2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP: MCA: Development of concept map activities to improve undergraduate technical writing in chemical engineering courses

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session I

This work-in-progress paper discussing a project funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) describes the refinement and planned implementation of a concept mapping intervention designed to improve the technical communication skills of senior-level chemical and biological engineering undergraduates. Concept mapping offers a promising framework for helping students structure, synthesize, and communicate complex information, which is often underdeveloped in undergraduate curricula.

During this Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) project, several activities using concept maps were integrated into a junior-level course including in-class concept maps using magnets and whiteboards, and a concept map based on a four-page technical writing project. The overall feedback was positive, and students liked how they had to tie their results to the overall project objectives. Key revisions to the classroom activity were informed by student feedback and faculty collaboration, including more explicit instructions, scaffolded group and individual components, and clearer expectations for connecting ideas. A mixed-methods research design was finalized to evaluate the intervention’s impact, featuring pre- and post-surveys, scored concept maps, and focus groups with participating students and the data will be collected in the Fall of 2025. The survey instruments and focus group protocols were developed with support from a mentor and collaborators in engineering education at Clemson University.

This paper and poster will summarize the activity revisions and present the study design to be implemented in Fall 2025. Anticipated results and implications for broader STEM education contexts will be discussed, with an emphasis on enhancing student agency and communication through concept mapping.

Authors

Prof. Stephanie G Wettstein Montana State University - Bozeman [biography]

Stephanie Wettstein is a Professor in the Chemical and Biological Engineering department at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. She has been the lead of MSU KEEN since 2023 and is the Associate Director of the Montana Engineering Education Research Center.
Dr. Karen A High Clemson University [biography]

Karen High, Ph.D., is a professor of Engineering and Science Education (ESED) at Clemson University. Prior to Clemson, High pursued technical and educational research as a chemical engineering professor at Oklahoma State University for 24 years. She has been active in educational research and initiatives for over her entire career. High has garnered more than $12 million in research funding, has written more than 100 peer- reviewed publications, and delivered more than 280 presentations and workshops on both chemical engineering and STEM educational research. She has mentored more than 40 graduate students and 50 undergraduate students in chemical engineering and STEM education research. Her current work focuses on student and faculty development and mentoring as well as student success in Calculus. High has held a variety of administrative positions: Clemson - Director of STEM Faculty Development Initiatives, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences (CECAS); Oklahoma State - Interim Director of Student Services, Coordinator of the Women in Engineering Program, and Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Center. She currently serves as the Inaugural Director of the Clemson Center for Transformational Mentorship at Clemson.

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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