2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Supporting Undergraduate Engineering Students Through an Introductory Drone Education: Impacts on Self-Efficacy, Sense of Belonging, and Engineering Identity: Year 1

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session II

Background: Engineering students face different difficulties in their undergraduate study. For example, first-year engineering (FYE) students face significant transitional challenges adapting from high school to university environments, with research frequently reporting high attrition rates during and after the global pandemic (COVID-19) [1-3]. Literature emphasizes that psychosocial factors, particularly self-efficacy (SE), sense of belonging (SB), and engineering identity (EI), serve as crucial determinants of student persistence and success in engineering programs [4-9]. COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of flexible learning modalities in engineering contexts. However, limited research exists on the effectiveness of learning approaches that integrate emerging technologies in the development of FYE students [10]. This project, funded by the National Science Foundation's Professional Formation of Engineers: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (NSF PFE: RIEF) program, investigated how the introduction of drone education to engineering students influence the development of their SE, SB, and EI.

Drone technology provides an exceptional platform for engineering students to apply and integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines. It combines mechanical engineering for designing lightweight, aerodynamic structures through 3D modeling; computer science for developing software-guided autonomous flight missions and incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) for perception and decision-making; and electrical and electronic engineering for optimizing power distribution, sensor integration, and circuit performance. In addition, civil engineering students can utilize drones to inspect construction sites and ensure operational safety, while robotics offers opportunities to achieve mission-oriented, automated tasks such as environmental monitoring or sample collection. This multidisciplinary nature of drone technology not only strengthens students’ technical competencies but also fosters collaboration, creativity, and systems thinking essential for modern engineering practice. This study, therefore, addressed the need for flexible pedagogical approaches that accommodate diverse student learning preferences while fostering engineering identity development [11].

Project Implementation: The research team implemented "Drone 101: Introduction to Drones" in Spring 2025 as a one-credit course at a R1 public university in the U.S. North West. This course initially targeted undergraduate students across multiple engineering disciplines, including computer science, mechanical, electrical, bioengineering, and agricultural engineering. The course utilized two delivery learning modes: one for in-person and another for HyFlex, allowing students to choose between in-person participation or remote participation via Zoom platforms. Of the17 students who registered to the course, 14 attended in person and 3 participated remotely. It should be noted that 14 students took either the pre-survey, post-survey, or both and three students took part in the interviews in addition to survey activities. The curriculum integrated hands-on learning experiences, including 3D modeling, drone component design and fabrication using 3D printing, and interdisciplinary team collaboration. Students worked in pairs from different engineering disciplines to develop engineering solutions for drone-related projects, including but not limited to transportation, delivery services, wildfire monitoring, and law enforcement. The HyFlex format enabled virtual collaboration through Zoom breakout rooms, ensuring remote students maintained meaningful engagement with their partners [12]. Students responded to an online survey consisting of demographic information, Likert-scale items, and open-ended questions related to motivation, self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and engineering identity. These surveys were administered once at the starting session and once at the ending session to identify changes in students’ perceptions regarding motivation, self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and engineering identity. Finally, interviews with three volunteering students were conducted after the semester ended.

Key Findings and Contributions: The project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of delivering a technology-intensive engineering course by using HyFlex mode while maintaining hands-on learning experiences essential for engineering skills and mindsets development [13]. Preliminary observations indicated that the flexible format accommodated diverse student needs without compromising collaborative learning opportunities or technical skill acquisition. Additionally, the interdisciplinary collaboration structure fostered cross-disciplinary understanding and communication skills critical for modern engineering practices [14].

Dissemination and Future Work: Course materials have been made publicly accessible through the project website (https://sites.google.com/view/introtodrones/home), supporting broader adoption of similar pedagogical approaches. Comprehensive pre- and post-survey analysis evaluating changes in students' motivations, SE, SB, and EI is currently underway, with the results informing curricular refinements needed for future implementations.

This NSF RIEF-supported research contributes to the growing understanding of flexible learning environments in engineering education while addressing the specific needs of engineering students in their undergraduate study.

Keywords: Drone education, iDRONE, HyFlex learning, first-year engineering, engineering identity, sense of belonging, engineering self-efficacy, flexible learning environments

References

[1] O. Ryan, S. Sajadi, “Understanding Students in Times of Transition: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Engineering Students' Math Readiness and Transition into Engineering,” in 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, 2024.

[2] J. N. Phillips, K. A. L. Schneider, “Strategies for Improving Retention in a New Undergraduate Engineering Program,” in 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, 2024.

[3] M. Quezada-Espinoza, M. E. Truyol, et al., "Predictors of Success and Retention: The Influence of Belonging and Self-Efficacy on First-Year Engineering Students," in 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, 2025.

[4] J. Sperling, M. Mburi, M. Gray, L. Schmid, A. Saterbak, "Effects of a first-year undergraduate engineering design course: Survey study of implications for student self-efficacy and professional skills, with focus on gender/sex," International Journal of STEM Education, vol. 11, article 467, 2024.

[5] J. R. Power, D. Tanner, and J. Buckley, "Self-efficacy development in undergraduate engineering education," European Journal of Engineering Education, 2025.

[6] M. E. Lockhart, K. Rambo-Hernandez, “Investigating engineering identity development and stability amongst first-year engineering students: a person-centred approach,” European Journal of Engineering Education, 49(3), 411-433, 2024.

[7] J. M. Lakin, A. H.Wittig, E. W. Davis, V. A. Davis, “Am I an engineer yet? Perceptions of engineering and identity among first year students,” European Journal of Engineering Education, 45(2), 214-231, 2020

[8] A. D., Patrick, A. N. Prybutok, “Predicting persistence in engineering through an engineering identity scale,” International journal of engineering education, 34(2a), 2018

[9] J. B. Buckley, B. S. Robinson, T. R. Tretter, C. Biesecker, A. N. Hammond, A. K. Thompson, “Belonging as a gateway for learning: First‐year engineering students' characterizations of factors that promote and detract from sense of belonging in a pandemic,” Journal of Engineering Education, 112(3), 816-839, 2023

[10] L. Morrison, R. Kay, H. Atkinson, A. Mann, D. Tepylo, "Exploring the Emerging Landscape of HyFlex Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Scoping Review," in INTED2025 Proceedings, 2025.

[11] L. Martinez, "Exploring the impact of social interactions and representation on the development of engineering students' sense of belonging in a summer program," Ph.D. dissertation, University of Louisville, 2025.

[12] A. M. Ramos, H. Lee, and R. A. Mabuan, "Exploring the Relationship Among Preservice Teachers' E-Learning Readiness, Learning Engagement, and Learning Performance in HyFlex Learning Environments," International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, vol. 26, no. 2, 2025.

[13] R. C. Y. Yeung, D. Sun, and C. H. Yeung, "Integrating drone technology in STEM education: Curriculum, pedagogy and learning outcomes," Education and Information Technologies, 2025.

[14] F. A. Phang et al., "Integrating drone technology in service learning for engineering students," International Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 1032-1041, 2021

Authors

Prof. Jae Ryu [biography]

Dr. Jae Ryu is a Professor at the University of Idaho whose research focuses on advancing environmental monitoring through the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS, commonly known as drones). He currently leads the Idaho/Interstate Drone League (iDRONE), an immersive, STEM-based experiential learning program that engages students from grades 6 to 12. Dr. Ryu earned his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 2006. From 2015 to 2016, he participated in the U.S. Air Force Faculty Fellowship Program at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), where he gained hands-on experience with various UAS technologies and sensor platforms. In addition to K-12 education, his ongoing educational research activities supported by NSF RIEF and REU grants aims to enhance the impact of UAS research and engineering education and outreach at higher education. Dr. Ryu’s efforts will help broaden participation within the ASEE community and strengthen the nation’s competitiveness in the UAS ecosystem and global job market in the years ahead.
Iman Shayegani http://orcid.org/https://0009-0008-8930-3724 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Iman Shayegani is a Ph.D. student in Engineering Education at the University of Cincinnati. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tehran and his Master's degree in the same field from Shiraz University. His research focuses on designing and implementing instructional interventions in Circuits I courses to enhance students’ conceptual understanding of electrical circuits. He is also actively engaged in assessment development, with a particular interest in psychometric analysis and the refinement of concept inventories related to circuits and electronics.
Ibrahim Nihad Awartani http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-6267-8253 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Ibrahim Awartani is an international doctoral student pursuing Engineering Education in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education and a Master's of Applied Research Methods at the University of Cincinnati. His BSc is a Mechanical Engineering degree from Philadelphia University in Jordan. His MSc background is a Master's of Sciences in Engineering Management from Eastern Michigan University. He has 5 years of project management experience in the construction and consulting fields, as well as yearly summer teaching experiences at Eastern Michigan University in Qinzhou, China. His research interests are in international curricula, assessment and measurement, accessibility, course climates, department culture, and course intervention research.
Dr. So Yoon Yoon http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1868-1054 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Dr. So Yoon Yoon is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, OH, USA. Dr. Yoon received her Ph.D. in Gifted Education and an M.S.Ed. in Research Methods and Measurement with a specialization in Educational Psychology, both from Purdue University, IN, USA. She also holds an M.S. in Astronomy and Astrophysics and a B.S. in Astronomy and Meteorology from Kyungpook National University, South Korea. Her work centers on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary engineering education research as a psychometrician, data analyst, and program evaluator with research interests in spatial ability, STEAM education, workplace climate, and research synthesis with a particular focus on meta-analysis. She has developed, validated, revised, and copyrighted several instruments beneficial for STEM education research and practice. Dr. Yoon has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings and served as a journal reviewer in engineering education, STEM education, and educational psychology. She has also served as a PI, co-PI, advisory board member, or external evaluator on several NSF- and NASA-funded projects.
Dr. Kevin Chang P.E. University of Idaho [biography]

Kevin Chang, Ph.D., P.E., is Director of NIATT and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Idaho, where he is focusing on traffic operations and safety, transportation security, and engineering education.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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