More Like this

1. Prevalent Technical Leadership Styles and Impact on Early Engineering Careers

   Eigelberger, C.; Henson, H. (April 2021, The Technology Interface)

   In this study, the authors explored prevalent leadership styles found in industry from an engineering student’s internship experiences. Over four years of internships, observations and interview responses were recorded to address three questions: What is the dominant industrial leadership style? What is the dominant leadership style in the broader engineering sector? What is the dominant leadership style entry-level engineers should know to be successful? Reflections on personal experiences within the engineering industry suggest an ideal leadership style that an entry-level engineer or a similar technical individual can utilize. Previous research on leadership and success formed a basis for claims as to which leadership techniques can lead to success for an entry-level engineer. Further, this study builds upon prior research on the correlations between leadership skills taught in college and the resulting success beyond the classroom. Leadership styles are ranked in order of their utilization in industry with a corresponding value for entry-level engineers. They are: pacesetting, authoritative, democratic, coaching, and delegating. From the study, the authors concluded by suggesting that there is a correlation between knowledge in leadership for both subjective and objective success of entry-level engineers. Ideally, every engineer should be taught a multitude of techniques, and recommendations are that engineers should strive to learn many leadership styles, whether they intend to hold a position of leadership or not. 

   more » « less
2. Robotics as a tool for STEM inclusion: Implementation of an after-school robotics program for students with Autism spectrum Disorder

   https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2025.2504356  

   Hutchison, Amy; Barnard-Brak, Lucy (May 2025, Journal of Research on Technology in Education)

   This study investigated the engagement of elementary-aged students with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a seven-week after-school robotics and coding program. Researchers examined students’ interaction styles with robotics tools and coding apps, considering their sensory responses and the perceived benefits and challenges. Findings revealed a strong preference for hands-on, physical interaction with robots, although students also enjoyed coding apps when tangible outcomes were visible. Sensory responses to robots varied, highlighting the need for diverse tools and careful environmental design. Parents and staff reported potential benefits such as increased engagement, improved problem-solving skills, and enhanced social interaction. Challenges included the need for flexible, individualized instruction and robust staff training. 

   more » « less
3. Decision making in graduate physics coursework: What is being assessed versus what is expected

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.21.010148  

   Robbins, Michael E; Davis, Nathan D; Burkholder, Eric W (May 2025, Physical Review Physics Education Research)

   There is currently little physics education literature examining thinking and learning in graduate education and even less literature characterizing problem solving among physics graduate students despite this being an essential professional skill for physicists. Given reports of discrepancies between physics problem solving in the undergraduate classroom and “real-world” problem solving, we sought to investigate whether this discrepancy exists at the graduate level. We first investigate the problem-solving skills present in first-year graduate physics assignments. A recent framework that characterizes problem solving as decisions-to-be-made was used. Assignments were taken from the four core courses of one academic year at one research-intensive university and coded by two researchers. We found that only 4 of the 29 decisions in the framework were present in most of the assignments. We then interviewed 11 instructors from 3 universities and asked which decisions they expected of first-year graduate students. Eleven decisions were expected by eight or more of the participants, but only four of these decisions were commonly practiced on assignments. Therefore, there seems to be a mismatch between instructor expectations and practice of problem solving on assignments. This suggests that graduate physics courses may not be aligned with the problem-solving skills that physics graduate students will need in their research or future careers. Published by the American Physical Society2025 

   more » « less
4. Understanding the Perceived Impact of Engineers’ Leadership Experiences in College

   Schell, William J; Hughes, Bryce E; Tallman, Brett (June 2018, ASEE annual conference & exposition)

   In order to lead the social process required to solve society’s grandest challenges and ensure that the capabilities of an expanded engineering workforce are successfully harnessed, new engineers must be more than just technical experts—they must also be technical leaders. Greater numbers of engineering educators are recognizing this need and establishing engineering leadership certificates and minors through centers at universities throughout the country. While the implementation of these offerings is a step forward, most programs tend to focus on leadership as a set of skills or experiences bolted onto a traditional engineering education with limited formal evidence of the impact these experiences have on student development. The purpose of this study is to test the effect of experiences engineering students have in leadership roles on their perceived gains in leadership skills, using a national dataset. The framework guiding this study is a model for engineering leadership identity constructed from Lave and Wenger’s communities of practice model and Komives et al.’s model for leadership identity development (LID) which recognizes that the engineering formation process is, at its core, an identity development process. Engineering leadership is theorized to develop from peripheral participation in engineering communities of practice in ways that promote students’ leadership development. Specifically, undertaking leadership roles in curricular and co-curricular engineering activities develops students’ sense of engineering leadership identity, which results in their recognition of gains in different leadership skills. The data for this study come from the 2015 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), overseen by the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University. The NSSE is administered to a random sample of first- and fourth-year students, and focuses on curricular and co-curricular student engagement. In 2015, NSSE included a pilot module to assess leadership experiences at 21 participating institutions. The overall sample includes 2607 students who held a leadership role, among whom are 90 engineering students. The dependent variables for this study are a set of eight items prompting students to indicate the extent to which participation in a leadership role contributed to development of different leadership skills. This study employs multiple regression to test the relationships among leadership related experiences and eight leadership skill outcomes for engineering students. Significant results across the eight regression models paint a complex portrait regarding factors that affect gains in leadership skills for engineering students. For example, receiving formal leadership training is a significant positive predictor of only three of the leadership outcomes explored in this work: thinking critically and analytically, working effectively with others, and continuing leadership after college. These results can be utilized by educators engaged in Engineering Leadership education to tailor their program experiences and better achieve the desired educational outcomes. 

   more » « less
5. Challenges in a Freshman General Education Class

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--34268  

   Maher, Michelle; O'Shea, Kathleen; Marszalek, Jacob; Cairns, Darran (June 2020, 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference)

   null (Ed.)

   How undergraduates are introduced to the discipline of engineering at the college level can have long-term educational and professional implications, including influencing decisions to pursue or leave engineering majors and validating beliefs about the purpose of engineering in society. Classroom lectures have been traditionally used within introductory engineering courses as they can transmit large amounts of content. However, they are generally less effective in helping undergraduates engage with and apply content. In recognition of this, learner-centered approaches are increasingly being used in introductory engineering classes. Our overarching purpose in this paper was to describe the use of the design process in an introductory engineering course that enrolled close to two hundred students, most of whom were in their first year in college. As we argued, these are the students who might most benefit from design process participation. We found that in general, the design process was transferable to this educational context. Most students seemed far more engaged than students in previous course offerings that had been delivered in a traditional format. Notably, students reported that in addition to learning course content, they learned creativity, persistence, problem-solving skills, leadership skills, and teamwork skills. However, perhaps the main contribution of engaging freshmen and other early-stage students in the design process was in fostering in them a greater understanding of the impact that engineers can have on society. 

   more » « less