2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP From Notebooks to Contribution Tables: Addressing Fairness and Accountability in Student Team Projects

Presented at Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session 3

Engineering education increasingly emphasizes teamwork, yet ethical challenges arise when evaluating individual contributions within group projects. Traditional reliance on engineering notebooks and other design documentation as assessment tools often introduces ambiguity regarding authorship, originality, and equitable credit assignment. This study examines the ethical tensions that emerge when instructors evaluate student notebooks to infer individual effort, particularly the risks of misrepresentation, overgeneralization, or unequal recognition.
To investigate these issues, a mixed methodological approach combining analytical and qualitative methods was employed. The analytical component focused on systematically examining contribution tables and notebook entries across multiple project milestones to quantify patterns of participation, authorship, and deliverable ownership. The qualitative component involved thematic coding of instructor reflections, student interviews, and peer feedback to capture perceptions of fairness, transparency, and ethical awareness in team assessment. This dual approach enabled a nuanced understanding of both the measurable distribution of effort, and the interpretive processes instructors use when assessing individual work within collaborative contexts.
Instructor analysis played a central role in this study. Faculty reviewers were trained to apply standardized rubrics for evaluating the completeness, coherence, and authorship clarity in student notebooks, while also documenting their own ethical reasoning and uncertainties during the grading process. These reflective analyses provided insights into how evaluators navigate the balance between accountability and trust, and how structured documentation tools may reduce subjective bias in assessing teamwork.
Practical implications of the anticipated findings include the potential for broader adoption of contribution tracking frameworks that support both formative feedback and ethical grading practices in design-based courses. Such frameworks can help institutions promote fairness, transparency, and ethical conduct while reinforcing professional competencies aligned with ABET outcomes on teamwork and responsibility.
This study is original in its integration of ethical analysis, instructor reflection, and structured data collection to address the persistent challenge of individual assessment in collaborative engineering design. By bridging pedagogical ethics and design documentation practices, it offers an evidence-based model for cultivating integrity and accountability within engineering education.

Authors

Dr. Jorge Ivan Rodriguez-Devora University of Georgia [biography]

Dr. Rodriguez serves as the industry capstone project coordinator for the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. He is a faculty member of the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Roger Hilten http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-7701-8338 University of Georgia [biography]

Roger Hilten is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Georgia in the College of Engineering's School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering. Dr. HIlten is deeply involved in Capstone Design at all levels, from project solicitation to individual student mentoring. Dr. Hilten collaborates with a team of instructors to develop and deliver Capstone course material while gathering data to continually improve the Capstone experience for students, project sponsors, and faculty involved. Administratively, Dr. Hilten works with the Capstone Industry Coordinator to seek out new project sponsors and develop projects to fit the needs of Capstone while also supporting students' on-the-ground procurement, prototyping, and testing efforts for over 100 Capstone projects. Dr. Hilten acts the Director for the College's Lab Support Team which manages instructional, fabrication, and testing facilities as well as the tools and equipment that support students to effectively complete all types of projects, Capstone Design projects included.
Dr. Wayne Johnson http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9897-2366 University of Georgia [biography]

Wayne M. Johnson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, GA. Prior to joining UGA in 2022, he was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus, Savannah GA. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude) from Louisiana State University. He has published 16 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 28 papers in peer-reviewed conference proceedings, and given 12 technical presentations on various topics including: additive manufacturing, mechatronics, biomechanics, and engineering education. He currently teaches the Engineered Systems In Society, Mechanical Engineering Professional Practice, and Capstone Design I and II courses.
Kevin J. Wu The University of Georgia [biography]

Kevin J. Wu is currently the Engineering Catalyst for Innovation Gateway at the University of Georgia and an Adjunct Instructor with the University of Georgia College of Engineering. Mr. Wu’s current research interests lie in examining the factors that affect innovation in undergraduate teams. Mr. Wu received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering from the University of Georgia.

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 July 31, 2026

« View session