2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Microlearning Loops in Software Engineering Syllabi: An Exploratory Qualitative Case Study

Presented at Software Engineering Division (SWED) Technical Session 2

This full paper in the research category explores how the field of software engineering education is changing by examining a redesigned course delivery that combines microlearning and interactive engagement strategies to understand how students perceived its influence on participation and conceptual understanding. The framework emphasizes short, focused instructional segments (e.g., five-minute videos) paired with immediate active engagement strategies (e.g., debates, games, and collaborative exercises). We conducted semi-structured interviews (45-60 minutes) using an exploratory qualitative research design with five undergraduate students who participated in this course to understand their experiences and perception of this approach. Data collection took place during Fall 2025, and thematic analysis of transcribed data resulted in pattern emergence from data related to concepts such as motivation, autonomy, and conceptual clarity. The preliminary findings suggest that students experienced microlearning loops as helpful for resetting attention and deepening conceptual clarity. Participants reported that frequent, short learning activities created more opportunities for more reflection and engagement with theoretical concepts in relation to practice. Crucially, the inductive analysis identified an emergent pattern: students spontaneously utilized Generative AI as a support tool to scaffold their own autonomy within the self-paced structure. The results suggest that concise, student-centered delivery models may help students feel more engaged and may better support diverse learning preferences in software engineering classrooms. Ultimately, this study suggests that participants experienced microlearning architectures as doing more than managing cognitive load. Students described the redesign as creating a classroom environment that felt collaborative, practice-oriented, and supportive of professional engineering identity required by the software industry.

Authors

Asif Mohaisin Sadri http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2634-3947 University of Oklahoma [biography]

Asif Mohaisin Sadri is a PhD student in Engineering Education at the University of Oklahoma, where he actively shapes the next generation of innovators as a Graduate Assistant for an Engineering Leadership program and as President of the ASEE - OU student chapter. His work operates at the forefront of educational advancement, with a targeted research focus investigating the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and active learning pedagogies.
Prior to his doctoral studies, Asif built a distinguished leadership career in Supply Chain Management. He brings this real-world experience to his research, grounded in an interdisciplinary foundation spanning Mechanical Engineering, Social Science, and Data Science.
Haron Kirimi Mungiria The University of Oklahoma [biography]

Haron Mungiria is a PhD student in Computer Science at the University of Oklahoma. His research interests include requirements engineering, artificial intelligence, and embedded systems.
Dr. Javeed Kittur http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6132-7304 The University of Oklahoma [biography]

Javeed Kittur is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Pathways program at the University of Oklahoma and serves as the Co-Director of Research in the Honors College, bringing a global academic background that includes a Ph.D. in Engineering Education Systems and Design from Arizona State University. Prior to joining OU, he served as an Assistant Professor in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at KLE Technological University, India, and is a certified IUCEE International Engineering Educator and Associate Editor for the Journal of Engineering Education Transformations. Since 2022, he has mentored over 40 undergraduate engineering students, many of whom have published in leading conferences and journals, demonstrating his strong commitment to impactful student mentorship. His excellence in teaching and mentoring has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including the 2026 Provost's Distinguished First-Year Student Mentoring Program - Outstanding Mentor Award, 2025 Nancy L. Mergler Faculty Mentor Award, the 2025 Brandon H. Griffith Outstanding Faculty Member Award, and the 2024 SGA Outstanding Faculty Award. Dr. Kittur’s research advances engineering education through innovative, data-driven approaches, with a focus on generative AI integration, learning analytics, student retention, broadening participation, and holistic faculty development across cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains.
Mansoor Abdulhak http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4825-1015 The University of Oklahoma

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