Susan Freeman
Papers
4
Total Citations
17
H-Index
3
About
Susan Freeman is an engineering education researcher whose work centers on first-year engineering curriculum design, community engagement, and innovative pedagogy. Based at an urban institution, Freeman has dedicated her scholarship to making engineering education more accessible, meaningful, and connected to real-world contexts for incoming students. Her most recognized contribution, "Programming is Invisible – or is it?" (2020, 7 citations), tackles the challenge of teaching abstract programming concepts to first-year engineering students across large, multi-section courses, offering practical strategies to make invisible computational thinking tangible and engaging. Complementing this, Freeman has been a strong advocate for service-learning as a pedagogical tool, demonstrating through evidence-based research that community-embedded projects deepen student engagement, foster a sense of belonging, and broaden students' understanding of their role as engineers in society — particularly in urban communities. Her work also challenges the assumption that engineering design education requires high-tech resources, arguing persuasively that low-technology approaches can be equally credible and effective. Collectively, Freeman's research reflects a commitment to inclusive, community-conscious engineering education that meets students where they are — making her scholarship particularly relevant for educators rethinking the first-year engineering experience.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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