Engineering Education Research
The Engineering Education Program at the University of Colorado Boulder advances research that improves engineering learning, broadens participation in engineering, and prepares engineers to address complex societal challenges. Our affiliated faculty bring expertise from engineering, education, learning sciences, computer science, business, and related fields, creating a rich interdisciplinary community of scholars.
Across these areas, many faculty explore questions related to sustainability, ethical practice, community engagement, societal impact, and the preparation of engineers who can address complex real-world challenges.
Our work spans five interconnected research areas.
Engineering Learning, Curriculum, and Instruction
We study how people learn engineering and how educational experiences can be designed to support deeper learning, engagement, and success.
Research topics include:
- Active and collaborative learning
- Project-based learning
- Curriculum development and transformation
- Engineering teaching practices
- Assessment and evaluation
- Learning sciences perspectives on engineering education
- K-12, undergraduate, and graduate engineering education
Faculty working in this area include: Noah Finkelstein, Erin Furtak, Joseph Polman, David Webb
Engineering Students, Pathways, and Professional Formation
We investigate how people become engineers and how educational experiences shape identity, belonging, leadership, career aspirations, and professional development.
Research topics include:
- Engineering identity formation
- Persistence and retention
- Belonging and student success
- Leadership development
- Mentoring and advising
- Career pathways and workforce preparation
- Transitions from education to professional practice
- Graduate education and doctoral preparation
Faculty working in this area include: Angela Bielefeldt, Amy Javernick-Will, Daniel Knight, Heidi Loshbaugh, Janet Tsai
Broadening Participation, Community Engagement, and Student Success
We study how engineering education can expand opportunities for learners from diverse backgrounds and experiences, strengthen pathways into and through engineering, and build meaningful connections between engineering, communities, and society.
Research topics include:
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
- Social justice in engineering education
- Community-engaged scholarship
- Engineering ethics and societal impacts
- Indigenous and culturally sustaining STEM education
- Gender and identity in engineering
- Environmental and educational justice
- Access and broadening participation
Faculty working in this area include: Christina Alston, Azadeh Bolhari, Ian Her Many Horses, Malinda Zarske
Design, Innovation, and Sociotechnical Problem Solving
We explore how engineers develop innovative solutions while considering technical, social, environmental, and human dimensions of complex problems.
Research topics include:
- Engineering design thinking
- Creativity and innovation
- Human-centered design
- Sociotechnical systems thinking
- Sustainability-oriented design
- Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Stakeholder engagement
- Design for inclusion
Faculty working in this area include: Grace Burleson, Lee Frankel-Goldwater, Laura Kornish, Daria Kotys-Schwartz
Learning Technologies, AI, and Human-Technology Interaction
We develop and study technologies that support learning, teaching, collaboration, and educational decision making.
Research topics include:
- Artificial intelligence in education
- Learning analytics
- Educational data science
- Human-computer interaction
- Educational technology design
- Computational thinking
- Digital learning environments
- Emerging technologies for teaching and learning
Faculty working in this area include: Steve Ayer, Bobby Hodgkinson, Tamara Sumner, Tom Yeh