DBER candidate seminar (2/7): A Social Constructivist Perspective Connecting Engineering Practice and Engineering Education

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Next Thursday (2/7) at 10:30 am, Grace Panther, a candidate for the Discipline-Based Engineering Education Faculty position at UNL, will be sharing her research entitled "A Social Constructivist Perspective Connecting Engineering Practice and Engineering Education".

Abstract:
This seminar discusses how the perception of knowledge differs between practicing engineers and engineering students. If we are to better prepare students for the workforce, we must improve our understanding of what occurs and is valued within the workplace. Understanding the standard ways in which engineers perceive knowledge and ways in which it differs from students therefore can provide valuable insight to improving engineering education. This seminar addresses these issues by examining real-world interdisciplinary engineering problems to determine how knowledge is perceived within engineering practice, by engineers themselves, and through student expectations. Using a process of inquiry informed by qualitative research methods (particularly ethnography, phenomenological interviews, and semi-structured clinical interviews), Dr. Panther examines the knowledge of practicing engineers and students relative to interdisciplinary engineering problems.

Bio:
Dr. Panther is currently a Post-doctoral Fellow with the Department of Engineering Education at the University of Cincinnati. She completed her PhD in 2017 at Oregon State University in Environmental Engineering with a research focus in Engineering Education. Her research areas include knowledge practices, teamwork, and spatial skills where she studies practicing engineers and K-16 students. Several grants on these subjects are currently under review at the NSF. She uses qualitative and quantitative methods in her research and collaborates with scholars across disciplines, both nationally and internationally. Dr. Panther has reviewed for the NSF on multiple occasions and served as a guest editor for a special issue of the European Journal of Engineering Education on inclusive learning environments.

Time: Thursday, 2/7, at 10:30 am
Location: NH W213B / PKI 207
Zoom Link: https://unl.zoom.us/j/486589119