Understanding the Lived College Experiences of Non-Traditional Engineering Students
Project Overview
Background
Engineering classrooms often miss the opportunity to leverage the real-world experience of non-traditional students—those balancing jobs, parenting, or returning from the workforce. This project explores how to integrate their practical insights into teaching to improve engagement and learning for all students.
Objectives
To identify valuable aspects of non-traditional engineering students’ life experiences that can be used to enhance classroom engagement and peer learning.
Impact
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Informed inclusive curriculum design.
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Validated asset-based approach to better classroom engagement.
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Peer learning opportunities expanded.
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1 Published peer reviewed paper : https://peer.asee.org/leveraging-lived-experiences-of-nontraditional-engineering-students-preliminary-data-and-analysis
Team
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My role: Contract Qualitative UX researcher
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Team members:
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2 supervisors
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2 other UX researchers
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Stakeholders: National Science Foundation (NSF)
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Tools Used in this Project
Qualtrics
For participant screening and pre-interview surveys.
NVivo (Affinity Mapping)
For affinity mapping and developing thematic codes from interview transcripts.
How Did I Solve the Problem?
Methodology
Purposive Sampling
Using Qualtrics, participants were selected based on predefined NTES criteria (e.g., age, work history, enrollment pattern) to ensure relevance to the research goals.
1:1 Interviews
Used to explore non-traditional students' perspectives in depth while allowing flexibility for unexpected insights.
Interview Coding
Ensured reliability and consistency in theme interpretation by involving multiple coders and defining inclusion/exclusion rules.
Thematic Analysis
Used to identify recurring patterns in the lived experiences of non-traditional engineering students that could enhance classroom engagement.
Purposive Sampling
What did I do?
I used purposive sampling to recruit non-traditional engineering students (NTES) who met specific criteria aligned with the study’s goals—such as delayed enrollment, part-time attendance, or full-time employment. A pre-screening survey in Qualtrics helped identify and invite eligible participants for interviews.
What were the results?
Ten NTES participants were successfully recruited from various engineering disciplines, primarily at the junior and senior levels, ensuring that they had substantial academic and life experience to reflect on.
What challenges did I face?
Some students were hesitant to self-identify as non-traditional or misunderstood the eligibility criteria, which led to mismatches during initial screening. I addressed this by re-confirming eligibility at the start of each interview and respectfully ending sessions that didn’t meet the criteria. Scheduling was also a challenge due to participants' work and academic commitments, which I managed by offering flexible interview times, including evenings and weekends.
1:1 Interviews
What did I do?
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Conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 non-traditional engineering students (NTES) to explore how their lived experiences shape classroom engagement.
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Participants were recruited via a purposive sampling process using a Qualtrics pre-screening survey based on NCES criteria.
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Interview questions (shared in advance) focused on:
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Educational background and path into engineering
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Experiences sharing NTES status in class or group work
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Differences observed between themselves and traditional students
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How prior work/life experiences influenced learning
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Interviews were recorded with consent, and each participant received a $25 gift card.
What were the results?
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Completed 20 interviews with NTES from various engineering disciplines.
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Common themes emerged:
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Initial hesitation to share NTES identity, later replaced by openness in supportive environments
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Valuable peer contributions through industry experience and practical problem-solving
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Strengths in communication, time management, and class participation
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These insights informed the codebook and served as a foundation for thematic analysis.
What challenges did I face?
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Hesitancy to share personal experiences:
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Addressed by building rapport during the interview, and emphasizing confidentiality. I also introduced snacks for future participants to ease them in to the interview process.
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Emotional discomfort during interviews:
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Offered post-interview resource sheets with campus support services.
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Scheduling conflicts due to work/school obligations:
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Resolved by offering flexible time slots, including evenings and weekends.
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Interview Coding
What did I do?
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Collaborated with two other UX researchers to develop a codebook for analyzing interviews with non-traditional engineering students (NTES).
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Each of us independently coded three initial transcripts using Nvivo, focusing on recurring experiences, behaviors, and engagement patterns.
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We then met to compare codes, resolve discrepancies, and refine our definitions through discussion.
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Aimed for at least 90% agreement on coding decisions for each transcript before proceeding with the full dataset.
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This iterative process was used to code interviews from 20 participants, resulting in a total of 67 distinct codes.
What were the results?
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Produced a structured, high-reliability codebook with clearly defined themes, sub-themes, and representative examples.
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Achieved strong inter-coder agreement and consistency, supporting robust and scalable thematic analysis.
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The 67 codes captured a wide range of insights, including classroom dynamics, peer collaboration, and how NTES apply real-world experience in learning.
What challenges did I face?
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Differences in initial interpretations of codes:
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Resolved through discussion and clarification of definitions within the codebook.
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Balancing speed with accuracy in coding:
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Addressed by limiting batch size and reviewing one transcript at a time until agreement was consistently above 90%.
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Ensuring consistent use of Nvivo tools across coders:
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We shared workflows and documented our coding steps to align processes.
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What did I do?
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Conducted a thematic analysis of 20 interview transcripts using the collaboratively developed codebook in Nvivo.
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Worked with two other UX researchers to identify and refine emergent themes through systematic coding.
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Used affinity mapping to group related codes and uncover higher-level patterns in how non-traditional engineering students (NTES) experience and engage with engineering education.
What were the results?
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Identified 12 main themes that reflect how NTES navigate academic and social aspects of engineering programs:
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Hesitancy to Share NTES Identity – Students were initially reluctant to disclose their status unless the context felt safe or relevant.
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Affirmation Through Sharing – When shared, their background often sparked curiosity and respect from peers.
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Real-World Contextualization – NTES used industry experience to ground classroom discussions in practical terms.
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Communication Strengths – Participants frequently described improved ability to ask meaningful, focused questions.
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Time Management – Managing work and school responsibilities sharpened their prioritization and planning skills.
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Group Collaboration – NTES often acted as team stabilizers or mentors during group projects.
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Perceived Value by Peers – Traditional students often sought out NTES for guidance and insight.
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Isolation and Difference – Some NTES described feeling “othered” or misunderstood by younger peers.
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Resilience and Adaptability – Life experience contributed to persistence in the face of academic stress.
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Role Conflicts – Balancing family, work, and school often led to competing priorities.
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Navigating Expectations – NTES often felt misaligned with traditional timelines or definitions of success.
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Desire for Inclusion – Many wanted their experiences to be recognized and integrated into class activities.
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What challenges did I face?
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Overlapping or nuanced themes:
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We used frequent team discussions to clarify definitions and merge closely related themes where appropriate.
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Ensuring consistency in code application across transcripts:
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Addressed by referring back to the codebook and using Nvivo queries to check alignment.
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Interpreting emotionally charged responses:
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We were careful to respect context and avoid overgeneralizing individual experiences.
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