​GLIDE Research Areas

The GLIDE research group studies ways to prepare engineering students for success in identifying and solving real engineering problems in real work environments. 
Within this broader goal, our work falls into four categories:
  • Designing and assessing global engineering programs to better understand global engineering competency and its development in students and engineers.
  • Exploring student experiences, learning, and development through experiential learning opportunities (e.g., undergraduate research, internships, study abroad).
  • Developing innovative methods for teaching and assessing systems thinking skills in engineering courses, including interdisciplinary pedagogical approaches.
  • Characterizing the rapidly evolving nature of engineering work to inform educational design.
​Read more about current projects and publications in each category below.

Global Engineering Programs
We explore the intentional design and assessment of global engineering programs, a term we use to include study abroad as well as experiences that don't require travel, such as in-class activities and global virtual team projects. Our projects study student learning in international, local, and virtual global experiences as well as program design factors that can impact student experiences and learning outcomes. We also consider what types of learning outcomes can be achieved through these experiences and different approaches to assess those outcomes.
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Select Publications
  • Davis, K. A., & Knight, D. B. (2025). Exploring how personal and program characteristics inform the experiences of engineering students abroad. Journal of Engineering Education, 114(1), Online. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20625
  • Wrobetz, A.*, Davis, K. A., Artiles, M. S., & Murzi, H. (2024). Engineering students learning abroad: Experiences captured via longitudinal video reflections. IEEE Transactions on Education (67)3. 423-433.   https://doi.org/10.1109/TE.2023.3337783
  • Davis, K. A., & Knight, D. B. (2023). Assessing learning processes rather than outcomes: Using critical incidents to explore student learning abroad. Higher Education, 85, 341-357. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00836-6​

​Related Research Grants
  • CAREER: Characterizing the Process of Global Formation for Engineers. Davis, K. A. (PI). National Science Foundation (EEC-2441096), awarded April 2025.
  • ​Exploring the Impact of Global Undergraduate Experiences on Engineers' Career Pathways and Approaches to Engineering Work. Davis, K. A. (PI), Tort, J. (Co-PI). National Science Foundation (EEC-2308607), awarded October 2023.

Experiential Learning Opportunities
We seek to understand student learning through experiential learning opportunities, such as undergraduate research, internships, and study abroad. These experiences can help students apply their engineering knowledge and skills in a setting that is more realistic to what they will experience once they join the workforce. Much of our work in this area so far has focused on undergraduate research experiences, particularly NSF-funded international research experience for students (IRES) programs.

Select Publications
  • Maul, S.*, Sanderlin, N., Knight, D. B., Deters, J., & Davis, K. A. (2026). Developing and maintaining global research collaborations through international research experiences for students. In E. J. Byker & A. L. Medina (Eds.), Global Education Collaborations: Advancing the Internationalization of Higher Education (pp. 209–230). Nova Science Publishers. Available Here.​
  • Joshi, S. S.*, & Davis, K. A. (2024). Exploring shifts in engineering students’ understanding of engineering work during their co-op experiences. 10th Research in Engineering Education Symposium. Available Here.
  • Davis, K. A., Holloman, T. K., Deters, J. R., & Knight, D. B. (2023). Exploring narratives of researcher development for student researchers abroad.  Studies in Engineering Education, 4(1). http://doi.org/10.21061/see.85​

​Related Research Grants
  • Exploring Learning Pathways in the Formation of Socially Responsible Chemical Engineers. Pfluger, C. (PI), Davis, K.A. (Co-PI). National Science Foundation (EEC-2605767), awarded September 2026. (In collaboration with Northeastern University)
  • Reimagining International Research for Students in a Virtual World. Davis, K. A. (PI), Knight, D. B., Sanderlin, N. P. (co-PIs). National Science Foundation (OISE-2106093), awarded May 2021. (In collaboration with Virginia Tech)

Developing Systems Thinking
We develop and study innovative methods for teaching and assessing systems thinking skills in engineering programs, including exploring interdisciplinary pedagogical approaches. One current study focuses on how integrating humanities approaches into engineering may support systems thinking skills. As part of this project, we have also explored different scenario-based methods for assessing systems thinking. We are also interested in how systems thinking can support student preparation for work in application areas such as cybersecurity and semiconductors.

Select Publications
  • Czerwionka, L., Joshi, S. S.*, Rios‐Rojas, G. O., & Davis, K. A. (2025). Developing students’ sociotechnical thinking in the humanities‐engineering classroom: A treatment versus control study using a scenario‐based assessment. Journal of Engineering Education, 114(3), e70004. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70004
  • Özkan, D. S., Davis, K. A., Davis, J. C., Deters, J., & Murzi, H. (2025). Fostering systems thinking through engineering study abroad programs. European Journal of Engineering Education, 50(4), 829–854. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2024.2434168
  • Davis, K. A., Ghaffarzadegan, N., Grohs, J., Grote, D., Hosseinichimeh, N., Knight D. B., Perry, L., & Triantis, K. (2023). Comparing self-report assessments and scenario-based assessments of systems thinking competence. Journal of Science Education and Technology.   http://doi.org//10.1007/s10956-023-10027-2

Related Research Grants
  • Integrating the Humanities and Global Engineering. Czerwionka, L. (PI), Davis, K. A. (co-PI). National Endowment for the Humanities (AKB-291057-23 ), awarded August 2023.
Characterizing Engineering Work
We investigate the rapidly evolving nature of engineering work to inform educational design. To prepare students for real work environments, we need to understand what those workplaces are like and how they are changing. One current project focuses on understanding the new competencies needed by software engineers with the advent of generative AI. In another study, we developed an instrument that can be used to study the daily work activities of practicing engineers.

Select Publications
  • Arinze, L. C.*, Tort, J., & Davis, K. A. (2026). Developing indices to study engineers’ interest, confidence, and experience with global engineering work activities. Journal of Engineering Education, 115(3), e70067. http://doi.org/10.1002/jee.70067
  • Olivero Araya, C., Artiles, M. S., Youssef, S., Nault, A., & Davis, K. A. (2026). Teaching what AI can’t do: A task-level roadmap for the future of engineering education. American Society for Engineering Education 2026 Annual Conference. http://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--61168
  • Arinze, L. C.*, Karst, A.*, Tort, J., & Davis, K. A. (2026). Self-reported impact of undergraduate global experiences on engineering professionals' career outcomes. American Society for Engineering Education 2026 Annual Conference. http://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--60426

Related Research Grants
  • Developing and Piloting a Prompt Engineering Competency Framework for Software Engineering Education. Davis, K.A. (PI), Davis, J. C. (Co-PI). National Science Foundation (EEC-2452533), awarded January 2026.
Why study these topics?
These research interests are founded in Dr. Davis's industry work experience and observations of the disconnect between what is taught in the engineering classroom and what happens in the engineering workplace. Engineering programs typically focus on closed-ended math and science problems when real engineering problems are open-ended, housed within complex systems, and involve working with people from different backgrounds.

​The GLIDE research group addresses this disconnect by exploring educational experiences that better align with the realities of engineering work and identifying methods for teaching and assessing professional skills that will prepare engineering students to succeed in the work environment. ​