LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN THE FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates the design and impacts of a curated Living-Learning Community (LLC) piloted at a large student residence for a large (1000+ student) first-year engineering design course. The first-year engineering design, teamwork, and communication course is central to engineering education at this large institution. The course offers opportunities for students to work in multidisciplinary teams, applying term knowledge to authentic engineering applications, in a problem-based learning environment. The LLC is streamlined within this course, to create opportunities for interaction and scaffolded connection between students and inspire learning within the living environment; an entire floor of the Residence is assigned to be an LLC for the 2022 academic year, with support from the Don, Residence Life Office, and the Faculty-in-Residence (an engineering faculty member). The purpose of this study is to observe and report on the student experience throughout the course. We aim to learn how participating in the Living-Learning Community can affect the perception of confidence in students’ learning of course concepts. This study focuses on the student’s perception of their experience. Understanding how the perception of manageability of workload [1] can affect student mental health leads to the curiosity of how close-quarters learning can affect the student experience, to what degree, and how this understanding can help influence future programming.