Overview

Engineering education research is a broad-based, rapidly evolving, diverse, interdisciplinary, and international field in which scholars apply the methods of educational research to address a variety of issues pertaining to teaching and learning in engineering. As the field has grown, so has the need for a standardized terminology and an updated taxonomy to map and communicate research initiatives. This project is intended to engage the broad community of researchers and other stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels in creating such a taxonomy. We are especially interested in engaging as broad and inclusive a group of individuals in this process as possible.
There are multiple phases of the project:

  • Commissioned white papers which describe efforts and outcomes to summarize and/or categorize the breadth of engineering education research initiatives.
  • A "Mapping the Field" conference of important stakeholders in engineering education research. At this conference, participants engaged in a series of activities to review the white papers and do the initial work of creating the taxonomy.
  • Several follow-up opportunities to engage the broad engineering education research community in refining the taxonomy. These include other workshops, online interactions and public comment periods,and open sessions at national and international conferences.
  • Joint publication of a taxonomy report in five key journals: the Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, the European Journal of Engineering Education, the IEEE Transactions on Education, the International Journal of Engineering Education, and the Journal of Engineering Education.
  • Ongoing conversations about the evolution of the taxonomy by the Taxonomy Review Committee.

For more information contact Cindy Finelli at (734) 764-0244 or cfinelli@umich.edu