2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Analyzing Curriculum Structure and Student Navigation Using Graph Theory in Engineering Education

Presented at DSAI-Session 10: Curriculum Analytics, Degree Planning, and Student Pathways

In engineering education, curriculum design quietly structures every student’s journey. It shapes what knowledge they encounter, how they build expertise, and who ultimately succeeds. Yet, despite its centrality, curriculum often remains a static map rather than a system open to analysis and redesign. This work-in-progress paper proposes a network-based framework that reconceptualizes curriculum as a living, interconnected system shaped by relationships among courses, learning objectives, and digital resources.

Drawing on graph learning analytics and theories of curriculum design and networked learning, the framework models these relationships to reveal patterns of coherence, accessibility, and progression within engineering programs. It provides a mechanism for tracing how design choices influence learning pathways and for identifying points where structure may constrain or enable opportunity. Using artifacts such as syllabi, program maps, and digital learning environments, the framework integrates multiple layers of data to represent curriculum as both a pedagogical and analytical construct.

This work positions curriculum analysis as a dynamic and data-informed process for improving engineering education. The contribution lies not in reporting outcomes but in establishing a scalable, theoretically grounded approach for examining curricular systems. By reframing curriculum as an evolving network, this study opens new possibilities for designing equitable, coherent, and evidence-based learning pathways.

Authors

Jobin Varughese http://orcid.org/https://0009-0002-9322-4179 Texas A&M University [biography]

Jobin Varughese is a doctoral student in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he also serves as Senior Educational Data Analyst at the Center for Teaching Excellence. He holds an M.S. in Management Information Systems with an emphasis in Data Science from Oklahoma State University and a B.S. in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Christ University. His research draws on learning analytics, AI in education, and human-computer interaction to observe, build, and study systems that learn how people learn. In this work, he partners closely with faculty, instructional staff, and students — believing that the most meaningful scholarship emerges not from research alone, but from collaborations with the people closest to the learning experience.
Dr. Yeonji Jung Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Yeonji Jung is an Assistant Professor of Learning Technologies and Performance Systems at Texas A&M University. Her research examines, designs, and supports meaningful collaborative discourse through analytics-informed approaches.
Dr. Gibin Raju http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2559-6931 Texas A&M University [biography]

Gibin Raju is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Engineering Education in the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M University. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Education from the University of Cincinnati and is a recipient of the ASEE Educational Research and Methods (ERM) Division Apprentice Faculty Grant. His research focuses on transformative learning, creativity, critical thinking skills, spatial skills, and engineering design, with particular attention to cognitive stress, cognitive load, and STEM accessibility. By integrating these strategies into a holistic framework, Dr. Raju enhances workforce development, strengthens engineering pathways, and broadens participation in STEM fields. His work equips educators with tools to personalize instruction and foster professional identity, ultimately preparing future engineers to thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Dr. Sunay Palsole Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Palsole is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Remote Engineering Education at Texas A&M University, and has been involved in academic technology for over 20 years. He helped establish the Engineering Studio for Advanced Instruction & Learning (eSAIL),

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