Michelle Soledad

Fundamental engineering courses (FECs) are the foundation upon which discipline-specific courses are built. They are critical to student success in engineering but have long been known as having learning environments that lead to challenging student experiences that in turn lead to attrition. Examples of these courses are Calculus and Statics, often described as conceptually challenging, abstract, and theoretical, such that students often have a hard time recognizing the practical application of the concepts. At some institutions in the United States, FECs are taught in large class environments to manage and accommodate institutional resources, which create additional challenges for students and instructors alike.

Despite these challenges, it is important to provide quality learning experiences for students in these courses because they provide foundational knowledge crucial for student success for the remainder of their engineering undergraduate career. Michelle’s current research and future research directions examine and address issues in FECs by focusing on: (1) faculty experiences and perspectives on facilitating learning in FECs; (2) exploring opportunities for synergy and collaboration across courses and departments, towards a coordinated and collaborative fundamental course curriculum planning process; and (3) facilitating ways to effectively integrate student feedback into course planning processes by leveraging institutional data to inform reflective teaching practices.