Strategic interventions in first-year Engineering to overcome social-emotional learning barriers

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing and providing novel social emotional learning (SEL) support and skill development for first-year undergraduate engineering students. COVID-related learning losses have exacerbated the existing structural inequities in K-12 education leaving a growing number of students ill-prepared for the rigors of university life.

Included in these learning losses are the social-emotional skills required for college and career success in the 21st century. To support students as they develop these skills, the project team plans to integrate SEL interventions and structural changes into first-year mathematics and engineering courses and to analyze the efficacy of these efforts.

Through the collaborative efforts of faculty from engineering and mathematics, this project will develop and assess remedial and preventative interventions that will directly impact 400 - 500 students/year.

First, a novel remedial intervention in first-year math courses will encourage struggling students to reflect not just on technical content but also on the barriers they face, the personal support networks to which they have access, and the extent to which they utilize the academic supports available to them. Second, the project team intends to develop and assess preventative SEL interventions by modifying an existing 1-unit first-year seminar.

Offering cohorts by major will introduce first-year students to peers, faculty, and upperclassmen for earlier, stronger engineering identity formation. Modifying the curriculum to include SEL instruction will encourage introspection and self-awareness. Third, the project team will complete qualitative research by analyzing student artifacts and conducting interviews with high-risk students who succeed despite low incoming math scores.

Results will be assessed via quantitative comparison of grades and SEL instruments scores pre/post interventions, between test/control course sections, and against historical data. The results of this study will provide generalizable understanding of how first-year engineering students develop SEL skills and how they can be measured. Results will be disseminated internally and externally through peer-reviewed publications, professional societies, and personal networks.

The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.