Hidden curriculum (HC) represents the unacknowledged and oftentimes “hidden” lessons or messages in a working or learning environment that hinder marginalized groups from navigating their environments successfully. HC propagates structurally through social networks and interactions where norms, values, and beliefs of a context are transferred to the learner. In this talk, we will explore the traits of individuals as they become aware of the HC around them, how they cope, and what actions or decisions they take upon gaining awareness of HC. Post the seminar, a workshop aimed for classroom improvement informed by HC will be provided.
Bio
Dr. Idalis Villanueva Alarcón is an Associate Chair for Research & Graduate Studies and tenured Associate Professor of Engineering Education in the University of Florida. In 2019, she received the White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy’s Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) award for her 2017 National Science Foundation CAREER project on hidden curriculum in engineering. She had offered numerous invited talks nationwide including the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). She hopes her work will leave to positive change in engineering to better serve its students, faculty, and society.