2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Integrating Reflective and Technical Competencies in Engineering Design: A Cognitive Approach to Project-Based Course Redesign

Presented at Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED) - Best in DEED

This work-in-progress case study presents a design-based research effort to enhance reflective problem-solving in an intermediate, project-based engineering design course with a hands-on CNC machining component. A core course goal is to develop intentional designers capable of making timely, informed, and well-scoped decisions in open-ended projects. Achieving the challenging balance between creative design intent and technical engineering execution can be aided by engaging in active reflection.

We analyzed three academic quarters of course delivery to identify gaps between intended and actual instructional focus, particularly around reflection. In response, we redefined learning goals and reorganized course content to integrate reflection throughout both engineering and design skill development, drawing on cognitive theories such as deliberate practice and preparation for future learning.

A key instructional innovation was the reflective brief, a structured pre-meeting activity designed to scaffold one-on-one student–instructor design check-ins. Students responded to tailored reflective prompts, documenting their key decisions and challenges for a given project phase to improve feedback readiness and the relevance of instructor guidance.

We conclude with results from our mixed-methods analysis comparing student project outcomes before and after the redesign. Preliminary findings suggest that the reflective brief and related changes enhanced project quality for students engaged more deeply in reflection. This study's instructional tools and design principles will be publicly available to support adaptation in similar project-based engineering courses.

Authors

L'Nard E.T. Tufts II http://orcid.org/0009-0004-8333-9778 Stanford University [biography]

L’Nard Tufts is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University and a member of the Graduate School of Education’s IDEAL Research Lab. Drawing on cognitive psychology and the learning sciences, his research advances integrated design education in engineering and maker-centered learning environments. He holds an M.S. in Design from Stanford, where he helped teach introductory engineering design through the Product Realization Lab, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University, where he founded a student-run maker club to promote hands-on, interdisciplinary learning. He previously worked at Ford Motor Company, crafting learning experiences that taught human-centered practices to non-designers in cross-functional teams and community organizations.
Ms. Alessandra O. Napoli Stanford University [biography]

Alessandra Napoli is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University and a member of the IDEAL Research Lab in the Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on supporting students through academic challenges and resilience growth, especially in project and making courses. She earned a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.
Shima Salehi Stanford University [biography]

I am a Fourth year PhD student at Stanford Graduate School of Engineering. I collaborate with Engineering department here at Stanford to explore methods for improving science and engineering education.
Anna Lisa Boslough Stanford University

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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