Community Building through Technology in a Biological Systems Engineering Course

Heydi Han, Hector Palala, Jennifer Keshwani, Deepak R. Keshwani

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Building meaningful relationships with peers is crucial for student success, as these connections not only benefit students inside a classroom but may also extend beyond college life. Students who build community in a classroom will likely share other classes and could become valuable friends during college or members of a professional network after graduation. While technology sometimes distracts students from having in-person interactions, it can be strategically integrated into the classroom to help students connect, build community, and develop teamwork skills. This study used technology tools to facilitate in-person and technology-based interactions within a group of sophomore students in a Biological Systems Engineering course. A series of activities to foster community building was designed for this course. All the activities were related to the content studied in class but had an element of community building. We created two instruments to collect data: A series of open-ended questions and a survey using a 5-point Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Results showed that a significant group of participants expressed positive perceptions of community and teamwork. Moreover, students felt encouraged to participate in all the group activities, team projects, and assignments to achieve the academic goals for the semester. Students also felt in a safe environment to ask questions and to ask for the help needed to succeed. The perceptions of students related to community building, whether negative or positive, provided feedback to improve the course. Although students value in-person interactions over technology-based interactions, technology is a good ally to foster community and aid the learning process.

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
StatePublished - Jun 25 2023
Event2023 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition - The Harbor of Engineering: Education for 130 Years, ASEE 2023 - Baltimore, United States
Duration: Jun 25 2023Jun 28 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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