2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Building Quality into MOOCs: An Evaluation Framework for Women-in-STEM Mentoring Programs

Presented at Women in Engineering Division (WIED) Technical Session 6

This Work in Progress (WIP) paper addresses women's underrepresentation in STEM higher education and academic leadership, which remains a key challenge. Among the several strategies and actions implemented and evaluated, mentoring programs have emerged as an effective strategy to foster women’s persistence, leadership, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging in these fields. Within this context, the (blinded for review) program at a Latin American university integrates Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a core component of its mentoring model, aiming to provide accessible, high-quality learning resources that complement mentoring relationships and community-building efforts. This practice-based paper presents the development and expert validation of a quality evaluation framework for MOOCs integrated into a mentoring program for academic women in STEM. The framework combines the principles of the 7Cs Learning Design Framework with the Quality Matters rubric. Then, it is complemented by the PDCA quality cycle, applying an engineering-based approach to evaluate instructional design, interactivity, accessibility, and alignment with mentoring objectives. In addition, participants’ perceptions were gathered through structured surveys to examine how effectively course design and learning activities supported the mentoring goals and addressed learners’ needs. Preliminary findings indicate that practice demonstrates how structured quality assurance processes can strengthen digital mentoring ecosystems for women in STEM. Finally, the paper discusses implications for sustainability, scalability, and transferability to other institutions seeking to integrate MOOCs into mentoring and professional development programs that advance gender equity in STEM.

Authors

Magdalena Rodriguez-Fuentes Universidad Andres Bello
Dr. Monica Quezada-Espinoza http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0383-0179 Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile [biography]

Monica Quezada-Espinoza is a professor and researcher at the School of Engineering at Universidad Andrés Bello in Santiago, Chile, where she collaborates with the Educational and Academic Innovation Unit (UNIDA) as an instructor in active learning methodologies and mentors engineering faculty in educational research. She is the Secretary of the Women in Engineering Division (WIED) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and an associate researcher in the STEM Latin America Network, specifically in the STEM + Gender group. Her research interests are diverse and focus on university education in STEM fields, faculty and professional development, research-based methodologies, and the use of evaluation tools and technology for education. She is also passionate about investigating conceptual learning in abstract physics topics, developing strategies to improve the retention of first-year engineering students, and enhancing skills and competencies in higher education. Additionally, Monica is dedicated to exploring gender issues in STEM education, with a particular emphasis on studying and proposing improvements for the inclusion of women in highly male-dominated fields. For more information on her work, visit her ORCID profile.
Prof. Angeles Dominguez http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6066-355X Universidad Andres Bello, Chile; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico [biography]

Angeles Dominguez is an adjunct researcher at the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. She also collaborates with the School of Engineering at the Universidad Andres Bello in Santiago, Chile. Angeles holds a bachelor’s degree in physics engineering from Tecnologico de Monterrey and a doctoral degree in Mathematics Education from Syracuse University, NY. Dr. Dominguez is a member of the Researchers’ National System in Mexico (SNI-2) and has been a visiting researcher at Syracuse University, UT-Austin, and Universidad Andres Bello. Her main research areas are interdisciplinary education, teaching methods, faculty development, and gender issues in STEM education. She actively participates in several national and international mathematics, engineering, and science education projects.
Prof. Maria Elena Truyol http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4967 Universidad Andres Bello [biography]

María Elena Truyol, Ph.D., is full professor and researcher of the Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB). She graduated as a physics teacher (for middle and high school), physics (M.Sc.), and a Ph.D. in Physics at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. In 2013, she obtained a three-year postdoctoral position at the Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. She focuses on educational research, physics education, problem solving, instructional material design, teacher training, and gender studies. She teaches undergraduate courses in environmental management, energy, and the fundamentals of industrial processes at the School of Engineering, UNAB. She currently coordinates the Educational and Academic Innovation Unit at the School of Engineering (UNAB). She is engaged in continuing teacher training in active learning methodologies at the three campuses of the School of Engineering (Concepción, Viña del Mar, and Santiago, Chile). She authored several manuscripts in the science education area, joined several research projects, participated in international conferences with oral presentations and keynote lectures, and served as a referee for journals, funding institutions, and associations.
Prof. Genaro Zavala http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-5880-1124 Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico; Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile [biography]

Genaro Zavala is the leader of the Socially Oriented Interdisciplinary STEM Education Research Group of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnologico de Monterrey. He collaborates with the Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Andres Bello in Chile. He is National Researcher Level 2 in Mexico. His research lines are interdisciplinary STEM education, social oriented education, conceptual understanding, active learning, assessment tools, and faculty development. Dr. Zavala was appointed to the editorial board of the PRPER (2015-18). In the AAPT, he was a vice-presidential candidate, member of the Committee on Research in Physics Education, member and chair of the International Education Committee, and elected member of Leadership Organizing Physics Education Research Council .

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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