Using transdisciplinary problem-oriented teaching approaches to inspire students for the diversity of engineering sciences

How Diversifying / Updating the Teaching Team Has Positively Affected Teaching

“…Additionally, The AE 105 final project reflects the final project implemented by as both projects asked the students to consider the societal impacts of their design, which allowed the students to understand the impact their designs have on the real-world. These findings were consistent with studies completed by Dumshcat et al [16] and Mills & Ayre [17]. The courses changes introduced at the University of Waterloo also align with the University of Michigan focusing on diversity and retention in engineering programs.…”

“…It was noted in the end of term-evaluations that the students appreciated the woman professor's passion and engagement in teaching as a positive attribute that maintained student motivation throughout the term. Young et al suggest that more women professors are viewed as positive role models than men professors, and this showed a benefit to all students [16]. Women can often act as role models to students, as they allow students to see someone 'like them' in a higher education setting, and often leads to the attraction and retention of diverse faculty and students [17].…”

“…Women can often act as role models to students, as they allow students to see someone 'like them' in a higher education setting, and often leads to the attraction and retention of diverse faculty and students [17]. Diverse faculties also yield more diverse ideas and solutions, and by extension, diversify the engineering profession and decreases the implicit stereotyping of science and engineering as masculine field [16]. This highlights the need to further document and investigate the perspectives of women of color that enrich pedagogical approaches of teaching that lead to experimental and inclusive learning outcomes.…”