Understanding the Skills and Knowledge Emphasized in Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Courses
- Conference
- Location
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Portland, Oregon
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2024
- Start Date
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June 23, 2024
- End Date
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July 12, 2024
- Conference Session
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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) Technical Session 28
- Tagged Division
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Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/48199
Paper Authors
Berenice A. Cabrera University of Michigan
Berenice Alex Cabrera (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in Higher Education at the Marsal School of Education at the University of Michigan. She earned a B.A. in Biology and Latinx Studies and a minor in Chemistry from San Francisco State University (SFSU). She also earned a Master’s in Cell and Molecular Biology from SFSU and a Master’s in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. Alex taught biology at community colleges in California before attending the University of Michigan where her research interests pivoted to engineering education. Her current research interests focus on examining the messaging undergraduate engineering students receive with respect to the type of work that is valued in engineering. Her research is centered around the goal of making engineering curriculum more socioculturally relevant and the field more inclusive of women and students of color.
Shannon M. Clancy
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0003-2779-0746
Shannon M. Clancy (she/they) is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. She earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Her current research focuses on idea development and ideation tools, divergent thinking, and engineering curricular practices and culture. Her research interests include front-end design practices, sociotechnical knowledge and skills in engineering, and queer student experiences in engineering. Their work is motivated by their passion for and experiences with inclusive teaching and holistic mentorship of students, seeking to reimagine what an engineer looks like, does, and who they are, especially for queer folks, women, and people of color, through empowerment, collaboration, and co-development for a more equitable world. Shannon is also a Senior Graduate Facilitator and Lab Manager with the Center for Socially Engaged Design.
Vibhavari Vempala
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0001-7119-1498
Vibhavari (Vibha) Vempala is a PhD student in Engineering Education Research at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include access to opportunities, social networks, and career management of engineering students. Vibha received her B.S. in Engineering from the joint department of Biomedical Engineering at The North Carolina State University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Jingfeng Wu University of Michigan
Jingfeng Wu is currently a PhD student at the University of Michigan majoring in Engineering Education Research. She holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from University of Calgary in Canada, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at Chang'an University in China. Her research interests include engineering identity, design thinking, and engineering professional development.
Erika Mosyjowski University of Michigan
Erika Mosyjowski is the Research and Faculty Engagement Manager in the Center for Socially Engaged Design within University of Michigan College of Engineering. She earned a PhD and MA in Higher Education from Michigan and a Bachelor's in Psychology and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University.
Lisa R. Lattuca
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0003-1547-5992
Lisa Lattuca, Professor of Higher Education and member of the Core Faculty in the Engineering Education Research Program at the University of Michigan. She studies curriculum, teaching, and learning in college and university settings, particularly how fac
Joi-lynn Mondisa
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0002-3959-6548
Joi Mondisa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering and an Engineering Education Faculty Member at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
Shanna R. Daly
University of Michigan
orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-2973
Shanna Daly is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. She has a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University.
Abstract
This is a research paper proposed for the Educational and Research Methods (ERM) division.
A strong understanding of technical knowledge is necessary for all engineers, but understanding the context in which engineering work takes place is just as important. Engineering work impacts people, communities, and environments, and there is increasing recognition of the importance of preparing engineers to account for these sociocultural dimensions. The engineering curriculum needs to include both technical and sociocultural topics to prepare students as holistically competent engineers. A call for broader engineering skills is evident in ABET student outcomes, a few of which directly denote the importance of students’ ability to identify the ethical, cultural, and social impact engineers have on society. However, engineering education continues to underemphasize or omit entirely non-technical aspects of engineering practice. Technical knowledge persists as the central focus in engineering classes. Omitting sociocultural material in engineering classes can result in the development of future engineers whose designs further perpetuate social and systemic inequities, such as environmental pollution that affects vulnerable populations or inefficient designs that risk human lives. Additionally, emphasizing sociotechnical content in undergraduate engineering courses can help attract and retain a more diverse population of students who value socially relevant engineering work.
A deep grounding in both technical and social skills and knowledge is particularly important in Industrial Engineering (IE), a field that focuses on analyzing data to improve systems and processes and which tends to focus more on human and business dimensions than many other engineering fields. Even so, there is little evidence to indicate that sociocultural skills and knowledge are taught in IE courses. Because the curricular focus of a field communicates to students what is and is not valued in the field, students who enter IE with a strong desire to advance social good may learn that such a goal is inconsistent with the field’s values and ultimately feel alienated or disinterested if social dimensions are not incorporated into their coursework. More insight is needed into the kinds of messages IE coursework sends about the nature of work in the field and the opportunities these courses provide for students to develop the sociotechnical knowledge and skills that are increasingly crucial in Industrial Engineering.
In an effort to characterize how, if at all, core courses in IE facilitate students’ development of sociotechnical engineering skills, this research paper examines the general content of core IE courses at a predominantly white institution. This paper draws on data generated for a larger research study that leverages Holland et al.’s Figured Worlds framework to explore the messaging undergraduate engineering students receive in their classes around valued knowledge in their field. In this study, we draw on observation data leveraging recordings of seven required undergraduate courses in IE. We analyzed three randomly selected sessions from each course, with a total of 21 unique sessions observed. Our findings describe the practices that are and are not emphasized within and across required IE courses and the ways these practices are discussed. Our characterization of emphasized engineering practices provides an important foundation for understanding what is communicated to students about the nature of engineering work in their field, messaging which has substantial implications for the population of students who enter and persist in the field beyond their undergraduate studies.
Cabrera, B. A., & Clancy, S. M., & Vempala, V., & Wu, J., & Mosyjowski, E., & Lattuca, L. R., & Mondisa, J., & Daly, S. R. (2024, June), Understanding the Skills and Knowledge Emphasized in Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Courses Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48199
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