Redefining student identity in engineering education: student engineers

CONTEXT: Effectively educating the new generation of engineering students requires educators to adapt to their unique generational traits, particularly in welcoming and motivating first-year students. However, the review process has revealed a dearth of scholarly papers on first- year engineering students, particularly within the Australian context. PURPOSE OR GOAL: This study aims to gain insight into innovative approaches in the first engineering unit and their impacts on improving the retention rate among first-year students over successive years. Considering the demand of this new cohort during the transition process, innovative approaches tailored to their learning preferences and consistently refined each semester in response to valuable student feedback have been implemented. These encompass "Be Ready as a Student Engineer from Day 1" through hands-on workshops, "Engineering Education as Citizenship Education" via Personal Development modules aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, and "Transition to University" facilitated by a Continuous Support and Monitoring System. APPROACH OR METHODOLOGY/METHODS: The research has been conducted at Macquarie University, Australia over the past two years. Data collection occurred in 2022, 2023, and 2024, incorporating both primary and secondary sources. Primary data entails students' feedback obtained through anonymous end-of-semester unit surveys (LEU), while secondary data comprises information from the university database, including enrolment and withdrawal rates over two distinct years. ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES: Students have expressed positive feedback in the surveys regarding these approaches, emphasizing their role in fostering a sense of belonging to both the university and engineering studies. This contributes to a reduction in the risk of study discontinuation among students. Empirical evidence lends support to this claim, demonstrated by low withdrawal rates in 2022, 2023, and 2024 (1.5%, 1.6% and 0.27%). Self-management skills topics align with UN goals (Good health and well-being, Equalities, and Sustainable development) ensuring that the content remains current with global trends and aligns with the preferences of the new generation. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS/SUMMARY: The research demonstrates the effectiveness of innovative practices in aligning with the needs of the new generation. Its design holds promise for broader application, extending beyond engineering to encompass educational research more broadly and beyond Australia.