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Using Generative AI as an Active Learning Tool to Refine Professional Engineering Skills

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Conference

2024 South East Section Meeting

Location

Marietta, Georgia

Publication Date

March 10, 2024

Start Date

March 10, 2024

End Date

March 12, 2024

Page Count

10

DOI

10.18260/1-2--45579

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/45579

Download Count

32

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Paper Authors

biography

Bryn Elizabeth Seabrook University of Virginia

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Bryn Seabrook is an Assistant Professor in Science, Technology, and Society at the University of Virginia.

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Abstract

Nontechnical engineering skills are integral to the successful practice of the engineering profession. However, the dominant image of engineering rarely evokes ideas of typing pages of prose. A field that has been adopted into the engineering curriculum to help engage engineering students in higher education is Science, Technology, and Society (STS). As an interdisciplinary field, STS offers an active-learning environment to refine nontechnical engineering skills like problem-solving and communication. One recent question amongst STS scholars for engineers is: what role will generative AI play in the learning process for written communication? Perhaps one question that has not received as much attention is how this kind of AI could be beneficial in university-level nontechnical engineering classrooms. The purpose of this study is to underscore the importance of nontechnical engineering skills that are learned through the lens of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) in courses such as Science and Technology in Popular Culture, Engineering Ethics, and How Engineering Impacts Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The author builds on previous scholarship to demonstrate how discussion-based courses challenge undergraduate engineering students to think more critically about the integration of the social dimensions of engineering problems into the engineering design process. Active learning modules like “Tinkering with ChatGPT” demonstrate the implications and applications of AI inside and outside the classroom.

Seabrook, B. E. (2024, March), Using Generative AI as an Active Learning Tool to Refine Professional Engineering Skills Paper presented at 2024 South East Section Meeting, Marietta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--45579

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