Research

Engineering Education: Research

Vision

My vision is to break down barriers that are discouraging creative, intelligent people from pursuing engineering and computing degrees. We need new and diverse ideas to solve today’s grand challenges, but academic barriers, such as learning to program, and social barriers, such as stereotypes, work against engineering recruitment and retention efforts.

Research

Current Projects

Currently, I am breaking down academic barriers through my investigations into computational thinking and skill development and real-time data analysis to inform instruction. I examine social barriers through investigations into undergraduate engineering pathways. 

Discovering how writing enhances learning processes for programming

This work is dedicated to enhancing undergraduate computing and engineering education. In today's digital age, computer programs are the backbone of our daily lives, driving essential functions ranging from national security to economic stability and infrastructure management. However, despite the increasing demand for computing professionals, the United States faces a shortage in producing qualified candidates due to the challenges associated with learning to program.

Our research and education initiatives aim to address this critical issue by transforming computing curricula and breaking down the barriers to entry into the computing workforce. By integrating insights from computing and engineering education with cognitive science and educational psychology findings, we are revolutionizing how students learn to program. Through a longitudinal study of undergraduate programming skill development and the creation of a training academy for future programming instructors, we are bridging the gap between research and practice in computing education.

At the heart of our project is the exploration of how engineering students' programming skills evolve over time, the role of writing in supporting cognitive processes essential for success in computing fields, and the alignment of programming skills between industry expectations and student capabilities. Guided by an external evaluation team and an advisory board of computing education experts, we are poised to make significant strides in improving the education of the nation's computer programmers and increasing the completion rates of computer science degrees.

This work is funded by the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program NSF-2047625. This work continues efforts started under NSF-1612132 Writing to Learn to Program for Undergraduate Engineers (2016 - 2020).

Exploring the fusion of computational science, weather data analysis, and 3D visualization in secondary Earth and environmental science curriculum

Our project is developing and testing engaging learning modules that seamlessly blend computational thinking with atmospheric science concepts. Each module empowers students to analyze, visualize, and interpret weather data using a free, open-source software application.

By emphasizing key computational science concepts and practices, such as data manipulation and model-based reasoning, students are developing quantitative, scientific explanations and predictions about atmospheric systems.

Teachers play a vital role in this transformative journey. Through professional development opportunities, they are learning how to integrate computational thinking into their science instruction, fostering meaningful learning experiences for their students.

Led by a team of MSU faculty with expertise in education, meteorology, engineering, and outreach,  and in collaboration with schoolteachers from eight districts, this project has directly impacted over 40+ secondary school teachers and 2,000 students.

Our objectives are clear: to develop and test innovative learning modules, provide robust teacher professional development, investigate the impact of integrating computational thinking into science instruction, and develop a framework to guide future instructional practices. Through this work we are revolutionizing STEM education, empowering students and teachers alike to thrive in the digital age.

The 3D Weather faculty team consists of Yan Sun (Industrial Technology, Instructional Design, and Community College Leadership), Jamie Dyer (Geosciences), Johnathan Harris (Northern Gulf Institute), and Jean Mohammadi-Aragh (Electrical and Computer Engineering).

This work is funded by the National Science Foundation's Directorate for STEM Education NSF-1934194.