Presentation Schedule
Exploring Learner Diversity, Visibility and Identity in an English-medium Semiconductor Diploma for a Global Industry (105466)
Session Chair: Beatriz Desantiago-Fjelstad
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Friday, 27 March 2026 12:25
Session: Session 1
Room: Live-Stream Room 4
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
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Programmes designed to prepare engineering students for roles in the semiconductor industry frequently prioritise technical and scientific content, while paying limited attention to learner diversity, language needs and identity. This paper examines student learning experiences in the first cohort of the E3 diploma (“English, Ethics and Employability in the Semiconductor Industry”), a 100-hour English-medium programme on ethics, English and employability for engineering students in fields related to the semiconductor sector, implemented at the University of Guadalajara, a Mexican public university, with 29 selected participants from varied socio-economic and disciplinary backgrounds.
The learning design was guided by Universal Design for Learning to provide multiple means of engagement, representation and expression, and to create an inclusive environment for diverse learners and different ways of thinking and learning. This was operationalised through a co-constructed student code of conduct, explicit norms for respectful interaction, flexible assessment formats and scaffolded opportunities to use English in low-risk settings before public presentations.
Drawing on thematic analysis of reflective journals, end-of-module surveys, and informal interviews, we report how students describe changes in their confidence to participate in English-speaking professional spaces, their sense of belonging within the semiconductor ecosystem, and their views on ethical responsibility. Many participants shared their admission to the diploma on LinkedIn as a milestone and reported feeling “seen” as future professionals. The paper discusses implications for designing English-medium, industry-oriented programmes that foreground learner diversity, social inclusion and student visibility. It suggests how this inclusive model could be adapted to other high-tech sectors beyond semiconductors.
Authors:
Sabrina Vega-Maldonado, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
Mariela Bravo-Sanchez, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
Erick Cisneros-Lopez, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
Marco Perez-Cisneros, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
Amparo Gonzalez-Morales, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Mexico
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Sabrina Lizbeth Vega Maldonado is a faculty member at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico
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