A qualitative study of empathy in the experiences of students in a first-year engineering service-learning course

Abstract

Empathy is an important ability for engineers, it allows us to connect with the people we impact as we seek to solve problems, engage in design and innovate technologies. This ability is commonly and casually defined as the ability to put oneself in another person's shoes. Several researchers within and outside of the engineering education community have sought to define and suggest practical ways to promote empathy as a valuable social competency for engineering practice. Many scholars assert that service learning and other community engagement pedagogies are valuable for helping students further develop their empathic abilities. This qualitative study aims at studying an engineering course with an integrated service component and investigating the role empathy plays in the students' experiences. Participants are first-year engineering students in a service-learning course at a large land grant institution. We utilize a phenomenology study and focus on students' experiences within the course. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews conducted through online video conferencing. During interviews, several participants mentioned how the nature of their relationships with people they interfaced with on their projects changed, which suggests that pieces of their service experiences in the course are connected to aspects of empathy. The findings from the study could provide some insight on empathy cultivation and the impact of including a service component in a first-year engineering course.