2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The field of electrical engineering remains predominantly male, with limited representation from diverse racial backgrounds. To address this imbalance, early exposure to engineering—particularly electrical engineering—is crucial for fostering interest among a wider range of students. Integrated circuits (ICs), the foundational technology behind modern electronic devices, offer an engaging and accessible introduction to the field. As part of an NSF broader impacts initiative, an electrical engineering professor and a second-year PhD student in education developed a hands-on lesson plan that teaches students how photolithography is used to create ICs. Photolithography is a process in which light transfers patterns from a mask onto a light-sensitive material, typically a silicon wafer, to produce precise, tiny circuits by layering, exposing to UV light, and developing the patterns for etching or deposition.
The lesson integrates model-building and role-playing in an attempt to deepen students' understanding of IC design and manufacturing while broadening their perceptions of who can become an electrical engineer. This approach combines role-playing, where students assume the role of electrical engineers to grasp key concepts and visualize themselves in engineering careers, and model-building, which offers a tangible method for learning IC design principles. Together, these techniques aim to shape students' engineering identity and values. In the lesson, students first observe a photolithography demonstration using 3D-printed masks and canvases to create a design. They then follow guided instructions to create their own representation of an IC using black light pens, masks, and a UV light box, simulating the photolithography process. Finally, students are challenged to design their own masks by conceptualizing a pattern, breaking it into layers, and assembling them to achieve their desired design.
The study explores whether this combination of role-playing and model-building influences students' engineering identity and values. Using an adapted Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influences (TIMSI) framework tailored to children and electrical engineering, the study defines engineering identity as how students’ self-concept is shaped, their sense of support in pursuing engineering, and how they value the field. Engineering values refer to how students perceive the field in relation to their identity, its utility in their lives, and its broader social impact. Pre- and post-surveys will assess shifts in students' engineering identity and values, measuring changes in attitudes and career aspirations. In collaboration with schools and organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region, the study aims to contribute to educational strategies that promote a more diverse electrical engineering cohort by offering insights into how early exposure to IC design, model-building, and role-playing can spark long-term interest in the field.