Poster Q12 - Evaluating the effect of an introductory engineering course on student retention with a focus on student sense of belonging and confidence in related skills.

Introduction: In today's rapidly evolving world, where engineering intersects with pressing societal issues such as health disparities and environmental justice, the need for engineers equipped with both technical skills and an understanding of social contexts is crucial. At Oregon State University all first-year engineering students are required to enroll in ENGR 102 Design Engineering and Problem Solving. Topics vary widely, and we developed and delivered a section of the course titled, “Engineering Solutions for Health Disparities.” As the second installment in a series of first year engineering courses aimed at nurturing students' engagement with engineering disciplines and enhancing student retention, ENGR 102 imparts technical skills and fosters a broader understanding of the role of engineering in addressing pressing societal challenges. Additionally, through teamwork and creative problem-solving activities, we hope to increase student retention by increasing self-confidence in technical skills and build a sense of community.
To gauge students' self-assessment of their technical skills, and sense of belonging throughout the course, students were asked to complete anonymous surveys at the beginning and end of the 10-week course. By analyzing the survey data, we aim to discern trends indicating shifts in students' perceptions over time and the efficacy of ENGR 102 in fostering a supportive learning environment that empowers students to navigate the challenges of engineering practice while fostering a strong sense of belonging and self-assurance. Ultimately, our findings aim to inform ongoing efforts in engineering education to cultivate a diverse and inclusive community of engineers equipped to tackle society's most pressing challenges.

Materials and

Methods: Students enrolled in an ENGR 102 section titled, “Engineering Solutions for Health Disparities,” were queried during the first and last week of the 10 week quarter on questions relating to their sense of belonging in engineering and their confidence in skills on a Likert scale of 1-5. Survey information was collected from 69 out of 95 students in week 1 and 83 out of 95 students in week 10. Students self-identified age, gender, race, ethnicity, and prospective major. Data was processed separately for initial and final surveys. For clustering analysis, the data was z-score normalized and K-means clustering was performed on PCA-transformed data. The elbow method revealed three distinct clusters that ranked uniformly across all questions low, medium, or high with an approximate Likert scale value of 3.0, 4.0, 4.9, respectively.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: We observed a general trend of an increased sense of belonging and confidence in skills by week 10, Fig. 1A. Within the week 1 clusters, all non-binary and the majority of female students were represented in the low cluster, along with the majority of Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Black, and Pacific Islander students. The majority of students that identified as White or multiple races or ethnicities were predominantly represented in the medium cluster. Considering the week 10 clusters, the majority of Hispanic/Latino students were grouped in the low cluster; the majority of students interested in mechanical engineering, multiple majors, Asian or students that identified multiple races or ethnicities were grouped in the medium cluster; and the majority of students interested in chemical engineering were grouped in the high cluster. Comparing the influence of gender identity between week 1 and 10, there was an increase in the percent of male and female students in the medium and high clusters by week 10, Fig. 1B. Additionally, all four non-binary students that responded to the survey in week 1 were grouped in the low cluster, and the one non-binary student that responded in week 10 was grouped in the low cluster. No students dropped out of the course of the quarter.

From our results we can conclude that there is an overall increase in confidence of skills and sense of belonging in the engineering community by the end of the course. Analysis of how this applies to individuals based on their identities varies for each group. This study highlights the nuanced influences of demographics on students' perceptions of belonging and confidence in their skills and underscores the imperative for tailored interventions to foster inclusivity and support diverse student populations. As engineering continues to confront complex societal challenges, our research provides insights into cultivating a community of engineers equipped to address these issues effectively. Ultimately, our findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering education, paving the way for a more inclusive and socially conscious engineering workforce.

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