Best SEFI 2026 Paper Nominations – Find out who they are!

7 September 2026
News

Each year, SEFI recognises outstanding contributions to engineering education through its Best Paper Awards. This year, the awards celebrate research and practice that advance engineering education and reflect the conference theme, “Engineering Education for Humanity in a Challenging World.”

Following a rigorous review process, four expert committees have nominated the most outstanding papers submitted to the conference. If you would like to attend their presentations, you can find the corresponding sessions listed below.

The winners will be announced during the Closing Ceremony on Thursday, 10 September.

Best student paper

Committee: Ramon Vilanova, Raffaella Manzini, Nikola Malečková, Jan Vrba

Nominations:

Anducas, Anna; Mas de les Valls, Elisabet: Building Futures Literacy in Primary Education: Using Generative AI to Disrupt STEM Gender Stereotypes. Tuesday, 8 September | 12:35-13:35 | Room C2-82
Fernando, Alexa Ray Ronsairo: Engineering Competencies as a System of Influence: Insights from a Fuzzy DEMATEL Study. Thursday, 10 September | 11:30-12:30 | Room C3-52
Oquendo-Colón, Nolgie; Li, Xiaping; Finelli, Cynthia: Engineering Students with ADHD Perceptions of Instructional Practices: A Thematic Analysis Using Universal Design for Instruction. Thursday, 10 September | 11:30-12:30 | Room C2-82

Best practice paper

Committee: Gabriela Achtenova, Zbynek Skvor, Gareth Thompson, Johanna Naukkarinen

Nominations:

Rosado Hau, Nidiana; Day, Harry: Labsheets Are Dead? A Comparison of Digital Lab Manuals vs Traditional Labsheets. Tuesday, 8 September | 12:35-13:35 | Room C2-84
Jurado, Nelia; Krivoshchekov, Vladislav; Kotluk, Nihat; Tormey, Roland: ‘Ethics of Care Inquiry’: Implementing a Practical Approach to Analysing Case Studies in Engineering Ethics Classes Across Two Institutions. Wednesday, 9 September | 15:35-16:35 | Room C3-340
Rietdijk, Danielle; Cabo, Annoesjka; Kosynska, Mariia: Kickstart Your Teaching Programme: How to Unlock Talent in Education? Monday, 7 September | 12:20-13:20 | Room C3-132

Best research paper

Committee: Tinne De Laet, Patrik Mottl, Marie Demlova, Xiangyun Du

Nominations:

Finelli, Cynthia; Lord, Susan: Gender Differences in Engineering Students’ Attitudes Toward Social Responsibility. Tuesday, 8 September | 12:35-13:35 | Room C3-51
Magana, Alejandra; Li, Tianyi: Students’ Experiences of Large Language Models for Learning Systems Analysis and Design: A Phenomenography. Wednesday, 9 September | 15:35-16:35 | Room C2-54
Naukkarinen, Johanna; Bairoh, Susanna: The Effect of Neurodivergence on the Wellbeing of Engineering Students in Finland. Tuesday, 8 September | 12:35-13:35 | Room C2-82
Li, Weiwei; Ventura-Medina, Esther: From Control to Confidence: The Impact of Program-Level Digital Assessment Innovation and Teacher Support on the Wellbeing of First-Year Engineering Students. Thursday, 10 September | 11:30-12:30 | Room C4-155
Aarnio, Hanna; Ceccarelli, Lorenzo; Van den Beemt, Antoine: Students’ Learning Gains in Transdisciplinary Challenge-Based Learning: A Q Methodological Study. Tuesday, 8 September | 14:30-15:30 | Room C2-54

Susanne Ihsen award

Committee: Nikola Maleckova, Patrik Mottl, Fiona Truscott

Nominations:

Prince, Robert Noel; Simpson, Zach, Extended versus Regular Curriculum Programmes in Engineering: A South African Case Study, Tuesday, 8 September, 14:30–15:30 | Room C3-340
Oquendo-Colón, Nolgie; Li, Xiaping; Finelli, Cynthia, Engineering Students with ADHD: Perceptions of Instructional Practices. A Thematic Analysis Using Universal Design for Instruction, Thursday, 10 September, 11:30–12:30 | Room C2-82
Mejia, Joel Alejandro, From (Des)conocimiento to Meaning Making: Reframing Knowledge, Identity, and Power in Engineering Education, Wednesday, 9 September, 15:35–16:35 | Room C3-337
Thomson, Kennedy R.; Gentry, Adrian Nat; Douglas, Kerrie A., Assets beyond the binary: Narratives on the queer cultural capital of nonbinary engineering students. Tuesday 8 September, 12:35–13:35 | Room C3-340