This Complete Paper – Research describes a pilot study among post-secondary students involved in their first engineering-specific class and explores the concept of classroom belonging. The hypothetical premise of this research is that grade performance is, in part, determined by a student’s sense of belonging in a classroom. Further, “classroom belonging” is a function of several factors including social belonging, engineering self-efficacy, engineering identity and closeness to others in the classroom. This study revealed that a student’s sense of classroom belonging has a significant, positive impact on grade performance. The most important components of classroom belonging are the student’s sense of social belonging in the classroom and their engineering identity.
The survey-based quantitative data were complemented with qualitative interviews with underrepresented minority engineering students. These allowed us to explore their classroom belonging experiences and showed that classroom belonging is a familiar concept and a function of two separate sources of belonging: academic belonging and social belonging. Academic self-efficacy, curriculum content motivation and an ability to share academic struggles with others were important contributors to academic belonging. Social similarity, successful team experiences and a general sense of caring were also considered helpful to building social belonging in the classroom. Implications and ideas to build engineering classroom belonging from this research are discussed.
The focus of Mark’s research can broadly be described as “pivot thinking,” the cognitive aptitudes and abilities that encourage innovation, and the tension between design engineering and business management cognitive styles. To encourage these thinking patterns in young engineers, Mark has developed a Scenario Based Learning curriculum that attempts to blend core engineering concepts with selected business ideas. Mark is also researches empathy and mindfulness and its impact on gender participation in engineering education. He is a Research Scientist and Lecturer in the School of Engineering at Stanford University and teaches the course ME310x Product Management and ME305 Statistics for Design Researchers.
Mark has extensive background in consumer products management, having managed more than 50 consumer driven businesses over a 25-year career with The Procter & Gamble Company. In 2005, he joined Intuit, Inc. as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer and initiated a number of consumer package goods marketing best practices, introduced the use of competitive response modeling and "on-the-fly" A|B testing program to qualify software improvements.
Mark is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of One Page Solutions, a consulting firm that uses the OGSP® process to help technology and branded product clients develop better strategic plans. Mark is a member of The Band of Angels, Silicon Valley's oldest organization dedicated exclusively to funding seed stage start-ups. In addition, he serves on the board of several technology start-up companies.
Sophia Pink is a sophomore studying engineering at Stanford University. She began conducting research in Dr. Sheri Sheppard’s Designing Education Lab in June 2016. Sophia’s academic interests include mechanical engineering, human-centered design and social science research.
Adrian Piedra is pursuing an MS in Mechanical Engineering (ME) at Stanford University. He is a member of the graduate teaching assistants in the ME department at Stanford, and will be assisting with engineering design courses for the duration of his graduate studies. Adrian holds a BS (summa cum laude) in ME from the University of Florida. During his time at the University of Florida, he was a teaching assistant for engineering analysis courses.
Shivani is pursuing her MS in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, as a first year Co-Terminal student, exploring intersection of biotechnology, product realization, smart product design, and design for manufacture. She holds B.S. in Bioengineering and a minor in Product Design, with an emphasis in medical device innovation and pre-medical studies. Her interests in education include increasing accessibility of engineering to students of all backgrounds, especially underrepresented minorities, investigating how to encourage young girls and women to get involved with manufacturing, and how mentorship and applications of engineering problem solving can influence identity. Specifically, I am particularly intrigued by the role closeness in academic setting can play on self-efficacy on proficiency.
In addition to my role as a student, I have also had a number of amazing opportunities to teach. This year (2015-2016) I have the privilege of being a Course Assistant for three classes at Stanford: (1) E14: Introduction to Solid Mechanics; (2) BIOE51: Anatomy for Bioengineers; (3) BIOE80: Introduction to Bioengineering and Engineering Living Matter. I also have pleasure of serving as the Safety and Operations Manager at the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory, which includes managing the machine shop and teaching students how to use the machinery. In this role I am able to advise and educate students on design choices for their personal and research projects from ideation phases to functional products, with an emphasis on design and manufacturing techniques.
Kai Jun "KJ" Chew is an assistant professor in the Engineering Fundamentals department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is passionate about teaching and research, and he strives to produce knowledge that informs better teaching. His research intersects assessment and evaluation, motivation, and equity. His research goal is to promote engineering as a way to advance social justice causes.
Sheri D. Sheppard, Ph.D., P.E., is professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. Besides teaching both undergraduate and graduate design and education related classes at Stanford University, she conducts research on engineering education and
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