This methods paper examines the development of a longitudinal narrative research design that explores the professional formation and retention of early-career women of color in engineering. While engineering education research has predominantly focused on student experiences prior to graduation, this study addresses a critical limitation by designing a framework to investigate how these women navigate transitions into the engineering workforce. Rooted in asset-based frameworks, this design explores the concept of navigational capital, which encompasses the strategies, resources, and support systems women of color employ to overcome systemic barriers and achieve career persistence. The purpose of this paper is to outline the methodological choices and conceptual frameworks that guided the research design, including the use of Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Theory and the Workforce Sustainability Model. We also describe our reflexive approach, examining how our research intentions and practices influenced the design of the interview protocols, data collection methods, and participant engagement strategies. Through an iterative process, the research design emphasizes co-creation of knowledge and participant agency in constructing their career narratives. The conclusions drawn from this methodological work highlight the importance of centering participant voices, aligning research design with equity-focused aims, and adopting a reflexive stance to uncover nuanced insights into career transitions. This paper offers a foundational resource for researchers aiming to design inclusive studies that address underrepresentation in STEM. By sharing this research design, we contribute to advancing methodological thought and inclusivity in engineering education research and practice. While this paper outlines the methodological framework, future research will empirically explore the most effective ways to prepare and support early-career engineers by leveraging navigational capital.
more »
« less
Artificial Intelligence and Video Game Creation: A Framework for the New Logic of Autonomous Design
Autonomous, intelligent tools are reshaping all sorts of work practices, including innovative design work. These tools generate outcomes with little or no user intervention and produce designs of unprecedented complexity and originality, ushering profound changes to how organizations will design and innovate in future. In this paper, we formulate conceptual foundations to analyze the impact of autonomous design tools on design work. We proceed in two steps. First, we conceptualize autonomous design tools as ‘rational’ agents which will participate in the design process. We show that such agency can be realized through two separate approaches of information processing: symbolic and connectionist. Second, we adopt control theory to unpack the relationships between the autonomous design tools, human actors involved in the design, and the environment in which the tools operate. The proposed conceptual framework lays a foundation for studying the new kind of material agency of autonomous design tools in organizational contexts. We illustrate the analytical value of the proposed framework by drawing on two examples from the development of Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon Wildlands video game, which relied on such tools. We conclude this essay by constructing a tentative research agenda for the research into autonomous design tools and design work.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10298086
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Digital Social Research
- Volume:
- 2
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2003-1998
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Doctoral students from underrepresented groups in engineering tend to complete their degrees at lower rates than their White and International peers. Research indicates that early support in doctoral programs, rather than later remedial efforts, can lead to long-term success. To that effect, we designed the Rising Doctoral Institute (RDI), an early information intervention for minoritized doctoral students. In this work in progress, we specifically explore how this intervention supports doctoral student agency throughout the first year of the doctoral experience We address the following questions: 1) How can agency be encouraged/promoted among minority students in the first year of the engineering PhD? Employing a longitudinal qualitative design, we conducted monthly interviews with six participants throughout their first year of doctoral study in engineering programs. We ground our work in Klemenčič’s Student Agency Model, focused on experiences affecting their persistence, to help uncover different aspects of agency that can manifest throughout this period of time. Preliminary results reveal that students cultivate agency through self-regulation, self-direction, self-determination, and self-efficacy, evident in their planning, motivation, and community engagement. Future work will focus on uncovering the specific mechanisms through which agency is enhanced. By linking positive first-year experiences to agency development, this research can guide interventions and tools for engineering departments to support student persistence.more » « less
-
Abstract Agency is a central value within museums and science centers, but it has not been defined and operationalized in ways that can guide museum practice or support inclusion for new audiences. In this project, an interdepartmental group of science center staff co‐created a conceptual framework for noticing and supporting visitors' agency. The framework includes four interconnected aspects of agency: physical environment, social engagement, choice and autonomy, and relevance and empowerment. Conceptualizing agency as multifaceted led to more expansive approaches for supporting it, allowing staff to move beyond open‐endedness to consider a wider range of supports and structures that can make museum experiences more inviting and inclusive. The framework informed the development of practical tools for use by exhibit/program developers and facilitators. Tools are freely available and guide museum staff in questioning current practices and integrating the four facets of agency into planning, prototyping, and observation of interactive experiences.more » « less
-
Human-designed systems are increasingly leveraged by data-driven methods and artificial intelligence. This leads to an urgent need for responsible design and ethical use. The goal of this conceptual paper is two-fold. First, we will introduce the Framework for Design Reasoning in Data Life-cycle Ethical Management, which integrates three existing frameworks: 1) the design reasoning quadrants framework (representing engineering design research), and 2) the data life-cycle model (representing data management), and 3) the reflexive principles framework (representing ethical decision-making). The integration of three critical components of the framework (design reasoning, data reasoning, and ethical reasoning) is accomplished by centering on the conscientious negotiation of design risks and benefits. Second, we will present an example of a student design project report to demonstrate how this framework guides educators towards delineating and integrating data reasoning, ethical reasoning, and design reasoning in settings where ethical issues (e.g., AI solutions) are commonly experienced. The framework can be implemented to design courses through design review conversations that seamlessly integrate ethical reasoning into the technical and data decision-making processes.more » « less
-
Abstract This paper describes a decolonial perspective on material agency in the context of STEM education and application. Using the framework of generative STEM, we engaged in case studies with African, African American, South American, and Native American educational communities. This research shows that understanding material agency based on Indigenous knowledge systems can open a rich source of research and education content. Using a suite of simulations, Culturally Situated Design Tools, we apply this body of research to the classroom. One important theoretical conclusion is the contrast to a “content agnostic” position. A generative framework instead offers a robust blend of user agency and instructional guidance. The outcomes indicate statistically significant and notable improvement for STEM skills and interests. We conclude with a contrast to the quantum epistemology approach to posthumanism. We show that the Indigenous material agency framework in generative STEM is a better fit to decolonial aspirations, and that it offers a more transformative vision for the potential role of STEM in transitioning from an extractive to a generative economy.more » « less
An official website of the United States government

