Integrating Research into First-Year Engineering Design to Strengthen Student Learning and Persistence

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving engineering education through the integration of research experiences into foundational undergraduate engineering design courses. As advances in artificial intelligence increasingly automate routine technical tasks, engineers will require stronger research, creativity, and evidence-based problem-solving skills to generate and apply new knowledge. This Level 1 Engaged Student Learning project plans to investigate a novel pedagogical framework that deliberately integrates mCUREs (micro-Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences) within design-based learning (DBL) to establish a research-design loop in which research informs engineering design. By embedding authentic research within required first-year engineering courses, the project seeks to strengthen students’ research literacy, self-efficacy, professional identity, and sense of belonging while generating evidence to guide broader adoption of research-integrated engineering education. The objectives of this project are to (1) develop a scalable DBL-mCURE pedagogical framework, (2) cultivate early psychosocial development to strengthen persistence in engineering and enhance retention, and (3) examine faculty adoption processes and the conditions that support scalable implementation across diverse instructional contexts. This project uses a two-phase scaffolded sequence consisting of a DBL-framed mCURE followed by an mCURE-driven DBL experience, where students leverage pooled datasets and statistical reasoning to optimize final engineered products. The guiding research questions investigate how integrating research within DBL influences (1) students’ psychosocial development and research literacy, (2) faculty adoption and instructional decision-making during adoption, and (3) the scalability and transferability of the framework. The project will employ a convergent mixed-methods design using historical comparison groups, validated psychosocial surveys, student artifacts, classroom observations, interviews, and faculty reflections to examine these questions. Findings will advance understanding of research-integrated engineering pedagogy and inform scalable implementation across a range of educational contexts. Results and instructional resources will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, workshops, and openly accessible curricular repositories. 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.