2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Large Language Models (LLMs) are reshaping engineering education, research, and community engagement. In October 2024, the University of Virginia (UVA) hosted the inaugural Workshop on Large Language Models for Science and Engineering, bringing together over 160 participants from seven engineering departments, five other UVA schools, and the local community. This study evaluates the educational and community-building impacts of the workshop, focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration, inclusive engagement, and sustained learning.
The workshop featured keynote talks, faculty presentations, student lightning talks, poster sessions, tutorials, and panel discussions. Sessions addressed LLMs in scientific discovery, engineering design, and ethical applications, with a strong emphasis on broadening participation.

We used a mixed-methods approach, making observation notes and collecting data from surveys administered to over 160 attendees. The surveys included Likert-scale items and open-ended questions addressing knowledge gains, session engagement, inclusivity, networking opportunities, and future interest in community events. Participants represented a wide range of roles (students, faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs, etc) and disciplines.

The observation and survey results showed that participants: i) gained deeper understanding of LLM technologies, ii)valued exposure to diverse applications, iii) felt the workshop fostered inclusivity and collaboration, and iv) expressed strong interest in future community engagement around LLMs. Qualitative feedback emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary exchange and the desire for continued learning and collaboration and highlighted increased interest in integrating LLMs into coursework and research.

This research is grounded in the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison et al., 2000), which emphasizes cognitive, social, and teaching presence in effective learning environments, and Bringle and Hatcher’s (2002) model of campus–community partnerships that stress mutual benefit and sustained collaboration. The workshop also reflects principles of democratic engagement (Saltmarsh et al., 2009), promoting equity and shared knowledge creation.

Our findings contribute to the literature on community engagement in engineering education by presenting a scalable model for integrating emerging technologies into co- and extracurricular activities. Recommendations include expanding the workshop into a recurring series, developing open-access LLM learning resources, and partnering with community organizations to co-create socially impactful applications (eg. Establishing partnerships with K–12 educators and nonprofits to co-develop LLM-based educational tools). This model supports program sustainability and offers a replicable framework for other institutions seeking to build inclusive, interdisciplinary communities around technology-enhanced learning.