As engineering education research is an exciting and new endeavor at Cornell University, you might have questions about what it the research entails and what it might be like to work in the STRIDE lab. We’ve compiled a list of commonly asked questions below, and we welcome additional questions by contacting us.

FAQs

What is engineering education research?

Engineering education research is a systematic study of education systems to create knowledge that defines, informs, and improves the education of engineers. Engineering education is a type of discipline-based education research (DBER) that emphasizes how education in an engineering context is unique from other areas of study. Engineering education research addresses key questions, including: Who becomes an engineer? What is engineering, and who decides? When do people become engineers? How can educators best support engineering learning? Often, individuals in engineering education have a combination of engineering and social science experiences. For example, Professor Godwin has a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering and a doctorate in engineering and science education. This unique combination of skills developed through the combination of these degree pathways has allowed her to study how systems in undergraduate education shape the development of students as engineers.

What kind of jobs are available if I do my research in engineering education?

There are a variety of pathways with skills in engineering education research; just look at where our alumni have ended up! As a growing field, tenure-track positions open regularly in either research-focused or teaching-focused institutions. Other graduates develop skills in data science and work in government roles. Some students have developed expertise in policy and work in roles to influence national funding of education research, initiatives within U.S. bureaus, or work with non-profits. Graduates have also worked in industry roles in continuing education efforts or with education companies (e.g., MathWorks, SAS Institute Inc., etc.). Some graduates in engineering education work in informal education spaces (i.e., with outreach programs, co-curricular programs like Project Lead the Way or FIRST Robotics, or even as directors of museums). Often, the answer is that the pathways are as diverse as the interests of students. But, there are many positions available that combine engineering expertise and the study of people in engineering systems.

What is it like to work in the STRIDE lab?

Research in engineering education is often more evenly-paced and methodical than traditional engineering research. In working with human subjects, our research has to be planned and reviewed by the Institutional Review Board for ethics. We can’t pivot our studies day-to-day. Another key distinction is that people within classrooms, departments, colleges, and universities are incredibly complex systems! We often use more advanced statistical techniques to account for this complexity in our modeling. Many questions about how and why particular things occur in engineering education are not easily answered solely with quantitative research studies. We often use qualitative research methods too, such as interviews, focus groups, or observations, to help us answer our research questions.

Our work in the STRIDE lab is focused on improving engineering education so that all students have the opportunity to succeed to their full potential. Many of us are personally motivated to see our research have a direct impact on how engineering education happens to improve the lives of others.

The approach to mentorship in the STRIDE lab is not only to develop your skills to become an independent researcher, but also to develop you for the career you are interested in pursuing. Most often, graduate students work on a funded research project in their graduate research assistantship position (which pays for graduate school tuition and a stipend for your living expenses) and they develop their own area of research interest for the thesis or dissertation. This area of research will likely be connected to the core areas of research on identity, motivation, and belonging; effective pedagogies and practices; or engineering workforce development within the STRIDE lab, but students are encouraged to begin to develop their own work as well that will launch the next step of their careers.

We encourage you to reach out to current students to hear their thoughts on what engineering education research embedded in a school of chemical engineering is like.

How does doing engineering education research compare to doing traditional chemical engineering research in a school of chemical engineering?

The courses and milestones for students look exactly the same! If you’re in a different field at Cornell and join via the field system, you’ll also follow the same program expectations of your field of entry.