A Path to Understanding: A case study in cultivating empathy through communication and cultural barriers

Abstract

Abstract – In service-learning projects, engineering students work with community partners on projects that reflect situations that professional engineers may face. Grounded in life experiences, the challenges and obstacles vary based on the project and the particular needs of the community partner. This case study presents several barriers that a team of second-year engineering students worked to overcome, to understand the design problem, and to engage in empathetic design. The four students developed an assistive drumming device for a young Indigenous child who has a rare metabolic disorder. Communication barriers arose due to geographic distance, cultural differences, and because there were multiple stakeholders in the chain of communication between the students and the user. To understand more about the metabolic disorder, drumming, and the user’s cultural context, the students performed extensive research, spoke with key knowledge-holders, and attended cultural events. These additional steps contributed to a successful design, and the case study demonstrates how empathetic design encourages students to persist until a solution is found. Lastly, we offer recommendations to help students practice empathetic design.