2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Socio-technical and Culture-inspired Projects in Freshman Engineering Design Course Bring Context and Emotion to Learning

Presented at Reimagining Pathways: Nurturing Diversity and Identity in STEM Education

Learning is not an unemotional consideration of facts but emotion is integrally woven into the experience of learning [1]. Situated cognition model is a theoretical approach to learning that supports the idea that learning takes place when an individual is interactively doing something through situated activity that has social, cultural, and physical contexts [2]. This paper presents just-in-time lectures and post-activity reflections in student design projects with socio-technical and socio-cultural interventions in a freshman engineering design course. While socio-technical and socio-cultural context in student design projects is important to help increase the level of student engagement, the semi-experiential nature of design projects can stimulate emotions that significantly influence cognitive functions leading to significant learning. This is work in progress.

[1]Cavanagh, S. R. (2016). The spark of learning: Energizing the college classroom with the science of emotion. West Virginia University Press.
[2]Wilson, B. G., & Myers, K. M. (2000). Situated cognition in theoretical and practical context. Theoretical foundations of learning environments, 57-88.

Authors

Dr. Raghu Pucha Georgia Institute of Technology [biography]

Dr. Raghu Pucha is a Principal Lecturer at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, in the area of CAD/CAE and Manufacturing. He teaches computer graphics,
design, mechanics and manufacturing courses at Georgia Tech., and conducts research in the area of developing upfront computational tools for the design, analysis and manufacturing of advanced materials and systems. His current research includes analysis of nano-filler composites for structural and electronics applications. Dr. Pucha has three provisional U.S. patents, co-authored over 70 research papers in peer reviewed Journals, Book articles and Conference Proceedings. He is honored with the Zeigler Outstanding Educator Award in 2023, Inaugural College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award in 2022, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award in 2020, Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award in 2015 and Undergraduate Educator Award in 2012 at Georgia Tech.
Shivani Kundalia Georgia Institute of Technology
Vijay Sreenivasan Georgia Institute of Technology [biography]

Vijay Sreenivasan is a second-year undergraduate mechanical engineering student at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

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