Empowering Communities through Informal Engineering Education: A Systematic Literature Review

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 4:15pm
  In Poster Session: Empowering Communities through Informal Engineering Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The Grand Challenges for Engineering highlight the importance of connecting engineering to real-world problems. Inspired by this vision, some informal engineering education programs have sought to engage learners and community members in addressing community problems. However, no systematic review has examined the prevalence of such programs or how they empower participants. To address this gap, this review found that only a few programs both addressed community problems while also seeking to empower participants; among these, four key design features emerged: diverse stakeholder involvement, co-definition of problems, collaborative problem-solving, and real-world implementation. These findings reveal a critical gap in the field and offer a foundation for designing informal engineering programs that meaningfully engage and empower communities.

Authors

• Chih Hsuan Lin, University of Florida

• Andrea Ramirez-Salgado, University of Florida

• Pasha Antonenko, University of Florida