2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Work-in-Progress: Aerospace Engineering Faculty’s Perspective on the Writing SySTEM for Increasing Self-Efficacy of Graduate Student Writers

Presented at Aerospace Division (AERO) Technical Session 4 - Teaching Methodology

Few graduate students receive sustained, discipline-specific foundational instruction in STEM writing, instead relying on ad-hoc support from faculty advisors. The Writing SySTEM seeks to close this gap through an innovative, multifaceted, sustainable writing structure for graduate students in engineering that encourages them to develop self-efficacy as academic and professional writers. The SySTEM introduces a research-based, inclusive, and systematic approach to STEM communication training that provides students with multiple opportunities to practice and receive feedback on writing in their discipline. It is anticipated that self-efficacy will lead to improved confidence in writing abilities and higher success rates for students. Through the project, we seek to determine the relationships among self-efficacy, self-regulation of writing, and writing ability in the context of engineering graduate education that includes systematic writing instruction and intervention structures. The four components of the Writing SySTEM are (1) workshops to teach writing skills and promote the recruitment of diverse participants into other components, (2) discipline-specific graduate writing courses, (3) peer writing groups, and (4) writing resources hosted on a publicly available Open Educational Resource (OER). Data for the quantitative analysis of the effects of program components on self-efficacy is still being collected for this work-in-progress. The anticipated outcome of this work is to equip graduate students with strategies and resources for writing effectively in STEM fields and to establish evidence-based, systematic writing instruction and interventions that are sustainable, scalable, and adaptable across STEM contexts. Herein, a faculty member from the Department of Aerospace Engineering will discuss their experiences facilitating all four components of the Writing SySTEM.

Authors

Dr. Russell William Mailen http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5092-8964 Auburn University [biography]

Dr. Russell W. Mailen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University. Dr. Mailen leads the Polymer Mechanics Research Laboratory, which focuses on the characterization of the thermal and mechanical properties polymers (including viscoelasticity), self-folding origami, and mechanical metamaterials. His research group has a significant number of undergraduate researchers, and the group engages regularly with professional development activities. Dr. Mailen is also the PI of The Writing SySTEM: A Systemic Approach to Graduate Writing Instruction and Intervention, a funded NSF IGE grant.
Dr. Jeffrey LaMondia Auburn University [biography]

Dr. Jeffrey LaMondia is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Auburn University. Dr. LaMondia’s research focuses on modeling transportation systems, developing planning tools, and analyzing travel behavior. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses, Dr. LaMondia is the Director of the campus-wide Common Book Program.
Dr. Sushil Adhikari P.E. Auburn University [biography]

Dr. Sushil Adhikari is a Professor in the Biosystems Engineering Department and the Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts Director at Auburn University. He is the Co-Principal Investigator of the NSF REU site: Research experience through collaborative teams in bioprocessing for conversion of waste into products of value. Adhikari devotes his efforts to teaching and research in the area of bioenergy and bioproducts and circular economy. He teaches Heat and Mass Transfer, Renewable Energy and Biomass and Biofuels courses for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Katharine H. Brown Auburn University [biography]

Dr. Katharine H. Brown is the Associate Director of University Writing at Auburn University, where she focuses on graduate student writing support. Her research addresses graduate student writing self-efficacy, embodied contemplative pedagogies, and welcoming practices in writing centers. She has published in venues including The Writing Center Journal, WAC Clearinghouse, and Composition Forum. She is a co-PI in the NSF IGE project, "The Writing SySTEM: A Systemic Approach to Graduate Writing Instruction and Intervention."
Dr. Christopher Ryan Basgier Auburn University [biography]

Christopher Basgier is Director of University Writing at Auburn University. In that role, he consults with departments about integrating writing and high-impact practices throughout undergraduate and graduate curricula. His research, which spans writing across the curriculum, writing centers, genre, threshold concepts, and digital rhetoric, has appeared in venues like Across the Disciplines, Composition Forum, Studies in Higher Education, The WAC Journal, and The Writing Center Journal. He is active in national organizations like the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum, the Conference on College Composition and Communication, and the WAC Clearinghouse, and he is a founding member of the RhetAI Coalition.
Jordan Harshman Auburn University

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