2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 45: Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI)-Assisted Learning: Pushing the Boundaries of Engineering Education.

Presented at Computers in Education Division (COED) Poster Session

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has long been used across various fields; however, its usage in engineering education has been limited. Some areas where GAI tools have been implemented in education include intelligent tutoring, assessment, predicting, curriculum design, and personalized student learning. The recent proliferation of CHATGPT and other GAI tools presents limitless possibilities for transforming engineering pedagogy and assessment. At the same time, there are challenges associated with implementation. Consequently, there is a need to conduct an empirical study to evaluate these tools' strengths, limitations, and challenges to highlight potential opportunities for their application in engineering education broadly and pedagogy specifically.

This study presents an overview of ongoing efforts to integrate GAI as a pedagogical tool at a Land Grant R1 University on the East Coast of the United States. Also, we are hoping to collect a within-case study of instructors who have successfully implemented artificial intelligence in their classrooms and course design. Data will be collected from the instructors through classroom observations and interviews on their classroom implementation. These will be thematically analyzed. Also, a deep exploration of students' learning experiences using the GAI will be conducted using focus group discussions and end-of-the-semester reflection. Other data sources that will be thematically analyzed include the syllabus, student ratings for teaching effectiveness, and instructors' reflections. Consistent with a case study design, the multiple sources of data serve as triangulation for this study. Also, we suggest that the data upon which these GAI tools are trained should be inclusive so it could serve diverse learners. In addition, this work discusses the ethical considerations of using GAI for instructors and students.

The next steps include collecting and analyzing data from multiple sources from the faculty and students. It is expected that the outcome of this study will provide data-driven evidence on the impact of GAI on learning, recommended pedagogical practices, and future research direction. Finally, this study will underscore limitations with GAI and suggestions for improving the tool as it is positioned to transform engineering education.

Authors

Dr. Ibukun Samuel Osunbunmi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-7821-9059 Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Ibukun Samuel Osunbunmi is an Assistant Research Professor, and Assessment and Instructional Specialist at Pennsylvania State University. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Education from Utah State University. Also, he has BSc and MSc degrees in mechanical engineering. His research interests include student engagement, design thinking, learning environment, evidence-based pedagogy, e-learning, broadening participation in STEM education, sustainable energy, and material characterization.
Dr. Stephanie Cutler Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Dr. Stephanie Cutler has degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and a PhD in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. She is an Associate Research Professor and the Director of Assessment and Instructional Support in the Leonhard Center at Penn State.
Mr. Viyon Dansu http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8543-9930 Florida International University [biography]

Viyon Dansu is a PhD candidate in Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University, Miami. His research focuses on the intersection of secondary STEM education and cultural practices in Sub-Saharan Africa. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Mr. Yashin Brijmohan http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2485-9808 University of Nebraska, Lincoln [biography]

Yashin Brijmohan is a registered professional engineer who is currently appointed as Chairman of Engineering Education Standing Technical Committee of the Federation of African Engineering Organizations, Executive committee member of the Commonwealth Engineers Council, Board Member of the UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education, and Co-Chair of the Africa Asia Pacific Engineering Council.

He was the founding Executve Dean of Business, Engineering and Technology at Monash South Africa, former Vice President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, and led several committees in the engineering profession.

Yashin has both leadership and specialist experience within the engineering power industry and education sectors and is known for his thought leadership in capacity building and engineering education.
Bolaji Ruth Bamidele Utah State University
Abasiafak Ndifreke Udosen http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2421-181X Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

Abasiafak Udosen is a professional Mechanical Engineer in Nigeria and a doctoral research scholar at ROCkETEd laboratory, Purdue University, United States. He earned a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering and an M.Eng in Energy and Power Engineering both in Nigeria. Over the years he has had the privilege of teaching courses such as Thermodynamics, Measurement and Instrumentation, Engineering Metallurgy, System Design, and Quantitative research methods at the University of Nigeria, Nigeria and the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, His research focus is in the field of Computing and Engineering Education where he is involved with investigating team-based computational projects using qualitative, quantitative, and artificial intelligence-based tools. He is also involved with developing and redesigning a Team-Based transdisciplinary graduate course under the Purdue University EMBRIO Innovation Hub Grant project, where He has contributed by applying computational fluid dynamics methods in the development of partial differential equation (PDE) models to implement cell cytokinesis. His ongoing PhD research broadly investigates teamwork interactions and interdisciplinary learning in computational modeling and simulation projects.
Lexy Chiwete Arinze Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

Lexy Arinze is a graduate student in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University, where he is pursuing his Ph.D. degree. Lexy is passionate about impacting others using his Engineering knowledge, mentoring, and helping students grow. He has a masters in Civil Engineering. Before Purdue, he received an Erasmus scholarship for an exchange program at the University of Jaen, Spain. He had his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Dr. Adurangba Victor Oje University of Georgia [biography]

Dr. Victor Oje is focused on emerging technologies design and pedagogy in technology-enhanced learning environments. He is also interested in systematic review and meta-analysis research methodologies and evidence-based design practices.
Deborah Moyaki http://orcid.org/0009-0005-7441-0306 University of Georgia [biography]

Deborah Moyaki is a doctoral student in the Engineering Education and Transformative Practice program at the University of Georgia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Educational Technology and is excited about the possibilities technology offers to the learning experience beyond the formal classroom setting. Her research focuses on improving the educational experience of engineering students using virtual reality labs and other emerging technologies.
Melissa J Hicks http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-7871-7277 Pennsylvania State University
Bono Po-Jen Shih http://orcid.org/0009-0007-8152-8614 Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Bono Po-Jen Shih is an interdisciplinary scholar working in the intersection of philosophy, history, and sociology of engineering with an eye on contemporary engagement with engineering education and practice. His publications appear in Springer’s Philosophy of Engineering and Technology (PET) book series, the journal Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology, and the Taiwanese Journal for Studies of Science, Technology and Medicine. He currently holds a postdoc appointment with two institutions at Penn State University—the Rock Ethics Institute and the Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education—to facilitate exchange and collaboration between philosophers and engineers. Prior to joining Penn State, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Science History Institute working on the history of engineering ethics education. Shih earned his PhD and MS in science and technology studies (STS) from Virginia Tech. He also has a graduate certificate in engineering education (ENGE) from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University.

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