Definition of Engineering Education Research
Engineering education research (EER) aims to study and improve all learning and professional ecosystems pertaining to the formation of engineers throughout their lifespans (from K-12, undergraduate, graduate, workforce, retirement, certifications, upskilling, etc.). EER is conducted in an inter- and multi-disciplinary manner where disciplinary expertise, tools, techniques, methods, principles, knowledge, and/or research designs from social sciences, humanities, education, learning sciences, life sciences, psychology, and medicine are weaved with engineering research practices and approaches to acquire a foundational knowledge base about contexts and factors impacting engineering (e.g., performance, persistence, motivation, professionalism, technical knowledge).
Brief History of Engineering Education Research
Between 1990 and 2005 (Adams et al., 2006), the National Science Foundation (NSF) selected a select number of colleges of engineering within U.S. higher education institutions to inspire bold, groundbreaking, and wide-ranging models for curricular change and reform of undergraduate engineering education (Frair & Watson, 1997). The purpose of the NSF Engineering Education Coalitions was to join universities and colleges of differing characteristics to collaborate, experiment, and implement engineering education change at large (Frair & Watson, 1997). One of the significant findings from these coalitions was the need for engineering colleges to move beyond traditional assessment and evaluation approaches, typically used for accreditation purposes, towards a more rigorous, evidence-based approach.
Consequently, a new disciplinary area of research arose: engineering education research (EER). Several coalition leaders convened and advocated for a more research-rigorous approach to engineering education so that findings from said studies could be transferable nationally and globally (Streveler & Smith, 2006). EER was launched between 2003 and 2005 via four approved Ph.D. programs housed within colleges of engineering (Purdue University, Virginia Tech, Clemson University, and Utah State University) (Benson et al., 2010; Murzi et al., 2015), with Purdue University graduating its first Ph.D. in EER graduate in 2004. Today, the nation has multiple Ph.D. programs and models of EER and they keep growing.
Engineering Education Research Types and Aims
EER scholars design and conduct rigorous and quality quantitative, qualitative, mixed-method, multi-method, and/or multi-modal studies to learn about discipline-spanning topics impacting the field of engineering (EER), issues that impact specific disciplines of engineering (discipline-based EER, known as DBER), EER or DBER scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL; classroom-based investigations spanning assessment, evaluation, and evidence-based practices), or broader socio technical, -humanistic, -political factors that influence engineering formation and success (Borrego, 2007; Streveler & Smith, 2006).
All EER aims for translation, the process by which research is transferred into practice. Practice can entail teaching, learning, outreach, informal or formal outreach programs, international programs, social media, podcasts, and others. The idea is that the impact of engineering education is evidence-based (informed by research methods and approaches used in social science and educational research), boundary-spanning (reaching not just the scientific and engineering community but society as well), and transformative (aiming at informing policy and strategies for positive and impactful change).
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Department of Engineering Education
From 2016 to 2019, the University of Florida (UF) Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering created the Institute for Excellence in Engineering Education (IE3) led by its founding director, Dr. Hans van Oostrom. IE3 served HWCOE by promoting the scholarship of engineering education and serving as a resource for the college of engineering faculty interested in SoTL. The successes of IE3 formed the basis for the transformation of IE3 into the Department of Engineering Education (EEd), launched in June 2019 under the leadership of its founding chair, Dr. Hans van
Oostrom.
EEd specializes in EER and the delivery of innovative and effective instructional methods in engineering courses as well as assessment. The vision of the EEd is to transform engineering education “to create the global leaders and problem solvers of tomorrow”. Aligned with EEd’s vision, the goal is to support students in becoming researchers, practitioners, future leaders, and agents of positive change in the discipline.
EEd houses an undergraduate certificate in artificial intelligence fundamentals and applications, an undergraduate capstone industry-sponsored capstone (Integrated Process and Product Design- IPPD), directs the undergraduate computer engineering courses, a graduate certificate in engineering education, an M.S. in applied data science, an M.S. in artificial intelligence systems, and a Ph.D. in engineering education. EEd also provides support for the Electronic Delivery of Gator Engineering (EDGE) certification programs. The M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering Education programs were officially launched in January 2023.