Culture is the invisible hand in the environment that shapes behaviors and actions of those who experience it. Defined as “all the things we have, think, and do” (Briody, 2014), culture is formed by people, organizational structures, hierarchies, and ways of being and doing in the environment--and it in turn shapes those ways of being and doing. We explore this symbiosis between culture shaping behavior and behavior shaping culture in our RED project, a 5-year NSF effort housed in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering. In this talk, we present results of on-going work in two areas: (i) how students experience the ME culture, and how it drives their work habits, and (ii) how individuals engaged in academic change efforts within ME experience culture as an enabler or barrier to change. We outline our research methods, participant populations, change strategies, and results, with a special focus on how departmental culture in ME plays a significant role in shaping outcomes.

Bios

Elizabeth is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. A cultural anthropologist, her research interests include: organizational anthropology, human centered design in technology and engineering, STEM higher education, refugees/forced migration, reproductive/maternal health, fertility, sexual and gender based violence, structural violence, and humanitarianism in development/relief.

Edward Berger is an Associate Professor of Engineering Education and Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, joining Purdue in August 2014.  He has been a faculty member for over 20 years at three very different institutions, and has worked extensively on the integration and assessment of specific technology interventions in mechanics classes.  He was one of the co-leaders in 2013-2014 of the ASEE Virtual Community of Practice (VCP) for mechanics educators across the country. His current research focuses on student problem-solving processes and use of worked examples, change models and evidence-based teaching practices in engineering curricula, and the role of non-cognitive and affective factors in student academic outcomes and overall success.