Wrobetz presents at the 2026 ASEE Conference & Exhibition - RAIL Research Study - Purdue University

The RAIL team traveled to Charlotte, NC, to present their work, "Development of online training modules for critical reflection and global engineering competency," at the 2026 American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference & Exposition, from June 21-25, 2026.  Anne Wrobetz, a PhD candidate in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University, presented this work at the International Divison Technical Session 1:  Developing Global Competency in Engineering Education, which took place on Monday, June 22.

Our world currently faces complex and global issues that will require collaboration across cultural and national boundaries.  This project seeks to characterize the process of GEC development, study travel and non-travel experiences, and develop resources and training to support faculty in integrating global learning in engineering.  The career team developed two online training modules that teach students to critically reflect on and connect their intercultural learning to engineering, and we look forward to hosting three training sessions to teach faculty how to use these modules and integrate them into their educational settings.

Dr. Kirsten Davis leads this NSF-funded research (Grant No. 2441096) and contributes to a growing body of literature on the development of globally competent engineers.

Insights from the Presentation:

• Micro-insertion is an effective strategy to engage students in learning introductory information about non-technical content while in technical coursework
• In completing these modules, students achieved pre-defined learning outcomes and expressed appreciation for the applicability of the content in their future careers
• The modules are now available and free to use