Inclusive Educational Diversity in the Growth of Engineers - Examining the Intersections of Learning Environmental Landscapes and Engineering Education

Online learning modules, serious gaming and video technologies, and virtual laboratory platforms have been designed, developed, and explored as tools in US classrooms over the last two decades. Early studies have typically focused on case studies and technology/software development, with the aim of enhancing the engagement and performance of students in K-12 to undergraduate student learning environments. My work focuses on understanding the perspectives of diverse populations of students and in particular those groups who are often overlooked in the design of educational engineering online technologies used in UG education in a predominately male/white STEM disciplines. Not excluding white/male perspectives, but instead making space for and considering experiences and viewpoints of others who have often been marginalized in the STEM UG enterprise.

Dr. Kimberly Cook-Chennault is an Associate Professor with graduate seats in the Mechanical Engineering Department (primary), Biomedical Engineering Department, and Department of Educational Psychology. She is also the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence Research at Rutgers University. As an engineering education researcher, she uses Mixed Method (quantitative and qualitative data analysis) and Multimodal Approaches (Mixed Method and physiological markers) to study how diverse populations of students interact with and learn from virtual and in-person laboratory environments and serious online engineering educational games. In particular, she has used the Technology Acceptance Model, Expectancy Value Theory (Motivational Learning) and Game-Based Learning theories to understand the how diverse populations of students, and in particular women of color (African American, Latina, and Asian) experience gaming technologies. She has also used the TAM and IEO and Engineering Role Identity to create assessment instruments for virtual and in-person engineering labs to allow for the elucidation of students’ voices and perceptions in the engineering of engineering laboratories and curriculum. She has received several awards for her research, service, and community engagement towards establishing outreach programming and infrastructural changes that challenge the status quo in how we (engineering and science community) teach engineering and how we bring about change in higher education to be more inclusive and accessible.