Board 431: Why Research Involvement Makes an Engaging Learning Experience for Neurodiverse Students

Abstract

This presentation combines the findings of two closely-related Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs, one which ran from 2015-2019 and was specifically for engineering students with ADHD, and a second program, running from 2022-present, open to neurodiverse engineering students (specifically targeting ADHD, dyslexia and/or anxiety). These programs are inspired by research which links the above neurodiversities to increased creativity and innovation, as well as the ability to visualize complex systems. Both REU programs are inspired by the strengths-based approach to neurodiversity. This model builds an environment which plays to a neurodiverse student's strengths, rather than mitigating their challenges. This presentation will provide an overview of the sites and present three datasets: 1) the impact of the programs on the participants' confidence as engineering students, 2) how the programs impacted the participants' views of their neurodiversity, and 3) the profound effect exposure to academic research has on these non-traditional learners to understand engineering topics and expand their knowledge base. Consistently, these neurodiverse students reported gaining a deeper understanding of their subject matters after research, and at a significantly faster rate, than they could attain in the classroom.Our findings provide evidence of a pressing need for a paradigm shift within engineering education to not only accommodate neurodiverse students, but to help them realize their full potential. Doing so not only benefits the student, but allows society to benefit from their unique, non-conventional thinking and innovative ideas, which can push research forward at a faster pace. It is anticipated that sharing this data may lead to a shift within engineering education from a deficit-to strength-based view of neurodiversity. We hope to inspire others to develop similar programs that highlight the mutually-beneficial nature of the ecosystem we have developed through 10 weeks of summer research.