Developing Diverse Leaders through Peer Teaching and Undergraduate Research: A Work in Progress

Mohamed Razi Nalim; Danka Maric; Sharon Miller; Mohammadhossein Jamshidnejad; Lauren Christopher; Christine Krull; Eric W Adams; Shahrzad Ghadiri; Richard Vernal Sullivan; Cliff Campbell

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Engineering Leadership Development Division (LEAD) Technical Session: Engineering Leadership Competencies and Skills
Tagged Division: Engineering Leadership Development Division (LEAD)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47163

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Paper Authors

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Mohamed Razi Nalim Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis orcid.org/0000-0002-7586-6357

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Dr. Razi Nalim is Chancellor's Professor of Mechanical Engineering at IUPUI, where he directs the Combustion and Propulsion Research Laboratory and helps lead the Transportation and Autonomous Systems Institute. He has extensive experience in higher education and professional practice – in industry, academia, and government. He has administered research, sponsored work, graduate programs, international initiatives, accreditation, and financial aid, working with the faculty and administration of two major public university systems and their urban and flagship campuses. He has published well over a hundred technical papers, and received 7 patents, supported by over $12 million in external grants from NASA, NIH, NSF, Rolls-Royce, and others. He pioneered research in novel pressure-gain combustion systems. He also pioneered project-enhanced active learning in gateway STEM education, with federal grants for pedagogic research and student training. He previously led research and development at two small companies, and he founded a new start-up to commercialize his research. He is an Associate Fellow of AIAA, and he has served overseas as Fulbright Scholar (twice) and NATO AGARD Scholar.

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Danka Maric Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

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Danka Maric is a Research Associate at the STEM Education Innovation and Research Institute (SEIRI). Her research interest center around how psycho-social factors interact with student learning and promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM education. She has expertise in quantitative research methodology and has developed a special interest in measurement during her time at SEIRI. She also works on faculty development through several of SEIRI’s initiatives. This includes acting as the grant facilitator for the SEIRI Seed Grant program and supporting STEM faculty on STEM education research projects.

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Sharon Miller Purdue University

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Sharon Miller, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. She received a BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Purdue University and MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Her educational efforts focus on biomedical engineering discipline-based educational research, including design self-efficacy, project-based learning, critical reflection in ethics, and high-impact practices.

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Mohammadhossein Jamshidnejad Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

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Graduate Mechanical Engineering student interested in novel propulsion technology. Experience as a student liaison for research of an Engineering Innovation and Leadership program. Other related experience includes teaching assistantship for undergraduate and graduate level courses.

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Lauren Christopher Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

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Dr. Lauren Christopher attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she received her S. B. and S. M. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1982, specializing in digital signal processing and chip design. She worked at RCAâ€™s David Sa

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Abstract

In 2021, the Navy Engineering Innovation and Leadership (NEIL) Program was established on our campus to provide leadership and research training to engineering and computing undergraduate students. NEIL Scholars were selected from engineering and computing majors, and were provided a structured way to develop and refine leadership skills through multiple activities. Engineering students are more likely to find collegiate and professional successes when leadership skill development is implemented early and repeatedly during their learning. Our work in progress aims to highlight how the NEIL Program implements an engineering leadership curriculum and how we assess scholar leadership skill development. Notably, the percentage of female and underrepresented minority student participants well exceeds their representation in targeted majors when compared with national metrics. Instructional Approach: NEIL scholars are appointed as peer leaders in an existing peer-led team learning (PLTL) instructional approach to assist a team of near-peer students engaged in problem-solving. The peer leaders use the principle of redirection to assist in teaching difficult subject material by leading active and collaborative learning, while adapting to group dynamics, institutional changes, and life challenges. As they assist other students to succeed in challenging entry-level engineering courses, NEIL scholars concurrently enroll in organizational leadership (OL) coursework that develops student knowledge in and application of redirecting strategies, team management, and leadership theories. Reflection, a learning tool has been documented as an effective method to promote the development of one’s leadership competencies, is implemented within the OL courses and PLTL activities to enable NEIL Scholars to better connect leadership principles to professional practice. Separately, NEIL scholars also take a leadership role on a research project in a supervised setting, and they report their findings through posters at career development events and visits to Navy facilities. Methods: NEIL Scholar leadership competencies are measured using a mixed-methods approach using both a leadership survey and a focus group evaluation. Specifically, the leadership survey instrument provides opportunity to measure four leadership factors: individual leadership abilities, interdependent relationships on engineering and society and economy, teaming and peer work, and adaptability. The leadership survey is administered when NEIL Scholars join the program prior to any OL coursework and then again after they complete a peer leader experience via PLTL or a similar activity. The focus group evaluation typically happens after at least one year of program participation. Preliminary Findings & Significance: Our preliminary focus group data have found that when students are asked to identify aspects of the NEIL program that have impacted their own development of leadership and innovation skills, responses were related to increased confidence or self-efficacy. Specific aspects of leadership identified by students included task delegation, working through unfamiliar situations without supervision, taking initiative, and sharing new ideas. As more students participate in the NEIL program, we plan to combine our qualitative focus group data analysis with the results from our quantitative leadership survey data. This will also include differentiated data on the impact of the NEIL program on female and underrepresented minority students.

Citation
Format

Nalim, M. R., & Maric, D., & Miller, S., & Jamshidnejad, M., & Christopher, L., & Krull, C., & Adams, E. W., & Ghadiri, S., & Sullivan, R. V., & Campbell, C. (2024, June), Developing Diverse Leaders through Peer Teaching and Undergraduate Research: A Work in Progress Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47163

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - In 2021, the Navy Engineering Innovation and Leadership (NEIL) Program was established on our campus to provide leadership and research training to engineering and computing undergraduate students. NEIL Scholars were selected from engineering and computing majors, and were provided a structured way to develop and refine leadership skills through multiple activities. Engineering students are more likely to find collegiate and professional successes when leadership skill development is implemented early and repeatedly during their learning. Our work in progress aims to highlight how the NEIL Program implements an engineering leadership curriculum and how we assess scholar leadership skill development. Notably, the percentage of female and underrepresented minority student participants well exceeds their representation in targeted majors when compared with national metrics.
Instructional Approach: NEIL scholars are appointed as peer leaders in an existing peer-led team learning (PLTL) instructional approach to assist a team of near-peer students engaged in problem-solving. The peer leaders use the principle of redirection to assist in teaching difficult subject material by leading active and collaborative learning, while adapting to group dynamics, institutional changes, and life challenges. As they assist other students to succeed in challenging entry-level engineering courses, NEIL scholars concurrently enroll in organizational leadership (OL) coursework that develops student knowledge in and application of redirecting strategies, team management, and leadership theories. Reflection, a learning tool has been documented as an effective method to promote the development of one’s leadership competencies, is implemented within the OL courses and PLTL activities to enable NEIL Scholars to better connect leadership principles to professional practice. Separately, NEIL scholars also take a leadership role on a research project in a supervised setting, and they report their findings through posters at career development events and visits to Navy facilities.
Methods: NEIL Scholar leadership competencies are measured using a mixed-methods approach using both a leadership survey and a focus group evaluation. Specifically, the leadership survey instrument provides opportunity to measure four leadership factors: individual leadership abilities, interdependent relationships on engineering and society and economy, teaming and peer work, and adaptability. The leadership survey is administered when NEIL Scholars join the program prior to any OL coursework and then again after they complete a peer leader experience via PLTL or a similar activity. The focus group evaluation typically happens after at least one year of program participation.
Preliminary Findings &amp;amp; Significance: Our preliminary focus group data have found that when students are asked to identify aspects of the NEIL program that have impacted their own development of leadership and innovation skills, responses were related to increased confidence or self-efficacy. Specific aspects of leadership identified by students included task delegation, working through unfamiliar situations without supervision, taking initiative, and sharing new ideas. As more students participate in the NEIL program, we plan to combine our qualitative focus group data analysis with the results from our quantitative leadership survey data. This will also include differentiated data on the impact of the NEIL program on female and underrepresented minority students.
AU  - Mohamed Razi Nalim
AU  - Danka Maric
AU  - Sharon Miller
AU  - Mohammadhossein Jamshidnejad
AU  - Lauren Christopher
AU  - Christine Krull
AU  - Eric W Adams
AU  - Shahrzad Ghadiri
AU  - Richard Vernal Sullivan
AU  - Cliff Campbell
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Developing Diverse Leaders through Peer Teaching and Undergraduate Research: A Work in Progress
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47163
ER  -