2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

At the Francis College of Engineering at University of Massachusetts Lowell, our traditional open house model has long defaulted to a siloed structure in which prospective students and their families visit only one or two departments. This approach, often based on pre-existing assumptions about engineering disciplines, can pigeonhole students into viewing a single major before they've had the chance to explore the breadth of engineering pathways we offer. It also encourages a territorial approach to recruitment, where departments feel they are competing for the same students rather than promoting the collective strengths of the college as a whole.

In Fall 2025, we piloted a redesigned, gamified open house intended to transform how prospective students explore engineering. Using themed, quest-based game boards, called River Hawk Flight Plans, organized around interdisciplinary and real-world impact areas, students were encouraged to interact with all departments. Each quest guided participants through hands-on departmental demonstrations, student panels, and club activities, earning points along the way. Accumulated points qualified students for bronze, silver, or gold-level prize raffles, with greater curiosity and engagement leading to higher-tier rewards. The process was designed to be fun, exploratory, and immersive, helping students to draw meaningful connections among engineering disciplines and societal challenges such as healthcare, sustainability, global connectivity, and strong communities.

This new open house design is grounded in self-determination theory and gamified learning. The structure aims to increase motivation through autonomy, curiosity, and relevance while also shifting internal college culture toward collaboration. By organizing the day around shared impact areas rather than departmental competition, the event reframes recruitment as a collective effort to showcase the diversity of engineering opportunities. The pilot also sought to increase interest and enrollment in historically smaller departments such as Plastics and Chemical Engineering. We aspired to attract students who may not have previously considered these majors but are excited by what they see in action and in connection with the designed impact areas. Preliminary results show that increases in visits to these departments was significant, ranging from 100%-1000% over registrations.

Preliminary evaluation included tracking participation patterns across departments, analyzing engagement metrics from completed quests, and administering brief post-event surveys to assess student enjoyment, motivation, and interest in new engineering fields. By redesigning recruitment around curiosity and exploration, this work aims to ensure that students leave open house with a broader, more informed understanding of what engineering can look like and how the University of Massachusetts Lowell can help them build a meaningful future.