2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Enhancing Teachers’ Intercultural Awareness and Understanding of Human Centered Design through a Unique Research Experience for Teachers

This paper will present the findings from a collaborative National Science Foundation Research Experience for Teachers (NSF RET) focused on enhancing the cultural competence of teachers and their understanding of human centered design and appropriate technology. The overarching goal of this project was to expose participants to the integrative nature of engineering with other disciplines (social science, geography, language arts, visual arts), help them understand the social impact of engineering in the world and increasing their intercultural awareness so they could create a more inclusive STEM classroom where all their students have equitable access to STEM exposure and learning. The motivation for this project was based on: (1) the well-established need for enhanced participation and diversity in STEM fields, particularly engineering; and (2) the need for teachers at all levels to have enhanced intercultural competence to ensure they can effectively teach an increasingly diverse K-12 student body. In this project, three cohorts of participants engaged in a transformative RET experience where participants worked with domestic and international community partners on human centered engineering design projects with guidance and mentorship from faculty at the two institutions. Integrated throughout this experience was professional learning aimed at developing the cultural competence of the teachers, and coaching to help the teachers integrate this learning, as well as their engineering experiences, into their classrooms. A convergent parallel mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the efficacy of this program at meeting the stated objectives. Included in this approach was the evaluation of pre- and post- data from this Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES). Further, participant surveys and observations, as well as an assessment of the curriculum developed and published was used as part of the evaluation strategy. Results from the evaluation show that the RET program enhanced the cultural competence and understanding of human centered design of the 30 participants that engaged in the program. Participants published seven integrative lessons focused on human centered design to TeachEngineering, with additional lessons under review.

Authors

Margaret Pinnell University of Dayton
Dr. Leanne Petry Central State University [biography]

Dr. Leanne Petry is a Materials Engineer and Professor in the College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture (CESTA) at Central State
University (CSU). Her expertise lies in analytical and materials characterization techniques, including microscopy, spectroscopy, chromatography, and electrochemistry. Her research focuses on electrode surface oxidation-reduction reactions for sensor applications, material corrosion mechanisms, and electrochemical degradation. She is a strong advocate for integrating high-impact practices, such as problem-based learning, into lectures, laboratories, and outreach initiatives to enhance student and community engagement in STEM education.
Elizabeth Generas Wright State University [biography]

Elizabeth Generas is an external evaluator for education and social justice projects. She completed a graduate certificate in Program Evaluation from Wright State University, where she is also a doctoral candidate in the Doctor of Organization Studies program.
Dr. Amy Anderson [biography]

Amy Anderson is the Associate Provost for Global and Intercultural Affairs and Executive Director of the Center for International Programs (CIP) at the University of Dayton. The CIP provides coordination, strategic planning and administrative support for
Mrs. Marjorie Langston Langston
Mr. Douglas Picard Greene County Career Center [biography]

Doug Picard is an engineering and manufacturing instructor at the Greene County Career Center in Xenia, Ohio. In 2023 and 2024, he participated in the Global STEM RET, facilitated by University of Dayton and Central State University, with in- and pre-service teachers from Dayton and surrounding area. He traveled to Banagalore, India, to observe and research how solar and other renewable energies are incorporated into developing areas and developed/published classroom curriculum. As part of this research experience, he earned the Global Competence Certificate through AFS. He has participated in manufacturing externships through the Ohio STEM Learning Network and Battelle, and has brought grant-funded human-centered design resources/projects to his program. His program graduates have a 90% retention rate in manufacturing and engineering related job placements and college enrollments.
Prior to entering the teaching industry, Doug served in the United States Air Force for 21 years. In this career, he developed test programs, equipment, and installation/maintenance procedures for avionics, radar, and electronic countermeasures systems in the E3B AWACS and B1B Lancer. He also taught electronic principles, avionics/radar/electronic countermeasures, theory, and logistics/supply chain to first term airmen and international students for five of those years as a master instructor. His career culminated in working on the Headquarters Air Force Material Command staff as a policy writer and subject matter expert for the engineering and logistics directorate. In this six year-long position he co-created an centralized enterprise logistics dashboard and Department of the Air Force level policy for avionics technology resource management and visibility.
Camryn Lanise Justice University of Dayton

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