Building the Confidence of Women Engineering Students With a New Course to Increase Understanding of Physical Devices

Abstract

Abstract This paper discusses the first two offerings of an experimental course designed to overcome women engineering student's anxiety and intimidation about using mechanical and electrical devices. The design and implementation of the initial course are presented, the changes that were made in the second offering of the course are discussed, and feedback from students in the course is summarized. Principles and guidelines applicable to educational experiences aimed at addressing women engineering students' anxiety about hardware that were observed and developed by the authors are presented and discussed. Finally, future activities and plans are outlined.