We explore and develop several instructional methods to support teaching and learning in engineering courses. These include:
- Pre-course and first day introduction surveys to build a classroom community, assess backgrounds, address student concerns.
- Collaborative course design through course maps.
- Discussion groups among faculty to share teaching innovation ideas and challenges.
Publications in Refereed Journals and Conferences
Structured Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Software Engineering Education: From Perception to Practice Robert Lightfoot, Shawna Thomas, Brinley Boyett, in Proc. of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC, USA, June 2026.
Exploring the Impact of Prerequisites and Elective Choice on Downstream Upper-Level Computer Science Courses Shawna Thomas, Robert Lightfoot, in Proc. of the IATED International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation (ICERI), Seville, Spain, November 2024.
Integrating Open Educational Resources in Software Engineering and Computer Science Courses: Implementation and Student Feedback Robert Lightfoot, Shawna Thomas, in Proc. of the IATED International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation (ICERI), Seville, Spain, November 2024.
A Student-Led Ethics Deep Dive, Discussion, and Content Generation Ethics Assignment in Computer Science & Engineering Capstone Tracy Hammond, Pauline Wade, Shawna Thomas, Hillary Merzdorf, in Proc. of the
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Portland, OR, USA, June 2024.
There and Back Again: Lessons Learned from Facilitated Faculty Discussions on the Move Online and then Back Face to Face Shawna Thomas, Tracy Hammond, Kristi Shryock, Randy Brooks, Donna Jaison, Lance White, Robert Lightfoot, in Proc. of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, USA, August 2022.
The Power of the Pre-Course Survey for Course Launch, Addressing Concerns, and Developing Community Shawna Thomas, Randy Brooks, Robert Lightfoot, in Proc. of the ASEE Gulf-Southwest Annual Conference, March 2022.
Convergence in Collaborative Course Design while Remaining Virtual Shawna Thomas, Robert Lightfoot, in Proc. of the IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), Lincoln, NE, USA, October 2021, pp. 1--8.
Presentations, Panels, and Other Publications
Making Large Feel Small Shawna Thomas, Faculty Engagement: Focus on Education Presentation, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, August 2024.
Engaging Students in Deeper Ethics Discussions Shawna Thomas, Pauline Wade, Tracy Hammond, Hillary Merzdorf, Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference (TTLC), Texas A&M University, May 2024.
Bringing Authenticity to Group Projects: Example from a Junior-Level Computer Science Course Shawna Thomas, Robert Lightfoot, IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE), Poster, October 2023.
How to Manage Capstone Teams Effectively Stavros Kalafatis, Pauline Wade, Shawna Thomas, Capstone and Undergraduate Research Experiences in Engineering (CUREE), Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation, Texas A&M University, May 2023.
Pre-Course Survey for Reducing Day One Anxiety and Questions Randy Brooks, Shawna Thomas, Texas Conference on Student Success, College Station, TX, USA, October 2022.
The Power of the Pre-Course Survey for Course Launch, Addressing Concerns, and Developing Community Randy Brooks, Shawna Thomas, Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference (TTLC), Texas A&M University, May 2022.
Quick-Fire Rotations for Discussions and Perspective Taking Shawna Thomas, Robert Lightfoot, Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference (TTLC), Texas A&M University, May 2022.
Creating Loud Classrooms: Sharing Ideas with Each Other on How to Foster Student-to-Student Interactions in Class Shawna Thomas, Engineering Education Faculty Group Presentation, Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation, Texas A&M University, December 2021.
Partners in Crime – Collaborative Course Development Shawna Thomas, Robert Lightfoot, Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference (TTLC), Texas A&M University, May 2021.
Using Course Maps to Reimagine Course Design and Student Engagement Shawna Thomas, Robert Lightfoot, Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference (TTLC), Texas A&M University, May 2021.
Best Practices in Robotics Education: Perspectives from an IEEE RAS Women in Engineering Panel Shawna Thomas, IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, vol 28, issue 1, March 2021, pp. 12-15.
Best Practices in Robotics Education Panel Organizer and Moderator, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE-RAS) Women in Robotics Panel Discussion, December 2020.
Tips and Tricks to Increase Student Engagement Invited Speaker at an Engineering Studio for Advanced Instruction & Learning (ESAIL) Webinar, Texas A&M University, November 2020, December 2020, January 2021.
More of Juggling Chainsaws while Riding a Unicycle: Effectively Engaging In-Person and Remote Students Invited Speaker at a Center for Teaching Excellence Workshop, Texas A&M University, September 2020.
Creating and Implementing an Online Course Etiquette Appreciative Agreement: Recommendations and Insights for Updating Course Material and Social Expectations to Aid in the Transition to Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic Tracy Hammond, Robert Lightfoot, Samantha Ray, Shawna Thomas, Engineering Education Faculty Technical Report, June 2020, https://hdl.handle.net /1969.1/188237.