Experiences of Students with Physical Disabilities in Engineering: A Literature Review

Julian Rodrigo Sosa-Molano; Alexandra Coso Strong

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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: Diverse Pathways in Engineering Education: Exploring Experiences and Opportunities
Tagged Division: Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47390

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Paper Authors

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Julian Rodrigo Sosa-Molano Florida International University

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Julian is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University. He holds a BSc in Electronics Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia and a MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The University of Arizona. He is pursuing his PhD degree in Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University. He has professional experience in Information Technology, Semiconductors, and Telecommunications in international companies such as Ecopetrol, Texas Instruments, and Ericsson. His research interests focus on inclusive STEM learning and teaching methodologies for students with physical disabilities.

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Alexandra Coso Strong Florida International University orcid.org/0000-0003-4988-361X

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As an assistant professor of engineering education at Florida International University, Dr. Alexandra Coso Strong works and teaches at the intersection of engineering education, faculty development, and complex systems design. Alexandra completed her graduate degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech (PhD) and Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia (UVa).

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Abstract

Studies in the field of engineering education have demonstrated that students with disabilities in engineering encounter barriers and discrimination in their academic experiences. Even though accommodations are designed to support these students, these accommodations are not necessarily a complete “solution”. Other studies have illustrated examples of students with disabilities who have dropped out of their engineering programs and opted to pursue different college majors. Moreover, scholars have suggested that research on disability in higher education is limited. In an effort to amplify the voices of these students and to better understand what is already documented in the literature, this conference paper will present a review of the literature on the experiences of undergraduate students with physical disabilities in engineering.

This literature review seeks to answer the following question: What is the current landscape of literature about the experiences of undergraduate engineering students with physical disabilities? Three databases will be consulted for finding the articles: the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) PEER Document Repository, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. These databases were selected to capture diverse perspectives within educational research and within engineering education research specifically. Some of the search keywords will consist of ‘disability’, ‘engineering’, ‘experiences’, ‘undergraduate education’, ‘students with disabilities’, ‘disabled students.’ The search will include articles in conference proceedings and journals during the span of the last ten (10) years (2013 through 2023). The following inclusion criteria will be used to select the appropriate studies for review: (1) the participants in the studies include students with physical disabilities, (2) the context for the study is undergraduate engineering education in any engineering discipline, and (3) the focus of the study will include explorations of students’ experiences. After the papers are screened by title, abstract and full-text, the ones that comply with the three mentioned criteria will be declared as eligible. The eligible papers will be analyzed by a qualitative content analysis to articulate the breadth of research on the experiences of undergraduate engineering students with physical disabilities and to isolate key gaps.

It is expected that the results of the literature review will address academic experiences such as learning processes, barriers, discrimination, positive and negative interactions of engineering disabled students with classmates and faculty, and others that impede the academic success of these students. It is also anticipated that current literature focused on lack of accommodations in classrooms, absence of students with disabilities’ opinions in the design of solutions, and some disabled engineering students abandoning their programs to pursue other horizons. Overall, this literature review will provide the engineering education community with an understanding of the current conditions of students with physical disabilities and a foundation for pursuing additional research that can further enhance the experiences of these students within engineering.

Citation
Format

Sosa-Molano, J. R., & Strong, A. C. (2024, June), Experiences of Students with Physical Disabilities in Engineering: A Literature Review Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47390

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Studies in the field of engineering education have demonstrated that students with disabilities in engineering encounter barriers and discrimination in their academic experiences. Even though accommodations are designed to support these students, these accommodations are not necessarily a complete “solution”. Other studies have illustrated examples of students with disabilities who have dropped out of their engineering programs and opted to pursue different college majors. Moreover, scholars have suggested that research on disability in higher education is limited. In an effort to amplify the voices of these students and to better understand what is already documented in the literature, this conference paper will present a review of the literature on the experiences of undergraduate students with physical disabilities in engineering.

This literature review seeks to answer the following question: What is the current landscape of literature about the experiences of undergraduate engineering students with physical disabilities? Three databases will be consulted for finding the articles: the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) PEER Document Repository, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. These databases were selected to capture diverse perspectives within educational research and within engineering education research specifically. Some of the search keywords will consist of ‘disability’, ‘engineering’, ‘experiences’, ‘undergraduate education’, ‘students with disabilities’, ‘disabled students.’ The search will include articles in conference proceedings and journals during the span of the last ten (10) years (2013 through 2023). The following inclusion criteria will be used to select the appropriate studies for review: (1) the participants in the studies include students with physical disabilities, (2) the context for the study is undergraduate engineering education in any engineering discipline, and (3) the focus of the study will include explorations of students’ experiences. After the papers are screened by title, abstract and full-text, the ones that comply with the three mentioned criteria will be declared as eligible. The eligible papers will be analyzed by a qualitative content analysis to articulate the breadth of research on the experiences of undergraduate engineering students with physical disabilities and to isolate key gaps. 

It is expected that the results of the literature review will address academic experiences such as learning processes, barriers, discrimination, positive and negative interactions of engineering disabled students with classmates and faculty, and others that impede the academic success of these students. It is also anticipated that current literature focused on lack of accommodations in classrooms, absence of students with disabilities’ opinions in the design of solutions, and some disabled engineering students abandoning their programs to pursue other horizons. Overall, this literature review will provide the engineering education community with an understanding of the current conditions of students with physical disabilities and a foundation for pursuing additional research that can further enhance the experiences of these students within engineering.

AU  - Julian Rodrigo Sosa-Molano
AU  - Alexandra Coso Strong
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Experiences of Students with Physical Disabilities in Engineering: A Literature Review
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47390
ER  -