Seminar Series | Affordances of technology and design for promoting purpose and connection in engineering

Abstract

In this talk, I will share recent work from the Humanizing Engineering Research (HER) Lab aimed at creating technology-rich inclusive spaces for supporting purpose and connection in engineering education. The studies include: 1) using augmented reality and speculative design for youth to imagine alternate sustainable futures for their communities; 2) using engineering and physical computing to support youth in advocating for food justice and growing their own food; and 3) developing a youth-led technology-rich (Maker)space with youth and resettled families with refugee experience in an after-school setting. I also hope to facilitate a discussion on why it is essential to use technology with both criticality and creativity in engineering education research settings and how we might go about doing so as a community.

Biography

Avneet Hira is an Assistant Professor and founding faculty member in the Human-Centered Engineering Program at Boston College. Her scholarship is motivated by the fundamental question of how engineering and technology can support people in living well in an increasingly engineered world. Her research, which is in engineering education, focuses on the affordances of technology, humanistic design, and engineering epistemology. Her work is inspired by Making and tinkering practices, especially those from different local knowledge systems. Prior to Boston College, Avneet worked at the MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program and Education Arcade as a research scientist and at MathWorks as an education program manager. Avneet received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University, and B.E. in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College.