About

Dr. Aaron C. Clark is a Professor of Technology, Design, and Engineering Education at North Carolina State University within the College of Education. He serves as Co-coordinator of the Engineering Education program at NC State. His research areas include graphics education, engineering education, visual science, and professional development for technology and engineering education. Dr. Clark has held various leadership roles in disciplines related to engineering education and career and technical education. He is recognized as a Distinguished Technology Educator by the International Technology Engineering Education Association and the American Society of Engineering Education's Engineering Design Graphics Division. His academic programs include doctoral concentrations in Engineering and Technology Education, as well as undergraduate programs in Technology, Engineering, and Design Education.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Psychology
• Engineering management
• Mathematics education
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer graphics (images)
• Multimedia
• Pedagogy
• Mathematics
• Human–computer interaction
• Geometry
• Software engineering
• Engineering ethics
• Engineering drawing

Selected publications

• Assessing Academic Progress in First-Year Engineering and First-Generation College Students Through Engineering Design Graphics Courses

  2025-08-21

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Patterns of Retention and Persistence Rates in a Student-Centered Engineering Design Graphics Course

  2024-08-04

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Engineering design graphics educational environments incorporating elements of active learning and associated supplementary resources promote students' engagement in applying course content and potentially student retention and persistence in STEM degree programs. An NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) study conducted at a large land grant institution in the southeast United States within an engaging student-centered introductory engineering design graphics course identifies that using active learning components with supplemental material supports increases in student self-efficacy in three-dimensional modeling along with academic success, including mental rotation ability. Additionally, the course structure presents learners with the opportunity to practice elements of self-regulated learning within engineering design graphics, which is a critical component in students' success in engineering and engineering technology programs. While the IUSE study presents findings from six semesters of an introductory engineering graphics course, there remains an opportunity to conduct a longitudinal study analyzing the three years' worth of data for patterns of retention and persistence of students in STEM degree programs, including engineering and engineering technology degree programs. Results from this quasi-experimental study will act as a stepping stone for comparing retention and persistence rates at other institutions. Furthermore, results presented from this study can serve as support for engineering design graphics programs to utilize student-centered learning environments that incorporate elements of active learning and expose students to supplemental resources that can deepen their engagement with course content. This in-depth engagement with applying course content prepares students with experiences that can transfer to function within a STEM environment. The STEM workforce continues to expand and requires a diverse population with proficient technological and engineering literacies to fulfill those developing needs, such as communicating through engineering design graphics. Engineering and engineering technology degree programs incorporating evidence-based student-centered strategies to promote retention and persistence can increase interest and identity within their programs. Such an increase can lead to meeting the growing needs of an expanding STEM workforce.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Understanding Factors of Engineering Student Persistence Using Predictive Modeling

  2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings · 2024-02-20

  articleOpen access

  Student persistence in higher education is a topic of discussion in the academic literature and within our colleges and universities.This is especially relevant as university programs continue to focus on equity, inclusion, and support for student populations that are historically underrepresented in higher education and within specific disciplines.Engineering education has been attempting to address these issues for some time and with the graduation rates for engineering programs averaging up to 50%, understanding why students stay or leave these programs is crucial information.The reasons students persist or leave higher education programs are important data points for any university program.However, traditional statistical analysis methods may not be robust or accessible enough to understand and communicate these factors.To determine these factors, machine learning and predictive analysis software were employed to examine these factors of persistence for engineering education students.Dozens of variables including academic scores, non-cognitive and skill-based assessments, and demographic information for 300 students in an introductory engineering graphics course were used to develop a model capable of predicting whether a student will persist with nearly 94% accuracy.This research indicated that age, gender, three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy, and parental career were the most influential factors of persistence.Using this information, combined with the theoretical underpinnings of these constructs, may provide areas in which to focus and specifically target in order to improve persistence rates in engineering education.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Supporting Student Persistence in Engineering Graphics through Active Learning Modules

  2024 · 2 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Mathematics education

  Kelly studies how STEM education and engagement can improve the educational out-

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Barometer For Engineering And Technical Graphics Education

  2024-01-31 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This paper provides results from a survey of engineering design graphics professionals who responded to questions related to trends and issues in the field of graphics education.The survey, conducted in the Fall of 1998, solicited information from representatives teaching engineering and technical graphics at selected institutions.The process used for selecting representatives was based on 1997-98 membership in the professional organizations of the Engineering Design Graphics Division of the American Society for Engineering Education and the National Association of Industrial and Technical Teacher Education.The survey solicited data in four areas related to the engineering/technical graphics profession.First, the survey identified course content, instructional methodology, and software currently being used in engineering/technical graphics classes.Second, the survey examined current student populations and determined ways institutions are meeting their needs.Third, the survey inquired about trends and issues within the profession with emphasis placed on the background of faculty utilized to teach graphics, faculty concerns with teaching graphics, and methods utilized by engineering/ technical graphics educators for professional development.Fourth, the survey examined the present status of graphics education and how it relates to establishing a proposed program in graphics teacher education.The survey sought information on types of degrees offered by institutions and how they are structured in order to establish criteria for the proposed program.The authors of this study will present all qualitative information found throughout the duration of the study as well as demographics and descriptive statistics obtained from the survey.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Facilitative Teaching Utilizing Active Learning Modules in Engineering Graphics: A Model for Promoting Success and Engagement in Technology and Engineering Education

  Journal of Technology Education · 2023-01-27

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Success in post-secondary engineering graphics courses in technology andengineering often relies on self-efficacy, academic success, and mental rotationabilities. Using a facilitative instructor model, the Improving UndergraduateSTEM Education (IUSE) team applied active learning modules as supplementalmaterial at two post-secondary institutions in the United States of America, thenused a quasi-experimental design iterative study approach to investigate impactsin an introductory engineering graphics course. Active learning modules werecomposed of ten units that engaged students through relatable examples andpractices of foundational principles and applications of engineering graphics thatare heavily applicable to the Standards for Technological and EngineeringLiteracy. The modules were presented to students through an online learningmanagement system that encouraged elements of self-regulated learning.Measurements of self-efficacy, mental rotation ability, and academic successwere gathered. Differences in academic and non-academic indicators wereexamined in combination with students at risk of non-matriculation and studentsnot at risk of non-matriculation subgroups. Results from paired t-tests supportedprevious findings that there are positive impacts of supplemental materialsavailable to students. Students at risk of non-matriculation benefited from thecombination of active learning modules and supplementary video tutorialsresulting in greater self-efficacy and higher final exam scores than at-riskstudents whose modules did not include video tutorials. Students not at risk ofnon-matriculation had higher levels of self-efficacy and mental rotation abilitywhen video tutorials were not included. With this information, engineering,engineering education, and other STEM programs can model elements of activelearning modules to promote early student success in both subgroups.Furthermore, the IUSE team has published the material through open access foreducators and students to utilize.

  PublisherDOI

•  Pandemic-Induced Impacts: Experiences in an Introductory Engineering Graphics Course 

  The Journal of Technology Studies · 2022-10-18

  articleOpen access

  The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted technology, engineering, and design education as well as workforce development programs worldwide. The emergency transition to fully online course delivery ushered experiences from which course restructuring could utilize. Through an illustrated case study approach using student course evaluations coupled with instructor interviews, this article reports on the experiences resulting from the abrupt interruption of the Spring 2020 semester and how the restructure of an introductory engineering graphics course accommodated changing expectations. The restructured course was built upon a hybrid flipped model utilizing an online learning management system including active learning modules which provided a foundation of preparedness for transitioning to fully online course delivery. As positive as the preparedness was, there were still changes that had to occur to not only meet the needs of the emergency situation but to also establish multiple models of the course for future situations. These changes included incorporating web conferencing software to meet online when a face-to-face meeting was not possible, developing video lectures for students to watch when most accommodating for their schedule, as well as the increased use of the online learning management system. Another change from the restructuring process was the new technology expectations of students and instructors. Feedback from both students and instructors reported how flexibility, empathy, and effective communication were driving traits of positive experiences in such an unprecedented situation. Reported experiences along with elements of the course restructuring can serve as an example of how future courses are delivered for a variety of situations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Professional Development System Design for Grades 6-12 Technology, Engineering, and Design Educators

  2020-09-03 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  high school, undergraduate and graduate level technology education in his 27 years as a teacher and researcher. He has extensive research and curriculum development experience in STEM disciplines. His research includes the study of thinking processes, teaching methods, and activities that improve technological problem-solving performance and creativity. He has expertise in developing technology education curriculum that integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts. Currently, Dr. DeLuca's research includes projects to develop curricula to teach STEM concepts associated with renewable energy technologies by providing a living laboratory of performance data from numerous renewable energy systems. The overarching goal of the project is to develop middle school, high school and undergraduate students' higher-order thinking

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Technology, Engineering, and Design Educator Professional Development System Implementation: Initial Pilot Results

  2020-09-03 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  includes the study of thinking processes, teaching methods, and activities that improve technological problem-solving performance and creativity. He has

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Engineering Graphics Instruction Outside Of The Lab: How Prepared Are Our Students?

  2020-09-03

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The 1990's have seen a rapid expansion of the use of networked computers on college and university campuses. By the Fall of 1995, half of all college students and faculty had recurring instructional experience with information technology while more than half of all college students and three-fourths of faculty had access to the Internet and WWW. This infusion of computer technology has had a significant impact on how and what students are taught in engineering design graphics. Though the establishment of computer labs on campuses has hit near saturation, instructional issues concerning the use of computers in engineering graphics are still evolving. As more and more instructional activity takes place outside of traditional labs via distance education technologies, what access students have to computing resources at their homes or dorms and what computer skills they possess to use these computer-based tools becomes increasingly important. Instruction taking place outside of traditional computer labs provides fewer opportunities for instructors to provide remediation in computer skills. This paper will report on a survey of students enrolled in engineering design graphics courses at NC State University the Fall 1999 semester. The results of this survey provides a snapshot of how prepared students currently are to make use of computer-based instruction within and outside of traditional labs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Visualization in Technology Education (VisTE)

  NSF · $1.1M · 2002–2007

Frequent coauthors

• Jeremy V. Ernst

  Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

  77 shared

• Daniel Kelly

  North Carolina State University

  31 shared

• Erik Schettig

  North Carolina State University

  16 shared

• Eric Wiebe

  14 shared

• Alice Scales

  11 shared

• V. William DeLuca

  10 shared

• Kevin Sutton

  North Carolina State University

  5 shared

• Thomas O. Williams

  Virginia Tech

  5 shared

Awards & honors

• Distinguished Technology Educator by the International Techn…
• Distinguished Technology Educator by the American Society of…