Featured Publications

Designed and assessed a robotics project-based learning assignment with the learning outcomes including programming, controls systems, and project management. This work was part of Virginia Tech's NSF IUSE/PFE:RED: Radically Re-designing the Fan-in and Fan-out of an Electrical and Computer Engineering Department grant. I incorporated feedback on the project through focus groups with faculty, interviews with graduate students, and think-aloud builds with undergraduate students. My project design was implemented in 2023 in Virginia Tech’s sophomore capstone course, which enrolls 400 students annually. 

A.L. Schuman, "Project-Based Learning for a Second-Year ECE Design Course," Master's Thesis, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/112955

I created a module to teach sociotechnical engineering skills during an introductory circuits course by combining technical knowledge with realistic engineering situations. The project was done in collaboration with Dr. Susan Lord from the University of San Diego and Dr. Cindy Finelli from the University of Michigan, along with graduate students from 7 institutions and funded by the National Science Foundation IUSE grant: Integrating Sociotechnical Issues into Electrical Engineering Starting with Circuits. My module was selected as one of three to be implemented and distributed to Circuits courses. Through pilot studies, this module design was shown to teach students about ethical dilemmas in engineering and the interdisciplinary roles of electrical engineers. 

Design thinking is an important skill for computer science students because the software engineering field requires professionals to solve open-ended problems. Software Engineering capstone courses aim to teach design thinking to prepare graduates with the skills to work in different environments. Capstone experiences, specifically, build upon prior theoretical learning so students can practice a software-agnostic process and create solutions with a human-centered focus. Prior research indicates that there is a gap between design in software engineering education and industry, so it is valuable to explore how students understand design thinking. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the conceptions that Computer Science students have about design at the beginning of their senior capstone. The participants in this study are 31 students majoring in Computer Science, Secure Computing, or Data-Centric Computing and enrolled in a Software Engineering Capstone course. Students recorded themselves speaking based on a series of reflection prompts. In their first reflection, which is the focus of this paper, the students were asked “How would you define design in computer science?” The transcripts of their responses were analyzed using provisional coding based on prior definitions of Design Thinking from literature. Their responses were used to answer the research question: How do software engineering undergraduate students define design at the beginning of a capstone course? The results of this study indicated that about half of the students demonstrated an understanding that design involves both planning and implementation, though some stages were underrepresented in their responses. This analysis illuminates gaps in knowledge from prior experiences that capstone instructors should focus on covering.

A. L. Schuman, D. B. Knight, and M. Seyam. Senior software engineering students’ understanding of design. 2025. American Society of Engineering Education

My dissertation research was a multi-case study examining how students gain engineering and personal competencies during different kinds of international programs. Prior research in this space tends to look at single international programs from a pre- and post-program perspective. In contrast, I coordinated with leaders of multiple international programs to integrate my research plans into their program goals and collect longitudinal data. The case study contexts vary in length, types of experiential learning, and virtual/in-person collaboration to expose how different elements of program designs impact students. The cases are a Civil Engineering semester-long program abroad, two versions of a Software Engineering capstone course, and a multidisciplinary international research program. The data collection is primarily qualitative, with interviews and a methodological contribution of innovative spoken reflections.

Schuman, A. L.; "Engineering Students' Development of Global Engineering Competencies during International Programs," PhD Dissertation, Dept. of Engineering Education, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, 2025. [Online]. Available at https://hdl.handle.net/10919/135033