First-year engineering students’ experiences and perceptions viewed through the lens of transdisciplinary knowledge and threshold concepts

Gerald Tembrevilla1,2 Susan Nesbit2 Peter Ostafichuk2 Naoko Ellis2

1. Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada 2. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

BACKGROUNDThe education literature on transdisciplinarity acknowledges that generally, current higher education practice does not yet effectively train students as empathic and systems thinkers, nor to practice metacognition. To align with the primary aim of First-Year Programs Division (FPD) to advance first-year engineering education through research and innovation in curriculum and pedagogy, this research explored how learning interventions in engineering programs support students to acquire transdisciplinarity.

To what extent did learning activities in an Introduction to Engineering course support and influence student development of transdisciplinarity viewed through the lens of transdisciplinary knowledge and threshold concepts?

CONTACTGerald TembrevillaMount Saint Vincent University, Faculty of Education, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canadagerald.tembrevilla@alumni.ubc.cagerald.tembrevilla@msvu.ca

Acknowledgment:

This study was partly funded by:UBC Institute for the Scholarshipof Teaching and Learning

Theoretical Underpinnings

Research Question

Design/Method

Results & Discussions

Have you seen any changes in first year engineering students’ ways of thinking in the first two months of the term as manifestations of dealing with big picture and systems thinking embedded in the course activities (e.g., screencasts)? What were these changes?

How do you define “systems thinking” as you understand it in your APSC 100 course? Were you familiar with the concept before your APSC 100 course? Are you comfortable applying systems thinking during APSC 100 activities and/or outside of your APSC 100 course? What do you think is the value of systems thinking in your future career?

Students’ self-assessed views of interdisciplinary knowledge

TAs & Instructors assessments of students’...

Systems thinking

Metacognition

Empathy

Appropriate and relevant venue: first-year engineering course“Honestly, outside of class, I almost never think about systems thinking”

Flexible structure in facilitating activities

Opportunities for reflection to connect thinking and doing”Constant and immediate feedback from TAs and instructors as well as explicit scaffolding and mentoring

Role play of community and stakeholders’ needs and realitiesGrowth in students’ empathy depends in a group effort, social investments among group members

“I saw positive changes in my learning strategies because I applied some of the screencast lessons and it helped me.”

“understand the diversity of people and culture at work.”

Consistent and explicit integration and bridging of course design, projects, and contents with appropriate learning activities might further enhance students’ transdisciplinary knowledge which eventually will allow them to connect the “doing and thinking” in engineering disciplines and practices to self, school, and society.

Conclusion & Future Directions

First-year engineering students’ experiences and perceptions viewed through the lens of transdisciplinary knowledge and threshold concepts

Gerald Tembrevilla1,2 Susan Nesbit2 Peter Ostafichuk2 Naoko Ellis2

1. Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada 2. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

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