2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Success in engineering requires more than the acquisition of technical knowledge. It also depends on the ability to continue learning and adapting in a rapidly evolving field. While engineering curricula are designed to develop disciplinary expertise, they often treat essential soft skills, including learning how to learn, as outcomes that will emerge naturally through academic experience. For example, students are expected to become effective communicators by writing lab reports or giving occasional presentations. Similarly, they are assumed to develop strong learning skills simply by working through a demanding curriculum. However, learning is a skill in its own right. Without explicit instruction, many students rely on strategies developed in high school that are not well suited to the complexity of university-level engineering courses. This gap in learning skills can limit students’ ability to fully engage with technical content. More broadly, it may also hinder the development of habits and strategies associated with lifelong learning. Addressing this gap has the potential to support students both in the immediate context of their coursework and in their future professional growth.

To explore this challenge, we implemented a series of embedded learning workshops within a large introductory course in electrical engineering. These workshops were designed as an integral part of the course rather than a supplemental or remedial resource. Grounded in research from cognitive science and engineering education, the workshops introduced students to principles of self-regulated learning, growth mindset, and evidence-based study strategies. The sessions were interactive, collaborative, and held during a dedicated second discussion period each week. A key feature of the workshops was the use of examples drawn directly from the course’s technical content. By anchoring learning strategies in the context of material students were already studying, the workshops felt more relevant and immediately applicable. This approach supported better transfer of learning strategies to coursework and also gave students additional opportunities to engage with and deepen their understanding of core technical concepts.

The intervention was implemented across three consecutive terms. The first two iterations focused on refining the structure and content of the workshops based on student and instructor feedback. This paper presents results from the third and most complete implementation, in a course with an enrollment of approximately 300 students. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, drawing on surveys, participation data, and exam performance. Although the workshops were optional, students had the option to participate either in person or asynchronously, resulting in varying levels of engagement. This range allows for analysis across a variety of participation levels, including actively engaged, passively engaged, and non-participating students. While self-selection remains a consideration, this variation provides insight into the relationship between workshop engagement, shifts in learning behavior, and academic outcomes. The paper concludes with reflections on the effectiveness of the intervention and its potential role in supporting both student success and long-term skill development in engineering education.