2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Mapping Disciplinary Conceptions of Engineering Design Processes in Undergraduate Courses

This full Research paper explores how disciplinary engineering faculty conceptualize the processes and products of ‘engineering design’ in their undergraduate design courses. Design is a ubiquitous concept across engineering education curricula and literature. First-year cornerstone courses introduce students to engineering through design projects, while capstone design courses seek to prepare seniors for the types of work they will encounter in their careers. While there is wide consensus on the importance of design in the curriculum, little extant research has investigated what it means to ‘do design’ across engineering disciplines. The picture is even muddier when different disciplinary engineering educators are asked to define what it means to ‘do design well.’

Developing a clear understanding of both engineering design fundamentals and distinctions between disciplines is necessary for students to choose majors, explore their interests, and succeed in subsequent design courses. The framing of engineering design in first-year courses and projects must prepare students for the variety of design processes they may encounter in their disciplinary courses.

This paper is part of a larger project that is innovating first-year engineering instruction to incorporate various conceptualizations of engineering design across the disciplines. In this study, we interviewed faculty who teach middle- and upper-level engineering design courses at a large, public university in the US. Responses from different engineering disciplines were qualitatively analyzed using the general engineering design framework from Pahl and Beitz (1984) and mapped into a preliminary framework. Our analysis seeks to answer the research question: How do different disciplines represent unique and common elements of engineering design in undergraduate courses? By analyzing how faculty define, teach, and assess design learning, we contribute to understanding disciplinary identity and the foundational elements of engineering design.

Authors

Katherine Drinkwater Gregg Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Katie Drinkwater Gregg is a PhD candidate in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. She holds an MS and BS in Mechanical Engineering. Katie researches decision-making in engineering design, peer feedback literacy, out-of-class activities for engineers, and women in engineering.
Cassie Wallwey http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1318-1843 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Dr. Cassie Wallwey is a Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Her research interests center on student-centered and inclusive learning practices and principles including student engagement in learning, feedback and assessment, self-regulation of learning, and student motivation. Cassie got her PhD in Engineering Education from Ohio State University and her MS and BS in Biomedical Engineering from Wright State University.
Dr. Benjamin Daniel Chambers Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Dr. Ben Chambers is an Assistant Collegiate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, and Director of the Frith First Year Makers program. His research focuses include the interactions of non-humans with the built environment, the built environment as a tool for teaching at the nexus of biology and engineering, and creativity-based pedagogy. He earned his graduate degrees from Virginia Tech, including an M.S. Civil Infrastructure Engineering, M.S. LFS Entomology, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning.
Matthew James P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1057-1048 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Matthew James is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where he currently serves as the department’s first-year program coordinator. Since joining in 2017, Matt’s work has centered on teaching and curriculum development for the general engineering program, with a focus on foundational experiences for first-year students.
He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia. Before moving into academia, Matt worked in land development planning and design, contributing to projects in stormwater management, airport design, floodplain modeling, site development, and construction document preparation.
In his teaching, Matt supports a project-based learning approach to help students develop professional and technical skills relevant to engineering practice. He has contributed to scholarship of teaching and learning through research interests that include first-year engineering education, service learning, and international engagement. In addition to teaching and research, he serves as the faculty advisor to several student design teams, including the Virginia Tech chapter of Engineers in Action.

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