2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP: The perception of effectiveness of Supplemental Instructors (SI) on course learning and engineering identity

Presented at New Engineering Educators (NEE) Technical Session 4 - Undergraduate Student Learning

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an educational practice that has been utilized for decades to engage undergraduate students taking high risk courses with peer to peer support. With historic success, there has been a proliferation of SI programs at institution of higher learning with over 3,500 programs across the United States. To further continue the historic successes of the SI programs and student achievement, the motivations and perceptions of a student and their impacts on their performance in the classroom and aspects of university life are assessed. Further, engineering identity and perception of the profession are important factors that influence student success in undergraduate engineering programs. Despite these crucial factors, evaluations of student perceptions of SIs and how they might enhance engineering identity in students has been limited. Confronted with this disparity, the authors seek to determine the perception of effectiveness of the SI program in achieving course learning and enhancing student’s engineering identity at the University of Z. A survey was distributed to students and alumni who have attended the University of Z’s College of Engineering from the years 2019 to 2024 (n=855). Additional professor interviews were conducted to determine the perception and utilization of SI’s in the classroom. These surveys investigate the students' perceived recognition, interest, and performance/competence in relation to the SI programs and their performance in the classroom. Preliminary results provide a positive perception of engineering identity as well as enhancement of the classroom environment to increase understanding of learning outcomes by the utilization of the SI program.

Authors

Dr. Eric J Steward http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1714-740X University of South Alabama [biography]

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs in the College of Engineering
Prof. Sean Walker University of South Alabama [biography]

Dr. Walker is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. He received his Ph.D. in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Canada, in 2012.
Rachel Chai University of South Alabama [biography]

Rachel S. Chai was born in Ocean Springs, MS in 1996. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of South Alabama in 2020 and 2022. She is currently pursuing a PhD student at the University of South Alabama under the Systems Engineering program focusing on lifecycle assessment for decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Drawing on her experience, her research applies systems thinking and civil engineering design toward finding innovative solutions in the Alabama Black Belt region under the guidance of Drs. Kevin White, Sean Walker, and Kaushik Venkiteshwaran.
Mr. Zachary Miller University of South Alabama [biography]

Zachary Miller is a graduate student with a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Alabama (USA). He earned his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2023 from the same university. During his undergraduate studies, Zach served as a Supplemental Instructor (SI) for engineering courses at USA. Zach's experience in SI started his passion for engineering education. Zach's primary research interests revolve around engineering education and aerospace systems.
Bryant Baldwin University of South Alabama [biography]

Bryant Baldwin is a Systems Engineering PhD Student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2020 and 2021.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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