2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Integrating Arduino into Experimental-Centric Pedagogy: A Longitudinal Investigation of Motivation and Engagement in Civil and Transportation Engineering

This study examines how Arduino-based experimental-centric pedagogy influences student motivation, learning behaviors, and classroom engagement in undergraduate civil and transportation engineering courses at a historically Black college and university. Traditional lecture-driven instruction often limits students’ opportunities to actively engage with course material and build confidence in applying engineering concepts. Guided by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, hands-on experimental modules using Arduino were integrated into existing courses over multiple academic terms from Fall 2021 to Fall 2024. These modules were intentionally designed to move students through concrete experiences, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation by emphasizing real-time data collection, reflection on results, and iterative testing of ideas.

A longitudinal quantitative approach was used to assess changes in student learning experiences. Pre- and post-course surveys based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire were administered to examine shifts in students’ motivational beliefs and learning strategies, alongside structured classroom observations. The results show meaningful improvements in intrinsic goal orientation, task value, and self-efficacy for learning and performance, indicating that students became more interested in the material, placed greater value on course tasks, and felt more confident in their ability to succeed. At the same time, students reported lower levels of test anxiety. In addition, gains were observed in metacognitive self-regulation and effort regulation, suggesting that students improved in planning their learning, monitoring their progress, and sustaining effort during challenging tasks. Classroom observations further revealed higher levels of deep engagement and active participation during experimental activities.

Overall, the findings suggest that sustained implementation of Arduino-based experimental-centric pedagogy, when aligned with Kolb’s experiential learning framework, supports both the motivational and self-regulatory dimensions of learning and helps students engage more deeply with civil and transportation engineering content.

Authors

Samuel Sola Akosile Morgan State University [biography]

Samuel Akosile is a Ph.D. student in Sustainable Infrastructure and Resilience Engineering at Morgan State University, within the Department of Civil Engineering. He currently works as a Research Assistant, contributing to innovative studies in the field of civil infrastructure. His primary research area focuses on sustainable design for pavement systems, aiming to develop environmentally responsible, durable, and cost-effective solutions for modern transportation networks. Samuel’s work explores the integration of green materials, lifecycle assessment, and resilient engineering practices in pavement design. Through his research, he seeks to address key challenges in infrastructure sustainability while promoting long-term resilience in the face of climate change and increasing urban demands
John Olawale Akosile Morgan State University
Kehinde Omosor Morgan State University
Abiola Olayinka Ajala http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8848-1843 Morgan State University [biography]

Abiola Olayinka Ajala is an AI researcher for the National Airspace System (NAS) at Morgan State University, pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering with a focus on Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI. Currently working on a research on climate resilience and aviation security using AI-driven solutions. With a Master’s in Advanced Computing and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Abiola has expertise in data science, cybersecurity, networking, business analysis, and system administration. A member of ASEE,IEEE who is passionate about STEM education to introduce K1-12 students to computing/ engineering skills and digital literacy.
Dr. Oludare Adegbola Owolabi P.E. Morgan State University [biography]

Dr. Owolabi, P.E., joined the Morgan State University (MSU) faculty in the summer of 2010. He is the Director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development, Smart Innovation and Resilient Engineering Research Laboratory as well as the Director of the Undergraduate Geotechnical Laboratory at the department of Civil Engineering. In 2020, he was the interim Associate Chair of the department of Civil Engineering. He has about 30 years of outstanding experience in practicing, teaching, and research in civil and transportation engineering. Dr. Owolabi earned his doctorate in civil and environmental engineering in 2007, from George Washington University as well as Masters in civil engineering (transportation engineering) from the prestigious Federal University of Technology, Akure Nigeria. He completed his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the premier Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in 1991. In 2019 under his leadership as the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) Accreditation Coordinator, he successfully led the department to attain another six-year accreditation cycle without any observation, concern, shortcoming, or deficiency being the first of such in the history of the department.

Dr. Owolabi is also the recipient of the 2020 Morgan State University Outstanding Faculty Award for Excellence in Service. He is an expert in advanced modeling and computational mechanics. His major area of research interests centers majorly in, geotechnical engineering, engineering education, sustainable infrastructure development, computational geomechanics, pavement engineering, Soil mechanics, physical and numerical modeling of soil structures, constitutive modeling, pavement design, characterization and prediction of behavior of pavement materials, linear and non-linear finite element applications in geotechnical engineering, geo-structural systems analysis, structural mechanics and material model development. He is considered to be a paradigm of a modern engineer, possessing a combination of practical experience with the most advanced numerical analysis tools, and knowledge of material constitutive relations - things essential to addressing the challenges of advanced material research and development.

Dr. Owolabi has secured, as PI or Co-PI, about $2.46 million in research grants that solved society problems in transportation engineering, fostered sustainable infrastructure development and enhanced student engagement in the STEM fields. Dr. Owolabi currently is the Principal Investigator of a three-year $1.75 Million NSF grant that cuts across multiple STEM disciplines at Morgan titled "Adapting an Experiment-centric Teaching Approach to Increase Student Achievement in Multiple STEM Disciplines". Dr. Owolabi has authored over 40 publications/presentations in civil engineering and STEM education. He is a professional engineer registered in Maryland. Dr. Owolabi maintains membership in the Committee on Geo-Environmental and Climatic Impacts on Geomaterials (AKG300) of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), where he plays a vital role in facilitating the exchange of transportation research information and results, through; development of research problem statements in transportation; review and recommendation of papers for publication and for TRB Annual meetings.

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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