Reimagining Energy: Deconstructing Traditional Engineering Silos Using Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies

Abstract

Diego. His current research investigates the funds of knowledge of Latinx adolescents, and how they use these funds of knowledge to solve engineering problems in their communities. Dr. Mejia is particularly interested in how Latinx adolescents bring forth unique ways of knowing, doing, and being that provide them with particular ways of framing, approaching, and solving engineering problems. He is also interested in engineering critical literacies, equity-oriented instructional strategies that support engineering activity, the use and application of critical theories in engineering education, and the development of critical consciousness among engineering students through social justice.

“Drugs, Alcohol, Joblessness, and Lifestyle”: Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Homelessness and Implications for Social Justice Education

“…We admit that complex topics such as social justice and sociotechnical thinking are challenging for first year students to grasp. However, the reader may be encouraged to know that this class is only the first step in exposing our engineering students to these concepts --in addition to this lower-division design class, our students also take an upper-division Engineering and Social Justice course [1], alongside multiple courses throughout our curriculum that emphasize engineering as a sociotechnical endeavor [1,2,21,[23][24][25].…”

Asset-based Approaches to Engineering Design Education: A Scoping Review of Theory and Practice

“…To do so, engineering instructors may elicit asset information from students through asset maps discussed earlier [40], pre-class survey, brief interviews with students [52] (if the class size in small), and written memoirs. • Engineering design projects may include detailed vignettes as a way to situate the problem (and the overall design project) in different social, historic, and cultural contexts [48]. Such vignettes should ideally bring together technical concepts in engineering, students' lived experiences, and the societal context.…”

“…Such vignettes should ideally bring together technical concepts in engineering, students' lived experiences, and the societal context. An example vignette for energyrelated design projects can be found in [48]. • Technical terms in design and engineering science courses can be dissected and systematically developed and shared among students [45].…”

Engineering Gateway Course Redesign for Equity through Critical-Paths

“…Furthermore, Latinx students often pursue STEM majors motivated by altruistic values like social justice, advancing humanity, and giving back to their community. CRPs break down the false dichotomy of STEM problems as strictly "technical" or "social" and play a key role in connecting science with real-world and community problems [18], [19]. This enables students to develop their science and cultural identities without conflicts and improves the students' self-efficacy, belonging, and identity to STEM [17], [18], [20], [21].…”

“…Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) involves students selecting and working on projects relevant to their native social and cultural backgrounds. This pedagogy can help promote a sense of belonging and community in the classroom by acknowledging and valuing all students' diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences [18]. This is particularly important for traditionally marginalized students who may feel excluded from mainstream engineering culture.…”