Engineering Education Research Briefs

This two part episode is a continuation of our conversation with Dr. Cindy Atman. In part one, she shared an intriguing history of engineering education and the role of centers in establishing the field (Pt. 1). But in part two she shares the wisdom she has gained related to leadership in engineering education. If you are: 1) considering establishing an engineering education department;  2) engaging in the arduous process of looking for engineering education departmental leadership; or 3) considering a leadership role in engineering education yourself this episode is a must. It was an absolute joy to engage with Dr. Atman. I hope you enjoy her wisdom, quotes, and insights as much as we did. 

“Centers are an important way to address specific challenges that can be contextualized, …ways to connect with other parts of campus or institutions, …or a national resource that everybody can draw on.”

This two part episode is a must listen for anybody intrigued by the history of engineering education and the role of centers in establishing the field (Pt. 1). Likewise, a great listen for those looking to establish engineering education departments and/or are looking for engineering education departmental leadership (Pt. 2).

“Centers are an important way to address specific challenges that can be contextualized, …ways to connect with other parts of campus or institutions, …or a national resource that everybody can draw on.”

Resources:

Websites:

• Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE)
• Consortium for the Promotion of Reflection in Engineering Education (CPREE)
• Design Signatures website

Papers/reports:

Atman, C. J. (2019). Design timelines: Concrete and sticky representations of design process expertise. Design Studies, 65, 125-151.

Atman, C. J., Sheppard, S. D., Adams, R. S., Fleming, L. N., Stevens, R., Streveler, R. A., Smith, K. A., Miller, R. L., Leifer, L. J., Yasuhara, K., Lund, D. (2010). Enabling Engineering Student Success: The Final Report for the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education. San Rafael, CA: Morgan & Claypool Publishers.

Atman, C. J., Adams, R. S., Cardella, M. E., Turns, J., Mosborg, S., & Saleem, J. (2007). Engineering design processes: A comparison of students and expert practitioners. Journal of engineering education, 96(4), 359-379.

Engineering Education Community Resource

Dr. Smith shares with us her full-circle journey to and through engineering education. Dr. Smith is a community-engaged scholar that leverages asset-based frameworks along with humility to learn with the families she engages with for her work. She reminds us the importance of an ethic of care when designing and executing research. 

“You have to position this work very carefully. So anyone that is doing community-engaged scholarship, you have to be very thoughtful in how you write about what you do on your CV or communicate it to your colleagues.”

Name drop: Ann Ishimaru, Natalie King

Join us in our conversation with Dr. Esther Matemba about engineering education from an international perspective. We discuss the variance in topics and priorities based on the context and how important it is for us to consider context when defining and describing research. We also explore Dr. Matemba’s experience with coalition building on the continent of Africa through the effort called the ENGINEERING EDUCATION RESEARCH NETWORK AFRICA (EERN-AFRICA). We were inspired by her words and hope you are too.

“Give everyone a chance...Be open to other people’s topics even if it is not your context.” 

In this episode we talk with Dr. Elizabeth Litzler about her pathway to and through engineering education. We talk about the impact of program evaluation, and the barriers and liberation associated with aligning values with research methods, more specifically participatory action research.

“It [Participatory Action Research, PAR] usually has a bit more of a democratic feel to it. So, your research methods are really collaborative and the community members or the participants are really like co-researchers.”

This episode we talk with Dr. Julia Williams about her pathway to and through engineering education and more specifically about her experience with change in engineering education.

“I saw opportunities for change all around me. And as I struggled, sometimes, to make change happen; other times hitting it out of the park maybe. I thought, gee there are things that we do to make change happen that aren’t really written down anywhere.”

This episode explores the pathway of Dr. Ruth Streveler and her confidence to move out of her lane into innovation. Her words are inspiring and they challenge the community to pick up the baton in conceptual change towards a new model. 

“Trust yourself. And look for opportunities, and ... have an entrepreneurial mindset... [The mindset] isn’t necessarily for something you are going to sell or a product you are going to develop, but what you want to do with your career.”

This episode introduces the new hosts of Research Briefs, Dr. Jeremi London and Dr. Monique Ross, to the internationally followed podcast audience. 

“I’m really excited about this new direction, in that we will carry on many of the wonderful things that Ruth started but also begin to make it our own…”

This episode rebroadcasts Dr. Ruth Streveler’s June 2020 conversation with Dr. Jeremi London – who shares her fascinating research on ‘impact’.

“I started to look at what makes studying impact so difficult and realized that it was very value-laden and it’s a discussion on what is something worth.  And discussions on worth are always really tough to have.” - Jeremi London