Conference: 2024 Personalized Learning Ideas Lab

American Society For Engineering Education, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to revolutionize engineering education research by merging traditional teaching methods with cutting-edge technology to create a broad personalized learning environment for future engineers. In recent years, advancements in engineering education research have focused on pedagogy, problem-solving, and teamwork. However, there is a growing need to explore personalized learning approaches that cater to individual learning styles and needs. This project aligns with the National Science Foundation's mission to invest in transformative research and addresses the pressing need for personalized learning in engineering education. Today's learning systems often assume a one-size-fits-all approach, disregarding individual learning differences. Personalized learning, a concept dating back to the early 20th century, presents an opportunity to tailor educational curricula to meet the specific needs of each learner. The integration of advanced technologies such as machine learning, data mining, and artificial intelligence holds immense potential to create transformative learning environments. This project will host a workshop that brings researchers together to create new approaches to personalizing learning. The Personalized Learning in Engineering Education Ideas Lab, hosted by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in partnership with Knowinnovation, Inc. (KI), seeks to generate novel interdisciplinary proposals for advanced engineering technologies addressing personalized learning systems in engineering education. The workshop will convene a diverse group of about forty researchers, including engineers, scientists, and domain experts in personalized learning systems. The Ideas Lab follows the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) methodology, incorporating creativity, critical thinking, and metacognitive skills to facilitate problem-solving and idea generation. Participants will work in several stages, including data gathering, problem framing, idea generation, solution creation, and action planning. The workshop will focus on three primary areas: extending engineering education research into multiple learning contexts, integrating multimodal sensors to improve physical tasks in engineering learning, and exploring team-based design and human-machine co-learning. The broader impacts of this initiative are far-reaching. By promoting personalized learning in engineering education, this project directly impacts the quality of education, preparing future engineers for the challenges of the 21st century. Additionally, personalized learning systems can address problems within traditional education systems. The collaborative nature of the workshop stimulates cross-disciplinary thinking, fostering an innovative spirit that can lead to novel research directions and technological innovations. Through the synergy of experts from multiple disciplines and directorates, this Ideas Lab will accelerate the transformation of engineering education, creating a more personalized, inclusive, and effective model that prepares students for success in an ever-changing world. 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.