2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Student-initiated Course Group Chats in Electrical Engineering: A Qualitative Work-In-Progress Study

Presented at Student Division (STDT) Technical Session 5

This work-in-progress (WIP) paper examines how undergraduate electrical engineering students use student-initiated mobile instant messaging (MIM) group chats (e.g., Discord, GroupMe) to support learning and course requirements. In this student-led research, semi-structured interviews with three students at the University of South Florida were analyzed using a thematic approach to identify recurring patterns in how students seek and provide help, how participation varies over time, and how platform features shape collaboration. Preliminary findings suggest that students primarily use group chats as a rapid sensemaking platform to clarify expectations, coordinate exam preparation, and verify understanding, while maintaining boundaries around academic integrity through peer norms and self-regulation. Discord-specific affordances (e.g., channels, voice, screen sharing) were described as enabling higher-bandwidth peer tutoring. We invite feedback on strengthening our analytic procedures and on developing an affordance-informed model that links platform features, participation ecology, and integrity norms in student-led informal learning spaces.

Authors

Jacob Delikat University of South Florida [biography]

Jacob Delikat is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida, with academic focuses in bioelectrics and nanoscale systems. He is a member of IEEE, Tau Beta Pi, and the USF Honors College.
Dr. Dhinesh Radhakrishnan http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6959-196X Purdue University – West Lafayette (College of Engineering) [biography]

Dr. Dhinesh Radhakrishnan is a Research Scientist at Purdue University’s School of Engineering Education. His research focuses on participatory and community-driven approaches to engineering education, particularly in displacement and marginalized contexts. He has led research and educational initiatives in Kenya, Uganda, Jordan, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and the U.S., co-developing the Localized Engineering in Displacement (LED) program. His doctoral dissertation explored how a Community of Practice (CoP) approach can engage informal educators in Kenya to co-design and teach community-centered engineering education. Currently, he co-leads a reciprocal innovation initiative that bridges CoPs across diverse countries and contexts. His work examines how local engineering knowledge is recognized, revitalized, and integrated into technical education and workforce development, fostering more inclusive and culturally responsive learning models.
Dr. Chris S Ferekides University of South Florida [biography]

Dr. Chris Ferekides has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. He is a Professor and Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of South Florida. His research focuses on electronic materials for photovoltaics and other opto-electronic applications, with emphasis on chalcogenide compounds and devices for thin-film solar cells.

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