2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Engaging teams of computing students, working over one or more terms to develop software systems that contribute or improve some aspect of their local community is a valuable high-impact educational practice [1-3]. However, this form of community-based service learning can be an intimidating practice to implement [4,5]. This NSF IUSE-sponsored project, Scaffolded Projects for the Social Good (SPSG), introduces a framework for a software studio approach designed to seamlessly integrate service learning into the computing curricula [6,7]. SPSG offers a low-adoption threshold solution for educators, providing a comprehensive toolkit to guide the process of selecting appropriate projects, and providing structure for all deliverables that fosters collaboration between students and community organizations, from the point of initial contact through project hand off. The project focuses on creating a flexible, easy-to-adopt framework that allows instructors to easily embed externally sourced community-based service learning projects into their courses. The ultimate goal is to leverage this high-impact educational practice to promote the development of professional dispositions and technical skills among students while working on real-world projects that serve non-profit and community organizations.

The SPSG framework was piloted in four courses at two institutions, involving 21 student teams during the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters. These teams, consisting of juniors and seniors, engaged in projects supporting community-based and commercial clients, with the majority working on non-profit initiatives, all using the SPSG framework. To assess the impact of these experiences on students, pre- and post-surveys with a longitudinal component were used to gather data on students’ skill development and professional growth.

Key deliverables from the project include the SPSG Structure Guide, Instructor Guide, Code Management Guide, Project Feasibility Evaluation Rubric, Mentor Guide, and several questionnaires for clients. These resources are designed to streamline the project implementation process for instructors, guiding them through each phase of project planning and execution while encouraging collaboration between students, mentors, and clients. All materials are available on the project’s website, providing open access to any educator interested in adopting the framework.

In the upcoming year, the framework will be further refined and adapted to new educational contexts to broaden its applicability, including the involvement of community partners in socially valuable student projects that don't necessarily lead to a fully deployable software artifact. As survey data is analyzed, adjustments will be made to improve the SPSG framework and its associated tools, enhancing its value to instructors and students alike in engineering education programs.