Centering Engineering Students' Voices Through Course Syllabus Negotiations & Co-Creation

This full, research-to-practice paper describes the design, implementation, and outcomes of the negotiation and cocreation of a course syllabus on the first day of an introduction to engineering course. The shifting landscape of higher education has many universities critically looking at the educational experiences and value they are offering students. Calls for institutions to improve the quality and accessibility of their education have led to paradigm shifts in the role of college courses and the educators who design and facilitate learning in these spaces. Research and scholarship point to the importance of student- or learner-centered education, considering the needs and holistic growth of students instead of just the amount of content covered by educators. Alongside these calls for student-centered environments and improved educational outcomes is the pressing need to prepare a workforce that has skills and competencies that transcend the technical content educators use assignments and exams to assess. The co-creation of learning, expectations, or outcomes is one way in which educators can address the calls to more intentionally center students' voices and experiences in learning environments while also helping students develop professional skills and autonomy. The results presented in this paper are a qualitative analysis of student comments when asked about their perceptions of the syllabus negotiation and co-creation activity as part of a written reflective exercise. Data analysis indicated that students' perceptions and reactions to this activity were well-aligned with the foundational concepts and practices associated with student-centered educational practices. This classroom activity supported the development of students' professional and collaborative skills while also fostering an atmosphere and environment of mutual respect between students and faculty. This activity documents a positively received step in the continued development of curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom activities as engineering education continues its work in designing engineering education systems and spaces that are learner-centered and student-serving.