reflections on culturally-relevant translation and integration of active learning in a low-income country.

Authors

Mr. Steven Ghambi Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences [biography]

Steven Ghambi has over seven years experience as a lecturer in Materials engineering, currently with the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS).

While searching for better teaching strategies, Steven got attached to the NEST project co-implemented by Rice University and MUBAS. Through these collaborations, Steven has modified his module design and delivery - leading to demonstrable improvement in his teaching. Currently, apart from his materials engineering research, Steven devotes a considerable time to research and dissemination of evidence-based strategies for improving engineering education globally.
Dr. Ashley Rae Taylor Rice 360 Institute for Global Health Technologies [biography]

Dr. Ashley Taylor is Director of Education for Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies and a Lecturer in the Department of Global Health Technologies at Rice University. Taylor is an engineer and educator committed to working toward equity in engineering education and global health, with a focus on expanding access to engineering education for historically marginalized communities. Alongside global partners, Taylor works with Rice360 to empower university student innovators to improve lives through invention education, a community-based model for engineering education that leverages design studios, curricular transformation led by faculty champions, administrator endorsement, and connected local innovation ecosystems. Taylor has 8 years of experience advising engineering design teams through capstone design and first year design courses. Prior to joining Rice University, Taylor worked with the Virginia Tech Center for Enhancement of Engineering Diversity and WomEng Malawi, in partnership with the Malawi Polytechnic, to design, implement, and monitor engineering education programs focused on supporting engineering students from marginalized backgrounds, including first generation students, students from rural backgrounds, students of color, and women in engineering. Taylor is passionate about collaboratively working to transform engineering education systems, focusing on expanding access and empowering students to solve global challenges. Taylor received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education, MS in Mechanical Engineering, MPH in Public Health Education, and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Mr. Joseph Chikaphonya Phiri Malawi polytechnic [biography]

A staff associate at The Malawi Polytechnic, a constituent college of The University of Malawi, under the Electrical Engineering department.

Coordinator of final year projects in the department and an enthusiast of Innovation.
Dr. Justin J. Henriques James Madison University [biography]

Justin Henriques is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering at James Madison University. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in systems engineering, a masters in urban and environmental planning (M.U.E.P.), a B.S. in applied science, and a B.A. in p
Joseph Towles Swarthmore College [biography]

Joseph Towles is a Lecturer jointly appointed in the Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering Departments at Stanford University. Joe completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford. Joe also completed a research post-doctoral fellowship in the Sensory Motor Performance Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at Northwestern University. His teaching interests are in the areas of solid mechanics, biomechanics, dynamic systems and controls, and engineering design. Joe's scholarship interests are in the areas of engineering education and neuromuscular biomechanics. Specifically, Joe's engineering education activities include student-centric course and curricular development; assessment of student learning & engagement; and innovation in approaches to enhance student learning. In neuromuscular biomechanics, Joe’s interests are in translational studies aimed at elucidating the mechanics and control of the hand following neurologic and musculoskeletal injury with the goal of developing innovative rehabilitative and surgical interventions that improve grasp function.

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