LEAD 21
Exploring Engineering Vocation
This course is designed to explore the wide range of opportunities available in the engineering field. It also guides students through reflections on their career and educational plans and goals. Students develop strategies for accessing vocational and educational opportunities in the field including networking, interviewing skills, resume development, and graduate school exploration.
LEAD 21 is a new course, co-developed by myself and my colleague, Dr. Bob Schaffer as LEAD Vocational Exploration Instructors.
Course Purpose & Student Learning Outcomes
Our LEAD scholars face many challenges being 'first'. Many engineering LEAD scholars are largely unaware of the engineering jobs available and which skills are beneficial in those jobs, they often lack engineering role models with which to begin and build upon an vocational network, and need guidance on how to create career documentation and successfully search for job positions. Thus, the learning outcomes we've developed for this course include:
- Reflect on gifts and talents and how they will be used through their vocation to meet a need in the world
- Identify key organizations and/or graduate schools where they would like to pursue opportunities
- Modify and update current resumes and cover letters for future employers or graduate schools
- Analyze their own interview rhetoric and demeanor and adjust as appropriate
- Create professional sites (i.e. LinkedIn) to begin the networking process
- Show confidence in networking and building professional relationships
- Describe self and own experiences with ease and finesse to future employers and/or graduate school panels
- Describe and understand equity issues in prospective career
- Apply to opportunities that will further their goals to connect to the world's needs and serve as community leaders
Key Class Topics, Discussions, and Activities
Below are four key class topics and some information about what activities were implemented and how they relate back to the student learning outcomes!
Student participation in class activities and discussion is crucial to student learning in this course. Therefore, we built participation expectations into the class through a participation rubric to help students understand the expectation of coming prepared to class.
The rubric was highly effective! Class attendance and participation was nearly always 100%, and student- and instructor-led discussions were well received.
Strengths assessment activities and discussions around impostor syndrome proved to be an effective strategy to meet learning outcomes around recognizing and reflecting on gifts and talents each student possesses and as an entry to realizing the transferable skills they offer to an engineering position.
Career documentation and interview preparation are key outcomes for this course. Through class activities such as workshops for resumes, SMART goals and personal brand statements, both in-person and online networking, and mock interviews, we helped prepare students to recognize and set goals for what they are interested in then prepare the materials and skills to achieve them!
One of my favorite activities to help students talk with unfamiliar people and (hopefully) recognize it isn't something to fear [prep for networking] is networking bingo! The first student back to class with the board completely filled out receives a prize! Key to this activity is reflection immediately following, where we also watch a short video on 'elevator pitches' and supplement with an assignment on online networking.
The culmination of all student class efforts is a professional electronic portfolio. Throughout the course, students were collecting information in Portfolium; the final assignment is then to create a webpage/website which connects and displays the professional artifacts and reflections they’ve created during this course. This site can be created on any platform (Google Sites, Wix, Weebly, Wordpress, etc.).
Site presents an integrated and professional glimpse into student goals, skills, documentation, and beyond! The artifacts created in Portfolium can be linked and organized in the website to present a polished site to future employers.
Students were able to create some truly remarkable websites. See for yourself!
Anonymous Student Comments
Since this course has only been taught twice, student feedback is crucial to our understanding of what has been effective and helpful (or not). Here is a sampling of the anonymous student comments from spring 2019. In both quarters, our class was well-rated, with scores of 4.8/5.0 and 4.7/5.0 with standard deviations of 0.4-0.6.
Additionally, our LEAD 21 students filled out a LEAD survey regarding this course. The survey results illustrate how much students gained from the course!
S18 SET score from indicators 1.1-1.9
S19 SET score from indicators 1.1-1.9
This class is necessary for anyone trying to discern how to manage the real world. Clearly, I have a long way to go as we all continue to grow in life, but this class has given me such a strong foundation of confidence from where to go. Thank you.
This was such a great course, teaching me skills I will embody in my college career to help me be a more successful college student. Dr. JAK (and Dr.Bob) were really great professors and are probably among the best professors here at Santa Clara in the Engineering School. Dr.JAK really fostered a positive classroom environment every time I would arrive in class. She would also make her classes very engaging and really challenge students to think about their roles in the future. I'm really glad to be apart of such a great class and looking forward to taking any future classes with Dr.JAK or Dr.Bob.
Example Course Materials
If you are looking for more details including learning outcomes, grading policies, etc. or more information about how the course is structured (timeline). See resources below!