Farid Breidi, an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Technology at Purdue Polytechnic, has been awarded his third National Science Foundation (NSF) grant as a principal investigator.
Breidi’s new grant supports a collaborative project involving researchers from Utah State University, Georgetown University and South Dakota State University. The project aims to transform engineering education through personalizing the curriculum and the learning experience for each student.
The project abstract states that the project “will develop an innovative approach to personalized engineering education by creating the Personalized Engineering Playground (PEP), an intelligent Augmented Reality (AR) system informed by Environmental Identity Development (EID) theory.” By tapping into students' formative experiences in nature and linking them to engineering concepts, PEP “aims to create more engaging, emotionally resonant learning experiences for engineering and technology students.”
This approach is designed to attract and retain a more diverse group of students in engineering fields, addressing workforce demands and fostering a new generation of innovators.
The project further seeks to inform the curriculum for K-12 education by learning from the formative experiences that current students believe led them to pursue their careers. The abstract notes that such insights could help develop more targeted outreach programs for K-12 students, potentially sparking interest in engineering among more diverse groups. This strategy “could increase diversity in the engineering pipeline and, ultimately, the profession.”
Breidi’s project works in tandem with NSF’s wider mission of advancing national health, prosperity, and welfare through new technology and personalized learning. By integrating environmental consciousness into the engineering curriculum, PEP will contribute to developing engineers equipped to address pressing ecological challenges and create sustainable solutions for the future.
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