2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Work in progress: Coloring Outside the Lines - Exploring the Potential for Integrating Creative Evaluation in Engineering Education

Presented at Interdisciplinary Integration and Sociotechnical Thinking: The Big Picture

Extant cultures within academic institutions that educate and train the next generations of STEM professionals tend to privilege long-held majority perspectives of knowing, thinking, and doing in science and engineering. To more intentionally recruit and include diverse groups of students into our educational programs, it is imperative that we develop and adopt unique pedagogical and assessment approaches that move beyond didactics, leverage experiential learning, and embrace a variety of student backgrounds and identities. In this paper, we demonstrate how visual methods-based assessments can serve as an impactful alternative to more traditional forms. We start by introducing three examples currently used in STEM curricula, and then by describing how these assessments promote autonomy and creativity as students make meaning of STEM and of themselves as STEM professionals. We conclude the description of each assessment example by identifying key considerations for STEM instructors when attempting to implement such assessments in their own contexts.

Authors

Dr. Cherie D. Edwards Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Bryanne Peterson
Dr. Sreyoshi Bhaduri ThatStatsGirl [biography]

Dr. Sreyoshi Bhaduri is an Engineering Educator and People Research Scientist. Sreyoshi's expertise lies at the intersection of workforce development, AI and emerging technology, and engineering education. As a Research Scientist in the tech industry, Sreyoshi leverages AI for mixed-methods research on and for people at work, ensuring that organizations intentionally center the human experience. Sreyoshi has spoken at over 100+ global venues, addressing diverse audiences ranging from academics, NSF PIs, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals to students or high-schoolers starting out with Computer Sciences, helping them strategize and broaden participation, as well as explore, understand, and apply emerging technologies. Sreyoshi is committed to broadening participation among underrepresented minorities in engineering and serves as a Senator at the Society of Women Engineers. She is also part of the Advisory Board at the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech and serves as an Advisor to the leadership at Sisters in STEM. Sreyoshi frequently collaborates on several National Science Foundation projects in the engineering education realm, researching engineering career trajectories, student motivation, and learning. Sreyoshi has been recognized as a Fellow at the Academy for Teaching Excellence at Virginia Tech (VTGrATE) and a Fellow at the Global Perspectives Program (GPP) and was inducted to the Yale Bouchet Honor Society during her time at Virginia Tech. She has also been honored as an Engaged Advocate in 2022 and an Emerging Leader in Technology (New ELiTE) in 2021 by the Society of Women Engineers. Views expressed in this paper are the author's own, and do not necessarily reflect those of organizations she is associated with. Learn more about Sreyoshi's impact - www.ThatStatsGirl.com
Dr. Cassandra J. McCall http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-0240-432X Utah State University [biography]

Dr. Cassandra McCall is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Education Department at Utah State University (USU). Her research focuses on the intersections of disability, identity formation, and culture and uses anti-ableist approaches to enhance universal access for students with disabilities in STEM, particularly in engineering. At USU, she serves as the Co-Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Transition Services. In 2024, Dr. McCall received a National Science Foundation CAREER grant to identify systemic opportunities for increasing the participation of people with disabilities in engineering. Her award-winning publications have been recognized by leading engineering education research journals at both national and international levels. Dr. McCall has led several workshops promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities and other minoritized groups in STEM. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering with a structural engineering emphasis.
Desen Sevi Özkan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1996-7719 Tufts University [biography]

Desen is an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department. She holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on sociotechnical engineering education and how people make sense of complex sociotechnical energy infrastructure and systems.

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