2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Systems Engineering Approach to Metacognition in a Final Synthesis Project

Presented at First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 10: Learning to Learn - Metacognition and Self-Regulated Strategies

This complete evidence-based practice paper examines the implementation of a final synthesis project within a success skills course for first-year engineering students enrolled in General Engineering Learning Community at Clemson University designed to support students with low calculus readiness. The program’s goal is to enhance retention and foster academic and professional success by providing holistic support, including a co-enrollment in a professional skills and learning strategies course. The course focuses on cultivating key habits in students, encompassing professional behaviors, effective learning strategies, and mindfulness practices. Through the final project, students apply systems engineering principles to synthesize course topics into meaningful groupings, reflecting on their personal and academic growth.

The study addresses three research questions: (1) Which course topics do students identify as most influential and useful for their future? (2) What common grouping strategies do students use, and do these align with the course framework? (3) Does the systems engineering approach foster unique metacognitive insights? A qualitative analysis of student submissions from the Fall 2024 cohort reveals that time management and rest are identified as the most impactful skills. Grouping strategies ranged from simple categories aligned with the course framework to more complex, systems-based analogies. The systems engineering approach provided valuable metacognitive insight, helping students understand the interconnections between course content and its relevance to their academic and professional lives.

The findings suggest that integrating systems thinking into first-year courses can deepen students' understanding of their learning processes and improve their ability to apply study strategies in diverse contexts. This approach not only promotes academic success but also supports the development of essential professional skills, highlighting the importance of holistic, student-centered instructional practices in higher education.

Authors

Dr. Elizabeth Flanagan Clemson University [biography]

Libby Flanagan is currently a Lecturer in the General Engineering program at Clemson University. Libby Flanagan has a PhD in Engineering and Science Education Department from Clemson University. She received her B.S. in Biosystems Engineering from the Clemson University Honors Program in 2017, along with a minor in Spanish Language Studies. She completed a two-year teaching appointment with Teach for America in 2019, where she taught 6th-grade math and computer science in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She earned her M.S. in Biosystems Engineering at Clemson University in 2021, during which she was an NRT Resilient Infrastructure and Environmental Systems Fellow.
Dr. Grace F Crocker Clemson University [biography]

Grace F. Crocker is a Lecturer of General Engineering at Clemson University, Clemson, SC, where she received her BS, MS, and PhD in civil engineering in 2018, 2019, and 2022, respectively. Her primary research interests include resilient structural-architectural systems, as well as interdisciplinary education for undergraduate engineering and architecture students.
Dr. Michael Joseph Kiernan Clemson University [biography]

Dr. Kiernan is a lecturer in the Department of General Engineering at Clemson University. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UC Davis. He also holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Auburn University. Since 2021, he has taught in the General Engineering Learning Community (GELC), which is designed for freshman who want to be engineers but do not have the math preparation to place into calculus. Dr. Kiernan was named coordinator of the GELC in 2024.
Joseph Overlin Chapa Clemson University
Dr. Elizabeth Anne Stephan Clemson University [biography]

Dr. Elizabeth Stephan is the Director of Academics for the General Engineering Program at Clemson University. She holds a B.S. and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Akron. Since 2002, she has taught, developed, and now coordinates th

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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