2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Exploring Gendered Pathways: The Role of Formative Assessment in Enhancing Cognitive Engagement in Undergraduate Engineering

Presented at A Deep Dive into Failure and Assessment

This study is a theory and methods full research paper that examines gender differences in learning approaches and engagement in engineering education. Gender differences in learning approaches and engagement have long been a subject of interest in engineering education research and have been widely studied. Since one of the fundamental objectives for educators is to design fair, equitable, and effective learning experiences for all students, an understanding of how male and female undergraduate engineering students react to various types of learning experiences and assessments can help contribute to these efforts. This study explores how formative assessments influence cognitive engagement during problem-solving activities among first-year undergraduate engineering students with particular attention to gender differences. Considering the growing need to account for individual differences in educational settings, this research focuses on how male and female students demonstrate distinct patterns of cognitive engagement when exposed to formative assessments during problem-solving tasks. This research is part of a larger study that utilizes a sequential exploratory mixed-method design with a participant selection model. The quantitative phase employed the Need for Closure Scale (NFCS) and demographic data from 67 students enrolled in an engineering mechanics statics course at a public land-grant research university in the western United States to identify eight participants (4 males, 4 females) for the qualitative phase of the study. In the qualitative phase, the selected participants solved two statics problems of equal difficulty, with formative assessment integrated into only one task. Using the guided Think-Aloud Protocol (TAP), students’ verbalizations of their reasoning, reflections, and decision-making were recorded. The resulting qualitative data were analyzed through the ICAP framework to examine gender-based patterns of cognitive engagement and how these patterns shifted with the introduction of formative assessments during problem-solving. The findings indicated that formative assessments enhanced cognitive engagement both among males and females, but in different ways. Females were found to show improvement in reflective thinking and receptivity to feedback after the introduction of formative assessments. Male students, on the other hand, showed increases in task focus, persistence of task focus, and less modification of strategy. The findings indicate the necessity for the reframing of formative assessments and feedback, and an assessment design to incorporate gender-based differential needs of undergraduate engineering students.

Authors

Dr. Talha Naqash Dickinson State University [biography]

Dr. Talha Naqash completed his doctoral studies in Engineering Education at Utah State University. With a diverse academic foundation, he also holds a Master’s degree in Telecommunication and Networking. He is currently serving as a faculty member at Dickinson State University in the School of Applied Sciences. Dr. Naqash’s research focuses on cognitive engagement analysis, assessment methods in engineering education, and the role of facial expressions and emotions in the learning process. His scholarly contributions include numerous publications and presentations at prestigious venues such as IEEE, ASEE conferences, and leading Wiley and Springer journals. He is an active member of several technical committees and serves as a reviewer for reputable journals and international conferences, including the ASEE and IEEE Transactions on Education. Dr. Naqash’s dedication to advancing educational research, combined with his broad academic and professional experience, underscores his commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in engineering education.
Dr. Zain ul Abideen Utah State University [biography]

Zain ul Abideen holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Utah State University, where he also served as a Graduate Researcher. He is a computer engineer and earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and master’s degree in engineering, and brings over a decade of experience in teaching and research with undergraduate engineering students. He actively contributes to several technical committees and serves as a reviewer for leading journals and international conferences. His doctoral research focused on cognitive engagement, AI in education and engineering design, self-regulated learning, and mobile learning. His work seeks to deepen our understanding of how these elements influence learning and success in engineering education. With a strong commitment to educational advancement and a robust academic background, Zain is recognized as a dedicated and emerging scholar in the field of engineering education.
Dr. Assad Iqbal http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8060-7384 The Ohio State University [biography]

Assad Iqbal (Sid) is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering, Ohio State University. Assad has been working with the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded national collaboration research project, "Engineering For Us All (e4usa) since October 2022. The core mission of this project is to increase student and teacher access to engineering with a focus on reaching traditionally underrepresented populations in this field.

With a BS in Computer Information Systems Engineering, a Master of Science in Engineering Management, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education, Assad's long-term research goal is to converge his varied research experiences and endeavors to explore the possibilities of an inclusive instructional design to promote self-directed, self-regulated, life-long learning among pre-college and undergraduate engineering students.
Dr. Oenardi Lawanto Utah State University [biography]

Dr. Oenardi Lawanto is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Utah State University, USA. He received his B.S.E.E. from Iowa State University, his M.S.E.E. from the University of Dayton, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Lawanto has a combination of expertise in engineering and education and has more than 30 and 14 years of experience teaching engineering and cognitive-related topics courses for his doctoral students, respectively. He also has extensive experience in working collaboratively with several universities in Asia, the World Bank Institute, and USAID to design and conduct workshops promoting active-learning and life-long learning that is sustainable and scalable. Dr. Lawanto’s research interests include cognition, learning, and instruction, and online learning.
Dr. Angela Minichiello P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4545-9355 Utah State University [biography]

Angela (Angie) Minichiello, PhD is a military veteran, licensed mechanical engineer, and Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Utah State University.

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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