2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Implementing a Seminar Series to Build Collaboration and Community among STEM Education Ph.D. Students

Presented at Graduate Studies Division (GSD) Technical Session 1: Onboarding and Community Building in Graduate Education

The open-ended nature of graduate school can be overwhelming and challenging for its students. Undergraduate programs tend to have well-defined curricula and support structures. However, at many schools, graduate students rely on word-of-mouth to learn and navigate the graduate school system. At Louisiana Tech University, graduate students are required to attend a seminar class to familiarize themselves with the research process and graduate resources. With a large number of graduate students conducting research in different engineering fields, this type of seminar can quickly become difficult to manage while maintaining a significant impact on each individual student. This is particularly true for students in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, a growing program that currently has fewer students than other Ph.D. engineering programs. Many of the research presentations that are required as part of the seminar course are arguably not as meaningful to the STEM education students. This seminar course is a missed opportunity to help these students build a foundation for STEM education research and navigate the nuances of the Ph.D. process while also helping them develop a community with peers in the same field.

Two faculty members, who are active STEM education researchers, have instituted a new seminar series specifically for these students that is designed to realign the course with engineering education topics, continuously improve the Ph.D. curriculum, and assist students on their Ph.D. paths. The group of faculty and students began meeting every other week to discuss topics specifically related to STEM education and the needs of graduate school in lieu of attending the general engineering seminars. This new seminar series covers multiple topics applicable to students in STEM education, including developing a plan of study, writing and presenting a proposal for a dissertation, and on-campus graduate resources.

In addition to fulfilling the course requirements for the STEM education Ph.D. curriculum, this series of meetings helps build community among the students and faculty members. It provides an opportunity to share insights and experiences while having faculty members present to help guide processes and discussions. A goal is to create a strong foundation of collaboration that will transcend the course and continue beyond its requirements. As students progress in their respective research, this course can provide a venue to continually give back to the program.

This paper will provide a reflection on the experience of three STEM education Ph.D. students who participated in the redesigned seminar course. STEM education students who participated in the original version of the course are surveyed to gain insights on the topics they perceive would be beneficial in the redesigned course which will contribute to the ongoing improvements to the new course. This paper will also provide details on the course structure and topics along with lessons learned from the initial implementation.

Authors

Mrs. Ashton Garner Ward Louisiana Tech University [biography]

Ashton Ward is an Engineering Education Ph.D. student researching students' perceived value of course content. She has five years of industry experience working as an Electrical Design Engineer. She holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and has an active professional engineering license in the state of Louisiana.
Ms. Krystal Corbett Cruse Louisiana Tech University [biography]

Dr. Krystal Corbett is the First-Year Engineering Programs Coordinator and Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Louisiana Tech University. She is also the Co-Director of the Office for Women in Science and Engineering at Louisiana Tech.
Mr. Casey Kidd http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0357-091X Louisiana Tech University [biography]

Casey Kidd is a graduate student in the College of Engineering at Louisiana Tech University. His focus is on project-based learning. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Louisiana Tech University in the Spring of 2004 and Spring of 2022. He is currently working on his PhD in Engineering, with a concentration in Engineering Education, focusing on project-based learning in engineering classrooms. He also teaches in the first-year engineering program at Louisiana Tech.
Mrs. Lindsay K. Gouedy Louisiana Tech University [biography]

Lindsay Gouedy is pursuing her Ph.D. in Engineering Education, serving as a National Security Fellow at Air Force Global Strike Command, specializing in virtual reality (VR) training methodologies. Concurrently, she works as a Doctoral Researcher and Adjunct Professor at Louisiana Tech University's DECODED Lab, focusing on VR flight simulation programs. She has also worked as Executive Director leading public relations and scientific research for the SGWCD for fifteen years. Lindsay holds a Master of Science in Engineering and Technology Management, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business. In addition, she holds black and green belt six-sigma certifications.
Dr. Kelly B. Crittenden http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7025-5055 Louisiana Tech University [biography]

Dr. Kelly Crittenden is a faculty member at Louisiana Tech University, where he serves as the Harrelson Family Professor of Engineering and the Program Chair of Mechanical Engineering. He is also the coordinator for the university's Ph.D. program in Engineering. In his role as the Director of the Integrated STEM Education Research Center (ISERC), Dr. Crittenden works to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and promote innovative teaching methods within STEM fields, as well as improve recruitment and retention strategies in STEM disciplines.

His academic focus includes research in additive fabrication applications and the improvement of engineering education. Dr. Crittenden actively develops tools and curricula that connect theoretical engineering concepts with practical applications, aiming to improve learning outcomes for students.

Dr. Crittenden's contributions to the engineering community are recognized through various academic awards. His efforts at Louisiana Tech and within the broader academic community focus on fostering practical, hands-on engineering skills among students, preparing them to effectively address real-world challenges.

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