2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Exploring Faculty Perspectives on Challenging Threshold Concepts in Structural Engineering

This study investigates the threshold concepts in structural engineering that faculty members identify as the most challenging for students to grasp. Threshold concepts are transformative, fundamental ideas that serve as gateways to deeper understanding within a discipline. Once these concepts are fully understood, students experience a significant shift in their ability to apply knowledge and solve complex problems. These concepts are not just essential for mastery; they often lead to a “cognitive leap,” changing the way students think about and engage with the subject. However, because threshold concepts are inherently complex, they can also present significant barriers to learning. Students may struggle to comprehend these ideas fully, which can hinder their progress in both understanding and applying core structural engineering principles. Overcoming these barriers is crucial, as grasping threshold concepts is often key to moving forward in the discipline and developing the expertise needed for professional practice. Mastering these ideas is essential for gaining deeper insights into structural engineering and successfully navigating its technical and theoretical challenges.

Using semi-structured interviews with faculty at R1 institutions in the USA, this qualitative study identifies the specific challenges students face, including gaps in foundational knowledge, misconceptions, and difficulties with abstract concepts like internal forces and load paths. The findings emphasize the need for innovative teaching strategies, such as augmented reality tools, hands-on learning opportunities, and asset-based teaching approaches, to address these barriers. By implementing these strategies, educators and curriculum designers can enhance structural engineering education, helping students overcome learning obstacles and better prepare for professional practice.

Authors

Adeed Khan University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Dr. Logan Andrew Perry http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1558-2579 University of Nebraska - Lincoln [biography]

Dr. Perry is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Education in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His work contains a unique blend of engineering education and civil engineering projects. Dr. Perry's current work centers workplace readiness, broadening participation, and construction safety education.
Prof. Jacob Henschen University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Professor Henschen completed his B.S., M.S., and PhD. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2007, 2009, and 2018 respectively. He was an Assistant Professor at Valparaiso University until he moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a Teaching Assistant Professor in June 2020. He serves as the co-chair for the Teaching Methods and Education Materials Committee at ACI and the co-chair of the Committee on Faculty Development at ASCE.
Prof. Ann C Sychterz Ph.D., P.Eng http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4000-6362 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Ann Sychterz (SICK-tesh) is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With her team at SMARTI lab, they harness geometrically nonlinear systems, such as tensegrity structures and origami, for adaptive civil infrastructure. She obtained her PhD in 2018 from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) addressing the novel use of control algorithms, statistical diagnostic tools, and real-time feedback on a full-scale tensegrity structure to enable smooth deployability, damage detection, adaptation, and learning. She completed her masters and bachelors of science at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Dr. Sychterz completed a postdoctoral position at the University of Michigan on actuator optimization of adaptive origami structures. She has funded projects by the National Science Foundation, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

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