2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

An Integrative, Querencia-Informed Approach to First-Year Engineering

In this Complete Research paper, we describe a newly-designed integrative, first-year engineering course and report on a study investigating its role in supporting identity formation, persistence intentions, self-efficacy, and consequentiality. This study investigates the theory-driven design of a first-year course and its impact on diverse students’ ability to frame design problems. Guided by two frameworks—funds of knowledge, which leverages students’ cultural and everyday experiences, and querencia, a place-based learning approach emphasizing attachment and reciprocity with place—the course integrates sociotechnical design challenges. Using design-based research, the study explores how these frameworks support students in activating their funds of knowledge and addressing local issues. Data collection included student work artifacts, video/audio recordings, and pre/post surveys measuring identity, persistence intentions, design self-efficacy, and consequentiality. Quantitative analysis employed descriptive statistics and regression, while qualitative analysis expanded an existing coding scheme to include querencia. Results show that most students initially framed locally relevant problems, often tied to recent events like wildfires and flood risks, though some identified global issues without local connections. After team collaboration and scaffolding, all students developed locally-relevant problem statements. This highlights the potential of integrative first-year courses to foster design problem framing through connections to students' local knowledge and experiences.

Authors

Dr. Ruben D. Lopez-Parra http://orcid.org/0009-0007-8901-5688 Universidad del Norte [biography]

Ruben D. Lopez-Parra is an Assistant Professor in the Instituto de Estudios en Educación (Institute for Educational Studies) at the Universidad del Norte in Colombia. His Ph.D. is in Engineering Education from Purdue University, and he has worked as a K-16 STEM instructor and curriculum designer using various evidence-based learning strategies. In 2015, Ruben earned an M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, where he also received the title of Chemical Engineer in 2012. His research interests are grounded in the learning sciences and include how K-16 students develop engineering thinking and professional skills when addressing complex socio-technical problems. He aims to apply his research to the design of better educational experiences.
Dr. Yadeeh Sawyer University of New Mexico - School of Engineering - Engineering Student Success Center [biography]

Dr. Yadéeh Sawyer is currently the 1st and 2nd Year Experience Manager for the Engineering Student Success Center, within the UNM School of Engineering, as well as one of the primary instructors for their First Year Course - Engineer, Design, Explore, Build. She comes to this position from an indirect journey. She earned both her BS and PhD in Biology from UNM and then began as staff through grant funded programs focused on increasing success in STEM Students. Over the years she's taught within both the K-12 and University settings, and has been involved with various mentoring and research programs, as well as stand-alone events and presentations focused on student academic success and sense of belong or Querencia. One of the main goals she has kept with her along this journey is knowing she is having a positive impact on the world around her. More specifically to her current position, it's to help each student in the School of Engineering know they belong, they are not alone, and they matter. On her free time, Yadéeh is an outdoor enthusiast, spending as much time in nature as possible. Anything from rock climbing to mountain biking, and backpacking to stand-up paddle boarding.
Dr. Christina Salas University of New Mexico [biography]

Dr. Christina Salas is an Associate Professor of Engineering in the UNM School of Medicine - Department of Orthopaedics, Director of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, and Special Assistant to the Dean of the School of Engineering for Health Science Center Relations.
Mx. Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-0509-2720 University of New Mexico
Carl Willis University of New Mexico
Dr. Vanessa Svihla http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4342-6178 University of New Mexico [biography]

Dr. Vanessa Svihla is a Professor in Organization, Information & Learning Sciences and in Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Svihla received the National Academy of Education / Spencer Postdoctoral Scholarship and the NSF CAREER Award, which President Biden also recognized with a PECASE. Their scholarship has been recognized for its contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion by the American Society for Engineering Education and the Professional and Organizational Development Network. Dr. Svihla, a disabled and chronically-ill scholar, studies how people learn as they frame problems in power-laden systems and how these activities relate to identity, agency, creativity, equity, and organizational change.

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