2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 308: Improving Students’ Sociotechnical Literacy in Engineering

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session

The Improving Students’ Sociotechnical Literacy in Engineering project aims to integrate social justice topics with technical knowledge in a first-year engineering course. The approach involves redesigning an existing intro to computing course with justice-based activities, supported by an Equity Learning Assistant (ELA) program. This program trains upperclass students to facilitate in-class discussions on equity and social justice. The project targets improvements in students' critical sociotechnical literacy and engineering identity. Activities include analyzing ethically complex data sets and developing equity-focused projects, while encouraging students to integrate social, economic, and political dimensions into their engineering work. This initiative spans four years (one pilot year plus three NSF-funded iterations) and involves a multidisciplinary research team of engineers and education researchers.

Authors

Dr. Ethan E Danahy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1431-8031 Tufts University [biography]

Dr. Ethan Danahy is a Research Associate Professor at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) with secondary appointment in the Department of Computer Science within the School of Engineering at Tufts University. Having received his graduate degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from Tufts University, he continues research in the design, implementation, and evaluation of different educational technologies. With particular attention to engaging students in the STEAM content areas, he focuses his investigations on enhancing creativity and innovation, supporting better documentation, and encouraging collaborative learning.
Dr. Chelsea Joy Andrews http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9017-595X Tufts University [biography]

Chelsea Andrews is a Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University, at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO).
Kaylla Cantilina http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8403-8617 University of Michigan [biography]

Kaylla is a Ph.D. student in Design Science at the University of Michigan where her work is motivated by design as a means for social justice. Her research explores the ways that students and practitioners seek to achieve equity in their design practices
Dr. Jennifer Cross http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1201-2901 Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach [biography]

Dr. Jennifer Cross is a Research Assistant Professor at the Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach where her primary research interests include human-robot interaction with a focus on the educational applications of robotics and diversity in engineering education.

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