Integrating Cultural Intelligence and Humanity-Centered Design in Engineering Technology

About This Grant

This project aims to serve the national interest by enhancing the preparation of the engineering workforce through the development of "world readiness"—the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder environments and to create long-term technological solutions. Traditional engineering coursework often emphasizes technical learning alone. However, to address real-world challenges effectively, engineers must be equipped to analyze problems from multiple stakeholder perspectives, identify root causes, and assess the long-term societal and environmental impacts of potential technological solutions. This Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Level-1 Engaged Student Learning project seeks to cultivate world readiness among Engineering Technology students by integrating elements of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and Humanity-Centered Design (HumD) into the curriculum through short, self-paced online modules- Portable Intercultural Modules (PIMs). The project will develop theoretically grounded educational materials on CQ and HumD that will be openly available to be used by STEM educators to train themselves and implement at their institutions. The project activities will help students reflect on societal challenges associated with engineering problems and understand their roles as design professionals in addressing them. The project will advance the understanding of potential correlations and interlinkages between an increase in CQ and an increase in understanding of and commitment to HumD, and their impact on world readiness. The goal of this project is to support undergraduate students in engineering technology courses to develop world readiness skills through CQ and HumD frameworks. The project will use the design-based research framework for implementation. PIMs will be developed involving case studies, reflection, and other learning activities designed to improve and foster motivation for improving CQ, teach HumD principles, and help students understand the link between CQ and HumD. To cultivate the HumD lens among students, specialized workshops on real-world design considerations and implementation challenges will be conducted by experienced design professionals. Furthermore, as a component of their coursework, students will be required to showcase the application of the HumD approach to their capstone project solutions. To evaluate the efficacy of these educational interventions, a sequential explanatory mixed-method research design will be used. The findings from the project will be disseminated in different forms including publications, educational material, and implementation guidelines. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.