Developing the engineering student preferences in navigation situational judgment inventory using a design-based research approach

Introduction Undergraduate engineering programs are campus ecosystems ripe with situations to navigate, requiring coordination between ongoing demands and support resources (e.g., tutoring, academic advising, faculty office hours). Due to the availability of countless resources and lack of systematic evaluation of how students navigate resource access, there is a gap between student needs and practitioner assumptions about when and why students select certain resources. Methods To elucidate student preferences in navigating undergraduate engineering situations, we developed the Engineering Student Preferences in Navigation (E-SPIN) Situational Judgment Inventory (E-SPIN SJI). Results E-SPIN offers a novel approach to surfacing and assessing undergraduate student navigation. We detail the development and proven utility of E-SPIN. Discussion In sharing these details, we aim to equip practitioners and researchers with a new student-facing tool to evaluate and transform campus ecosystems to better understand and support student success.