Elizabethtown College Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, Sara Atwood and Professor of Engineering and Physics and Elizabethtown College Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) Leader, Kurt DeGoede recently co-presented a workshop on mastery-based learning at the 2024 KEEN National Conference in Austin, Texas. It was Etown’s first opportunity to offer a workshop at the annual conference.
“It’s great to attend conferences with a lot of like-minded engineering educators who define engineering a bit more broadly than most and are constantly innovating and improving in the classroom,” Atwood said.
A total of 60 registrants from 35 institutions attended the workshop,“Develop a Mindset of Learning from Failure with Mastery-Based Learning,” where Dr. Atwood and Dr. DeGoede presented the mastery-based model used in upper-level engineering coursework at Etown.
“Mastery-based assessments develop a positive failure mindset in students and the model fosters deeper learning of new skills,” DeGoede said. “It ensures students master the skills they need to be successful in more advanced topics within the course, for future courses and professional work.”
The mastery-based model at Etown, which is typically used in foundational courses, starts with identifying five to six key skills students should master by the end of the term. The course then coaches students toward mastery of the skills, accommodating pacing challenges while providing frequent opportunities for demonstrating mastery.
“We are excited by the synergy between mastery-based learning and project-based learning to ensure all students master key analytical skills as they develop a deeper mindset of curiosity and failing forward in their approach to both design and learning,” Atwood said.
There were five Etown attendees at the conference, including Industry Liaison Stephanie Zegers, English Professor and Director of the Bowers Writers House Jesse Waters, and Greenway Center for Equity and Sustainability in Engineering faculty Troy McBride
Atwood and DeGoede will be joined by KEEN colleagues Dr. Josh Gargac from Ohio Northern University and Dr. Shuvra Das at University of Detroit-Mercy to offer an extended version of the workshop this summer in Albuquerque, N.M.
About KEEN
KEEN is a partnership of more than 55 colleges and universities in America focused on reaching undergraduate engineering students with an entrepreneurial mindset. KEEN offers conferences to exchange best practices, collaborative granted work, faculty mentorship, on-campus programs and ambassadors to professional societies. Elizabethtown College joined KEEN in January 2023.
