2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Mathematics serves as a foundational pillar for engineering and a gateway to numerous STEM disciplines. However, many first-year college students struggle in calculus due to insufficient preparation in algebra and pre-calculus, in addition to a lack of confidence in mathematical skills. To address these challenges, in this conceptual paper, we report on a collaborative intervention design at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, a flagship research university between the Douglass Women in Science and Engineering program director and faculty from the Mathematics Department. The constructed design integrates multiple evidence-based elements, including UDL-aligned problem solving, real-life contextualization, collaborative reasoning, and a structured opportunity to examine errors, to create a learning experience that strengthens mathematical attitudes across formal and informal settings. The design begins with offering a real-life scenario that a college student at any level of mathematics course can understand. The design continues with a gamified math-based challenge that is co-designed by GenAI tools to help contextualize the problems related to students' perceived math level. Using Universal Design for Learning principles, this model allows students to follow different solution paths that ultimately converge in a shared error‑analysis activity designed to build self‑efficacy, reduce math anxiety, and strengthen collaboration. This collective “Festival of Errors” brings their varied approaches back together, normalizing mistakes as part of authentic engineering practice and reinforcing iteration, refinement, and resilience. The framework highlights a contemporary STEM figure whose innovation and real‑world impact serve as an inspiration for this activity and to help students shape their own STEM identities and build their strengths. Grounded in educational psychology and engineering education research, the overall design aims to deepen students’ sense of belonging, support resilience, and promote success in STEM contexts. A mixed‑methods assessment has been developed for future implementation, integrating the Growth Mindset subscale of the MAPS instrument with qualitative reflections to capture both quantitative shifts and students’ interpretive insights. The appendix includes a replicable activity blueprint to support adaptation in varied institutional contexts. This conceptual paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge in engineering education research by offering a theoretically integrated and scalable model for embedding identity development, productive failure, and agency into multiple educational settings.