2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Engineering is grounded in the principles of science and mathematics, yet the ability to communicate effectively through writing remains equally vital for its advancement. In today's engineering practice, professionals must be proficient not only in technical skills but also in retrieving and evaluating reliable sources of information such as journal articles, patents, books, and industry standards. These competencies are critical in addressing engineering problems and ensure solutions are built upon accurate, peer-reviewed, and reliable information. Additionally, the importance of creating structured formats for collecting and analyzing data—such as spreadsheets and experimental outlines—remains a challenge for many students as they transition into the professional environment.
While Open Educational Resources (OER) have demonstrated significant potential to enhance engineering education, the adoption of these resources remains limited, despite the growing awareness among educators. Many instructors lack familiarity with the breadth of existing resources and are unsure how to contribute effectively to the OER ecosystem. OER provides the opportunity to improve educational quality, promote knowledge sharing, and enable the reuse and adaptation of materials across institutions. However, there are still challenges to overcome, particularly in terms of fragmented efforts, the limited availability of resources for upper-division courses, and the need for better discoverability and interoperability.
The Engineering First-Year Program serves approximately 2,000 students who are exploring 18 different majors within the College of Engineering. These students are introduced to foundational knowledge in their majors, alongside key policies and strategies for navigating their academic and professional paths. To support these students as they engage with complex engineering problems and documentation, we have developed the electronic Resources for Engineering Formation (e-REF).
e-REF is an innovative educational strategy designed to provide students with continuous access to a reliable and comprehensive repository of information. This resource emphasizes key areas such as note-taking and document management in engineering, including patents, standards, and journal articles. Furthermore, e-REF covers essential skills like conducting comprehensive literature reviews, managing citations, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in research, and understanding the available programming languages and tools relevant to engineering practice. e-REF provides tutorials and information to develop detailed data summaries using spreadsheet software and its integration with advanced programming tools.
To evaluate the effectiveness of e-REF, we will implement two survey instruments—pre-course and post-course—to gauge the students' familiarity with these topics before and after using the resource. Approximately 500 students enrolled in the “Introduction to Engineering and Problem Solving” course will participate in the study. The students will be divided into two groups: Group A will have access to e-REF as a continuous resource throughout the semester, while Group B will receive similar instruction but rely solely on materials provided through the learning management system. The surveys will assess the students' knowledge of engineering documentation, literature review techniques, data management, and programming tools, as well as their interest in applying these skills to their career development.
Ultimately, e-REF aims to provide students and engineering populations at large, with a long-term resource that reinforces key engineering concepts and supports their academic journey. In the future, we plan to enhance e-REF by integrating AI-driven learning models, enabling personalized learning experiences that can adapt to individual needs and further align with the learning outcomes of the resource.