2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Developing perspective-taking in first-year engineering students through art observation (PFE:RIEF)

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session II

Engineering graduates are expected to navigate stakeholder complexities and approach design problems from multiple viewpoints; however, the emphasis on preparing students for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam can drive pedagogy toward discrete, multiple-choice questions rather than open-ended reasoning. This NSF PFE: RIEF project uses an art observation technique known as Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to practice observation, communication, and active listening. These skills support students’ perspective-taking, which is essential to professional engineering practice. Engineering students enrolled in a first-year Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering course (n=104) visited the campus art museum and were provided with two docent-facilitated tours of different types of artwork. Pre- and post-data were collected using the established Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) perspective-taking subscale. Outcomes were compared with students from course sections that did not attend the museum or engage in VTS (n = 107) but completed the instrument and course curriculum the same semester. Preliminary results indicate a significant difference between the pre- and post-survey in the VTS sections (p=0.02), and no difference in the pre- and post-scores in the control group (p=0.54). Initial quantitative evidence suggests that VTS increases perspective-taking among engineering students. VTS is a low-cost, low-stakes avenue to develop perspective-taking competencies for undergraduate engineering students.

Authors

Dr. Amy Borello Gruss http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2510-5808 Kennesaw State University [biography]

Amy Borello Gruss is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Dr. Gruss graduated with her PhD in environmental engineering from the University of Florida studying aqueous mercury removal from industrial wastewaters using photochemical processes on an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program grant. Dr. Gruss gained experience in the consulting field working on water projects such as novel disinfection processes within water resource recovery facilities and alternative disposal of treated biosolids in land applications. Currently, Dr. Gruss investigates analysis and removal mechanisms of microplastics at water treatment facilities, USDA research on permaculture farming through food forests and has received NSF grants in engineering education, publishing on sustainability and the science of teaching and learning in higher education.
Dr. Tripp Shealy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4255-3266 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Tripp Shealy is an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Virginia Tech. He is also the director of the interdisciplinary Sustainable Land Development Graduate Program. His research is focused on helping improve engineering design. He teaches classes about sustainable engineering design, human behavior and infrastructure systems, and adaptive reuse.

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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