About this Event
Spencer Laboratory, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
This 90-minute workshop introduces mastery-based learning (MBL) as an alternative to traditional grading structures that emphasize point accumulation and partial credit over demonstrated skill mastery. Participants will examine how MBL reframes failure as part of the learning process and supports persistence in challenging analytical work. Through concrete examples and guided reflection, the session will explore how engineering courses might be structured under a mastery-based model, including implications for grading, reassessment, and feedback. The goal of the workshop is to help faculty develop a clear mental model of what MBL looks like in practice and identify realistic first steps toward transitioning a course or course component.
Facilitator bios:
Dr. Sara Atwood has been recognized as a thought-leader in mastery-based engineering pedagogy, co-authoring a book chapter in the Mechanical Engineering Education Handbook and giving workshops at a variety of institutions and conferences. Atwood has been highly engaged in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) throughout her career and is the recipient of the Mara Washburn Early Engineering Educator Grant from the Women in Engineering Division as well as co-authoring the Best Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Paper in 2018. She has also won multiple awards at Elizabethtown College including the Center for Civic and Community Engagement Faculty Award. Dr. Atwood serves as an ABET program evaluator, has published in the Journal of Engineering Education, and has received over $2 million in engineering education funding from the NSF including her current project exploring the impact of internship experiences on the engineering identity of first-generation low-income engineering students.
Dr. Kurt DeGoede has focused his research around multidisciplinary biomechanics projects, mentoring paid undergraduate research students each summer in basic science and applied research. The research team collaborates with colleagues in Occupational Therapy and local physicians. They have presented their work in human movement and injury biomechanics at the American Society of Biomechanics. Others have helped develop two clinical rehabilitation tools, with clinical trial results presented at the Hand Society of Hand Therapists and the Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association. Dr. DeGoede has also developed a study abroad program in West Africa built around collaborative social enterprise projects. An innovative educator, Dr. DeGoede has published several papers on teaching methods in engineering mechanics and capstone projects. He has been recognized multiple times for Faculty Merit Awards in all three categories: Teaching, Scholarship and Service, and several other service and mentoring awards.
Dr. Judson Wagner combines his physics background from Elizabethtown College with doctoral expertise in Educational Leadership and thirty years of educational experience to create transformative learning experiences. Recognized with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, National Board Certification, and as a finalist for Delaware State Teacher of the Year, his career includes serving as a STEM supervisor for a large school district and advisor to state-level STEM initiatives in Delaware. He specializes in student-centered learning approaches that empower students to discover their potential, developing curiosity, resilience, and problem-solving skills that prepare students for meaningful careers and lifelong learning. Dr. Wagner is passionate about helping students connect physics concepts to real-world applications and personal growth.
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